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“Such a gentleman,” I murmur. He presses me against him and traces his lips across my neck, sending goosebumps all over.
“My parents weren’t around for much, but they did teach me manners,” he says, a flash of sadness crossing those deep brown eyes, but it’s gone just as quickly and replaced by that sexy look that sends my sex clenching. Before I have a chance to ask more questions about his upbringing, he steers me around the car and towards the diner.
It’s your typical rundown diner from the outside, and a rusted sign that reads “Mama’s Diner” sits atop the dated brick and windows that take up the entire front of the building, but once you’re inside, everything changes. The décor is a mixture of modern chic and 50s flare, and I love it instantly. There are splatters of Christmas decorations placed strategically around the diner, my favorite being the small white tree beside the old-fashioned cash register. It’s decorated with all black ornaments and red-painted popcorn garland, making it stand out the moment you step into the place. I can hear a radio station playing “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and I smile, loving that song. “How come I never knew this place existed?” I say in utter awe Liam leads me towards the back of the diner, to a table with a sign that reads “reserved.” I look over at him questioningly, but he just smirks and gestures for me to sit.
“No one really pays attention to this place because it’s off the side of the road and it looks abandoned from the outside,” he motions to the booths surrounding us. “But they don’t realize how amazing the atmosphere is…and the food.” He groans, remembering the taste.
“Well, aren’t you an ass kisser,” an older woman says from beside the booth. I look over and see a huge smile on her face as she beams at Liam. Her graying hair falls elegantly down her shoulders and a pair of cat eyeglasses sit on the bridge of her nose. If I didn’t know better I would think we went back time, but the Rolling Stones T-shirt and ripped jeans give her away. “Don’t let those compliments fool you, this boy is nothing but trouble.” She winks at Liam, who smiles brightly up at her, and for a second I wonder who this woman is to him.
“JJ, angel, this is Mama Jenn, the woman who practically raised me.” I quirk an eyebrow at him, knowing this isn’t his mother, not with what he’s told me. “No, she’s not my mother,” he says, reading my mind. “But she might as well have been. I worked here until I went off to college.” Hmm…interesting.
“It took me that long to whip his ass into shape. You should have seen him when he first got here. Entitled little thing.” Liam rolls his eyes as Mama Jenn just laughs it off. “I didn’t expect much since he came from those leeches, but after a few months he warmed up and then I couldn’t get him to leave.” A smile rises across my face, because the idea of young Liam here, working, is a sight I really wish I could have seen.
“You worked here?” I know I shouldn’t be shocked but I am. I just can’t see it. I look over at Mama Jenn and see a skeptical look on her face and I backtrack. “I just can’t see his parents allowing it, from what I’ve heard.” The smile returns, and they both start laughing.
“Don’t worry, dear, I knew what you meant, and you would be right. But Liam’s mother happens to be my sister, so I got special allowances for him being here.” She must see the shock on my face because she looks at Liam with a sly look. “You haven’t told her anything, have you?” she mutters, and Liam just smirks, shaking his head.
“This is our first date. Did you want me to send her an email explaining my whole family tree?” Mama Jenn rolls her eyes and smacks him upside the head, making Liam yell, “Hey!”
“You never learn, kid.” She looks over at me. “Now I know it’s your first time here, so I’ll bring you one of Liam’s favorites.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond before she’s off into the kitchen, yelling about fried something.
“So that’s Mama Jenn,” Liam says, smiling from ear to ear. His eyes follow her as she walks into the kitchen and I can’t help but smile back at him. He seems so comfortable here, and I want to know more, so much more.
“So you worked here?” I ask, curious about his past and the man he’s become. He nods as a waiter comes and sets down two chocolate milkshakes that look divine. I can’t help the sound that comes out of my mouth as I take a sip. This has to be one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever had.
“From when I was eleven until I went off to college. I started as a bus boy, then graduated to waiter, then line cook sometimes.” Huh. Interesting.
“Why did you start working here?” He quirks an eyebrow and I laugh. “I just thought since your parents were loaded, you wouldn’t need to.” A flash of sadness crosses his face and then it’s gone. “I didn’t mean…” I start, but he stops me.
“Baby, don’t worry.” The warmth that floods my body at the term of endearment makes me want to jump him, but I just wait quietly for him to continue. “Having rich parents can be a good thing. I never went without when it came to physical possessions. But as I grew older I lacked the comfort of actual parents.” A wave of sadness rolls over me, and all I want is to jump this table and wrap my arms around him. “They were always out, always working and always too busy for my sister and me.”
The waiter is back and has two plates of grilled cheese sandwiches and fries. I laugh at the sheer adorable nature of this dish. So simple, yet says so much about Liam and his relationship with this place. “My sister has always loved our lifestyle, and so did I, until I started to let it go to my head.”
“Ahh, so you got into trouble.”
He takes a bite and his eyes flutter closed at the flavors. I look at mine, still untouched, and I can’t take the suspense anymore as I take a bite.
Holy. Crap.
My eyes meet Liam’s smiling ones and I know he sees my love for this sandwich written all over my face. “Good, huh?” he asks, and I just take another bite. “She puts bacon and tomatoes in it to make it more flavorful and uses the bacon grease to cook it.” It really is that amazing.
“Fuck me. This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” I love the hungry look that comes over his face. Damn, this man makes me all kinds of crazy.
“So back to your troubled past…” I say winking at him.
“Well, it wasn’t that bad. A few petty theft incidents and some acting out at school. My parents didn’t really pay much attention to it, but when Mama Jenn found out, she was livid. She thought I needed discipline. Hence the job.” He motions to the diner, and I smile.
“She wanted to teach you responsibility.” He nods. “Well, she did a hell of a job.” He smirks, finishing off his plate while I’m still working on my sandwich. His finger grasps one of my fries and I swat it away. “You had your own.” He laughs, sipping his milkshake with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“So tell me about your parents, since I just told you all about mine.” The mood in me shifts and he can see it. He leans in, concerned, grasping my hand.
“My parents died a year after I finished college,” I mutter, biting into a handful of fries.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.” I look up and his eyes are full of concern. I shake my head and smile weakly.
“It’s okay. Well, I mean sometimes I’m not always okay. But right now I am.” I shut my eyes, remembering their bright smiling faces and that familiar pit returns. “It was a drunk driver. They were driving home from visiting me one weekend and got sideswiped by a pickup truck.” His eyes bulge and I cast my eyes down and continue. “They were my world. My best friends. They had me very young, so people always thought they were my siblings.” I laugh at the memory. “They were so supportive of whatever I wanted to do, and when I told them I wanted to start my own editing company after I graduated, they gave me startup money without question. They were amazing people.”
“So you edit?” he asks, and I realize we’ve never really talked about our jobs.
