I’m sure as we walk into the restaurant, everybody thinks we’re a couple. I saw our reflection in the glass outside the restaurant, and we look good together. If I’m honest, we look better as a couple than he and Nina do. Nobody notices that he has a wedding band and I don’t. What they might notice is the way he gently places a hand on the small of my back to lead me to our table, then pulls out a chair for me.
“You’re such a gentleman,” I remark.
He chuckles. “Thank my mother. That’s the way I was raised.”
“Well, she raised you right.”
He beams at me. “She’d be very glad to hear that.”
Of course, it makes me think about Cecelia. That spoiled little brat who seemed to get off on ordering me around. Then again, Cecelia has been through a lot. Her mother tried to murder her, after all.
When the waiter comes to take our drink orders, Andrew orders a glass of red wine, so I do the same. I don’t even look at the prices. It’s just going to make me sick, and he already said he’s paying.
“I have no idea what to order.” None of the names of dishes sound familiar; the whole menu is in French. “Do you understand this menu?”
“Oui,” Andrew says.
I raise my eyebrows. “Do you speak French?”
“Oui, mademoiselle.” He winks at me. “I’m fluent, actually. I spent my junior year of college studying in Paris.”
“Wow.” Not only did I not spend any time studying French in college, I never went to college at all. My high school diploma is a GED.
“Do you want me to read the menu to you in English?”
My cheeks grow warm. “You don’t have to do that. Just pick out some things you think I’d like.”
He looks pleased by that answer. “Okay, I can do that.”
The waiter arrives with a bottle of wine and two glasses. I watch as he uncorks the bottle and pours us both heaping glasses. Andrew gestures for him to leave the bottle. I grab my glass and take a long sip.
Oh God, that’s really good. So much better than what I get for five bucks at the local liquor store.
“How about you?” he says. “Do you speak any other languages?”
I shake my head. “I’m lucky I speak English.”
Andrew doesn’t smile at my joke. “You shouldn’t put yourself down, Millie. You’ve been working for us for months, and you have a great work ethic and you’re obviously smart. I don’t even know why you would want this job, although we’re lucky to have you. Don’t you have any other career aspirations?”
I play with my napkin, avoiding his eyes. He doesn’t know anything about me. If he did, he would understand. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
He hesitates for a moment, then he nods, respecting my request. “Well, either way, I’m glad you came out tonight.”
I lift my eyes and his brown ones are staring at me across the table. “Me too.”
He looks like he’s about to say something more, but then his phone starts ringing. He pulls it out of his pocket and looks at the screen while I take another sip of wine. It’s so good, I want to guzzle it. But that wouldn’t be a good idea.
“It’s Nina.” Maybe it’s my imagination, but he has a pained expression on his face. “I better take this.”
I can’t hear what Nina is saying, but her shaky voice is audible across the table. She sounds upset. He holds the phone about a centimeter from his ear, wincing with each word.
“Nina,” he says. “Look, it’s… yeah, I won’t… Nina, just relax.” He purses his lips. “I can’t talk to you about this right now. I’ll see you when you get home tomorrow, okay?”
Andrew jabs at a button on his phone to end the call, then he slams the phone on the table next to him. Finally, he picks up his wine glass and drains about half the contents.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He presses his fingertips into his temples. “I just… I love Nina, but sometimes I can’t figure out how my marriage got this way. Where ninety percent of our interactions are her yelling at me.”
I don’t know what to say to that. “I… I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, that describes ninety percent of my interactions with her also.”
His lips twitch. “Well, we’ve got that in common.”
“So… she used to be different?”
“Completely different.” He grabs his wine and drains the rest of it. “When we met, she was a single mom working two jobs. I admired her so much. She had a hard life, and her strength was what drew me to her. And now… She doesn’t do anything except complain. She doesn’t have any interest in working. She spoils Cecelia. And the worst part is…”