Read Online Nothing Like the First Time by Keren Hughes - Free Book Online
Authors: Keren Hughes
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than a friend though , because surely she wouldn’t bring another man here knowing I’d seen her with Grey, and she saw me watch her enter.
They ordered lunch and another drink. Khelsey didn’t mind serving them even though it was my usual side of the restaurant.
The phone rang in the bar and Jason the bartender called Khelsey over to take the phone from him. She came over to me after taking the call and told me her son was poorly and she asked if I would mind covering for her while she went to pick him up from school. I said I would, even though I didn’t want to face Maggie.
“I’ll tell them you had to go home, don’t worry about it,” I said with a small smile that I couldn’t make myself hold.
“Thanks, Carly. I owe you one ,” Khelsey said as she fetched her coat and purse.
“You don’t owe me anything, just get your son better soon.”
“Thank you, I’ll let Jim know if I need to take any time off. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.”
I gave her a hug as she left.
I looked over at Maggie’s table, she was laughing and being very tactile, touching this guy on the arm and seeming very at ease with him. I saw they had cleared their plates, so I grabbed a dessert menu and headed over to them.
“Hi , Maggie, your waitress had to leave because of a family emergency so I thought I’d bring you the dessert menu.”
“Oh, thank you , Carly.” She smiled at me and it actually seemed genuine.
“No problem . I’ll leave it with you until you’re ready, just wave and I’ll be straight over,” I said and turned to leave.
A few minutes later, Maggie waved her finely manicured hand in the air and I went to take their order.
“What can I get for you?” I asked in a saccharine voice.
“I’d like the cheesecake please , Carly. Ben, darling, what are you having?” She looked toward him and offered a smile.
“I’ll try the chocolate fudge mountain, please ,” Ben answered, looking first at me then at Maggie.
“Good choice, sir ,” I said, and took their menu. Before I could go and place their order, Maggie spoke.
“Sorry, Carly, where are my manners? You haven’t met my fiancé , Ben, have you? Carly, this is Ben, Ben this is Carly.” She introduced us. Now I was completely confused—I thought she was with Grey.
I turned and shook Ben’s outstretched hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ben.”
“You too , Carly. Say, are you Grey’s Carly?” he asked.
“Grey’s Carly? No, not anymore, haven’t been for a long time ,” I replied, even more confused than before.
“Oh ,” was his only reply before Maggie spoke.
“This is the Carly he talks about , darling, but from what I can gather—and this is really none of my business—she doesn’t want him back.”
“I… what? I’m not sure what you mean, Maggie—I’ll admit to being totally confused right now.”
“Well , darling, Grey told me that he wants you back, but that you haven’t spoken to him in weeks. Like I say, it’s none of my business, but I want to see my cousin as happy as I am with Ben,” she said hesitantly.
“I… I … he’s your… cousin?” I struggled to form a coherent sentence.
“Why yes, of course he is. I’m Lizzie’s daughter ,” she replied.
“You are?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Carly, are you okay?” she asked as I stumbled a little. “Take a seat, please, just until you get your center.”
I sat in the booth next to her. I could see confusion on Ben’s face and imagined it was a reflection of my own.
“So, if you didn’t know I was Grey’s cousin, who did you think I was?” she inquired.
“Well, I thought you were his fiancée.”
“His fiancée? What on earth gave you that impression?”
I told her about seeing them at the coffee shop and seeing the ring on her finger. I could feel the blush in my cheeks. I’d completely misread the situation. W hat on earth had I done? I’d pushed Grey away, believing he was engaged, and all the time Maggie
They ordered lunch and another drink. Khelsey didn’t mind serving them even though it was my usual side of the restaurant.
The phone rang in the bar and Jason the bartender called Khelsey over to take the phone from him. She came over to me after taking the call and told me her son was poorly and she asked if I would mind covering for her while she went to pick him up from school. I said I would, even though I didn’t want to face Maggie.
“I’ll tell them you had to go home, don’t worry about it,” I said with a small smile that I couldn’t make myself hold.
“Thanks, Carly. I owe you one ,” Khelsey said as she fetched her coat and purse.
“You don’t owe me anything, just get your son better soon.”
“Thank you, I’ll let Jim know if I need to take any time off. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.”
I gave her a hug as she left.
I looked over at Maggie’s table, she was laughing and being very tactile, touching this guy on the arm and seeming very at ease with him. I saw they had cleared their plates, so I grabbed a dessert menu and headed over to them.
“Hi , Maggie, your waitress had to leave because of a family emergency so I thought I’d bring you the dessert menu.”
“Oh, thank you , Carly.” She smiled at me and it actually seemed genuine.
“No problem . I’ll leave it with you until you’re ready, just wave and I’ll be straight over,” I said and turned to leave.
A few minutes later, Maggie waved her finely manicured hand in the air and I went to take their order.
“What can I get for you?” I asked in a saccharine voice.
“I’d like the cheesecake please , Carly. Ben, darling, what are you having?” She looked toward him and offered a smile.
“I’ll try the chocolate fudge mountain, please ,” Ben answered, looking first at me then at Maggie.
“Good choice, sir ,” I said, and took their menu. Before I could go and place their order, Maggie spoke.
“Sorry, Carly, where are my manners? You haven’t met my fiancé , Ben, have you? Carly, this is Ben, Ben this is Carly.” She introduced us. Now I was completely confused—I thought she was with Grey.
I turned and shook Ben’s outstretched hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ben.”
“You too , Carly. Say, are you Grey’s Carly?” he asked.
“Grey’s Carly? No, not anymore, haven’t been for a long time ,” I replied, even more confused than before.
“Oh ,” was his only reply before Maggie spoke.
“This is the Carly he talks about , darling, but from what I can gather—and this is really none of my business—she doesn’t want him back.”
“I… what? I’m not sure what you mean, Maggie—I’ll admit to being totally confused right now.”
“Well , darling, Grey told me that he wants you back, but that you haven’t spoken to him in weeks. Like I say, it’s none of my business, but I want to see my cousin as happy as I am with Ben,” she said hesitantly.
“I… I … he’s your… cousin?” I struggled to form a coherent sentence.
“Why yes, of course he is. I’m Lizzie’s daughter ,” she replied.
“You are?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Carly, are you okay?” she asked as I stumbled a little. “Take a seat, please, just until you get your center.”
I sat in the booth next to her. I could see confusion on Ben’s face and imagined it was a reflection of my own.
“So, if you didn’t know I was Grey’s cousin, who did you think I was?” she inquired.
“Well, I thought you were his fiancée.”
“His fiancée? What on earth gave you that impression?”
I told her about seeing them at the coffee shop and seeing the ring on her finger. I could feel the blush in my cheeks. I’d completely misread the situation. W hat on earth had I done? I’d pushed Grey away, believing he was engaged, and all the time Maggie
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