Chapter 14 #2
I feel Enzo watching us as Hudson pulls out my chair for me. The hostess hands us our menus and takes off, probably grateful for the chance to escape.
“A gentleman,” Enzo comments. “Your mother raised you right.”
I ignore him and smile at Hudson. “Would you like some wine? I’d love some wine.”
“I recommend the malbec,” Enzo says, lifting his glass in a toast.
It’s then I realize the flaw in my plan. He’s sitting on the same side of the table as I am, which puts him next to me. Barely two feet away. If I held my hand out, I could touch him.
A server arrives to take our drink orders. Damn it. I do want the malbec. It’s my favorite red. But I pointedly place an order for a glass of merlot, even as Enzo gives me an it’s your funeral look.
Hudson grins and orders the malbec for himself—“Sounds great,” he says breezily with a nod to Enzo.
No, they will not be friends.
“Are you sure?” I ask. “I’m not confident I trust Enzo’s taste buds. I’ve heard the sandwiches at Hidden Italy are very dry. Wasn’t it your dad who thought so?”
Again, I feel Enzo staring at me, so I pick up my glass of water and sip it.
“Oh, we’ve fixed all that,” Enzo says in a seductive voice. “If anything, they’re too wet.”
I fumble the glass of water, splashing cold liquid onto the tabletop.
“Oops,” I say sunnily, setting the glass down. I will not look at Enzo or even acknowledge his existence. “What will you be having tonight, Hudson? Everything looks so good.”
I haven’t actually glanced at the menu, but I came by a few weeks ago to talk to the manager while I was working on my app project, and she let me taste-test some of the appetizer specials with the staff.
Hudson smiles sweetly at me. “The lobster roll’s the best in Hideaway Harbor, if you ask me—other than my mom’s, of course.”
I nod, not wanting to admit out loud that I don’t eat lobster. If I did, Enzo would give me one of his withering looks, reminding me without words that I don’t belong.
I check out the menu, finding a vegetarian entrée that looks good, then set it down.
“So, you’ve always lived here, Hudson?”
“Born and raised,” he agrees. “Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. And you?”
I have to smile. “I’m sure you already know everything about me. Everyone in Hideaway Harbor seems to know everything about each other.”
He shrugs. “You’d be surprised. The only thing I was told is that you’re gorgeous and single. The first I could have seen with my own eyes, and I’m hoping the second is still true.”
“It is,” I say, not able to resist a slight, dagger-eyed glance at Enzo. “Very true.”
Enzo chuckles. “Surprising you didn’t meet your soulmate at Santa Speed Dating last weekend. Seemed like those five minutes should’ve led to something beautiful, huh?”
I turn in my seat to look at him more directly. “They probably would have if you hadn’t messed with the power.”
A satisfied smile spreads across his face, and I realize I gave him exactly what he wanted: my focus. “They call that an act of nature, Lucia. I’m not a god, believe it or not. You tell her, Hudson. Is it unusual for the power to cut out at this time of year?”
“It’s happened before,” he agrees politely. But he’s not without mischief, because he adds, “And sometimes it has remarkable timing.”
“You know,” Enzo says, his eyes on mine, “if your soulmate had been at that event, he wouldn’t have been scared off by a little darkness. They’re a bunch of cowards if they ran because the lights went off. You deserve more than a coward.”
The server sets a glass of wine in front of me, startling me as my eyes had been glued to Enzo’s in a first-grade-level stare-off. I immediately take a sip.
Shit. It’s not great.
Hudson, on the other hand, makes an appreciative hum as he tries his wine.
“Should’ve ordered the malbec, huh?” Enzo taunts me with a laugh, and I shoot him a dirty look.
“This is the best wine I’ve ever tasted,” I lie, then pointedly turn toward my fake date, ready to escalate the war. “So, Hudson, I’m told you’re a firefighter. Do you do one of those shirtless calendars with the kittens and puppies?”
He laughs, and an adorable aw shucks look passes over his face. “We do, actually. Except we pose with lobsters.”
Genuine laughter spurts from me. “Do you really?”
“Nope, but maybe I should run it by my boss.”
“Gosh, I would love to buy something like that,” I say, fluttering my lashes at him. “Firefighters are so sexy. I’ve always been drawn to burly men. Men of action, none of that corporate nonsense.”
Enzo coughs around his latest sip of the much more delicious wine he’s drinking. Good. Another point for me.
Hudson looks amused, probably because I forewarned him that I might be flirtatious to get Enzo’s goat.
“Were you at the parade last weekend?” he asks.
“I’m afraid I missed it,” I say. “I was helping my friend Charlie pick what she’s going to sell at the Christmas market. Was your fire truck part of it?”
“It was.”
“Did you take out your hose?” I ask, eyeing Enzo.
“Uh…no,” Hudson says with an incredulous look.
“What’s Charlie selling at the Christmas market, anyway?” Enzo asks me, acting as if he’s an important part of our conversation—an invited guest.
“Her pet portraits. Would you like her to make one of you? She’d give you an extra-pretty collar.”
He lets out an amused grunt. “I wouldn’t want to cause a bidding war.”
“Like you did at your knockoff bachelor auction?” I quip, my pulse racing. It’s like my body thinks it’s marching into battle, not verbally sparring with Enzo. I wave to the empty side of his table. “Impressive.”
He barks a laugh before turning toward Hudson. “Good luck, man. She’s a spark plug. Then again, you’re trained to put out fires.”
Oh no, he didn’t.
“Not everyone can be middle management,” I say tightly. “What is it you used to do, anyway?”
Enzo meets my gaze and holds it, his eyes dark and intense, a black hole threatening to suck me in.
I focus on his nose, instead. There’s a slight bump in the middle, but somehow that makes him more attractive instead of less—a touch of character in what would have otherwise been a too-perfect face.
My gaze drifts downward, taking in his mouth, surrounded by a sea of sexy dark stubble.
His smiles widens, as if he can hear my thoughts, before he responds, “I’m glad you asked. I like to be in control.”
Heat flash-fries me before I school my features into an incredulous look. “Life must be a constant disappointment to you then.”
“It is,” he agrees, his expression playful. “My grandmother listens to me less than the CEOs I’ve worked with. But what can I do? Blood is thicker than water.”
This again. I scowl at him. “Not always.”
The server comes back, stopping at Enzo’s table first. She looks at him as if he’s made of chocolate cake.
“What would you like, handsome?” she asks. Her lipstick is the absolute perfect shade of red, and she’s gorgeous. They’d probably have insanely good-looking children.
I’m surprised by how much this thought annoys me, but I tell myself it’s only because the attention she’s giving Enzo is feeding his ego.
He gives her a blinding smile. “I don’t know, Nadine. What would you get? I need a woman’s perspective.”
I snort before I can catch myself. From the scandalized look on Nadine’s face, I might as well have sworn loudly in a church.
“Lucy?” Hudson asks, and I realize he just asked me a question.
“I’m so sorry. I missed that,” I say. “The acoustics in here are a bit wonky.”
The server turns to us, her lips compressing into a tight line. “My brother worked on this building. I can assure you there’s nothing wrong with the acoustics. Do you know what you’d like?”
I’m flushing as I order the vegetarian entrée.
“Are you sure?” she asks hesitantly.
“Is it bad?”
“No, of course not,” she insists. “I didn’t say that. I’d never insult the chef. It’s just…this is a high-end seafood restaurant.”
Which is all well and good, except I’ve never really liked seafood. But I remember trying their classy play on fish and chips and mostly liking it.
“I’ll get the fish and chips,” I say.
She takes Hudson’s order and then walks away.
“Oh, this is funny,” Enzo says, lifting up his phone, demanding we give him our attention.
I give him an incredulous look. “We’re on a date, Enzo. We don’t care if you found a hilarious YouTube video.”
“Actually, it’s a message from your mother, Hudson.
She says my date was supposed to be with your sister, but she forgot to tell her.
” He lifts his hands in a what can you do?
gesture. “If you want to know the truth, I thought she was sending Lucia to have dinner with me. She certainly made it sound like that, but she never mentioned her by name. Isn’t that a funny coincidence? ”
“Not really,” Hudson says. “But if you’d like, I’d be happy to text Harper.”
“No, no,” he says. “I don’t want to disturb her night. Besides, she’s a little young for me.” His eyes widen theatrically. “Oh, I’ve put my foot in it. I forgot that you’re younger than Lucy. This is awkward.”
“Younger by two years,” I say, repressing the desire to throw a fork at him. Barely.
“I prefer to date older women,” Hudson says with a grin.
“Wonderful,” I say, beaming. “So do I.”
Oh crap. That’s not what I meant.
“I mean, I love older men,” I say. Enzo laughs as I correct myself yet again—“Younger men. Older men think they know everything. They’re controlling, and no one wants that.”
I take a long sip of my shitty wine.
“Soooo,” Hudson says, and then diplomatically changes the subject, “Eileen tells me you’re making an app cataloging businesses for one of your classes. She says you’ve been talking to all of the shop owners in Hideaway Harbor.”
“You haven’t spoken with us,” Enzo interjects.