Chapter 5

Monday morning, Tess rushed into Sunny's Diner hoping everyone would be there. She needed advice, because after thinking about Miles all weekend, she was still a mess. Nina sat alone at their usual table and Tess sat beside her. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"What?" Nina asked, her usual innocent look in place.

Tess slid the envelope across the table. "You said it was fake. Miles seems to think this is the real thing."

Nina sighed. "You wouldn't have borrowed it if you knew it was real."

"For good reason. Even when I left it, you didn't tell me." Tess's stomach churned with the thought of how much money the necklace was worth.

Nina's eyes flashed, and a broad smile took over her face. "Wait. That means you tracked Miles down and saw him again."

"He actually came looking for me at the hospital."

"I'm glad." She slid her finger under the flap and opened the envelope to pull the necklace out. Opening the envelope wider, she said, "There's something else here."

She passed over a piece of paper, and Tess clamped her jaw. The gift certificate for the spa day. The man was infuriating. "I told him I couldn't take it. He was the winning bid at the auction and he tried giving this to me."

"Already buying you gifts. Sounds interesting."

"Now I'm going to have to meet him for lunch today so I can give this back."

"Lunch? Another date? Yay!"

Trevor sat across from Tess. "Date?"

"Maybe." Tess drank the coffee the waitress set in front of her. While the waitress filled Trevor's cup, their other friends, Evelyn and Owen walked in, and Gabe trailed behind them.

"What's with the weird silence?" Evelyn asked.

Nina spoke up. "Tess is telling us about her date."

"I don't even know if I'm going to go."

"Why the hell not?" Nina asked.

"Where'd you meet him?" Evelyn jumped in.

Nina answered for her. "At the gala last Saturday night."

Trevor set his cup down. "You're going out with him again?"

"He came to the hospital Friday night for coffee because I left Nina's necklace in the hotel last week. I thought for sure when I told him I had three kids and a crazy schedule, he'd be gone. Instead, he took one look at my calendar and saw I had a free spot today at lunch."

"Assertive guy. Point for him," Evelyn said.

"I don't think I want to go."

"Is he ugly?" Evelyn asked.

Tess shook her head.

"Great in bed, too," Nina added.

"Shh…" Tess reprimanded. "I don't need the whole coffee shop to know about my sex life."

"Then what's the problem?" Trevor asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if I'm looking for a relationship right now. And Miles? He's never been married."

Everyone at the table quieted.

Gabe said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Tess looked to Evelyn and Nina for support.

"If a guy gets to our age and has never been married, there's a reason," Evelyn said.

"If you're not comfortable with it, don't go," Owen said. "Unless you're looking to get laid again, then go for it."

Tess laid her head on her hand, rubbing her forehead. This was not going the way she'd planned. She'd thought her friends would be more supportive and offer legitimate advice.

"You know what?" Nina said, slapping the table. "You guys are pissing me off."

They all turned and stared at Nina. This fire in her speech appeared to be a new habit.

"What, honey?" Gabe asked.

"All of you. Do you remember what we said when we left the divorce group and started hanging out here? Why we did that?"

No one spoke.

But Tess remembered, and she was sure the others did, too. "We were all ready to start a new beginning."

It was the whole reason they'd called themselves New Beginnings.

"That's why I wanted to be part of this group. I suck at figuring people out, but I thought you could guide me. And you know what? You guys suck. You're all living stagnant lives just like me. Trevor and Gabe live mostly like hermits. Tess, you live to take care of everyone other than yourself." She looked across to Owen and Evelyn and pointed. "And don't even get me started on the two of you, dancing around each other like the rest of us can't see it."

Tess realized that her friend was smart and intuitive. Nina figured people out a whole lot better than she gave herself credit for.

"You're right," Tess said.

Making eye contact with each of her friends around the table, Nina continued, "I'm throwing down the gauntlet. I'm challenging each of you to get out and find someone who makes your life better. We all want to meet someone special, but there's no way for that to happen unless we put ourselves out there.

"Miles might not be the guy you spend the rest of your life with, Tess, and that's okay. You can have a relationship and have a great time without settling into forever. And maybe I don't know anything, and he is the one for you. Either way, there's no way to know unless you try."

She was the second friend this week to speak similar words. First Angie, now Nina. Maybe they were right. She had been holding herself back, and it was damn lonely.

"Okay," she said with a nod, bolstering her confidence. "I'm going to lunch. Assuming Miles is still free. I need to text him where to meet."

"Oh, tell him Agostino's. Awesome Italian food. Relaxed atmosphere," Evelyn said.

"Thanks." Tess made a note in her phone.

Nina crossed her arms and looked at everyone else. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Gabe asked.

"The challenge is for the rest of you, too." She looked at Trevor. "If you still love your ex and you want her back, prove it to her. Nothing happens on its own."

Trevor swallowed hard and stared into his coffee.

Nina moved on to her next target. "Gabe, you need to meet someone and not investigate her at all. You need to get to know her the old-fashioned way and trust what she says to you."

Gabe snorted, and Tess almost cringed. Telling Gabe he couldn't use his computer skills to check someone out was like telling Tess she shouldn't take care of people.

"You look for the worst in everyone."

"Because it saves a lot of time," he said.

"Did you ever investigate me?" Nina asked. Collectively, everyone at the table sucked in a breath. They all assumed Gabe would have, but they never spoke about it.

"No," he answered, clearly offended. He looked at each of them in turn. "You're my friends. I wouldn't do that."

Nina continued, "Why not?"

"Because I know you."

"But you got to know us. Yeah, it was an overly personal situation, and we've seen one another pretty much at our worst, but if you can avoid digging into our lives, you should be able to do the same for a woman you like."

"Point taken. But so many are liars."

"That's a chance you take," Tess said. "It's a scary prospect to put yourself out there, especially since we all did it, and our marriages failed. But Nina is right. I, for one, accept your challenge. Miles will be my starter date."

"Starter date. I like that idea," Nina said.

Owen and Evelyn were quiet at their end of the table.

Nina pointed at them again. "I'm not done. You two need to shit or get off the pot."

"Ever the classy speaker, Nina," Evelyn responded.

Nina checked her watch. "Thanks for the fun, but I have to go. I'm meeting a client in twenty." She tossed a couple of bucks on the table and swished out the door.

"Hey, did anyone else notice how she ripped into all of us but didn't address herself for her supposed challenge?" Evelyn asked.

Tess, Trevor, and Gabe all burst out laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny."

Tess used her napkin to dab at her eyes. "You don't like that she had the intuition and guts to call us out." She finished her coffee and stood. "I have to run, too. Have a great week."

As she walked to her car, she texted Miles with the name and address of Agostino's. Even if he chose not to show, she'd have a good meal and feel better about herself for making the attempt.

Before she pulled out of her parking spot, her phone rang. "Hello."

"I'm surprised you texted," Miles said.

"I almost didn't."

"What made you change your mind?"

"My friend Nina. She convinced me I should have some fun." His low, rumbling laugh vibrated through her. "If it's fun you're looking for, I can do a whole lot better than lunch at an Italian restaurant."

Tess felt her cheeks warm, and she was grateful he couldn't see her. "I thought you wanted to get to know me."

"I'd like to get to know all of you."

She couldn't lie to herself and pretend the suggestion didn't hold appeal. "If you already have plans for lunch, I understand. Maybe we can try some other time."

"Uh-uh. I didn't say I had other plans. I offered a different spin on the plans, but lunch would be wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing you at noon."

She shouldn't have been giddy that he'd accepted. Or that he was looking forward to it. It was just a lunch date. But it had been years since she'd even tried to date. "See you then."

"Tess?"

"Yeah?"

"Think about my other proposal." He chuckled and disconnected without waiting for her to respond.

She was definitely thinking about it.

Three hours later,Miles still had a smile on his face, thinking about Tess. His sister, Sabrina, asked him to come to her office and he whistled as he walked down the hall. He didn't know what his sister wanted, but nothing could ruin his mood. Tess had not only agreed to see him again, but she'd made the plans to do so.

He didn't want to inspect too closely why he liked that idea. He realized how strange it was. He had his pick of women who would offer a no-strings arrangement. In all honesty, though, more often than not, those women thought they offered simplicity, but they all became complicated after a while.

Tess was an unusual mix. She had a life and didn't appear to be looking for a man to fulfill anything other than her biological need for an orgasm. That was something he could happily supply. And since she already had a bunch of kids, she wasn't looking to settle down and start a family.

She might be the perfect woman.

Miles rapped on Sabrina's door before swinging it open. As soon as he took in the scene, his smile faltered. His family sat around Sabrina's desk and all heads turned his way when he entered. It was more like a firing squad than a meeting.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Sabrina gestured to a chair beside his mom. "I was telling Mom and Brad about my idea for the foundation in Dad's name."

"And?"

Their mother patted the chair. "Have a seat. You look like you're walking to the gallows. We want to talk and iron out some details."

"Details? I haven't said I wanted this job."

Sabrina folded her hands on the desk, and his mother raised a brow at him before speaking. "I think it's a wonderful idea. Why on earth wouldn't you want the position?"

"Because running a charitable foundation is completely different than giving away your money. It's no different than running a corporation." He unbuttoned his jacket and sat. He couldn't fathom why they'd assumed he would jump at the chance to do this. They knew him.

"We all agree it's the next logical step," Sabrina said. "We want to move forward, and we don't have time for you to play games."

"And if I don't take the position?"

Sabrina shook her head. "We'll find someone who will, and you'll be out of a job."

"So you called me in here to tell me to do what you want or I'm fired." His anger crept up and threatened to strangle him.

His mom reached over and laid a hand on his fist. "Let's not blow things out of proportion. This is a good idea. Your father would be so proud to have this in his name. And to have you running it…" Her voice became thick.

Miles inhaled deeply.

Brad cleared his throat. "What do you expect us to do? Your life has been easy enough."

"What?" He glared at his brother.

"Grow the hell up. Dad created a bogus position for you. We're moving forward to make sure Dad's name lives on. If you can't see that, you're more self-centered than I thought."

Mom tightened her hand on Miles's. "Bradley, watch your mouth. There's no call for speaking to your brother like that."

"Someone needs to. I just said what we're all thinking."

"Yeah? What else are you all thinking?"

Brad scowling at him was like being in a stare-down with their father. Brad had filled Dad's shoes better than anyone imagined.

"It's time to make your own mark. Sabrina and Mom seem to think you're the man for this job. Personally, I think you'll fuck it up. But I could respect you if you at least tried."

Miles stood and rebuttoned his jacket. "Go to hell, Brad. I've never fucked up anything I decided to take on. Mom and Sabrina want me on this because I'm damn good at what I do."

"Easy when you've never taken on a challenge."

Brad's words sank in, and Miles had nothing to say. His brother was right. He'd never had a good enough reason to chase a challenge. What was wrong with wanting an easy life?

The muscle in his jaw pulsed. "You win, Brad. Challenge accepted."

He didn't wait to be dismissed. He spun and left before he committed to anything else stupid. Even as he strode back down the hall to his office, his words weighed on his shoulders. What the hell did I just agree to?

Checking the time, he realized he had to leave to meet Tess. He let Eleanor know he wouldn't be back for a while. He had no intention of rushing his lunch. As agitated as he felt at the moment, he might not come back for the day.

After letting his driver know where they were going, he sat in the back of the car and played on social media in an attempt to clear his head. Unfortunately, it didn't work. When they arrived at the restaurant, he saw Tess standing outside. The sight of her did more to relax him in ten seconds than the fifteen-minute ride had.

As she looked down the street, she ran a hand over her hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail. She wore jeans and a T-shirt, and her face was nearly makeup free. She looked so different from Theresa at the gala. This was nurse Tess.

His driver pulled up to the curb, and Miles swung the door open. Miles started to climb out, but Tess met him.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea, and I'm going to kill Evelyn when I see her."

Miles turned to Dave. "Stay here for a minute." Then he stepped on the curb and took Tess's hand. "Hi." He bent and kissed her cheek, which seemed to startle her, but she didn't pull away.

"Hi," she said with a soft smile.

"Now. What are you apologizing for? And who is Evelyn?"

"Evelyn is my friend—right now that might be former friend—who suggested this restaurant, which I am completely underdressed for. What she also failed to mention is that they don't take reservations for lunch and there's an hour wait right now."

Miles swallowed his laugh. "How much time do you have?"

She checked her phone. "An hour and a half."

"Plenty of time. Did you drive here?"

"Yes. I'm at a meter down the block. But I can't sit here all afternoon. I have another job to get to before the kids get out of camp."

"Is your spot paid for two hours?"

She nodded.

"Excellent. Get in." He opened the car door for her. She stared at it.

"We'll travel together for lunch. I'll get you back here in plenty of time."

She licked her lips, which had his blood racing, and then pointed at his suit. "I'm not dressed to go to a fancy restaurant."

"You look fine, Tess. Get in the car."

She slid in, and he sat beside her.

Dave looked over his shoulder. "Where to, Mr. Prescott?"

Miles smiled. Dave only called him Mr. Prescott when someone else rode in the car. Miles laid a hand on Tess's leg. "I live close. I can have lunch delivered within thirty minutes and there's no dress code. Would that be okay?"

She stared into his eyes, and he hoped she would agree. He didn't want to be around other people right now, but he didn't want to postpone their date, either.

"As soon as we get there, you can text your friend the address."

Her breath quickened, and she nodded.

"Take me home, Dave," Miles said as he opened the app on his phone to order food. "Preference for lunch?"

"I'm not picky. Whatever you want."

He placed an order with the Italian restaurant near his condo. They knew him, and he tipped well, so his food always arrived fast. After placing the order, he settled back in his seat, but Tess still sat stiffly. He took her hand again. "If you're uncomfortable, we can go somewhere else. I just had a run-in with my siblings at work and I'm not in the mood to deal with people if I can avoid it."

Her shoulders relaxed. "We can do this some other time. It's okay."

"No," he answered quickly. "I don't want to cancel and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I'd like to spend time with you. You set the pace for what happens between us."

She smiled and winked. "That's good because I like to be in charge."

Her saucy attitude pulled a laugh from him that he didn't think possible.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked.

"What?"

"Whatever happened at work. Remember, I'm a nurse, so by nature, I'm an excellent listener."

Miles shook his head. "I'm not even sure, really. My sister wants to start a charitable foundation in my dad's name, and she wants me to run it."

"That sounds exciting."

It should be exciting, and part of him knew it. "She broached the subject with me last week. I've been thinking about it. Today, they ambushed me and told me I either take the position or lose my job."

"Why would they do that?"

"My sister really wants this, and instead of waiting for my answer, she got my mom on board."

"That's a bad thing?"

Miles knew he sounded like a spoiled child, but he wasn't sure how to explain the situation. "None of it is bad. My sister's idea is good. But my brother was in the meeting, and we butt heads. He puts me on the defensive, and I don't like it."

The car pulled to a stop, and Miles glanced out the window. "This is our stop. You ready?"

"I hope the food you ordered is good. I'm famished."

Miles opened the door and held out a hand to help her from the car. The short ride with her, talking about the issues with his family, had helped. She truly was a good listener. He couldn't recall another woman having this effect on him. Relaxed and excited all at once.

Getting to know this intriguing woman was the best decision he'd made in a while.