my eyes in time to watch the cheerful demeanor of the elderly couple shift to a glare when they watched Anderson slide into our booth. What’s wrong with you people? I returned their glare.
“You know why you guys are stuck with me, right?” Chloe asked as she played with the edge of the menu. “They’re doing it.”
Anderson and I stared at each other, Anderson’s eyebrows lifted at my innocent-sounding question. “It?”
Chloe giggled, “It. They are trying to have another baby.”
Anderson worked to contain the smile that was clearly trying to creep across his face. Now, my cheerful demeanor had shifted like the couples’. Thanks for being absolutely zero help.
“How do you feel about having another little brother or sister?” I worked to keep my tone as casual as possible.
She pretended to focus on the menu. “It’s cool.”
“Chloe, what would you like to do today?” Anderson raised his finger for her to wait just a moment as the waitress arrived to take our order. “Do you ladies know what you want?”
“I’ll have a Reuben on rye with extra dressing and a side salad with no dressing.” Chloe handed the waitress her menu when she completed her order.
“And for you?” The waitress glanced at me, but her eyes darted to the Anderson.
“Turkey with Havarti. No mayo, please.” Anderson nodded when I finished and asked for the same thing.
As the waitress walked away, I was looking forward to hearing what Chloe wanted to do. Soraya had suggested a movie or a show. Something told me Chloe wasn’t going to be interested in either of those suggestions.
“Are you married?”
Chloe had directed the question to Anderson, so I sat back in the booth and waited for him to respond.
“I am not married.” He turned his phone over and then repeated the process.
Oh, she isn’t done with this line of questioning. Hahaha! Good luck, Mr. Cocky.
“Do you want to get married?” Chloe shrugged as if Anderson should have elaborated more with his answer.
Anderson continued to flip his phone face up, then face down, then face up again. “I do hope to get married someday.”
“What about you, Jurnee? Do you want to get married?” Chloe nudged my arm.
Shit! Think Jurnee. Shit!
The waitress deposited our beverages and Chloe’s salad onto the table.
“That looks good. Are those olives?” Anderson shook his head at my lame attempt at deflection Chloe’s question.
She mixed up her salad with her fork and added pepper. “Yep. I don’t really want to see a movie.”
“What about going to the park?” Anderson suggested as he slid his phone into his suit pocket.
“I’m not four, you know,” Chloe grunted as she took another bite of her salad.
“I’ve been dying to explore Central Park, and I’m not four. What do you think?” I tried.
Chloe wrinkled up her nose and shook her head, “Been there, done that. I think it’s overrated.”
Anderson intertwined his fingers together and leaned back in the booth. “A friend of mine told me the fall line of Birkin bags are–”
“Birkin?” Chloe’s face lit up, and she gently laid her fork on her salad plate. “I don’t have a Birkin.”
“Shopping it is.” Anderson smiled at his triumphant suggestion.
“What’s a Birkin?”
“Did she just ask what a Birkin is?” Chloe’s hand palmed into her face.
I shrugged.
Our food arrived. The waitress was all smiles as she placed Anderson’s plate in front of him and turned it so the sandwich was directly in front of him. She set my plate in front of me with far less care.
“She likes you.” Chloe announced while watching an Instagram clip of an American family out sightseeing with their kids in Australia.
“Chloe, I don’t think she likes me.” Anderson picked up his sandwich. “I think she wants a big tip.”
“She wants a big tip all right,” I mumbled under my breath before taking a bite of my sandwich.
The food was great, as evident by the silence as we ate. The moments of peace ended with another explosive question from the nine-year-old. “Is it true that you have a line of women trying to rope you down?”
Anderson choked on the bite of food. Hahaha… I love this kid. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and began turning it over slowly. Chloe and I both stared at him, waiting for a response.
“Where did you hear that?” The phone hit the table face down as he asked his counter-question.
Chloe shrugged her shoulders and bit into her Rueben. “My mom and Soraya.”
“I do not have a line of women. I don’t even have a girlfriend.”