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Luke tapped his finger on the table. “It all sounds good. I guess I’ll try the gnocchi.”
A grin crossed Emma’s face. “You can have some of mine if you want to try something else.”
“Then vegan meatballs it is!” Luke closed his menu and took a gulp of his water.
“Look at you, trying something new,” Emma giggled. “But I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
As Carmen returned with two margaritas and took their orders, Luke glanced at his watch, mindful of his commitment to Jeremiah. He had promised to pick him up from the animal rescue and order pizza for dinner. Luckily, he still had two hours to spare.
Twenty minutes later, their meals arrived. Emma picked up her fork and took a small bite, her eyes closing. “This gnocchi is everything.”
Luke watched her for a moment, savoring not only his meal, but the way the sun traced each freckle on her face. “What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve eaten?”
She paused, her fingers twirling the edge of her napkin. “In my pre-vegan days, I ate fried crickets at a restaurant in Florida,” she admitted, her eyes meeting his with a mix of mischief and mild embarrassment. As she spoke, her nose crinkled, a gesture Luke had come to find endearing. “Not recommended,” she added with a playful grimace.
Luke chuckled, leaning in closer. “I can’t imagine you crunching on crickets.”
She laughed, pushing a stray hair behind her ear. “It was a dare. And I never back down from a dare.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
“Of course.” Emma tilted her head. “And what about you?”
He paused, bringing a hand to his chin. “Once, during a business trip to Japan, my buddy dared me to try fugu—the pufferfish. It’s poisonous if not prepared right.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “That sounds...terrifying. Did you?”
Luke nodded. “I did. And here I am, alive and well.”
They both laughed and continued their light-hearted banter, discussing travel, favorite books, and their most memorable childhood memories. As they delved deeper into conversation, Luke found himself captivated by Emma’s stories, learning about her love for astronomy and her dream to visit Greece.
After his second glass of wine and half a plate of sweet potato gnocchi and vegan meatballs, Luke was stuffed. “Those meatballs might be better than the real thing,” he said, wiping his face.
Emma chuckled, spearing one off his plate. “It’s a bit odd to call them ‘meatballs,’ don’t you think?”
Luke watched as she cut one in half with her fork and knife. “What about neatballs?”
A light blush crept up his neck, realizing how that might’ve sounded.
Emma bit her lip before bursting into laughter. “That’s pretty dumb, but I like it.”
Luke took a long drink of water. “Maybe I should lay off the tequila after that one.”
“Ah, you’re fine,” Emma said, cheeks flushed from laughter. “I’m just messing with you.”
“Actually, I’m going to use the restroom, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Sure, I’ll be here, picking food off of your plate.”
The men’s restroom was empty. After finishing his business, he walked over to the sink to wash his hands. As he reached for the soap, he sensed a presence behind him. Instinctively, he turned.
There, standing in front of him, was a man whose face seemed strangely familiar. Their eyes met, and a smug grin spread across the man’s face.
Luke’s jaw tensed as he turned on the water, finally recognizing the man. “Sorry,” he said, the realization sinking in. “Didn’t see you there.”
“Well, I did see you,” Chad said. “Listen, buddy, can I give you a word of advice?”
Luke glanced up at him in the mirror. “What might that be?”
