Page 77 of Phoenix

“It sure has.” She turns her attention to Nora. “And you are?”

“Nora. Hi.” She extends her hand to greet Kennedy, but she ignores her effort and turns back to me.

“You haven’t called in a while. I was thinking you got sick of me.”

Kennedy and I used to sleep together. Frequently.

But it was just a fling. It meant nothing and was a way to have a warm body from time to time, until she got too attached and I stopped calling. It just wasn’t like that with her. I didn’t want more.

“Work’s been crazy.” That’s all I say.

“That’s a shame. Well, I’m sure your server will be here soon, and Case...don’t be shy.” She gives me a wink and slips away.

So she’s not our server. Thank fuck.

“She seems pleasant. Ex?” Nora asks.

“No, not really. We just used to mess around. That’s all,” I reply.

“Used to?” she questions, with a cock of her brow.

“Stopped about six months ago. We were never serious.”

“It’s not a big deal. I was just curious is all. She seemed very...intense.”

“Why do you think I stopped calling?”

“Makes sense.”

I can tell she’s uncomfortable. I didn’t know we would, nor expect us to, run into someone like that. I need to revert back to her.

“So tell me about your brother. How’s he doing?”

“Marco? Well, he’s great, I think. He’s doing well and has been winning most of his fights. I hate seeing him like that, but he enjoys it. I can’t fault him for that.”

“Did he always want to fight?”

She shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. When he was younger, all he would do was talk about being a cop like our dad, but after our parents passed away, things changed. Everything changed.” She looks down at her lap, fidgeting with her napkin.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a hard subject.”

Her eyes meet mine again. “No, it’s okay. It’s good to talk about them sometimes.”

“Then I’m an open ear for you.”

Before she can say anything else, our actual server comes tableside to take our food and drink orders before leaving us once again.

“My parents were incredible people, from what I can remember of them. I was so young when they passed that each day, it gets harder and harder to remember them.”

I reach across the table to take her hand and give it a squeeze.

“My dad was a police officer for the San Diego Police Department and Mom was a nurse at the biggest hospital downtown.”

“And that’s where you work now?” I ask.

“Mmm hmm. That’s where I work.”

“Is that what you always wanted to do?”

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