“But...”
“Look,” she says, adjusting herself in her seat to face me squarely. “Either you quit, or you stay. Those are your two options. But you can’t be upset that they’re still grieving. Of course they’re still grieving. You’re still grieving Dan, I’m still grieving my grandmother... we’re all grieving about something. But what happened today is expected. The important thing is you tried to cheer them up. From the sounds of it, it worked. I’m not saying it’s your job to cheer Nick up. That’s all him. But I think they hired you for a reason. Because if anyone doesn’t take themselves seriously, it’s you. If anyone can cheer another person up, it’s you. And I think they need that right now. I think Nick needs that. I think Bria needs that.”
She’s right. I know she is.
“Yeah.” I poke around my food. My stomach growls. I feel better already.
“Go in there and be yourself. You’re upbeat. You’re perky. You bring a lot to the table.”
“Okay,” I say. “I’m not as perky as I used to be, but I’m trying.”
“One day at a time.” She looks at my plate of uneaten food. “Are you going to eat?”
“Yeah,” I say distantly. “I just don’t seem to have an appetite lately. Well, except for when Nick cooks, because his food is ah-maz-ing.”
She shoots me a death stare.
“Be careful, Ev,” she warns. “I’m not saying don’t feel what you feel for him, but just remember, he’s a father, first and foremost. He’s not some guy you met at a bar. You may have chemistry, but he’s Bria’s father, a widower, and most importantly, your employer.”
“Nothing is going on,” I say defensively. She eyes me, unconvinced. “It’s just surprising how good-looking he is. I was taken aback, that’s all. I’m over it.”
“Mmm hmm,” she mutters. “How old is he?”
“I don’t know. If I had to guess... early thirties?”
“Oh,” Violet says, clearly shocked. “Wow.”
“He’s a pediatrician,” I state, and her eyes narrow.
“Is that right? Interesting...” She watches me, amused.
“Yeah. But he’s thinking of transitioning to a teaching hospital.”
“Hmm.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” she says, smiling mischievously.
“Tell me!” I shout.
There’s a knock at the door, and I freeze. Violet’s eyes get wide.
Oh, fuck. What if Nick overheard us?
“Shit,” I whisper quietly, like I’ve been caught doing something illegal, even though we’re not doing anything wrong.
I get up and answer the door. Nick is standing there, and he eyes me cautiously before looking at Violet. He leans against the doorframe.
“Hey,” I say casually. “Sorry, are we being too loud?”
“No, I just wanted to come by and say good night. Sorry, I didn’t know you had company,” he says shyly, eyeing Violet. “And I wanted to say thank you again for earlier today.”
“Oh,” I say blankly. I try not to stare at his clothes. He looks so casual, so young in black basketball shorts and a plain grey T-shirt. And he came to say good night. That’s really sweet. I already know Violet is going to eat him up. “It’s no problem.”
On cue, she jumps up and runs over to him.
“Hi, I’m Violet,” she says, pushing her hand forward. Nick shakes it.
“Hi, Violet. I’m Nick.” He smiles, but his eyes flick back to mine.
“Bria’s dad,” I add, even though I know Violet already knows that.
We’ve only been discussing him for the last twenty minutes. But I don’t want Nick to know that.
“Yep,” he says, rocking on his heels. He puts his hands in his pockets. “Your employer,” he further adds, and I swear, I see him blush a little bit. I laugh weakly. “Well, you girls have a good night,” he says. “Evianna, I’ll see you tomorrow a little before nine?”
“Yes,” I say.