Page 57 of The Need to Know

“You can get more than one thing,” Ezekiel let me know. “I swear that’s what I did my first time here. Had leftovers for like a week.”

I could just imagine. “What are you getting?”

“The chicken francaise, it’s my favorite.”

I found the item on the menu. The idea of chicken sautéed in a lemon and butter sauce sounded mouthwatering. “Oh, that sounds really good.”

Ezekiel set his menu aside and stared at me. His eyes went from my menu to me and back. The twitch of his lips into the briefest of smiles made me feel like a little kid.

“Are you clean and hygienic?” he asked me. “Because I’m clean and hygienic.”

“Uh, yeah,” I said, confused.

“Cool. So, this is new for me, but what the hell, why not? The servings are really generous for the price you’re paying, so how about what we order, we share. That way you don’t feel like you’re missing out.”

It was a brilliant idea, one that I was too greedy to turn down.

In the end, for our appetizer, we ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms and zucchini fretto. For our entrees, he had the chicken francaise, and I got the spinach cannelloni and I picked out a dry-aged steak to get later for Paisley.

I winced at the total it would all lead to, but Ezekiel didn’t seem to care as he made conversation with our server as she served us our drinks.

“Apologies in advance if I end up eating all your food,” I joked.

“Talk shit now, but you’re not going to be able to fight when you get through half this food,” he said.

“You’d fight me, Zeke?”

Ezekiel thought it over. “I’d play wrestle.”

Because I didn’t want to fantasize about being wrapped up in those strong arms of his, I grabbed my water and took a sip. Paisley hadn’t been lying, men definitely got more attractive when they did non-sexual things.

“I got a confession,” Ezekiel said, glancing my way. “I found your blog. I liked the write up on The Godfather trilogy. You’ve got a way with words.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“You should get paid for your thoughts.”

I squirmed a little in my seat. He wasn’t the first person to bring up the idea. “It’s not about the money for me. I do it because I enjoy it. Sometimes it’s just about fun.”

“If you’re good at something, there’s nothing wrong with getting paid for it,” Ezekiel suggested.

“Paisley mentioned a YouTube account, but that’s a lot of talking,” I said. “For now, I don’t mind doing it for free.”

“You got options,” Ezekiel reasoned. “Do you have a passport?”

I’d only ever been on a plane once, and that was when my parents took us to Florida when we were kids. “No, you?”

Ezekiel nodded. “I’ve been on a few cruises with my folks, and some with Cesar. Whenever you can get the time, you gotta go on a cruise. It’s the ultimate cleanse.”

“I’ll bet,” I said. “Where’ve you been?”

“The Bahamas twice, Puerto Rico, and St. Lucia,” Ezekiel listed. “Canada, too, but that’s nothing.”

It was to me. “I like that you’re so experienced and together for twenty-eight. Some people are still figuring their shit out, but you, you’ve got it.”

Our server, April, came, balancing a large tray on one shoulder and carrying a fold-out table with the other. She set the table up and placed the tray on it before dishing out our plates. Our appetizers were ready just at the same time as our entrees.

“Careful, it’s all hot,” April warned.