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“Huge. Why do you ask?”
I shrug. “I know your uncle likes to intimidate people. Carson’s offices are really big as well. So, who am I to judge? Maybe it’s a CEO thing.”
We wave our goodbyes as we leave and head to the ground floor.
I hold the door of my truck open and watch Val as she climbs in. I will never get tired of that view.
“Do you have a preference?”
“Not really. You choose.”
“Do you like pizza?”
“I’m Italian, remember?”
I hit the speed dial on my cell phone, “I’m calling in an order—extra-large Joseph’s special. No anchovies. The name is Knight. We’re on our way now. Dine in.”
I grin at Val. “You’ll like their pizza.”
Then I put the truck in drive and head toward the Northside of Jacksonville.
When we walk in, I tell the hostess we called in a pizza. We skip the lunch line and she shows us to a table.
Once we get our drinks, Val looks around. “This is nice.”
“Wait till you taste their pizza. Jacksonville’s finest. It typically takes about forty-five minutes for the pizza to cook. That’s why I called it in.”
I continue, “If you look over there, at that brick wall, see the old mural? When they remodeled the place, they discovered an old painted ad for bread and other signs. They decided to leave it as-is for everyone to enjoy.”
“Wise choice. I like to see a little bit of history in these older buildings.” Val looks up at me.
“What do you like about Jacksonville?”
“It’s home. I grew up here. I like the area, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. You?”
“Well, Jacksonville is a large metro area, but what I love are all the smaller neighborhoods and communities. Like San Marco, Avondale, or Riverside. Then you have the Northside, Westside, Southside, Downtown, and last but certainly not least, the beaches.”
“Do you like the beach?”
“Yes, very much. My dad loved the ocean. He was always taking my mom and me to the beach. I don’t think I’ve even been to the beach this year. I’ve been too busy with the new software.”
“We should go. What about this weekend? We’ve both been working hard. We deserve a break and where better to relax than the beach? As long as the weather is good. Is that okay with you?”
“Absolutely.” the server drops off our pizza and serves Val a slice, then hands me one too.
I take a quick bite of the hot, gooey pizza and then watch Val’s face as she takes a tentative bite.
She smiles up at me, and I see her dimples flash. “This is excellent.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
“I love it. Next time, we’ll have to get anchovies.”
“No, don’t ruin this pizza. No messing with perfection.”
I hear Val laugh.
After I finish off the last few slices of pizza, I look over at Val.
