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“Sure, why not? I could murder a milkshake and fries right now. Fast food style.” The portions we had been given at Lorenzo’s hadn’t been large, and I knew that it was a deliberate move. There were lots of courses, and I was sure dessert wouldn’t have been the last one. It was supposed to look pretty and take time to eat it.
“Fast food, like a cheap, quick place?” He looked as if he had no idea what I meant, and I wondered if I had disgusted him.
“You don’t like fast food?” I replied, not wanting to push this if he was totally against it. To my surprise, he shrugged.
“It’s not something I eat very often, or, well…I can’t remember ever really eating it. My mother was always set against it, and when you make over a certain amount of money, so many other options are open to you that are fast enough.”
He shrugged again, the gesture one I didn’t think he made often. It looked awkward.
“We don’t have to, but I’ll be honest. I am more used to it, and it’s the one thing that’s universal. A cheap, crappy burger and fries in any country is about the same.”
That made him chuckle. “You’re struggling with the food always being Sarai’s choice and fancier than you’re used to. I get it. Honestly, I couldn’t go to any other country for too long and not want a few home comforts, either. Especially after a shitty evening like this evening. Let’s go get milkshakes and fries. Doyou have a chain in mind, or want me to just drive until you see one you like the look of?”
I relaxed, the tension that had built up in me at fearing he wouldn’t approve melting out of me with that one statement. He was so much more understanding than I would have expected. It made me feel so much better to be seen. And he’d even explained to me why I wanted what I wanted in a way that made sense.
It was total acceptance and understanding. And then accommodation of how I was feeling on top. How was this guy single and not already snapped up by one of the women who very clearly wanted him at Lorenzo’s?
Although I had been in Chicago for a few weeks now, I didn’t know exactly what chain restaurants Chicago had, so I got Lukas to drive us around and pointed out one I liked the look of. I wasn’t sure it was a big chain, but it looked like it would make a decent milkshake and fries.
Lukas found somewhere to put the car pretty swiftly, seeming to know the area despite not normally frequenting these sorts of places. Once again, he opened the car door for me, hurrying around the car before I could do much more than take off my seatbelt. He offered me a hand again and then took my arm.
I was still wearing his jacket, and I noticed him shiver as he pulled me in close.
“You’re cold,” I said, knowing I was stating the obvious but not sure what else to do. I started wriggling out of his jacket with the intention of handing it back, but he stopped me and shook his head.
“No, you keep it. I can get another one along here on the way.”
I frowned, looking around. None of the stores were open this late at night. Just the places to eat and drink, and this road was more the latter than the former.
“Are you sure?” I asked, not wanting to be too pushy. I was cold even with the jacket on.
Lukas looked at me as if he wasn’t sure exactly what to say. “Well, we’re going inside in a moment anyway. And then I want to show you something cool. A bit of a perk of being me.”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering what on earth he could mean, but he didn’t explain, simply leading me toward the little fast food place I had chosen.
It had glaring neon signs outside of it that announced the name and claimed they had the most epic burgers. Inside, it had the bright red plastic and leather of a good old diner. It wasn’t very British, but I didn’t doubt it would be a similar experience to certain fast food chains and, with any luck, even a little better.
Lukas looked around as if he had no idea where to go or what to do, so I led him to the bar where they’d placed a bunch of stools and sat on one. The place was almost entirely empty, so a guy in a white T-shirt that had a few stains down it and a washcloth slung over one shoulder came over to us.
“What can I do for you two?” he asked. His accent was so strong it took me a moment to process what he had said.
“Can I get a chocolate milkshake and some fries, please?” I asked, briefly wondering if I had the money to pay for this, although I was fairly sure I did. I received an upfront payment from Sarai, and she had been paying for a lot since. I wasn’t going to be letting Lukas pay, that was for sure. Not that he knew it yet.
Both of us then looked at Lukas. Although he had no menu and couldn’t have known what to order, he didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take the same. Why not?”
The man nodded, moving his portly body a little slower as he backed up and then hurried into what looked like a kitchen. With him going to prepare our food, there was no one left out here serving, but no one seemed to mind.
There was another couple in a small booth near the back of the diner, but they were clearly more interested in each other than the food. And by the window sat a guy who looked as if he came here for a free meal now and then off the streets to keep warm. He’d been given a whole pot of coffee and was chowing down on the largest burger I had ever seen.
“Well, this is an interesting place you’ve brought me to,” Lukas said, drawing my attention back to him. He was smiling, thankfully, but it wasn’t lost on me how much we had gone from his world and into mine.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Lukas
Although I wasn’t entirely comfortable sitting in full view of the window and the entire diner, I relaxed as it became more and more apparent that no one would recognize me here, and no one seemed to care. I had grown so used to everyone knowing my name and what I looked like in the circles and places I frequented that it was strange.
Kit was perfectly at home and had found a cheap plastic menu from somewhere to look at. Given we had already ordered, I was surprised, but I also noticed the prices over her shoulder. I added up what it was going to cost us. Even with a generous tip, it wouldn’t have paid for even one course at Lorenzo’s.
