“Thank you, Shelly,” Zara replies. I realize we went to school with the woman.
“I’m sure some more news will come to light tonight,” says Shelly.
Zara’s face falls, though she answers her. “I hope so.”
They pull apart, and Shelly points to a table. “I have a four-seater available. I’m glad you came now. It was very busy at lunchtime.”
I’m not surprised. The place always used to be packed. As we follow her, I look around. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. It’s been renovated. The atmosphere is intimate, with dark lighting and a mixture of plush easy chairs and tall wooden tables. The new furniture, maroon walls, and high, dangling light fixtures create an atmosphere that is both modern and luxurious.
When we sit, Shelly hands us the menus and smiles before walking back to the front of the restaurant. A waitress arrives at our table, and her eyes flick between the three of us. “Would you like a drink?”
“Crown Village whiskey with cola,” Zara answers.
I look at Kane in time to see him flinch, as if her words brought him pain. Though, soon after, he gives her a heartfelt smile. “Me too.”
“Make that three,” I tell her.
The waitress nods. “I’ll go get them for you now.”
There’s a comfortable silence between us. I follow Zara’s eyes out the window. It’s been a hot day. The sun is reflecting off the water, and the waves are lapping the shore in slow motion.
Kane picks up the menu. “I can’t pronounce half the meals on this.”
“Did you want anything in particular?” I ask Zara.
She scans the menu. “The fish tacos look good. So does the pork belly.”
Calmness washes over me. She’s hungry.
“We can get those. Kane, why don’t you order a mix of dishes, and then we can all pick at them?”
Kane’s lips pull up into a wicked smirk. “Absolutely.”
The waitress comes back with our drinks and places them in front of us. “Are you ready to order yet?”
“We are,” Kane replies.
She pulls her pad and pen out. “What would you like?”
“Come here, I’ll point to them. I’m not even going to bother trying to pronounce them.”
Zara smothers a laugh.
The waitress steps toward Kane, who’s holding the menu and pointing to what he wants. “That one, two of that one.” She nods as she scribbles them down.
Zara’s eyes are on the ocean, her hand touching the glass. “I forgot how beautiful the view is from here.” Instead of the view, my eyes latch onto the ring on her finger. A sliver of warmth lightens my chest that she’s still wearing it after all this time.
Kane leans back in his chair and peers at Zara. “So what else have you been up to?”
“I’ve been really busy with work, and apart from that, I occasionally help at the local homeless shelter when I can.”
Fuckkkk!We have gone on two very different paths, almost the opposite of one another.
Her eyes bounce between the two of us. “What else have you guys been up to?”
Kane looks at the ground, then rubs his chin. “Not helping at a homeless shelter, that’s for sure.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to,” she says, smirking. “How’s the casino going?”
