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in shock between me and the man behind the counter. “Yes, sir,” I replied with a quick nod. His hand reached across the cold steel counter for mine before he extended his hand toward Cass.
“I’m Sal, sweetheart,” he grinned widely, taking her in.
See, Kitten, even old men think you’re hot.
“I’m Cassie. It’s nice to meet you. How’d you know who he was?” Cassie asked, her voice slightly stressed.
He released her hand. “I’m a huge Mets fan. I follow everything about the team. We’re all really excited to have you here. Welcome to New York!”
His voice boomed with such sincere enthusiasm that it soaked straight through my skin and into my bones. “Thank you. I’m really happy to be here. ” I looked directly at Cassie, saying the last words.
“How come you aren’t with the team in Chicago?” His gray eyes fixed on me quizzically.
“They did me a favor and didn’t put me on rotation until Monday night. I flew straight here to get settled. ”
“That’s wonderful. You two living in the Lower East?”
My eyes met Cassie’s quickly before responding, “We are for now. ”
“Well, I’m Sal. Anything you want is on the house. ”
“Oh no, Sal, you don’t have to do that. Thank you, though,” Cassie answered sweetly before I could respond. That was one of the things about being well-known, or famous, or whatever you wanted to call it that never made any sense to me. People enjoyed giving you free things when you could clearly afford them. The irony of giving free things to people with plenty of money wasn’t lost on me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sal. And really, we’re more than happy to support your business, since I assume you’ll be supporting mine. ” I smirked, noting the Mets banners and framed posters hanging on the walls.
“So, what can I get for you two?”
Cassie glanced toward me. “I just want pepperoni. ”
“Can we get two large pepperoni pizzas?”
“Sure thing, Jack. ” Sal turned toward the kitchen behind him and shouted, “Two large pepperoni pies. ”
Pies?
As if reading my mind, Cassie leaned into my ear and whispered, “They call them pies here. And if you want a piece of pizza, they call it a slice. ”
I smiled, thankful for my first lesson in New York slang. I kissed the top of her head, taking in the tiny restaurant. Two small tables huddled with old green chairs next to the oversized window. “You wanna sit?”
She nodded, choosing a table and then sitting down. I almost pinched myself to ensure this was really happening. Having Cass back in my life renewed me. I felt like a new fucking man… like I could do anything simply because this girl was with me.
I placed my hand on the table before Cass reached hers out, laying it on top of mine. Her fingers moved across my skin, and I was instantly aroused.
Get it together.
“I’m still blown away that she fought the annulment. And had all that fake paperwork and stuff. It’s crazy to me,” she said as she shook her head.
“It’s insane is what it is. ”
“And vindictive. And malicious. And horrible. ”
I released a quick breath. “Yeah. It’s all those things. ”
“So, when did you finally go to Alabama?”
I pulled away from her grip, leaning back and linking my hands behind my head as I stared into her green eyes. “I was just sitting there, waiting. A whole month had gone by and she still hadn’t signed the papers. I felt like I had no control in my own life, and I was getting pretty pissed off. ”
“Hey, Dean. Question: How long is your winter break?” I asked my kid brother over dinner.
