Metal tables, red cushioned chairs. Small, dirty windows that sat high on the walls. She’d been a regular until she’d stopped coming. In a split second, her entire life had forever changed. But here she was, stepping back in time.
Or… maybe I’m walking toward my new life.
Rudy bustled over. “Welcome to Rudy’s.” Then, a smiled brightened his weathered face. “I never forget a pretty face. I forget names?—”
“Red,” she said.
“Yes! Welcome back, Red. It’s been a while. Table for one?”
Movement caught her eye. Jerod—seated at a corner table—was waving his arms. She laughed, then tossed her lunch companion a nod. “My friend’s already here.”
Rudy escorted her. After she sat, he handed her a menu. “I remember you two used to come in pretty regularly. It’s good to see you again. Do you need a minute to order?”
“One Coke, one iced tea, unsweetened,” Jerod said. “Did I remember that right?”
Simone smiled. “You got it. Can you remember what we ate?”
“Of course.” Jerod handed Rudy his menu. “Two burgers, everything on ‘em with a giant fry to share.” Then, he regarded Simone. “How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” she replied.
Rudy grinned. “Be right back with those drinks.”
After collecting her menu, Rudy whizzed off, and Simone took a few seconds to take in the restaurant.
“I don’t think anything has changed,” she said.
“You’ve changed,” he said. “And you broke my heart.”
Simone stared at him. She had no idea he felt that way. “You had a thing?—”
“Wait, that came out wrong. We were good friends, but there was no?—”
“Romance, sparks, sexual chemistry,” Simone said, her thoughts jumping to Luciano. “Then, how did I break your heart?”
“You left law enforcement,” Jerod said. “I’ve been pretty surprised about that. Peter thinks you went undercover, which makes total sense.”
Rudy returned with a chilled tea for her and a soda for Jerod. He set a small plate of lemons on the table between them. “I remembered.”
“I’m impressed, Rudy,” she said.
“You’re the man, Rudy,” Jerod echoed.
Rudy offered a little bow before moving on to the next table.
“Why did you leave, Red?” Jerod asked while squeezing lemon into his drink.
She squeezed two lemon chunks into the chilled tea. “I had an arrest go sideways. It messed me up pretty good.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” Jerod said. “I wish you’d called me. We always shared the stress of our jobs.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t talk to anyone but a therapist,” Simone confided.
“PTSD?” he asked.
While sipping the drink, she nodded.
“Peter is convinced you’re undercover,” Jerod pressed again.
