He bowed softly. “You’re quite welcome. It is an honor.”
As we made our way for the stairs, I couldn’t stop rubbernecking around. Everyone was dressed to the nines and decked out in their finest jewelry and fabrics. There was soft music playing from a live band in the corner that looked like they had come pre-programmed with the entire restaurant. The hand-carved crown moldings that adorned the upper portion of the walls were breathtaking. The fact that all of the tables and booths had these black marble tops with sparkling brown specks in them made me gawk every time we passed by one. Even as we ascended the steps, the mahogany banister ushered us all the way up to the top.
And when the maître d’ opened a door at the top of the steps, I found myself walking into a room that had only one table placed in the middle with a crackling fireplace off to the side—and a very handsome Hollywood man standing to his feet.
“Eva Johnson. It’s good to meet you again,” Gavin said.
I swallowed hard to pull myself out of my trance, and I moved just quickly enough to shake his hand without him having to stand there, waiting for me. “Likewise, Mr. Lincoln.”
He held his hand out toward the table. “Please, call me Gavin. Have a seat. There’s wine already poured, and I took the liberty of ordering us some soup for an appetizer. It’s their house recipe, and it’s outstanding. Everyone has to try it at least once.”
I smiled as I walked to my seat. “Sounds delightful, thank you.”
“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy! Look at what I found!”
I heard Gavin chuckle as I pivoted to find the source of the voice. “What is it, princess?”
“I found a pencil that Mr. Black had.”
I furrowed my brow. “Mr. Black?”
Gavin crouched down to the level of who I assumed was his daughter. “She means the maître d’, Giuseppe.”
Italian, of course.
“Would you like some paper to draw on? I keep a notebook in my purse.”
The shy little girl buried herself in her father’s arms, then peeked her eyes out over his muscles. “Please?”
I smiled. “Of course. Here, I’ll set it on your father’s chair.”
I dug around in my purse and made sure there wasn’t anything written in the notebook that couldn’t be ruined. And after pulling out a few pages worth of notes I had taken, I walked the notebook over and sat it on Gavin’s seat. I backed up and took my place at the table, watching as the hesitant girl pulled her father along while she crept toward the chair. Then, she swiped it up and burrowed beneath the table.
“She likes it under there, with the tablecloth and everything. Makes her feel like she’s in a fort,” Gavin said.
I nodded. “I used to do that all the time with my sheets as a little girl. My parents actually bought a second kitchen table so they’d have a place to eat and I’d have a place to play.”
The girl giggled underneath the table. “I’m gonna do this at home.”
Gavin sat down across the table from me. “So, I took a look at your resume, and it’s pretty impressive.”
I nodded. “I’m glad you think so.”
“It looks like you held a couple of nannying gigs while in college?”
“I did, yes. They were part-time, and then overnights on the weekends. I did a lot of babysitting when I was in high school as well. The references are at the bottom if you’d like to give anyone a call.”
He slid his napkin into his lap. “Oh, don’t worry. I already did. It’s why I felt comfortable scheduling this meeting.”
Keep it together, Eva.“Yes, yes. Of course, you would. This is a huge decision.”
His eyes met mine. “The biggest. I don’t entrust just anyone with my daughter.”
“And if I had children, it would be the exact same way.”
“Do you want children someday?”
An odd question for an interview, but it felt more like a conversation anyway, so I obliged. “One day, yes. Maybe two or three. I know one day I’ll be a mother, but the number itself doesn’t hold a lot of weight. I guess I’ll just have children until I feel like I can’t handle anymore.”
