Lunch Meeting with Zach

*This is the beginning of a professional and platonic relationship between the protagonist Yvonne McCarter, her best friend Stephanie Grossman, and the future groom Zachary Russo, during this professional lunch meeting.*

YVONNE

By 12:30, Stephanie and I arrived at George Italian Seafood & Steakhouse—only ten minutes away from the shop. As first-time customers to the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by the scent of freshly grilled seafood and sizzling steaks filling the air, blending with the faint hint of saltwater from nearby windows large enough to allow natural light to filter in, while providing an outdoor view of the bustling street.

Before we arrived, Zach had texted me, saying he was soon leaving for his break. He gave me a description of his outfit: navy-blue dress shirt—neatly rolled-up sleeves—and dark-gray tailored pants. As an Assistant District Attorney, I thought he was dressed a little more casually than expected, but he probably wanted us to feel more at ease with him. He chose a perfect seat for us—at a corner booth near the back. Given his business-casual outfit, you’d find it hard to miss him.

The host directed Stephanie and me to the booth area where Zach sat—cushioned with soft, dark leather seats and surrounded by a mix of sleek, polished wood and warm amber lighting, providing a comfortable and semi-private setting. The table—set for the three of us—consisted of pristine white tablecloths, glistening silverware, and a small, simple vase of fresh, elegant flowers.

Making conversation with the well-dressed young man, I grinned. “Table for three?”

“Hi there.” He put his phone on the table, got up and shook hands with us as we sat across from him. “You guys must be my lunch dates, Yvonne and Stephanie. Am I right?” He gave us a warm, inviting smile that seemed genuine and not haughty.

His Rolex watch and black leather loafers complemented his outfit, and I couldn’t believe how attractive he was in person, after all this time of scrolling through his Instagram photos. At a healthy 5’9, he was the average height for a man. According to his username, zrusso_92, he was 31, making him a year older than Harrison and Jayna. His smile made his gorgeous blue eyes stand out in a magical way. His neatly combed black hair shone underneath the lights, giving it that youthful glow like Harrison’s.

“Yes.” I smiled. “I’m Yvonne McCarter, the namesake of the floral shop, Jenna & Yvonne’s Flowers.”

“So I’ve heard. Nice to meet you, Yvonne.” He glanced at Stephanie. “And you must be the sidekick, Stephanie.”

“And a proud one at that.” Stephanie grinned, and the three of us chuckled. “Stephanie Grossman.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us here,” I said. “This is our first time at this restaurant, but I imagine you must come here a lot. Am I right?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Mostly with my family when we have get-togethers once in a while. But this was actually where I popped the question to Jayna. We were all here that night: the Whalens, Harry too, obviously… My parents, and me. My sisters are in California, but we got the message out to them, and they’re so excited. They’ll be here in the state for the wedding.”

“That’s very nice,” I said. I knew Jayna had a reason for boasting about her special night when she came into our shop on Friday evening near closing time. “So, I imagine that you all sat at a table for seven. How did that go?”

“Yeah, we did. Jayna and I were sitting next to each other, and when it came time for dessert, I put everything into action and asked her the biggest question. I had it all planned out, so it would feel special for her. It worked like a charm, and that was the happiest I’d ever seen her in our life.”

I saw the look of joy on his face when he talked about the moment he proposed to Jayna. I hated to admit it, but it seemed like he really cared a great deal for her, so it wasn’t only about the money after all. His connection with the Whalens was something far deeper than materialism.

I wanted to be sure of it. “Speaking of… Harrison’s told me about your history with each other. Were the three of you close, growing up? I know, it’s such a dumb question.” I chuckled.

“No, of course that’s a great question, Yvonne! Don’t be ashamed about asking questions. It shows your curiosity. Yes, my sisters and I have known Harry and Jayna our whole lives. We did everything together, and I guess you can say we still kind of do… When they’re not spending too much time at their country club. I’m sure Harry’s told you all about that, right?” I nodded in response as he continued. “Yeah, it’s all the little things we’d bond over. We always went to church together, so that’s one of the most important aspects of our lives.”

Funny, but I never saw the Whalens as the churchgoing, religious type. Apparently, neither did Stephanie.

We exchanged glances, and she said, “You guys go to church together?”

Zach chuckled. “Why does that amaze you guys?”

“I’m sorry…” I cleared my throat, trying not to embarrass myself further. “The Whalens never once mentioned anything about going to church. We met them for lunch on Saturday to discuss wedding plans. We kind of formed a connection at the time—or at least a semblance of a connection, from my understanding.”

“Yeah, Harry told me that you guys were the invited guests for brunch. How did that go?”

“It was…” I glanced at Stephanie as we tried to come up with the perfect word to sum up our Saturday afternoon brunch at the Whalens.

“Something,” Stephanie replied. “It was something, that’s for sure.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “It was something fun, I guess.”

“It was a little awkward, wasn’t it?” Zach smiled, and I nodded, “Hmm-hmm” in response. “Yeah, that’s what I figured. Harry told me the same thing, more or less, and how he tried to talk you out of getting involved with helping out the Whalens. Is that right?”

“Yeah.” I gave a small sigh, a little reluctant to talk more about that awkward tension between Harrison and me. “But now, I know he meant well. After all, he knows his own family better than Stef and I do. And apparently, you know them well enough, too.”

Zach shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong. I love the Whalens very much—then again who doesn’t? But even I have to admit, they can be a little too much at times. Harrison and his wife, they are equally two of the most determined people I know, for lack of a better word. Everyone in the community knows the Whalens always want what’s best for their children, and they are willing to do just about anything to maintain their perfect facade as this nice, happy little family. I’m sure if it weren’t for their parents’ control, Harry and Jayna would have the freedom to make their own choices.”

A waitress came over to our table to deliver our cups of water, then she gave each of us a menu and said she’d be back in five minutes to take our orders. “Thanks,” I said to her as she left, then turned my attention back to Zach. “What do you mean, the freedom to make their own choices?”

Zach took a small breath before he replied, as if he’s trying to avoid saying the wrong thing. “First of all… It’s natural to assume Jayna and I are the power couple just because we’re both rich and come from a lot of money. Right? But once in a while, I can’t help but wonder what our lives would be like if we didn’t have all this money. If we were just regular people trying to make it in life without all the money and the cool, fancy houses and stuff. I’m speaking generally—I’m not just talking about myself and Jayna as a couple… In case that wasn’t clear.”

“Oh, yeah, we get it,” I said as Stephanie and I nodded, showing that we understood his point.

“I’m sure Harry must feel the same way, given what he’s already told you about his family. I think he’s the type of guy who doesn’t really buy into the whole shebang, for lack of a better word.” He took a moment to ponder. “I’m just trying to think of the best way to say this…”

“I think we get what you’re trying to say,” I said. “Believe it or not. Harrison’s told me so himself. I think he feels like it’s hard for him to keep up with his family’s expectations.”

“Exactly. His sister’s marrying me, and the next thing you know, his folks are going to get on his case to find a ‘suitable’ woman to be with, ideally someone who’s also wealthy. But knowing Harry, I’m sure he wouldn’t go for it. He’s a free, independent thinker, but he secretly acts like it. I know this whenever he and I hang out together. A lot of things he tells me, man…” He shook his head. “Over the years, his mom’s had a hand in trying to set him up with all these different girls from family connections and what have you. Has he ever mentioned that to either one of you?”

Stephanie and I shook heads as we glanced at each other, a little baffled. Harrison certainly didn’t let me know about this. On Saturday, during our tense little argument in the basement, I almost brought the subject up with him when I briefly alluded to his past girlfriends he might have had, who were probably rich. He shut me down, saying he didn’t feel obligated to tell me anything about that.

But now, Zach’s brought it up… Could I be on the right track after all? Was it possible that his parents had been trying to set him up with different rich girls from all over?

“Really?” Zach gave me an amazed look.

“No, he’s never mentioned any of this before,” I said. “Though I almost pried it out of him. I don’t know… Does that count?”

“Maybe,” he replied as our waitress returned, now ready to take our orders.

Stephanie and I ordered the Meatballs appetizer, which consisted of braised mini meatballs, tomato, basil, and shaved parmesan cheese. For my entree, I ordered the Fusilli Alla Sicilana, which came with eggplant, tomato sauce, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Stephanie ordered the Rigatoni Bolognese, which came with tomato cream meat sauce. Zach ordered the Chicken Ala George, which consisted of chicken breasts, roasted peppers, fontina cheese, and brandy sauce. For drinks, Stephanie and I ordered the Sea Breeze vodka, while Zach ordered a Stella Artois beer. After jotting down our orders, our waitress informed us that it would be ready in approximately twenty to thirty minutes. Perfect.

As soon as she left, the three of us resumed our conversation.

Zach said, “That’s because Harry doesn’t like to say much about it—being set up with girls he believes he’ll have no chemistry with. I hate to say I agree with him, because I do, actually. Most of the girls he’s been set up with were usually pretty shallow. No depth or personality. Just money, good looks, and that’s it. I feel like now that he’s older—and old enough to speak his own mind about what he really wants—he’ll want something much more than just being with a woman who’s only a pretty face and has loads of money.” He smiled softly at me.

Stephanie asked, “What would that look like for him?”

“Eh, just someone he’ll see as a companion.” Zach continued smiling at me, and at that moment, I had an epiphany—he was talking about me as an ideal woman for Harrison. “Someone who he feels most comfortable opening up to, someone who isn’t superficial or self-absorbed. Preferably someone who’s humble and doesn’t come from a lot of money, and someone who’ll see him as more than just a rich guy with a silver spoon in his mouth.

“It’s easy for girls who don’t know him that well or don’t come from a lot of money to see him as the type of guy who has stuff handed down to him, but Harry’s determined to break that stereotype. He’s really not like that, once you get to know him well. There’s a lot more to him than what he’s shown you guys so far, I’m pretty sure of it. He wants something more meaningful out of a relationship. All it takes is for that one woman to give him a chance… Yvonne.”

I didn’t realize I’d been so lost in thought; I was only focused on his gaze on me as he told me what Harrison wanted out of a long-term relationship. But it made perfect sense.

“Sorry.” I cleared my throat. “I was just thinking about everything you just said. Harrison’s told you all this?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “And why are you so formal, calling him Harrison? You know you’re welcome to call him Harry if you want.”

I remembered when he called me “Vonnie” last night as we watched General Hospital. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to blur those lines between personal and professional connection. I was still working for the Whalens.

“Ah, I just don’t wanna risk keeping things a little more than professional.” I shrugged modestly.

Stephanie nudged me playfully. “Like we told you last night, you’re welcome to call each other by your nicknames, girl! No need to be all formal.”

“Stephanie’s right,” Zach said. “I’m sure Harry wouldn’t mind. It’s just when you’re at their house, you can go back to calling him Harrison, so his straight-laced folks don’t find out. You know how they can be.”

I wanted to believe they were right, but I also wanted to see how far I was willing to go to please the Whalens so they could see what I could do for them. I had no doubt Harrison thought I was his dream girl, but I wanted us to take things slowly before we could do anything rash in the long run.

Within a minute or two, our appetizer dish of meatballs arrived. Zach agreed to have a few with us, even if he didn’t actually order appetizers.

As they always say, sharing is caring, so why not?