The next day, AJ was sitting patiently in his seat, waiting for his date and mom to return from the ladies room. He checked his watch; Maybe we should have the meal in there since they have such interesting conversation to be in there for twenty minutes.
Again he checked his watch, What is it that girls do in there? Sheesh.
"Hi, we're back." Mrs. McLean said smiling broadly.
Finally. He thought but held his tongue while getting up and pulling out their chairs for them.
"Thank you, AJ." Trisha acknowledged softly, her cheeks heating delicately.
Mrs. McLean smiled endearingly at her; "I just find it so hard to believe that Alex talked you into a going out with him."
"Mom!" AJ groaned his arm halfway around his date.
She laughed lightly and Trisha blushed a shade deeper than before.
Sighing, AJ looked around, hoping to find the waiter bringing them their meal. His eyes landing on a lady carrying one child, and holding another's hand. He would have shrugged them off without second thought if… they weren't heading right towards!
Fans. He justified in his mind. Just want an autograph probably and maybe a picture.
Trisha looked at him worriedly, "AJ, what is it?" She asked looking in the same direction that he was.
Before he was able to reply, the lady was standing before him. AJ smiled up at her and his hand unconsciously went for the pen in his pants pocket.
"How could you?" She accused hotly.
Huh? AJ stared at her, dumbfounded. "Excuse me?" He asked politely after a second of confusion.
Her lips grew tight with anger; "It's bad enough that you missed Carry's birthday last year because you were busy shaking your keister on stage, and even worse when you missed Tommy's birth. But then you had to cancel today on his birthday after you promised him you'd be there! To be here! With her!" She seethed pointing at Trisha.
The room started shrinking, and AJ felt the background noises melding into one loud incessant banging in his ears. Everyone was staring at him, and he couldn't figure out why. "Excuse me?" He repeated hoarsely, choking on the words as he saw the stricken looks on his date and mom's faces. Something's wrong here!
The lady's body shook with rage and the little boy in her arms wailed loudly then went into a crying fit.
"AJ!" His mother hissed sharply.
He held up his hands, "What?!"
Trisha gave him a harsh look; "Do something!"
He shrugged defenselessly, "What?!"
Mrs. McLean looked horrified. "AJ!"
"What? What?" He asked looking around wildly.
The lady turned toward his mother and gave a grim smile to Trisha. "I'm sorry to barge in on your evening like this." She apologized, "But I just had to give him this." With that said, she removed a silver band from her left hand, laid it on the table and took herself and the children from the restaurant.
AJ sighed and leaned back in his chair, his eyes turning to Trisha and his mom. "What?" He asked shrugging, "I don't even know them!"
Their looks said otherwise.
Smiling, Hannah walked to her car and set Mark in his car seat before ushering Camryn into the front seat. Pulling out her cell phone as she walked around the car she smiled into the mouthpiece. "Yeah, Bry?" She broke into laughter. "It's done, Cammie and Mark came through with flying colors. I think he's going to be in enough trouble to keep him busy and away from Brandy for the next few weeks."