AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Aww,” Johnny grimaced. “I figured a man like you wouldn’t insult me like ‘at.”
“My apologies. The best barbecue. Period.”
Johnny’s grin split his face again. “Who we got heah?” he asked. “You donna usually bring guests by ol’ Johnny’s.”
“Because I want to keep this place a secret for myself. If word got out, there’d be a line around the block and I’d never get in.”
“I always have your table ready,” Johnny said, gesturing to an empty table in the far corner, furthest from the kitchen. “You be havin’ your usual?”
“You bet,” Blane replied.
“An’ for the lady?” Johnny turned his gaze toward Anne.
“Um…I’ll have what he’s having.”
Johnny nodded sagely. “A wise woman, that one is. The senator only gets the best I save jes for him. I be right back.” He hustled back to the kitchen.
Blane led the way to the table, standing until Anne had settled herself onto the bench. Though old, everything looked clean, so that was good. Her mother would faint dead away if she saw Anne in a place like this. The senator looked perfectly at ease, despite wearing a suit that cost more than most of the people in the room made in a month.
“I’ve never heard about this place,” Anne said, just to say something.
“It’s a well-kept secret,” Blane replied. “The barbecue will melt in your mouth.”
On cue, Johnny returned, carrying two plates laden to overflowing. Anne’s eyes widened as he set one in front of her.
“Enjoy!” he said proudly, handing each of them a literal hand towel wrapped around utensils.
Another worker who’d cleared a table nearby sat two full glasses of iced tea down. Blane unwrapped his silverware, spread the towel on his lap, tucked his tie into his shirt, and dug in.
Anne wasn’t sure where to start. There was a pile of meat, a mountain of fries, and a big puddle of baked beans scattered through with chunks of meat. The aroma made her saliva glands pinch and her mouth watered. Her stomach rumbled.
“What am I eating, exactly?” she asked.
“Burnt-ends. Brisket. They’re the best.”
“Burnt-ends?”
“The points of a brisket. Trust me. They’re amazing.” He took a bite and his eyes slid closed in appreciation and…Anne’s thoughts drifted where they shouldn’t. Ugh. She hastily looked down at her plate.
Tentatively, she sliced a bite and put it in her mouth. The sweet spiciness of the sauce hit her tongue as she chewed, the meat was so tender and full of flavor, and unlike anything she’d had before. Hastily, she took another bite—a bigger one this time.
Neither spoke while they ate, and Anne was a bit embarrassed at how much she polished off and how quickly. The scrambled egg white she’d had for breakfast hadn’t gone very far.
She put down her fork and knife, setting them precisely across the plate, then her makeshift napkin off to the side. Her stomach ached, she was so full, and she let out a satisfied sigh. Glancing up at Blane, she saw his gaze resting thoughtfully on her plate.
“That was excellent,” she said. “I’ve never had anything like it. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” he said, blotting his own lips with his towel. “Johnny is a wonder with a smoker and a side of beef. He butchers his own cuts, too. Once told me he learned at his grandad’s knee in a parish somewhere between New Orleans and Shreveport.” He paused. “So who was that man?”
Anne feigned ignorance. “What man?”
Blane fixed her with a look that made her want to squirm. She’d heard he’d been a formidable attorney before going into politics. She could see why.
“It was just someone I…wasn’t prepared to run in to,” she said at last, hoping he’d leave it at that.
He frowned. “Did he do something to you?” Blane’s tone made it sound as though if she said yes, he would take it very personally on her behalf.
“No, no, of course not,” she hastened to say. “Nothing like that. Can we just drop it, please?” She glanced at her watch. It was well after one o’clock and she had a meeting back at work in thirty minutes. Damn.
