Chapter 12 #3
There was no fighting on the subject, I could tell. In a way, he was old school, and I had a feeling his upbringing had a lot to do with it. I didn’t even know his parents, but I admired the manners they instilled in their son.
I grabbed the leather-bound menu and scoured its pages. My stomach already ached to eat each and every thing Dellucci’s had to offer. “It all looks so good.”
“You can get more than one thing,” Ezekiel let me know. “I swear that’s what I did my first time here. Had leftovers for like a week.”
I could just imagine. “What are you getting?”
“The chicken francaise, it’s my favorite.”
I found the item on the menu. The idea of chicken sautéed in a lemon and butter sauce sounded mouthwatering. “Oh, that sounds really good.”
Ezekiel set his menu aside and stared at me. His eyes went from my menu to me and back. The twitch of his lips into the briefest of smiles made me feel like a little kid.
“Are you clean and hygienic?” he asked me. “Because I’m clean and hygienic.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, confused.
“Cool. So, this is new for me, but what the hell, why not? The servings are really generous for the price you’re paying, so how about what we order, we share. That way you don’t feel like you’re missing out.”
It was a brilliant idea, one that I was too greedy to turn down.
In the end, for our appetizer, we ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms and zucchini fretto. For our entrees, he had the chicken francaise, and I got the spinach cannelloni and I picked out a dry-aged steak to get later for Paisley.
I winced at the total it would all lead to, but Ezekiel didn’t seem to care as he made conversation with our server as she served us our drinks.
“Apologies in advance if I end up eating all your food,” I joked.
“Talk shit now, but you’re not going to be able to fight when you get through half this food,” he said.
“You’d fight me, Zeke?”
Ezekiel thought it over. “I’d play wrestle.”
Because I didn’t want to fantasize about being wrapped up in those strong arms of his, I grabbed my water and took a sip. Paisley hadn’t been lying, men definitely got more attractive when they did non-sexual things.
“I got a confession,” Ezekiel said, glancing my way. “I found your blog. I liked the write up on The Godfather trilogy. You’ve got a way with words.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“You should get paid for your thoughts.”
I squirmed a little in my seat. He wasn’t the first person to bring up the idea. “It’s not about the money for me. I do it because I enjoy it. Sometimes it’s just about fun.”
“If you’re good at something, there’s nothing wrong with getting paid for it,” Ezekiel suggested.
“Paisley mentioned a YouTube account, but that’s a lot of talking,” I said. “For now, I don’t mind doing it for free.”
“You got options,” Ezekiel reasoned. “Do you have a passport?”
I’d only ever been on a plane once, and that was when my parents took us to Florida when we were kids. “No, you?”
Ezekiel nodded. “I’ve been on a few cruises with my folks, and some with Cesar. Whenever you can get the time, you gotta go on a cruise. It’s the ultimate cleanse.”
“I’ll bet,” I said. “Where’ve you been?”
“The Bahamas twice, Puerto Rico, and St. Lucia,” Ezekiel listed. “Canada, too, but that’s nothing.”
It was to me. “I like that you’re so experienced and together for twenty-eight. Some people are still figuring their shit out, but you, you’ve got it.”
Our server, April, came, balancing a large tray on one shoulder and carrying a fold-out table with the other. She set the table up and placed the tray on it before dishing out our plates. Our appetizers were ready just at the same time as our entrees.
“Careful, it’s all hot,” April warned.
Waves of steam rose from all the plates on the table. Ezekiel hadn’t been kidding, the servings weren’t stingy as I eyed my cannelloni and then Ezekiel’s chicken.
“Hey.” His voice was tender, gentle. As I looked over, I found Ezekiel watching me, with the same concerned expression Paisley had all morning. “You good?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“When I walked into the shop you looked down, even before you noticed J,” Ezekiel went on.
I didn’t know Ezekiel any more than he knew me, but it was easy to talk to him. To fall into total honesty, and not sugarcoat the truth.
“My parents came over last night unannounced and we’ve got this rocky relationship we’re trying to repair,” I confessed.
His brows pinched together and his eyes softened. “I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “It’s on me. Like I said, I dropped out of school and I’m just now finding a rhythm. I’m my own person, but there’s still a part of me that doesn’t want to disappoint them.”
“That’s understandable,” Ezekiel said. “Do you ever see yourself finishing school?”
I cut into one of my cannelloni and took a bite, at once moaning a little at the taste. Definitely worth the perpetually crowded restaurant and five-star rating. “I’m not sure. If I do, I want to do it for me, not because I’m pressured. Did you finish school?”
“Yeah, I went to Columbus State. Pops wasn’t just gon’ let me in the door of BLVCKJVCK on complete nepotism. I had to study business and get my degree and learn a little something,” Ezekiel said.
His parents pushed and he excelled, while I’d crashed and burned. I was proud of Shéc, though, so, my journey was rough, but it paved the way for something big.
“So, if I ever need business advice, I can always come to you, huh?” I quipped.
Ezekiel cut into his chicken, the smirk on his face making him look devilishly handsome. “I gave you business advice, you didn’t take it,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Oh yes.” I groaned out. “Hém. Men’s clothing in my women’s store.”
“It’ll double your clientele,” Ezekiel pointed out. “Your profit margins would soar.”
“It’s a woman’s space,” I pointed out.
Ezekiel’s eyes studied me, measuring me out and returning to my gaze. “I like women’s spaces.”
“Perv,” I chastised as I gathered my water.
“You like it,” Ezekiel remarked.
I couldn’t deny it, because I did.
“I love this food,” I said instead. “My favorite thing to eat is Thai food, but Italian is a close second.”
“Thai food?” Ezekiel repeated. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that. I’m basic with Chinese. Japanese if I’m getting sushi.”
Almost as if we’d done this hundreds of times before, very smoothly we traded plates and I tried his chicken as he tried my cannelloni.
“We have to get together again so you can experience the wonder that is Pad Thai. And I’m paying,” I stated adamantly.
Ezekiel held his hands up and sat back in his chair. “Fine. You win on that.”
I did a little victory dance in my chair, stopping and covering my face when a waiter walked by and paused at the sight of me being silly.
“Honestly, I like how every time we link there’s food involved. At the very least, we’re food buddies, and I can live with that,” I said.
“I do enjoy watching you eat. You’re like a kid in a candy store, everything excites you.”
I threw my hands up. “This is why I joined a damn gym. I’m a glutton.”
He laughed at me like I was the most adorable thing in the world, and the sight of him amused caused me to lighten up and laugh too.
That was kinda our thing, if we had a thing. Simple was enough.
“You like Dellucci’s?” Ezekiel asked once we were done with our lunch and were served Paisley’s steak to go.
“Love Dellucci’s,” I declared. “I will try to sneak back here very soon.”
Ezekiel stood from the table and held his arms out, as if offended. “Like I’m not your key to get in.”
I swiped up one of the complementary sticks of gum from the table and walked by him, acting like I wasn’t fazed at the thought of him. “But that would mean I gotta like you to come back with you.”
Ezekiel eyed our surroundings. “You lucky we in public.”
He was even cuter when he was annoyed.
I passed him the carryout container. “I’m going to wash my hands while you pay.”
“All right.”
I went over to the women’s restroom and freshened up in the mirror, checking my teeth to make sure no food was stuck in between any.
When all was clear, I decided to be juvenile and snapped a quick selfie to post to my Instagram story.
In the mirror, I was glowing and flushed, mesmerized after being wined and dined.
I was positively happy, and while the world didn’t need to know, I still felt like sharing it on my story.