Page 60 of Hating the Boss

“It’s cozy,” I said, glancing around the restaurant and trying to imagine Brad as a small boy enjoying a stack of pancakes. “Is it just you? No brothers or sisters?”

He shook his head, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin. “It was a miracle for my mother to even get pregnant with me. She didn’t want to press her luck.”

“Oh wow. You were meant to be here, huh?”

“I guess so.” He shrugged, chuckling softly.

“What was it like growing up in the city?” I asked curiously, wondering what it would be like for a little kid to grow up in the busy city of Manhattan. A far cry from my upbringing in Reading, Pennsylvania.

“My mother took me to the museums a lot. And the Central Park Zoo. We tried new restaurants, from corner pizza shops to Michelin Star chef-run restaurants.”

“Sounds pretty amazing,” I said.

“Yeah. I suppose it was.”

“Are you and your mother close?” I asked.

“Not like we used to be. I guess work kind of got in the way,” he said, pushing his food around with his fork before taking another bite.

“You must be close with your father then.”

“Close isn’t the term I would use. We are more like business partners.” He shrugged. I noted the pang of sadness that coated his voice and my heart wanted to leap out to him and give him a hug.

“I’m sorry,” I said softly.

“It’s fine. I’m used to it now…living in his shadow and constantly trying to prove myself.”

“That sounds hard.” I wanted to reach for his hand, but I kept my hand glued to the table.

“Hey,” said Brad, a small smile on his lips, breaking the seriousness of the moment. “Let’s play hooky from work.”

“What?” I laughed.

“I don’t want to go back today. Let’s go to the park instead.”

Surprised by this, and not wanting this date or whatever it was to end, I accepted his invitation. I doubted this was something he did often, and I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to know more about him, knowing I had barely brushed the surface.

Chapter 24 Brad

After breakfast, Sarah and I did the awkward dance of who was paying for our meal at Sarabeth’s. Honestly, it was kind of refreshing for a woman to offer to pay. I hadn’t come across someone like that since college maybe. Any date since then, the woman expected me to pay, which I had no problem doing. I was a billionaire, after all, but often that was all they saw. I believed it was the gentlemanly thing to do, especially on a first date.

If this was a first date…

I hadn’t exactly called it that, nor had I properly asked her this morning when the idea of breakfast sprang to mind. It started feeling like it was in date territory over food, when she was asking about my upbringing.

“Thank you for breakfast,” said Sarah, patting her stomach gently as we made our way through the bustling restaurant toward the black, glass-paned door. “It was delicious. Those ricotta pancakes should be illegal.”

“One of my mother’s favorites,” I said with a knowing nod. I couldn’t believe she had never been to the restaurant. It was a popular city spot, but then again, she did live in Brooklyn. That could often feel like a different state all together.

We stepped out into the sunshine. I closed my eyes and let it bask against my face for a brief moment. Summer was coming to an end. I could feel it in the air.

“Nice day,” said Sarah, looking up at me.

“Perfect for a walk in the park.” I smiled and offered her my arm.

She looked from my face to the bend in my arm and hesitated a moment before slipping her arm through it. It was something we had done so many times before, but this time it didn’t feel like we were faking it. There was no need to. No watchful eyes from the office or my father.

It was just us.