A half-hour before closing they had no more customers. It was winding down and Sal was looking forward to his time alone with Gracie when he drove her home. He walked out into the main dining room and saw her on her phone. He went back to the kitchen to make sure it was ready for closing. The busboys had their music on and it was loud in there. “Almost done, Julio?”

“You bet, Chief!” Julio put his hand at his waist shaking his hips, as the song kicked it up a notch.

“Just finish,” Sal said, laughing as he walked away.

He walked into the back room where Grace was taking off her apron. “I won’t need that ride after all, but thanks.”

Sal watched her as she took her purse out of the cabinet. “You got a ride?”

“Yeah,” She nodded, but said nothing else.

He sat down at the desk, trying not to wonder about who was picking her up but he couldn’t. “It’s not the RTD right, Gracie?”

“No.”

Since she was obviously not going to offer more information, he shut down the computer and headed out front to make sure everything was wrapped up. He walked to the front to lock the front door and saw a Cadillac parked right out front and a man leaning against it, holding a bouquet of roses.

Sal took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat speed up. This couldn’t be her ride. The guy was too old. Feeling a weird unease come over him, Sal looked around to see who else was still in the restaurant. He knew Melanie’s fiancé and it wasn’t this guy. Grace rushed to the door. “Is it locked?”

“No.” He watched from the hostess stand.

“Goodnight then.”

“Is that your ride?” These moments of complete inability to keep his thoughts to himself were happening a little too often now.

She nodded but didn’t turn to face him and pushed the door open.

“Is he g*y, too?”

She turned around and met his eyes. “No, he’s not.”

Unable to take his eyes off her, he watched as she walked right into the guy’s arms, giving him a quick hug, then taking the roses with a smile. He gulped hard, trying to understand how someone he’d only begun to get to know could affect him so profoundly.

~*~

Mortification and anger were the two emotions Grace felt as she sat in the front seat of Frank’s car. She was going to kill her mother. She’d told her over the phone they would all be stopping by to pick her up, not Frank by himself—with roses. And did he really have to be standing right in front of the restaurant?

This was the last thing she needed to deal with after the day she’d had. Seeing Sal with that girl and listening to their banter while the reality of her delusional mentality sunk in had been far more emotional than she would have ever imagined. The day she got choked up when she told Joey about the feelings she was developing for Sal had been surprise enough. But breaking down and crying in the restroom for as long as she did today, was utterly ridiculous. How was she going to continue working there? Inevitably, she was going to keep seeing him with women, probably hear about them, too. Was she going to turn into a blubbering mess every time?

Grace hardly heard anything of what Frank was saying as they drove back to her place to pick up her mom and Ruben. Something about his hotel and the restaurant coming along and how he was looking for more cooks. Grace did a lot of nodding. This was the last time she’d agree to going out with Ruben. The flowers obviously meant he thought more of these little get-togethers than she wanted him to.

She knew it was rude to text while he was talking to her but she didn’t care.

FYI I’m not staying out late tonight. I have a test tomorrow morning and I’m already tired so I need to be home early.

She sent that one off to her mom then send another to Joey.

I really need to talk to you but I can’t now. Will you be up a little later.

She glanced at Frank who was still talking about the restaurant and smiled.

“I was telling your mom, you guys should come out and visit soon—maybe this summer. It’s not a big fancy hotel but it does have a nice size pool and I’m working on getting a lounge act on the weekends.”

“Sounds nice.”

No way in hell. But if he’d already told her mom she had a feeling her mom would be pitching the idea to her anyway. Grace was ending this tonight. She drew the line at Frank already acting like he was a suitor. She glanced down at Joey’s response to her text.

Sure hon. Call me as late as you want. =)

They picked up her mom and step-dad and Grace went through the motions of the evening. After the walk on the pier that her mother did nothing to change like she’d said she would earlier, they had a few drinks and Grace made her move.

“I really have to get home now.” She turned to her mom who was already getting ready to protest. “I have that test in the morning, mom. I have to be in bed early.” She turned back to Frank. “And I’m very tired. I had a long day.”

“Certainly,” Frank said, finishing up his drink.

Grace didn’t care. Her mom could glare at her all she wanted. When they got in the car she texted her mom from the front seat.

I’m not doing this again. EVER so don’t set any of this stuff up again or Frank is getting stood up.

Her mom texted her right back.

We’ll talk later. Stop texting while he talks it’s rude.

As soon as they were home she said good night and went straight to her room. Her sister was already asleep, and that girl could sleep though a hurricane, so Grace didn’t feel bad about talking on the phone. She sat on the floor and called Joey. She grabbed a box of tissue because she could already feel it coming.