Page 24

He blows out a breath. “You’re a brave man. Good luck.”

I glance down at my wristwatch. “I’ll see you at training camp in the morning. Gotta go get ready for my date.”

* * *

Noel walks toward me, a sassy expression clouding her face. The all-too familiar way she always looks at me. I told her to dress casually, and she’s gorgeous in some distressed jeans, white sneakers, and a fitted white top. “Really? Pancake Palace?”

“It’s my birthday,” I say, taking her arm and gently sliding it through mine before leading her through the sticky, mostly yellow restaurant. When we arrive at my favorite corner booth, I let go of her and give a gentlemanly bow. “Ladies first.”

“Eighteen thousand dollars, and all I get is Pancake Palace,” she mutters, sliding into the booth, as far away from me as possible. “Is this area of town even safe?”

I slide in right next to her. “I offered to pick you up.”

She makes a show of glaring down where my body is almost pressed against hers, then eyes the large portion of the empty booth behind me. I acquiesce and scoot about a foot away from her, giving her some space. My jeans rub against the pleather, making a gross noise.

A waitress comes over to our table, we’re the only ones here, and hands us two greasy, laminated, yellow menus. I haven’t seen this waitress before, she’s probably forty and dressed in the Pancake Palace uniform, a 1950s style dress, with a small white apron.

“What can I get y’all to drink?” she asks, realization dawning on her when she finally looks at me. “Oh, my goodness! You’re Colby Knight!” she yells, then squeals.

Thank goodness no one else is here tonight. I’d be swarmed. Todd, the owner of the restaurant, normally instructs his staff to play it cool. One of the reasons I love coming here. That, and the twenty-four-hour, all you can eat breakfast buffet.

Sure enough, Todd runs out of the kitchen, looking like an angry father about to go into a lengthy lecture. “Sara! We talked about this.” His hands are on his hips.

She stares down at her yellow shoes that match her dress perfectly. “I’m so sorry. I know you warned us he comes in sometimes but seeing him in person still took me by surprise!” She gawks at me, open-mouthed, one more time. “He’s so beautiful,” she whispers. “He’s too pretty to be real.”

Todd points toward the kitchen, and she snaps out of her trance, then sloughs off like a pouting teenager.

“Very sorry about that Mr. Knight. What can I get you and this lovely lady to drink?”

“Coffee for me, my usual cinnamon roll creamer,” I tell him then glance at Noel.

She’s studying me with a bemused, and perhaps fascinated, expression. “I’ll have a Coke, please,” she says while still studying me.

“I’ll get those right out. Two buffets?”

“I’d like the buffet, yes. How about you Noel?”

She nods. “I’ll have the buffet too.” She hands him our menus and he smiles at her before heading back toward the kitchen.

I clap my hands together and slide out of the booth. “They have plates at the buffet, let’s go get some grub.”

She slips out on the opposite side of the half-circle and follows me toward the buffet area in the next room. The small island is lit from above with yellow lights that match the rest of the decor, and heated trays line the table. The trays are steaming and filled with everything from pancakes and waffles to bacon and sausage.

Noel huffs out a small laugh, still staring at me like I grew two heads.

“What?” I ask incredulously.

“This is all so…” She pauses like she can’t think of the right word. “Surprising.”

I arch an eyebrow, a silent plea for her to continue.

“Okay, I’ve been around West and Mitch enough to know they’re quite particular about their diets. But then you’re over here—” She trails off, gesturing with one hand at the plate I’ve already filled with waffles.

“I train hard, I’m always starving!”

She laughs again. “You’re not worried about your performance and muscle mass?”

“Oh, angel.” I lean in close. “My performance, and my mass, are just fine.”