“He did the first time we met.” He’d been perfectly punctual ever since the coffee spill. But something about him standing me up tonight was extra humiliating, like having a witness to his no-show gave the situation an extra sourness. I felt dumb for telling Chloe that he’d grown up over the last twelve years.
Our tacos arrived about two minutes ahead of Miles and Aaron. I was halfway through my first one when I spotted them weaving toward our table.
“Hey,” Miles said, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.
Chloe studied him while she took another bite but didn’t say a word.
I wasn’t sure what to say either. Go away felt right, except my mother had drilled manners into me too hard for me to let the words out. I settled on, “Hey.”
“These our seats?” Aaron asked, already settling into a chair. The table was square with a seat on each side. He was next to Chloe and across from me.
Miles took the seat to my right. “I’m sorry. We got held up.”
I shrugged. “We already ordered, but I’m sure the server can add yours on.” I lifted my hand to call him over, but Miles shook his head.
“It’s my bad. I’ll do it.”
When the server made it to our table with a tight smile on his face at the sight of two new guests, Miles handed him the menus without looking at them, but not before I saw him place a hundred-dollar bill on top as he returned them.
“Sorry we’re late ordering,” he said.
“No problem at all,” the server said, all smiles now. “What can I get for you?”
“Two Abitas and two of your favorite dishes. We don’t have food allergies, and we’ll eat anything, I promise.”
“I’ll hook you up,” the server said. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
“So you’re an adventurous eater?” Chloe asked. Miles had stumbled onto the only way to improve her opinion of him.
“I am,” he said. “I’ll try anything. Even the Ellie special at Miss Mary’s.”
Chloe gave a low whistle. “How’d that go?”
“One of my few missteps,” he admitted.
“You’re both weak,” I said.
“No, we just haven’t had our tastebuds deadened by nuclear heat,” she said.
Aaron had yet to say anything. He just glanced around the restaurant, then as if he’d decided it held nothing interesting, he pulled out his phone and swiped away.
Chloe shot me a look, like, What is it with this guy?
Miles, noticing, gave a small shake of his head, and mouthed, “Let him.”
I wasn’t sure what to say next. I’d learned the art of small talk over the last couple of years, ways to keep conversations going with clients when I didn’t necessarily have much in common with them. But I was still annoyed enough with Miles that everything I thought about saying would sound insincere unless it was, I’m super bugged that you’re late. But he’d already apologized. So I didn’t say anything and wished desperately that he hadn’t shown up at all.
Chloe stepped in. “Get caught in traffic?”
There wasn’t much traffic this time of night, so the honest answer would be no. She was calling him out.
“No, some stuff came up that we had to handle.”
“You could have texted,” I said.
He winced. “You’re right. Um, I think I didn’t because I’m a rock star?”
“Is that a question?” I asked.
“Or a lame excuse?” That was Chloe.
“Can I try that again?” he asked.
He honestly looked so uncomfortable. I nodded. “Okay.”
“I didn’t text because I’m a spoiled rock star, and I’ve spent too much time in LA where people kiss up and never tell me I’m out of line, and although I’m not the reason we’re late, it was definitely on me to text you, and my mother would take a switch to me if she knew I’d forgotten even the most basic manners. I’m sorry we’re late, and I’m sorry I didn’t text.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him, then turned to Chloe. “What do we think?”
She gave a slow nod. “We can accept it. Look, Miles Crowe,” she said, and his mouth twitched like he wanted to smile at her use of his full name. “My girl Ellie here is a busy woman, and time on her schedule is prime real estate. You got it?”
“I got it.”
“Then we accept your apology.” She took a sip of her drink and set the glass back with a thunk to punctuate her statement.
He eyed our plate of tacos. “What you got there?”
“Something only punctual people get.” I took another bite.