Atypical Heiress: The Penelope Marino Story

Thirteen

"I've heard this place has really good reviews."

"It does," Brett said, taking my hand. "It's so popular, I almost didn't get a reservation."

I tried not to freak out at the fact that we were walking down the sidewalk hand in hand. "Well, it's a good thing you did because I'm starving," I replied lamely.

A few minutes later we were seated in the restaurant browsing their expansive menu.

"I'll have a glass of Merlot," I said to the waitress when she asked for my drink order.

She nodded and walked briskly away, leaving me alone with Brett for the first time in a while.

"So," he said, folding his hands together on the table and smiling at me.

"So what?" I giggled.

"Tell me all about your day."

"It was nothing special. Just a lot of meetings. Oh, and I have a new assistant now because Marcus got a promotion. What about you?"

"Pretty boring on my end as well. Although, Malachi was quite a handful this morning. I took the morning off so I could sleep in but the jet lag didn't seem to touch Malachi and he was up at 5 am. I ended up going to work anyway since I was already up."

"Aw, precious boy. I miss him," I replied with a laugh.

"He misses you too. He asked for 'his Pita' non-stop when you and I were uh, not on such great terms last week."

I snorted. "Is that what we've decided to call that?"

"Can you think of a better way to describe it?"

"Not really."

An awkward silence followed until we were rescued by the waitress who was back with my wine and ready to take our orders.

She left again and I sipped my wine quietly, thinking about the meeting with my grandparents that I had omitted from my conversation with Brett."

"Lupita?"

Hearing my name stirred me from my thoughts. "I'm sorry did you say something?"

"I asked if you were alright. You seem a little tense."

"I'm fine, thank you for asking."

Brett frowned. "Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about anything. That's part of being in a relationship."

I nodded and chewed on my thumbnail nervously.

"Lupita?"

Setting my wine glass down, I debated briefly before deciding to let him in...a little. "You know that my relationship with my father is...complicated."

He nodded. "I gathered that much."

"Well, I came into some information a few months ago and have been doing some investigation since. It turns out, he's been lying to me my entire life."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed and told him everything that had happened over the past few months regarding my mother, ending with the meeting with my grandparents.

"I had just come from lunch with them, which was partially why I was so short with my father in that meeting."

Brett was quiet for a moment. "Wow."

"It's a lot to take in, I know. Especially on our first official date. If this is too much and you don't want to date me, I completely understand."