Free Steven: A Billionaire Stepbrother Romance Novel by R.S. Wallace Page B

now!”
    Then I stood up from my desk. It was almost noon, so I decided to duck out of the office before one of my coworkers invited me to go somewhere for lunch. I grabbed my purse and my car keys and headed down the hallway, making my way out to the parking lot.
    My mom didn’t even need to tell me which sushi place she wanted to meet me at. I already knew. There was a small sushi restaurant just a mile from where I worked. We used to go there every week when I was in high school.
    I hopped in my car and made the short drive over there. When I pulled up, I saw my mom’s car already in the parking lot. I parked in the open spot next to her car and got out, excited for the opportunity to take my mind off of Steven for a little while.
    After stepping out of the car and checking out my hair in the reflection of the window, I made my way toward the front door of the restaurant. As soon as I opened the glass door, a hostess greeted me.
    “Lunch for one?” she asked.
    I smiled and shook my head.
    “No, I’m actually meeting someone here,” I responded.
    The young hostess smiled and then said, “No problem. The seating is behind me and if whoever you’re meeting isn’t there, you can check the bar or our outdoor patio.”
    I smiled in return and then said, “Thank you very much,” as I stepped past her.
    It was nice outside that day, and if I knew my mom, she would have picked a table outside on the patio. She wasn’t one to waste an afternoon of warm sunshine. So I stepped through the restaurant, looking through the large glass windows that stood between the patio and myself. Immediately, I saw my mother, who was holding up a menu in front of her face.
    “Ah, there she is,” I said, quietly.
    I took a few more steps and then my head cocked to the side immediately, as my eyes landed upon a man who I had never seen before. He was seated directly across from my mom.
    Who’s that?
    It was strange to see my mom at the restaurant with someone else. That particular sushi place was our secret spot and we never invited anybody else along.
    I shrugged my shoulders, assuming it must have been someone whom she worked with. Then I stepped out onto the patio. My mom set her menu down as soon as she noticed me.
    “There’s my girl!” she called out, louder than necessary.
    I blushed immediately, just like I always did when my mom put the spotlight on me in front of a bunch of strangers. I walked across the patio, to where my mom and the man were seated.
    “How are you, sweetie?” my mom asked, as she stood up from her chair and pulled me in for a hug.
    “I’m good, Mom,” I said. “How are you?”
    My mom pulled away from our hug, her smile suspiciously wider than usual.
    “I’m just fine,” she said. “Honey, I’d like you to meet Allen.”
    The man who was seated at the table was in the middle of taking a drink of water when my mom said his name, calling his attention to us. He turned toward me and then stood up from his chair, holding out his hand for a handshake.
    “Hi there,” he said. “Kelsey, is it?”
    I nodded my head as I shook his hand and then looked back at my mom. She just smiled, though, and motioned for me to sit down. I took a seat at the side of the table, situated between my mom and Allen. He looked to be about my age, maybe a little bit older. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a white collared shirt underneath. His blonde hair fell loosely across his forehead and he had an awkward smile on his face. It appeared as though he was nervous to be there or something.
    “So...” I said, trying to kill the silence that had fallen around us. “Do you guys work together or something?”
    I looked to my mom, who was nodding eagerly with her typical excitement.
    “Yes, honey,” she said. “We do work together. Allen just got hired on the other day. I thought it would be good for him to get out of the office and go to lunch. Plus, I also thought it would be nice for you two to meet.”
    I glared