“You have a reservation?” the cute blonde asked as I arrived at the restaurant.
“I am meeting someone,” I replied.
“Name?” she asked.
“Lionel Gave,” I answered.
“Nathaniel!” Lionel grinned as he came around the corner. “He is with me Lyla,” he told the blonde.
“Yes sir,” she quickly responded.
Lionel took my hand and shook it vigorously. “Let me show you around.”
Lionel gave me a grand tour of his restaurant, which he had dreamed about owning since he was a kid.
“Remember when we used to play pretend about owning a place like this?” Lionel asked as we sat in his office.
“You did. I just went along with it,” I said, sitting back in the chair and staring at my old friend.
We used to be troublemakers back in high school. We were inseparable.
Lionel was always thinking about these wild things he wanted to do when he grew up. One of them was to be a businessman, and the other was to be a fireman. I was glad the businessman’s idea took off. Lionel would have been a lousy firefighter.
“So, you in town for a few weeks?” Lionel asked as he poured some bourbon.
“Yeah, my company is sending me to Utah,” I told him. “Life on the road.”
“Not for me. I like laying down roots, and this keeps me grounded,” Lionel said, pushing my glass across the table. “To good times!”
“Good times!” I cheered as our glasses clinked together.
It was good seeing Lionel again, even though it was for a short time. I had things to do and projects to oversee, so I kept it to one drink and then headed back downstairs.
I saw the cute blonde again just before I headed out the door.
“Leaving so soon?” she asked.
“Yeah, just came by to see the boss,” I grinned.
“Ah,” she smiled as she looked behind me. “The so-called boss, you mean.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” she shrugged as she looked down at the book of reservations and names.
I stepped closer and stared at her. “Lyla?”
“If you're a good friend with him, you know what I mean.” Her blue eyes met mine, and for a moment, it seemed like she was staring right into my soul.
“Loud and clear,” I tapped the table. “I’ll be back.”
“Okay, Arnold,” Lyla grinned.
“Didn’t think you were old enough for those movies,” I teased as I walked to the door.
“My dad has a collection,” Lyla rebottled.
“Ouch!”
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