Brandon settled into his seat across from Adalynn, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in his stomach. The restaurant was cozy, with a warm, autumnal vibe that made it the perfect spot for a lunch that, he hoped, could turn into something more. But he couldn’t keep his mind off the Thanksgiving drama piling up on his phone.
“So… how’s Monday treating you so far?” Adalynn asked, giving him a sympathetic smile.
Brandon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, you’d think family wouldn’t be able to drum up this much drama a full week before Thanksgiving, but here we are. Let’s just say my phone’s been blowing up all morning.”
“Oh no,” Adalynn replied, her eyes widening in curiosity. “Is it still about Thanksgiving?”
“Yup,” Brandon sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It started with Roberto texting me, and I ignored it. Then Garth jumped in because apparently, Roberto decided to start a text war with him, demanding that he ‘back off’ and not ruin his Thanksgiving plans. Then my mom and Laura started a group text, basically begging me to answer them before Roberto and Garth come to blows.”
Adalynn chuckled, shaking her head. “Sounds like everyone’s ready to pull you into the middle.”
“You have no idea,” Brandon groaned, then paused. “Actually, you probably do. They can’t seem to agree on anything. And apparently, I’m just the unfortunate pawn in their Thanksgiving chess game.”
Adalynn took a sip of her drink, clearly thinking it over. “So… have you replied to any of them?”
Brandon laughed softly. “Nope. Just letting them all stew. Right now, leaving them on read feels… pretty satisfying.”
She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “That’s one way to handle it. But… if they’re this riled up, maybe you could smooth things over by spending some time with Roberto and Jazlyn before Thanksgiving?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Like a pre-Thanksgiving? I thought that’s what Thanksgiving was.”
“No, not exactly,” Adalynn explained, leaning in with interest. “I mean, what if you did something small with Roberto and Jazlyn? Something to show them they’re not getting the short end of the stick. Maybe it’d ease some of the tension?”
Brandon mulled it over, feeling the tension in his shoulders relax a bit. “You know, that’s actually… not a bad idea. But what would we even do? I mean, it’s not like I can do a whole second Thanksgiving with them.”
“Well, have they shopped for everything yet? You could offer to help them get all their supplies. It’d feel festive, but low-key enough that it won’t turn into a full holiday ordeal,” Adalynn suggested, a thoughtful smile on her face.
Brandon felt a surge of relief. “That’s actually brilliant. I mean, Roberto’s been going on and on about his ‘smoked turkey masterpiece’—I could offer to help him shop for it. And my mom’s been mentioning her cornbread stuffing for weeks; she’d probably love a whole day dedicated to hunting down ingredients.”
Adalynn grinned. “See? Easy win. And maybe they’ll be less focused on competing with each other if you’re helping them out.”
“Alright,” Brandon said, nodding, feeling a renewed sense of control over the Thanksgiving chaos. “I’ll text them after work. Offer to do a little pre-Thanksgiving shopping day or something. Thanks, Adalynn. You just saved me a whole lot of stress.”
She gave him a playful smile. “Happy to help. You know, as much as you’ve got on your plate, it’s kind of nice to know you’re being fought over.”
“Oh, believe me, it’s less flattering than you’d think,” Brandon replied, rolling his eyes but laughing along with her. He took a deep breath, feeling the conversation lighten. This was his moment—he could steer this lunch into something else, a real invitation to spend time with her. Just the two of them.
“So, uh…” He started, feeling his pulse quicken. “Would you, um… I mean, would you like to maybe—” He felt the nerves rise, suddenly second-guessing himself. “How’s your food?” he asked instead, cursing himself inwardly.
Adalynn looked down at her meal, grinning as she took another bite. “Honestly? It’s really good. I’d totally recommend this place again. Glad you suggested it.”
Brandon smiled, trying to hide his disappointment. “Yeah, I thought it might be a nice spot. Something a little different.”
They continued eating, chatting casually about the restaurant and the food, but Brandon couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. He’d let the moment slip through his fingers. Still, he was glad for her company and grateful for the encouragement she’d given him. Thanksgiving might still be a mess, but at least he had a plan. And maybe, if he kept his nerve up, he’d finally get around to asking her out properly.
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