Finding Love for the Workaholic by Laurie Larsen

Author:Laurie Larsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random Moon Books
Published: 2020-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

AT SEVEN PM, RANDALL arrived at the dining room table, followed shortly by his two children. Isabelle had set it formally with dishes and flatware she’d found in the cabinet, and she’d enhanced the setting with flowers she’d bought at the fresh market and seashells she’d picked up from the beach. She’d showered, dressed, and done her hair and makeup after her nap, in an effort to be as welcoming as possible.

When she saw them sit, she placed three salads on a tray and carried them over. “Good evening! I’m Isabelle and I’m your traveling chef this week.” She directed it to the kids as she slid a fresh salad in front of them, a big smile letting them know how happy she was to be joining them on their vacation. When she reached Randall, she smiled directly at him as she placed his salad. She turned back to the kids. Randall looked up from the salad and focused on them. “Kids?”

They pulled their eyes away from their food and looked at her. “Hi,” mumbled the boy, and “Hello,” muttered the girl.

Seemingly satisfied, Randall picked up his fork and bit into his salad. The kids, however, left their hands in their laps.

“And what are your names?” Isabelle prompted, since her own introduction didn’t elicit anything from them.

“I’m Cynthia,” said the girl, petite with auburn hair, freckles and bright emerald eyes. Isabelle remembered only too well this in-between age when true beauty was erupting, but the girl didn’t know quite what to do with it yet. She wore makeup, but not well. Instead of a pale ivory color that would enhance the lusciousness of her fair skin and freckles, she wore a dark blend to try to eradicate them. If she could befriend the girl, she’d offer her makeup mentoring services.

“Hi, Cynthia, nice to meet you,” she said happily. She turned to the boy. “And you are?”

His eyes flicked up to meet hers. “Rick.” He let his eyes rest on hers for only a few seconds, then he turned to his dad. “Do we have to eat this?” He gestured at the healthy greens on his plate.

“You don’t have to, but you should at least try it before you turn it down.”

Rick made a show of shoveling some leaves on his fork and bringing it close to his mouth but set them down without sampling them. “There, I tried it. They’re gross.” He shoved his plate away and his sister followed suit.

Randall gave Isabelle an “I told you so” expression and made an unmistakable gesture with his hands, “Take these away.”

She bit her tongue on what she wanted to say, and instead picked up the salads. “No problem. Would you guys like a salmon dinner or would you prefer cheeseburgers?”

They both showed a bit of enthusiasm as they replied in unison, “Cheeseburgers.”

She nodded and returned to the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later she served the pound cake, and judging from the nearly empty plates, all three of them had given her efforts a thumbs-up.

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