On her way out the door, she nearly bumped into Gio, who stepped aside gallantly and then pointed her to the direction of the facilities. Obviously glad to be alone with him, his cousin leapt to his side.
“She’s not your usual type,” Gio said as he sat down. “But then again, she’s gorgeous. I don’t know what she sees in your ugly ass mug.”
“I don’t know either,” he replied. “Gio, I need a favor. Don’t—”
“Say no more!” He put a hand on his heart. “I won’t breathe her name to anybody. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks.” Relief poured through him. “You know what my mom and my sisters are like. I just … want to keep her to myself for a bit, you know?”
“I do.” He stood up. “She’s special, you know.”
And mine. The declaration came out of nowhere.
“Hey calm down, Lucas. No need to rip up my table.”
He looked down and saw that his knuckles were white from gripping the edge of the table. “Sorry.”
“I wouldn’t dream of stealing her from you. Besides, she’s the only woman I’ve ever seen you with that makes you smile.”
“I do smile, you know.”
“I know,” Gio grinned. “But it never reaches your eyes. But that one,” he gestured to Sofia, who was walking back toward them, “that one makes you smile all over.” When Sofia reached the table, he turned to her. “I hope you enjoyed your meal.”
“I did, thank you very much.”
“Please come back anytime. I’ll put your name on a list to make sure you get a table anytime you want.”
“That’s very kind of you,” she said. Gio waved goodbye to them and then headed back into the kitchen.
Lucas stood up and helped Sofia with her coat, and they walked out of restaurant. “Thank you for dinner,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” She fiddled with the buttons on her coat.
Usually at the end of a date, he would offer to bring her home. He’d walk her up to her apartment, kiss her by the door, but never pressed her to invite him up. “Sofia,” he took her hands in his. “Why are you nervous?”
Her eyes seemed even larger as they looked up at him. “Nervous?” she laughed.
“Yeah.” He could feel it. “There’s no pressure at all.” And really, he didn’t want to. He’d wait for her for as long as needed.
“This is the fourth date,” she finished. “And … and I do want to be with you, Lucas.”
The confession made him release the breath he’d been holding since they finished dinner. “There are no rules here, sweetheart. Just you and me, okay?”
She nodded.
He wanted to put her at ease. “Look, it’s not even nine o’clock. How about we go somewhere for a drink? Do you know any good places here? Not one of those trendy bars, but somewhere we can have a beer and just talk?”
“As a matter of fact, I do know a place,” she said. “It’s kind of a cop bar, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he replied. “I’ve never been to a real cop bar.”
“Well, it doesn’t get more real than this.”
Chapter Fifteen
Even though it was technically her invitation to go out, Sofia let Lucas call his car to bring them to McKilleney’s on Third Avenue. It was a quintessential cop and fireman bar downtown, with no hip decor or fancy drinks. Just cold beer, greasy food, and great company. She had always felt at home here, probably because the staff and owner were all former policemen and firemen. In fact, Mac, the owner, was behind the bar when she and Lucas walked in.
“Well, now,” Mac said as he wiped the bar with a rag. Broad-chested, white-haired, and hard-eyed, John “Mac” McKilleney looked every bit the typical retired cop. “Haven’t seen you around here in a while, Detective. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about us.”
She winced inwardly. “I haven’t, Mac. It’s just been really busy.”
Mac laughed, then walked around the bar to give her a hug. “You’re here now. Glad to see you doing well. And who’s your friend?” He raised a bushy white brow at Lucas.
“This is my date, Lucas,” she introduced. “Lucas, this is Mac McKilleney.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” he said as he took the hand the other man offered.
His eyes narrowed at Lucas. “You’re not P.D. or F.D., are you son?”
“He’s not.” Sofia rolled her eyes.
“I promised your Ma I’d take good care of you and that I’ll help you find a nice boy,” Mac declared, then made a sign of the cross. “God rest her soul.”
“Oh, and cops and firemen are the only ‘nice’ boys?” she retorted.
“The only ones I trust,” he declared. “So? You do work, don’t you, Lucas?”
“I worked in Giorgios’s kitchen, if that counts,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Ha!” Mac slapped him on the back. “A working guy. I like you already. From your fancy suit, I thought you were some big shot billionaire or something.”
Sofia couldn’t stop the smile from tugging up at her mouth. “Or something.”
“So,” Mac went back to the other side of the bar. “What can I get you?”
“A beer,” Lucas said.
“Make that two,” Sofia added.
“Coming right up.” He turned around and then produced two mugs of ice-cold beer.
She took out her wallet, but Lucas had already beat her. “Hey! I invited you.”
“And you paid for dinner.”
“But this is my night—”
“Well I—”
“Stop!” Mac pushed Lucas’s money back at him. “First one’s on the house. You can fight about the check later.” He shook his head and tsked at Sofia. “You’re such a ballbuster like your ma. You really can’t let a guy buy you a beer?”
She harrumphed but didn’t say anything, instead took a sip of the beer.
“So,” Lucas began. “Sofia tells me this is a cop bar.”
“Cop and firemen.” He nodded to one wall where over a dozen portraits hung of various men and women in formal police and firefighter attire. “Almost everyone in my family’s P.D. or F.D. My dad was a cop, and mom was a dispatcher.”
“And you
