Page 18 of Renegade
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUSTIN
CAROLINE
At seven o’clock that evening, Caroline entered the upscale eatery and breathed in the myriad of mouth-watering aromas. She loved Italian food so much, she could eat it every day. Fortunately for her, her amazing, beloved sister had invited her out for a birthday dinner.
She stopped at the hostess counter.
“Hello. Welcome to Santini Ristorante. I’m Tara. Do you have a res?”
“I’m meeting my sister. The res could be under her name, Sydney Austin. Maybe Austin.”
Tara eyed the computer, offered a sweet smile. “Your sister’s here.”
As she followed the hostess, Caroline spied a huge piece of lasagna, a cannoli dish, a large bowl of linguine with cream sauce, another bowl of pasta with red sauce and three large meatballs.
I’m so hungry, I could eat all of those.
She’d been slammed at work. Her boss had her doing a tonof busy work, none of it seemed remotely relevant. Never one to push back, her thoughts had jumped to Grey Stone. He would never allow himself to be tasked with such a ridiculous job. She missed him… a lot. By the end of the day, she promised herself she’d speak up the next day and ask why she’d been demoted to paper-pusher.
The hostess stopped in front of a private dining room. Caroline peered inside to see her sister sitting alone at a table. There were other tables in the room, but they were empty.
“Why aren’t we eating in the main dining room?” Caroline asked.
Sydney jumped up, hurried over. “Thank you, Tara. I got this.”
Tara nodded. “Enjoy your dinner.”
Sydney clasped her hand, pulled her into the room. “Happy birthday, sis.”
A group of people jumped up from behind the black linen tables. “SURPRISE!”
Caroline stood there, taking in the beautiful site as her sister threw her arms into the air. “Happy thirty, baby sis!”
Laughing, Caroline hugged her. “I cannot believe you pulled this off. How’d you do it? We have no secrets!”
Her friends gathered ‘round offering hugs and wishing her a happy birthday.
A tall, incredibly well-built man walked in and almost crashed into the group. “Whoa.”
“Hi, Tank,” Sydney said. “This is the birthday girl, my sis, Caroline.”
He shot her an adorable smile. “Happy birthday. I’m Tank, one of the owners. Thanks for spending it at Santini’s. Let’s get everyone started on drinks.”
Two servers walked in, each carrying a tray. One housed flutes of champagne, the other flutes of sparkling water.
“Complimentary champagne,” Tank said, then eyed Caroline. “And sparkling water.”
Sydney’s cheeks flushed and her over-the-top grin had Caroline biting back a laugh. Her sister loved men, but her reaction to this one was hilarious.
“Easy,” Caroline whispered. “You’re like a dog in heat.”
Sydney made a face, then turned toward Tank. “Can we move the tables together, please?”
The servers helped him push the tables together to create one long one. Caroline was placed in the center and her friends jockeyed to sit close to her. After the flutes were passed around, Tank explained that several entrée platters were being made in honor of the birthday girl.
“I told him all your favorite dishes,” Sydney said, still beaming.
