Alfredo's - Pretentious Volume 1

Chapter 9

Danny groaned, it wasn't even four-thirty, where did all these people come from? He suspected a bus was parked somewhere down the street. He grabbed some menus and sat another party. His phone rang on his way back to the front. He answered.

"I'm sorry Aryn, I can't talk right now, but I'll call you back as soon as I can," he said hanging up the phone. He never answered his phone when he was busy, but he wasn't going to miss a call from Aryn, she would understand. The phone rang again. Danny cringed, okay, maybe she wouldn't. He frowned but didn't answer it the second time either. He handed menus to a party sitting down and a little brown haired girl in a pink dress with red and white flowers on it sat up straight showing him five fingers. She had red and white bows in her hair to match the dress.

"It's my birthday," she said. "I'm this many years old." Danny's eyes widened in feigned surprise, and he laughed.

"Such a big girl now," he said. "Want to celebrate with a Shirley Temple?"

The little girl smiled, nodding her head fiercely. She's so adorable; he thought as he headed for the bar. Her eyes widened in delight when he returned and placed the promised drink in front of her. He had laced it with extra cherries. She thanked him at her mother's prodding and Danny turned to give Grace instructions for a piece of cake with five candles after the family finished their dinner. When he looked up, Aryn was watching him from the front.

As he made his way to Aryn, the door opened, and a tall man with dark brown hair and eyes like Aryn's stepped through the door, putting an arm around her. He wore an olive green suit, with a champagne colored dress shirt he'd left open at the top. Danny would have sworn he had a predatory expression under the smile and scrutiny of his eyes. Aryn stood stiffly, eyes smoldering. Danny knew who the man had to be. His smile never faltered. Whatever the reason her father was here, it wasn't Aryn's idea, but if he was going to continue seeing her, he would eventually have to meet her dad. It was better to meet him here, in his own territory.

Nodding to Aryn he raised his hand to shake her father's, making it necessary for the man to remove his arm from her shoulder. Danny was pleased. Her dad's fallacious coddling was making Aryn uncomfortable, and he could tell the man knew it, he could see it in his face.

"You must be Danny," Mr. Morgan said.

Danny nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Peter Morgan, Aryn's father. I was under the impression you and Aryn were having dinner this evening. I hope you don't mind my crashing your party."

Danny shook his head. "Not at all, sir."

Aryn stiffened even more. "Danny's busy dad, we should do this another time," she said with an edge in her voice.

Danny put a hand on her arm. It didn't escape Mr. Morgan's notice but Danny found that he cared more about what Aryn might be feeling than what her dad thought. She was right, this was a bad time, but the rush seemed to be over and he didn't want Aryn going home feeling the way she did now.

"Let me give Mama a call and see if she would be willing to cover me for a while." Stifling a groan, he sat them at a less than private table. He didn't have anything else available. Then he asked Michelle to watch the front so he could call Mama.

Mama entered the restaurant, stopping to check on customers as she moved toward Aryn's table. She was almost there when a man with a strong Italian accent flagged her over.

"Mama, Mama Rosani."

Mama detoured to greet him. Mr. Morgan shook his head. Danny was seating people again, and Michelle was back in her station. When Mama turned away from the table, the man and his friends were laughing. Mama joined Aryn, raised a hand to her father, and he extended his.