This Is Us

Chapter 16

  Considering my office is on the opposite side of the restaurant from where I told Freddie to seat Chris, I have to stroll through the entirety of the dining room. I take my time doing so, not in an effort to get him to stare at me, no, I'm doing it give myself time to kill the butterflies that have begun flitting around in my gut.

  There's no such luck today.

  That becomes abundantly clear as I get closer and see Chris look back in my direction, away from the window he'd been staring out of. He breaks out into a wide, perfect teeth, grin, standing up immediately from the seat even though I'm still a good fifteen steps away. 

  Fifteen steps is plenty of room to turn around and get a head start on running away from him, right? 

  But then my eyes fall to his incredibly long legs, looking even longer than I thought possible in a pair of black slacks that have a grey stripe down the outside. Long legs means those fifteen steps are certainly cut in half and he'd catch up to me before I even made it to the hostess station. 

  Damn my five foot seven frame. 

  "You made it," I call out in hopes to keep myself moving in his direction. I don't have to go far as he steps completely around the table to welcome me with a hug. I'm taken aback, but return it rather softly although the strength behind his hands tells me something different entirely. 

  His eyes crinkle as he smiles, "A guy's gotta eat, right? Where's Walker?" he asks, going back to his chair, but not before he's pulling out the one next to him for myself. I act as though I don't see it and opt to sit in the seat across from him.

  Taking my cell from my pocket I notice there's not an update or message telling me to come and get him out front. "He should be here soon. They were running a little late."

  Chris nods in acknowledgement.  "So, how do you know about this place?"

  This is the question that always excites me. Telling anyone that I own this establishment sets me on fire, knowing that through all of our difficulties I built this place from the ground up. "I own it actually."

  My answer takes him by surprise. He leans forwards, his jaw going a bit slack, "Seriously?"

  "Seriously."

  "But you're so young," he says, before he starts sputtering off a ramble, "I mean, you look young. You could be eighty I suppose with a really great skin care regimen. If that's the case I'm gonna need the details because in this business-"

  One hand is covering up my giggles while the other is pushed out across the table to stop him. "I may look young, and that may even be what my driver's license says, but I feel oh so old," I admit. "But, yeah I am only twenty seven, at least for a little longer," I trail off, noticing my phone lighting up on the table. "Looks like your buddy is pulling in now."

  "Driving already? Man, I didn't think it had been that long since I saw him," he smiles kindly from his little joke. 

  "I'll be right back," I chuckle, pushing my chair under the table.

  I don't quite make it out of the building before Walker is pushing open the door. "Hello, my love!" I exclaim, leaning down to accept the hug he's waiting to give me. It's short, his mind probably on getting to my office where his toys are.  "Everything go okay?" I ask Ally, Walker's small hand slipping right into my own. 

  "It was good," she says with a sigh. "He enjoyed our fort in the living room and we made waffles with chocolate chips this morning."

 "Yum," I say wide eyed to my little boy. Looking back at Ally, she's yawning. I recognize the look on her face, she's exhausted. "What were the times?"