Unexpected Chance by Joanne Schwehm Read Free Book Online

opened the bottle and poured a small amount in Alex’s glass. He
tasted it and nodded his head. She poured our wine and finally looked at me. She
had a weird grin on her face as if she knew something that I didn’t. She asked
us if we were ready to order. I hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. Alex asked
if it was okay if he ordered for us. I nodded. “We’ll have the chicken scaloppini
with a side of ziti, and if you could bring us both a house salad to start,
that would be great.” He looked at me. “Does that sound good to you?”
    “It sounds great. Thank you.” Valerie took our menus, positioned
them under her arm, and looked at me. “Would you like some bread?’ Then looking
at me, she smirked and said, “You seem the type who enjoys eating carbs.”
    What the hell did that mean? That I was fat? I keep hearing how
bad carbs are, but what the hell? Screw her. “Actually, bread would be great.”
I looked over at Alex and then back to her. “I think I’ll be able to burn it
off later today.” I winked and she walked away.
    Alex just looked at me as if he wanted to ask me what that was
about, but he just raised his glass. I raised mine. “To getting to know each
other . . .” We clinked glasses and took a sip. This was exactly what I needed.
I made sure not to gulp, but sipped. Valerie glared at us from the host station.
She started to irritate me, but I tried not to show it.
    Our salads came, and we had nice conversation. “Do your parents
live in town?”
    I shook my head. “They live in Paris. They just moved there last
month.” He looked at me with sad eyes. “Don’t feel bad about it; it’s fine. I’ve
been on my own since I went to college. I mean they paid for the portion of my
education that wasn’t part of my scholarship, but for the most part, I haven’t
lived with them in over four years. My mom is . . . Let’s just say different. She
and I have contrasting views. She has her own ideas on what I need and should
want in life, and they are the complete opposite of what I envision. She’s a
little snobby and has bought into the idea that money talks and bullshit walks.
I’d rather be living paycheck to paycheck and have a happy life. I’d rather be
happy and poor than rich and miserable.”
    Alex looked at me as though he understood what I was talking
about. I doubted he lived paycheck to paycheck, but maybe he wasn’t as happy as
he appeared to be. There was something about him—I didn’t know what—but I hoped
to find out. “What about siblings?”
    I shook my head. “Nope, it’s just me.” “Does your dad live in the
city?”
    “Yes. He has a place close to his office.” He didn’t seem fond of
his dad.
    “Do you get to see him often?”
    “No, not really, after my mom died, my dad really dove into his
business. I think being around me too much reminded him of what he lost. My mom
and I were close. I was definitely a mama’s boy.”
    How sad. “I’m sorry, Alex. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
    “I had a sister. Ellie was five years older than I was. She was
with my mom in the car when a drunk driver hit them. They died at the scene, so
. . .” He shrugged his shoulders.
    Holy crap! The conversation got worse by the minute. I felt like
bursting into tears for him. He looked up at me and could tell I was getting
upset. He reached for my hand and held it across the table. “Aubrey, I’m glad
you’re with me today. It’s nice to remember my mom and sister.” I smiled and
picked up his hand and kissed it. I don’t know why I did that; it just felt
right. I looked at him and he just smiled.
    Valerie came and cleared away our salads. It was as if she was watching
and wanted to interrupt our moment. Alex took that moment to introduce us, and
we both smiled insincerely. As soon as she walked away, he came to my side of
the table and put his hand out for me to stand up. I stood and faced him. He
pulled me into him and hugged me. He held my head to his chest