Sharon had enough time for one hasty gulp from her wine glass as the couple made their way across the restaurant.
"Hey kid. Who let you into a nice place like this?"
"Yeah? Well who let you out of the nursing home this late at night?"
Flynn rolled his eyes, before jabbing at Rusty playfully in the shoulder as he flashed a weak smile at Sharon. She noticed that he had changed into a different suit than the one he had worn to work that day, and abruptly she felt self-conscious for not evening running a brush through her hair since morning. She tugged anxiously at a stray strand before taking another sip of wine, eyes averted from the striking blonde at Andy's side.
"I'm Rusty," the boy said, standing to extend his hand to Flynn's date before anyone else could initiate. Sharon allowed her gaze to wander from the ground up, wondering just how old Andy's date was. He had at least a decade on her, if not two. The truth in Rusty's words from minutes ago suddenly stung as she looked back at her teenage dining companion, who had proceeded to unceremoniously flop his elbows on the table again.
"Hi Rusty," the woman smiled. "I'm Cynthia. I've heard a lot about you, so it's nice to finally meet you." She turned to Sharon. "And you are?"
"Sharon Raydor." The name tasted foreign on her tongue before she realized she had omitted her rank.
"Sharon is Flynn's boss," Rusty said proudly.
"Yes, thank you for that reminder, son," said Flynn.
"Oh, right. It's nice to meet you Mrs. Raydor." The lack of recognition in the woman's voice was obvious, and Sharon felt herself cringe at the word Mrs.
As she stood a little too hurriedly to take Cynthia's outstretched hand, Sharon's knees bumped the table, causing her wine glass to topple sideways. She froze as she watched Flynn catch the glass as it rolled off the table.
"It's okay," Rusty offered quickly, as he struggled to mop up the large red puddle with his napkin, succeeding only in making a grander mess.
"Oh god. I'm so sorry," she finally blurted out as their waiter came hustling over, his eyes scouring Sharon with disapproval. She could only imagine the shade of red on her face as she plopped back into her chair, watching him clean up the mess she had made.
"And what you guys are like on a date?" Rusty chirped, obviously attempting to steer the conversation away from her humiliation.
"Uh, yeah," Flynn said. His hint of sarcasm ever-present.
The waiter sneered. "Are you ready to order?"
"Hey pal, give them a second, okay?" snapped Flynn, shooing him away. "It was an accident."
"Wait, we're on a date? Why didn't you tell me that, Andy?" Cynthia teased as she gave Rusty a wink. The ease with which she looped her arm through Andy's sucked the air straight out of Sharon's chest. Her eyes darted back to the red splotch in the center of the table.
"So how do you know so much about me?"
"Well Rusty, I work at Children and Family Services so I—" she looked to Flynn for permission to continue.
"She gave us a little help when we looking for you dad, kid."
Rusty's face flashed into a scowl. "Oh you're that woman. Yeah, thanks. Great job there." He gave her a caustic thumbs-up.
Cynthia frowned. "Did everything not work out with him?"
"Sweetheart, we need to get back," Flynn interjected, looking uncomfortable. "Our table's probably ready now."
"Oh, right," Cynthia replied, still looking a little puzzled by the change of temperature in the conversation. "Well it was nice meeting you, Rusty. And you too Mrs. Raydor. Don't bother getting up," she joked.
Sharon laughed mechanically, coercing her lips upwards into a smile as she watched the couple walk away, feeling the contents of her lunch creep up her esophagus.
"I don't like her," Rusty announced. He spat an ice cube back into his glass of water. "She's too nice."
Sharon smiled and reached across the table to give his elbow an indebted squeeze. "Do you know what you want?"
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna get the escargot." He grinned and raised his glass. "Cheers to being uncomfortable."
She laughed, feeling grateful at the boy's ability to instantly unruffle her nerves. After all, what was really so awkward about running into a coworker in public? Most of her colleagues were single, so it was only a matter of time before she would run into a date or a girlfriend. No rules had been broken, and she had tried her best to keep things professional. She sighed, feeling a great deal calmer about the whole situation.
But when Rusty gave his order to the waiter, who had graciously brought her another glass of wine, she turned to concede a quick glance to the front of the restaurant. When her eyes landed guardedly on their intended target, she watched Andy lean forward to whisper something in Cynthia's ear. And as the woman laughed, a sudden burst of clarity crashed over Sharon Raydor like a tidal wave. And what she realized, she did not like one damn bit.