“Because your nickname has become her obsession,” I explained, as if that made sense to any adult. Hearing her abandon the name her uncles had bestowed upon her in favor of Peter’s pet name made me realize how he was wheedling his way into both of our hearts.
Before I did anything stupid like confess my feelings to him, Tony appeared at the table. “Hey guys! Peter, you have got to tell me how you managed to get him out of the kitchen. We’ve been trying to convince him to take it easier for months and he refuses.”
“That wasn’t me, it was all Mama,” Peter admitted. But it wasn’t. Sure, she might’ve demanded that I come out here and spend time with them, but if it’d been anyone else, I’d have said hi and gone back to work. Peter and Sophia created a picture of what I wished my life could’ve been like. What it could be like if Peter wasn’t leaving town once he decided Maria was emotionally healthy.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Tony argued as he set a cup of chocolate milk in front of Sophia. I tensed, starting to wonder how I’d get the inevitable stains out of Sophia’s white party dress. “Freddie’s been less of an—”
“Watch it,” I warned him, cocking my head towards Sophia.
“You know what I mean.” Tony crouched next to Sophia and asked what she’d like to eat. Unsurprisingly, she requested chicken strips and spaghetti, but Tony got cool uncle points for asking even though she ordered the same thing every time she was here. Peter asked what I recommended, then ordered the gnocchi pesto con pollo. It was one of the few dishes I’d added to the menu; the majority of the menu had remained unchanged since Nonno Marino first opened the doors.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Peter asked when I waved Tony off without placing an order.
“Nah, I usually snack throughout the night. I’ll make something light when I get home.” After glancing around to make sure we didn’t have an audience, I scooted my chair close enough I could rest my hand on Peter’s knee under the table. “Besides, I might steal a bite of your dinner if that’s okay with you.”
“Um, I suppose.” He seemed confused by the shift in my mood. When I tried to remove my hand, he placed his over it, lacing his fingers through mine. “If you’re not careful, people are going to assume we’re a couple.”
“Would that be such a bad thing?” Yes, it absolutely would, because Peter was a temporary arrangement.
“I can think of worse things,” he admitted. My eyes widened, and a tingle jolted through my entire body when the point of a heel dragged along my calf.
“Holy hell, Peter.” I leaned over and he bent his knee back to show me his boot. My mind filled with ideas of everything I’d love to do to him while he wore those heeled boots and little else. “Did you dress up just for me tonight?”
“Nope, I promised Soph we’d get dressed up tonight, and I wanted to be comfortable.” I slid my hand higher on his leg, wishing we were home and had some privacy. Peter leaned in, placing a hand on my shoulder. “And when you get home tonight, I’ll show you the rest of my outfit.”
Hewastrying to kill me. That was all there was to it. I was going to explode while trying to get through the rest of my night. But you could be damn sure I’d hurry, not wanting to waste a minute I could be with him.
Tony looked nervous when he brought out their meals. He lingered near the table, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, which was very unlike him.
“Need something?” I asked, wishing he’d buzz off so I could enjoy this time with my little family.
No, not your family. You can’t start thinking that way.
“Ummm, so Mama told me to keep my mouth shut, but she’s struggling back there,” he informed me. I shouldn’t have been surprised; Mama tended to forget that running a professional kitchen wasn’t the same as cooking for a bunch of teenage boys. In Mama’s world, both involved copious amounts of food, but with the latter, it was a single meal made in a huge batch.
“I’m glad you said something,” I reassured Tony. Before standing, I drained the rest of my water as well as Sophia’s. “Let me just finish up here and I’ll be right back.”
“Daddy, you’re not staying with us?” Sophia’s bottom lip stuck out, and I prayed she didn’t tear up.
“Hey, I thought tonight was our date night,” Peter protested dramatically. I let out a sigh, grateful for his quick thinking. “You and your daddy can have date night another night, but I think he needs to get back to work.”
She seemed to consider this for a moment before pointing towards the kitchen. “Daddy, you go now. This is my time with Peter.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I saluted her and stood, rounding the table for a kiss. “Would it be okay if I give you a ride home when you’re done with your Peter time?”
“We can get a car home, it wasn’t that expensive.”
“I know, but we should stop getting tables soon, and I think I need to start reordering my priorities,” I admitted. “Maybe we can watch a movie before bedtime.”
“Okay, yeah.” Peter reached out to me as I walked behind him. I stopped, wishing we were out so I could lean down and kiss him for being so considerate. Once we were home and the munchkin fell asleep, I’d be sure to show him my appreciation.
The kitchen was in pure chaos. One of the line cooks was muttering in Spanish about overbearing women who thought they knew everything. I should’ve lectured him because he was being disrespectful, but hearing Mama barking out orders, I figured his tirade was warranted. I hurried to grab a clean apron and started checking tickets as I tied the strings behind my waist.
“Freddie, I told you to let me handle the kitchen,” Mama scolded me as I surveyed the tickets and called out what we were missing. “You all treat me like I’m frail and incapable. You should remember that I managed to keep all five of you boys alive to see adulthood.”
I kissed her cheek and tentatively guided her out of the way. “And we love you for it, Mama. Thank you for letting me spend time with them, but this is my kitchen, and it’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly.”
Luis reached around me to place two plates of toasted ravioli in the window, which were immediately taken by a frazzled server. “I still have a table waiting on an order of stuffed Portobello and a calamari.”
