robust salmon, and the relief he felt made it taste twice as delicious.
Ernest wiped his secret sauce-stained lips, but his gaze seemed to linger across the restaurant toward the guy Toby had noticed earlier. The man was talking on the phone again.
Toby said, “I’ll bet that guy’s a salesman who calls on Dr. Fairweather.”
“What?”
“That guy you were staring at. I saw him at the vet the other day. Really dressed up for Corona del Mar. I mean, when was the last time you saw a tie? I’ll bet he’s a salesman.”
Ernest nodded. “Yeah, I noticed that too. You’re probably right.” He took another big bite of sandwich.
Toby’s body actually tingled from his good fortune. To show up at the party with a guy as attractive and eligible as Ernest was a dream come true. “So where were you born?”
“Huh?”
Toby said, “Uh, I thought we should know something about each other if we’re supposed to be engaged.”
For a second, Ernest just gazed at Toby with that intense stare, then he said, “I was born in, uh, the Midwest, just outside of Chicago. How about you?”
“We’re from a small town in northern California, near Redding.”
“We? Oh, you and your sister.”
Toby nodded. “We’re kind of a package. We always say we shared the womb and the weirdness. We’re nothing like the rest of our family.” Toby took his last mouthful of wine. “I guess I should know what you do for a living.”
Ernest’s eyes kind of darted around for a second, then he said, “I’m currently unemployed, but I used to be a financial planner.”
Toby swallowed. Unemployed wasn’t so good, but hell, he couldn’t have everything. “I’m sorry. That sounds like it was a good job.”
He shrugged. “I made enough money to be able to afford to relocate, so I moved here from, uh, Chicago. I may go into business for myself, but I currently live on my investments.” He smiled and Toby smiled back. Money-in-the-bank would do just fine. Ernest said, “Want dessert?”
“No, I’m good. We better come up with a ‘how we met’ story. That always seems to be the thing people want to know first about couples.”
The waiter walked up with two small cups of something that looked like pudding with a crispy top. He said, “We’re trying out a new dessert. These are compliments of the house.”
Ernest said, “Crème brulee?”
“Yes. But it’s coconut.”
“Oh yum.”
Toby smiled. Chalk up that information. Ernest liked coconut.
Toby dug into the small dessert. “Wow. That’s better than sex.” He blinked. Did I really just say that?
Ernest grinned around his spoon and let his tongue languidly lick the crème brulee from it. “Well, it’s better than some sex.”
Crème brulee stuck in Toby’s throat and he garbled, “Uh, where did you go to school?”
Ernest laughed. “Excellent change of subject.” Still, he seemed to hesitate a couple counts before answering. “NYU.”
“Whoa. The big city.”
Ernest just smiled.
They compared lives for a few more minutes while Ernest paid the bill. Interestingly, in cash. Toby felt weird about it, but no way he could justify dinner and wine for two when Molly was restricted to one glass of wine on her “night out” with the girls. Some night out. When they were kids, they weren’t allowed to have fun. Now they couldn’t afford it. But maybe with Ernest’s help, he’d be able to make a better life for him and Molly soon.
I wonder why Ernest needs to appear to have a boyfriend? He wanted to ask, but something in the hesitancy with which Ernest answered questions made him hold back. Not my business. Hell, he was doing so much for so little reason, Toby needed to not push his luck.
Ernest folded up the receipt, they loaded Cat back in his carrier, not without a meow of protest, and they walked to the sidewalk. Toby pointed toward his car.
Ernest said, “I’m in the opposite direction. So I’ll see you Saturday at what? Two thirty?”
Toby nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never been there, so I need to find the address. It’s in Irvine. I’ll meet you, where, at the clinic?”
“Sure. Outside.”
“Perfect. Uh, how about I give you my number in case there’s any issue?”
“Good idea.” Ernest held out his hand and Toby put his phone in it. He typed for a minute. “I sent your number to me and put mine in your phone.” He cracked that baby dimple. “Just like real boyfriends.”
Toby’s heart slammed against his chest. “See you then.” Suppressing a desire to reach up and kiss Ernest on the cheek, he turned