AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t have to have another,” Reagan said, the full glass in her hand.
I smiled at her. “Go ahead. He’s poured it now. Besides, I’m driving.” I raised my iced water. “You were right about this place. The food is amazing.”
She nodded and took a sip. “It’s the best Italian place around here.”
“Isn’t it the only Italian place?”
“All right, Mr. Pedantic.”
I grinned and leaned forward on my forearms. “You want dessert?”
She looked me up and down and wiggled her eyebrows. We both laughed at the same time, and she pressed her fingertips to her nose as if that would make it stop. “No, thank you.”
“Are you sure?” I brandished the dessert menu card. “He left it when he filled your wine. We may as well take a look.” I lifted it in front of me and read it out. “Ice-creams. Tiramisu. Cannoli. Panna cotta. Something I… can’t pronounce.”
She covered her mouth with her hand and peered at me through her lashes, her eyes shining with the laughter she was desperately trying to repress. “I gathered it wasn’t your strong point when we were ordering earlier.”
It wasn’t my fault that all the people who worked here were Italian.
I pointed at her. “Look. I learned Spanish in school, not Italian, and I’ve forgotten every fucking word anyway.”
“Fair point. What else?”
“Basic desserts. There’s a hot chocolate fudge cake served with—”
Reagan shifted. “Share it?”
“Sorry?”
“You wanna share one?” She propped her chin up on her hand. “It’s really good, but it’s pretty sweet. I’m not sure I could eat a whole one.”
“Very romantic.” I smirked and motioned for our waiter, who arrived as if he had a teleport pad ready and waiting. I pointed to the entry on the menu and said, “Two forks, please.”
He nodded and took the dessert menu from me. He gave a small bow and disappeared.
Something buzzed from the other side of the table, and darkness flashed across Reagan’s face.
“That is your phone, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She blinked at me. “And it can keep ringing?”
“You can answer it. I won’t be offended.”
She sighed and reached into her purse. Pulling out her phone, she pursed her lips. “Halley. Unless my brother has been hit by a car, I don’t really care.”
I laughed. “Just answer.”
“Sorry. What?” She held the phone to her ear. “I’m on it, Halley… Wonderful. I’m glad Ava shared that with you… Do you mind? … Is Preston dying? … Right. Are the raccoons dying? … No. Lovely. The only reason you should be contacting me right now is if you have a picture of Betty’s babies to share with me… Right. Get lost, then.” She pulled the phone down and hit the ‘End Call’ button before swiping again. “There. Problem solved.”
I raised one eyebrow. “I feel like I want to ask about Betty.”
Reagan groaned as a sizable portion of cake was put between us. It smelled absolutely incredible, and I had never been happier to see cake than I was right now.
I barely even liked cake, but this one looked like I’d love it.
“So, Betty,” I said, handing Reagan a fork.
She took it with raised eyebrows. “I’ve mentioned Halley and the raccoons, right?”
I put my fork into the cake. “I think I remember something about it.”
“Well.” She scooped some cake up onto her fork. “Betty is the mama coon and she just had two babies. Boris—he’s her husband—is a horny little bastard, and their other kids come and go. And when I say Betty just had babies, I mean she just had them. They’re days old, and I want pictures.”
“And she feeds them?”
“She’s not raising them for slaughter.”
“I don’t think people eat raccoon.”
“People will eat anything if they’re hungry. That’s why cannibalism exists.”
I put my fork down. Now that was the thing that would put a guy off hot, chocolatey cake.
Reagan paused with a forkful of cake near her mouth. “Cannibalism probably isn’t a great thing to mention on a first date, huh?”
“Or any date. Ever.” My lips twitched.
She looked down at the cake with a forlorn expression before setting down her own fork. “Yep. I ruined my own dessert.”
I scratched my jaw, fighting a wider smile. “Shall I get the check and you can show me the beach? As long as you promise not to eat me and kill me.”
She stared flatly at me. “Oh, look, that was so funny I can’t stop laughing.”
“That’s what that sound is. Pure amusement.”
She sighed. Heavily. Then reached for her wine without another word.
If I was exasperating her, that was a good thing. She was pretty exasperating herself.
I motioned for the check and put down cash as soon as the little leather wallet was laid down. Reagan nodded that she was ready to go when I shot her a questioning look, and I got up to get her chair for her.
She took the hand I offered her after making sure she had everything. Her soft fingers wrapped around mine as I guided her out of the restaurant, and a startling thought flashed through my mind.
