Before Harvey can reply, Jake’s eyes lift and inadvertently meet mine. He stills, his mouth agape as he closes his eyes and shakes his head before opening them and staring back at me. He flashes me what can only be described as a shit-eating grin, teenager style. Then he’s elbowing his father in the side and whispering in his ear.
Rhodes’s head jerks my way, his blue eyes boring into mine before they snap to a grinning Marco and his beaming girlfriend and a smirking Jake. I bite my lip, focusing on breathing in and out in the mere moments it takes for Rhodes’s shock to morph into a dazzling smile. He shines it my way, and it has my knees knocking and my thighs clenching together.
For my first ever setup—my first date since my divorce—I think all the little birdies involved have done well. I can only hope it keeps getting better.
Chapter 5
Rhodes
Of all the women I imagined I was being set up with, Dee Duncan would’ve been at the bottom of the list.
But here she is in the flesh, looking gorgeous and smiling at me, which makes me think she was expecting me.
The idea that this could be a prank flits through my mind, mainly because I’m all too aware that everyone is watching.
Jake is first to move, walking over to her. “Hi. I’m Jake. I’m a huge fan of your channel and food . . . and, uh . . . My dad and I watch your videos. I got him hooked on them. I’ve even caught him watching them without me. Okay, now I’ll shut up, because I’m being a starstruck idiot.”
Dee laughs and shakes her head, holding out her hand for my rambling son. “Nice to meet you, Jake,” she says, glancing over his shoulder and mouthing “hi” at me.
“Did you know?” I murmur to Marco beside me.
“I’m the one who set it up with Ezra.”
I jerk my eyes to my best friend, my brows furrowed. “What’s Ezra got to do with it?”
Marco’s grin widens. “Dee Duncan is her married name. Dee Baker is Ezra’s sister.”
Color me surprised.
“You’d think you’d know that with all your low-key stalking.”
“I haven’t been stalking her.”
He holds his hands in the air. “Oh right, just watching her videos and googling her. Sorry, my bad.”
I turn back and see Jake and Dee talking, wishing I could hear what they’re saying. Dee nods at my son before throwing her head back as she bursts out laughing.
Marco elbows my ribs, jolting me out of my daze. “Are you just going to stand there staring at the woman or are you going to go up and introduce yourself—again?” he muses. “Because if you don’t, Scotty is gonna try his luck a second time, and Ezra already said he’s warned him off once. Not sure I like his chances though.”
My eyes snap to my coworker in question—a man far too cocky for his own good—as he gets up out of his chair as if to head this way.
Ezra stands, blocking Scotty’s path to Dee.
“Shit.” When I turn back to Dee, she’s leaning against the back deck railing, brow raised, her lips twitching as she looks me up and down as if waiting for me to make a move—literally.
I close the distance between us until I’m standing in front of her and loving the way she doesn’t even try to hide that she’s checking me out, “Fancy seeing you here, Ms. Duncan.”
She tilts her head to the side. “We did say we’d share a meal together, didn’t we?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, just not with such a curious audience.”
Dee leans in, and a hint of Jasmine hits my senses. “You also said no police officers would be involved, but here we are.” She glances toward Gio, who meets my eyes and lifts his beer bottle in the air, sending me a smirk.
If I wasn’t standing in front of a beautiful woman I want to get to know, I’d flip him the bird for being a smartass. “In my defense, this was a blind setup. For me, anyway.”
“That’s an interesting way to ask whether I knew it was going to be you, Rhodes.” Her lips curve up as she shoots me a wink.
“Want to come inside and I can get you a drink?” I ask, feeling the weight of everyone’s eyes on us
“Absolutely,” she says. She must also be aware we’re providing entertainment to our family and friends.
I follow her lead and walk beside her into the kitchen. A relieved sigh escapes my lips once we’re out of sight. “Thank god for that.”
“Not much of an exhibitionist there, Rhodes?”
“Not with that crowd. Do you know how much crap I’ll get from Scotty on our next shift? He’s like a dog with a bone, that guy.”
“He seems harmless. He was asking me all about my restaurant and whether I do private dining.”
I groan and shake my head. “I bet he did. And what did you advise him?”
Her eyes dance with humor. “That I’m here to meet a lieutenant and only he would get the pleasure of a private dining experience with me . . .”
Wow. Nice. “You don’t play games, do you?”
“Nope. Do you?”
I shake my head. It’s been so damn long since I’ve actually dated a woman—or been interested in dating one—that now I’m putting all this pressure on myself to perform. A whole new kind of performance anxiety right here. “What are you drinking?” I turn toward the refrigerator to see what our options are.
“Hey, Rhodes?” I stop and meet her gaze. When she gifts me a soft, sweet, fucking gorgeous smile, I’m stunned for a moment. “Jake told me to go easy on you.”
My brows shoot up, not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. “Did he now?” I reply cautiously.
“Hey, my son
