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“If you like sandwiches, you’ve got to go with AJ’s. It’s a little place on the corner. Best meatball sub I’ve ever had.”
“Sold. I’ll go there now. Maybe I’ll see you around?”
IhopeI see you around.That was what she really wanted to say. She wasn’t quite bold enough to hit on him directly during their first meeting, but she definitely enjoyed looking at the man.
Catching a glimpse of him in the hallway every once in a while would be nice.
“You can count on it,” Sam replied with a wink.
Okay, so he was a shameless flirt. That was something else to look forward to in the future.
He went inside of his apartment while she headed down the hall to the elevator. She felt a tingling awareness on the back of her neck, making her sure that was watching her walk away. She boldly put a little extra sway into her hips as she walked, smiling broadly, knowing that he couldn’t see it.
The sandwich shop was on the corner, just as Sam said it would be. Lexi was still getting used to this new city, and she looked around at everything in her surroundings, mentally comparing Davinapolis to her old home, Misso City.
It was funny how this place felt so different. On the surface, it wasn’t so different from Misso City. There were skyscrapers and heavy traffic, tourists and billboards. All the typical city life stuff that she had before.
But Davinapolis had a more laid-back vibe from her perspective. Misso City was known to be an expensive and fast-paced place to live. This place was known for the arts and unique cuisine, which was part of the reason that she was so eager to accept the position of head chef at a restaurant here, even though it meant completely uprooting her life and starting over fresh.
The sun was going down when she neared the sandwich shop, and the white glow of the street lights shined down on her as she walked. This wasn’t known to be a bad neighborhood, but she made sure that she was focused on her surroundings, looking out for danger.
None appeared, and she reached the sandwich shop unscathed. It was a small place with just a few metal tables and chairs inside which were empty aside from a single couple that were talking quietly as they ate. There was also a counter along the back wall where she could order her late dinner. There was a man standing there, stirring what looked like chicken salad in a large metal bowl. He was an older guy, she’d guess that he was in his sixties, and he seemed to be the only worker in this little shop as far as she could tell.
“Welcome to AJ’s,” he said as she approached the counter, giving her a smile that reached his eyes.
She noticed that he was wearing a white apron that was somehow spotless with the name AJ embroidered on the left side.
“Are you the owner?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yep, this is my place. First time here?”
“This is my first time eating anywhere in the city. I just moved here.”
“I’m honored to be your first dining out experience. Are you waiting for anyone to join you, or should I get started on your sandwich?”
“Just me tonight.”
She hoped that wouldn’t be the case for long. She hadn’t dated anyone in a while, but her new home was a city with about two million people. Assuming about half were men, she had a pretty big pool of potential partners here.
Yet, her mind drifted to her neighbor. All those men in this city meant that she had nearly unlimited possibilities, but she was thinking about the guy next door.
Lexi shook her head at herself. She really should keep her options open when it comes to men.
Going with Sam’s suggestion, she ordered a meatball sub and a Coke. The metal chairs were a little uncomfortable, and she got the impression that this place wasn’t really intended to be the kind of restaurant where you stayed to eat, anyway. It was a to-go kind of place. Still, she liked it. It had an intimate feel to it, and the sandwich was delicious. The meatballs were definitely made from scratch and it was extra cheesy.
Lexi had always loved food. When she was a kid, her mom loved that she always ate whatever was put in front of her. She was the opposite of a picky eater, trying everything. Even spicy food didn’t phase her.
This career path felt like something she was destined for, and that became even more of a sure thing when her parents died. But she didn’t want to think about that right now. She was having a good evening, and that particular subject always brought her down.
Leaving the sandwich shop, she headed back to the apartment building. It was a short walk, but she’d only made it a few feet from the sandwich shop when her steps slowed. Her attention was focused on bright red and blue flashing lights coming down the street as a siren blared. It was joined by a second one, and the two police cars managed to weave through traffic even as the cars on the road tried to pull over to the side to get out of the way.
Finally, the cars stopped across the street, and Lexi was joined by others on the sidewalk, gawking as four police officers rushed out and went into what looked like a bar. They weren’t inside for long before they reemerged, dragging along a man with his hand cuffed behind his back.
One officer was listing off the man’s rights while another carried a clear plastic bag with a handgun inside. Apparently, Sam wasn’t the only person around here that walked around armed. Not necessarily a bad thing, unless the cops found out the gun had been used in a crime.
That could end with the guy locked up for a long time.
They put the man in the back of a police car, and Lexi turned away, heading home again. Others were still standing around watching, but she wasn’t interested in the scene. Whatever was going on had nothing to do with her at all.
