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“Well, don’t be back too early,” she said, sitting in the wheelchair. “I’ve got places to go.”
The smile on my mother’s face was so beautiful that I had to look away or risk ruining my makeup. So, I simply nodded again and said, “All right.”
I grabbed Luke’s arm and left my apartment guilt-free for the first time in five years.
Once inside the elevator, Luke turned to me, his eyes searching mine. “Are you all right?”
I filled my lungs with a large inhale and smiled. “Yes,” I whispered. “I’m happy. Thank you.”
He reached for my hand and squeezed it. Whiffing his cologne and perhaps a hint of cinnamon, I closed my eyes and leaned against his arm.
We walked hand in hand through the beige hallway. They hadn’t renovated this apartment building since the eighties and I suddenly became very self-conscious about it, with Luke by my side. I had a well-paid job, but with all the medical expenses, I hadn’t been able to move us out of this place.
The feeling of comparison intensified when I saw the sleek yellow sports car in front of my building. “Aren’t you worried someone would steal this parked out front?”
He shrugged. “Not really.”
He probably could buy five of them without batting an eye.
But then he continued. “Most stolen cars in North America are automatic. Not many thieves can drive a manual car these days. I read someplace that only eighteen percent of American drivers can drive stick.”
“Really? Well, don’t tell many thieves that.”
Luke came around and opened the car door for me. The interior of the car was all black and the leather seats were soft against my legs when I sat inside. Definitely not the plastic stuff. “Where are we going?” I asked when he started the engine.
“There’s this little place with the best food in town.” He pressed his foot on the gas and the engine roared. My body hummed and I fell back against the seat. I tried to hide a wide grin, not wanting to be impressed by a sports car, but I couldn’t help it, it felt exhilarating.
Closing my eyes, I enjoyed the moment. Alone in a fast car with Luke on a date. I never—ever—thought this would happen. I didn’t even want to hear his name for about ten years, but now here I was. Smiling and happy.
He hadn’t been driving for more than fifteen minutes when Luke pulled up against the curb. “This is it,” he said.
I leaned forward to look out the window. It was dark and many of the businesses were closed at this hour, but I could make out several clothing stores, a coffee shop, and a bakery, but no restaurant. Luke opened my car door and reached for my hand. We walked only a few feet, then he led me down a concrete flight of steps. That was when I saw the sign: Mario’s Restaurant.
A bell chimed when Luke opened the door. It was dark inside, with only a few dim wall sconces. The furniture consisted of dark brown leather chairs and burgundy tablecloths. There wasn’t any dust on the surfaces, nor any spots on the linens. Everything looked clean. The warm and doughy aroma from the kitchen called out to my stomach. It growled back in reply.
“Mr. Crawford,” said the hostess. “Nice to see you again. Let me check if your table is ready.”
There was just one other couple in the restaurant besides us. Unless a busload of people showed up, I was pretty sure a table would be available.
“Ah, here we go. Right, this way.” She picked up two menus and led us to a secluded spot at the back.
I sat on the bench since the pillow top looked more comfortable than the wooden-backed chair. Luke hesitated for only a moment before taking a seat beside me. “I want to be near you. Is that all right?”
I smiled. It reminded me of when Luke had kicked Allen Parker out of the seat next to me in homeroom on the first day of school. I’d thought it was a bully move at first, but after speaking to Parker about it after class, he’d said Luke had slipped him a ten.
Luke rubbed his hands together after opening the menu and I glanced down as well. “So, what’s good here?” I asked.
“Everything.”
I snorted. “Well, it’ll be hard to choose.”
“Then don’t. Order whatever you want. If you don’t finish it, just take it home. I insist you bring something back to your mother.”
I looked up at Luke, wondering if he’d always been this considerate or if it was a new quality. My emotions were so mixed up that I was having a hard time recalling the past. I just wanted to get to know the man in front of me better.
By the time the hostess turned server arrived, I had about six dishes I wanted to order but limited it to three. “I’ll have the grilled calamari to start, please. Then, I’d like to try your homemade gnocchi and the Caprese salad.”
Luke watched me for a moment, pursed his lips, and said, “I’ll have the fried calamari. The eggplant parmesan and your stuffed chicken, please.”
