“Yes. That works. What are you in the mood for?”
“You can get whatever you like where I’m taking you.” That’s not what I asked him. But as we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, I took in the East River and the buildings along the waterfront. They were an eclectic mix of new and refurbished buildings. Maybe I should consider living on the waterfront?
“How did you get my phone number? Not many people have it.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“I don’t have that many friends outside of work.”
I shifted to look at him. “Why not? You’re a nice guy.”
One side of his jaw tipped up. “You don’t know me. I might be an asshole.”
I tried not to smile at him. “Impossible.”
He took his eyes off the road to glance at me. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because I’m one.”
Luca chuckled but didn’t reply until we stopped at a traffic light. “I don’t agree. I think it’s what you want people to think.” He turned his eyes on me. “Assholes aren’t kind like you.” A horn blared, yanking his eyes back to the rear-view mirror. Leaving me speechless, he pulled through the light and into the parking lot of a small diner. No one saw me that way. “The food’s good, and they have a wide menu.”
Removing my arm from behind his seat, I leaned forward to look out the windshield. Our shoulders brushed as he leaned forward. Turning, still shoulder to shoulder, I looked at him. “Are you surethisis where you want to eat? You could choose anywhere you like. I’m paying.”
Luca’s expression softened as he looked out the window. “I’m positive.” He didn’t flinch away from my touch as he gazed fondly at the Silver Stream Diner. It looked like an oversized iconic motorhome retrofitted with a million windows. “You gave me a choice, and this is my favorite place in the world.”
A new feeling of contentment filled my chest. Luca was an enigma of a man. He didn’t want my money or care about my fame. He was magnetic and the most genuine human being I’d ever met. He reminded me of my brother. But there was a story here, and I needed it. I needed to know him.
“Let’s go,” he said, rolling up the windows. Exiting the car, we climbed the steps to the front door and made our way inside. We were greeted by an older lady with gray hair. Her uniformwas clean, and her face lit up when she saw Luca. Was she his grandmother?
“My sweets,” she crooned, pulling his face down to kiss his cheek.
She meant something to him. “Hey, Edith,” he murmured, wrapping her in his arms. “How are you?”
She pulled back and softly patted his face. “I’m doing fine, sweets. Are you hungry?” As she looked him over, her expression slipped into concern. “You’re working too hard, Luca. I can see it in your eyes. And you’re too skinny.” I tried to see what she saw. He was thin, but not gaunt.
He kissed her cheek. “I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.” He changed the subject with practiced ease. “What’s the special today? We’re hungry.”
As her eyes slipped from him, they landed on me. The smile returned as a sparkle appeared. She folded her arm through his as she looked me over. “And who do we have here?”
Luca turned to me and rolled his eyes. “This is Axel. He just moved here.”
I held out my hand. “Hello. Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re not from the States.”
“No ma’am,” I chuckled. “I’m from the UK.”
Before she could get started with the questions that filled her eyes, Luca changed the conversation. “Edith, where are we sitting? We’re both starved.”
As if he uttered the magic words, she turned back to him with a smile. “Good. I have just the place for a date.”
His eyes widened as he leaned down. “Not a date, Edith. Just dinner with…” He looked over his shoulder at me. “A new friend.”
There was something wrong with me. Maybe my social skills were underdeveloped or something because here I was at thirty years old, beaming at being acknowledged as his friend. I hadn’trealized how much I wanted that. Someone outside of hockey, someone normal, like him.
After sliding into the booth, she handed each of us a menu. “I’ll give you boys some time to look it over.”
She walked away, leaving Luca to glance at me briefly over his menu before he looked back down. “Sorry about that. She gets carried away thinking I need….” His cheeks pinked as he waved the last words away.
