Page 45 of Pity Play

Mrs. Harry takes Penelope’s leash and gently disengages her from my side. “We’ll see you soon, dear. Come on, Penny, let’s go get my order and we can share a burger in the park together.”

This is an obvious routine of theirs because Penny smiles in that derpy doodle way of hers and jumps down to leave with Mrs. Harry.

Once they’re gone, Luke says, “I could see you with a dog like that. I bet you’d knit her sweaters.”

“I’ve already made her two,” I tell him, surprised that he’d have that kind of insight about me.

After a short lull in conversation, I worry we might have just exhausted everything we have to say to each other. Which is whyI unexpectedly decide to tell him, “Michael hated cheeseburgers. That should have tipped me off long before it did that we weren’t going to make it.”

He laughs in response. “I once dated a vegan. That was rough.”

“Even if I could live without meat,” I tell him, “I’d never be able to cut cheese from my diet.”

I know he feels my pain when he adds, “No ice cream, no whipped cream, no cream sauces!”

“It’s got to be a miserable kind of life.”

I take a sip of my soda right as Luke asks, “Have you dated anyone else since Michael?”

I snort, causing bubbles of carbonation to enter my brain. “It’s Elk Lake. Who would I date?”

Is it me or is Luke having a hard time making eye contact with me? I wish I knew what he was thinking, but I suppose it might be in my best interest if I don’t.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

LUKE

I feel bad about how things went down with Lorelai this morning. She’s been very accommodating, if not a bit awkward. Although, my mood did lighten when I saw her walk into Pop’s. Hopefully, having dinner together will give us a chance to put any uncomfortableness behind us. After I place our order, I ask her, “How was your day?”

She shifts in her seat like she’s nervous. “Busy. Anna gave me a long list of things that need to get done to the house before we list it.”

It suddenly hits me. “Anna’s a realtor!”

She nods her head. “A lot of people who grew up here like living here as adults.” She looks at me accusingly like there’s something wrong with me that I don’t feel the same way.

Staring at Lorelai across the booth, it occurs to me that if I did live here, I might ask her out on a date. She’s beautiful, funny, easy to talk to, very community minded, and she’s a meat eater. All wins in my book. She’s also nothing like the women I meet in Chicago.

Everyone in the city seems determined to achieve a big lifewith all that entails. Being that my schedule is diametrically opposite to most of theirs—as in, I work nights—that leaves precious little time to get to know each other.

“What’s your restaurant like?” Lorelai wants to know.

I explain it the same way I did with my dad earlier today. “It’s bigger than I wanted starting out, but once I saw the space, I knew I had to open it there.” I tell her, “It’s in Marina City, right next to the matching round towers.”

“I totally know that place!” she exclaims excitedly. “It’s in all the movies filmed in Chicago.”

Nodding my head, “I explain, “Capon faces the river. We even have outdoor seating for warmer weather.”

“That sounds amazing,” she says longingly.

“Have you ever wanted to live in Chicago?”

Lorelai shakes her head. “It’s not that I don’t like to visit. I’m just fundamentally a small-town girl. Even Madison was larger than I like.”

She and I couldn’t be more different. “I love the hum of city living,” I tell her. “I like being able to order food at two in the morning if I want to. I like not knowing everyone that lives in my building.”

“Why wouldn’t you want to know all your neighbors?” She makes it sound like anonymity is the craziest idea she’s ever heard of.

“It keeps life interesting,” I tell her. “People come and go all the time, so there are always new ones to meet.”

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