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“Charmer,” Luke said, sounding too much like Mrs. Randazzo for it to be coincidence.
“She knows everything that happens in the neighborhood. I want to be on her good side.”
Luke laughed. “Nah, you’re just a nice guy who wants to make her day.”
Nico shrugged, ticklish at the thought Luke read him like that, and pulled his gaze back to Estelle. “How do you sell your pignoli?”
“However you want, hon. We can do a tin if you like, or by the pound.”
“No tin.” His sister would bring plenty next weekend. “How about six?”
“Sure thing.” She looked at him again. “Brooklyn?”
Nico beamed and glimpsed Luke smiling beside him. “How’d you know?”
“The way you say sfogliatelle and pignoli.” He noted the slight difference in her accent. “My grandmother was from Brooklyn, and that’s how she said them.”
“Nico’s family owns a bakery in Brooklyn,” Luke said.
“Oh?” Estelle looked from Nico to Luke and back. “Which one?”
Nico shot Luke a look. “Amato’s.”
“Really?” She said it like she knew the name. “Checking out the competition?”
“No. Just getting some pastries. My friend hasn’t tried sfogliatelle before.”
“You came to the right place.” She grabbed a tray and some tongs. “We make the best in Philadelphia.”
Nico winked at Luke. “I can’t wait to try them. Can you give us two paper plates so we can eat some here?”
She nodded and boxed up their order. “You let me know what you think.”
“Of course.” He could see her telling people how one of the Amatos from New York raved about their pastry.
“Is that all?”
“Two small coffees?” Luke said, holding out his credit card.
“I got this,” Nico said, handing his card to Estelle. She looked at them, and Nico waved his card a bit closer. When she took his card, Nico ignored the daggers Luke shot. When he heard what this would cost, he’d be glad he let Nico pay.
“I was going to get it,” Luke said, miffed.
“We can settle later.” Nico pointed to the overhead menu with the prices. “These aren’t donuts or croissants at a coffee shop.”
“The total is forty-three seventy-five.” Estelle handed Nico back his card. “I tossed in the coffees for free.”
Nico cocked his head. “Mrs. Esposito?”
“What gave it away?” She chuckled.
“Nonno would fire anyone who gave something away. That’s his job.” He held out his hand. “Nicodemo Amato. Pleased to meet you.”
“Same.” She handed him the bag. “Enjoy, and come back and see us again.”
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll be back.” Nico snagged a plastic knife and some napkins while Luke grabbed their coffee.
The market had a seating area that was mostly full. They found a small table close to the bakery and sat in the wrought iron chairs. Before Luke could speak, Nico held up a finger.
“I’m sorry for paying, but I was afraid you didn’t know how expensive this was going to be.” He worried the top of his coffee cup and finally glanced up. “You pay for coffee another time?”
Luke rubbed his nape. A tic, Nico decided. Something he did when he wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it. It was cute on the jock.
“You’re right,” Luke said. “I had no idea. Is that what you guys charge?”
“Yeah, at the bakery. It’s more if you order online.” He took one sfogliatelle and one of the cannoli from their boxes and put them on one plate.
“You gonna eat both of them?”
“Not a chance.” Nico held up the knife before he started to cut. “I figured we’d start with half of each. Once you see how filling they are, you may not want any more.”
He used the knife to push half of each pastry onto a plate. He tried to slide one half with the knife but it started to topple, and Nico instinctively balanced it with his fingers. “Sorry about the fingers.”
“I’m not a germaphobe.”
Nico picked up his half of the sfogliatelle, watching Luke carefully do the same. “Let’s see how it tastes.”
Luke smiled. “Ah, the Amato stamp of approval.”
The first bite crunched like it should, and his mouth filled with flaky crust and sweet cheese. He hummed his approval and glanced at Luke, who was already going for his second bite, a blissed-out look on his face. “Wow. This is—”
“Luke?”
They turned toward the voice, and Nico recognized the two guys from Luke’s Facebook page immediately. Luke’s ex, and Luke’s ex’s new boyfriend.
Luke
When Luke realized Kent and his new boyfriend stood less than six feet from him and Nico, his good spirits dropped out of his feet and left him frozen. Kent was here, at the market. Kent and his rugged handsome face with that cocky smile Luke used to find endearing.
Kent’s smile deepened—slimy, that’s what it was—and he glanced at the boy hugging his arm.
Sebastian was—wow, he was really good-looking in person. There went the hope that he filtered his photos. He was a touch shorter than Luke expected, but otherwise just like the pictures in Kent’s Facebook posts. Perfectly styled brown hair, tan, and well dressed. Not as well as Nico had been when Luke first saw him, but neat.
