Page 29 of Embers in the Outfield

I wake up to Lola’s tongue on my cheek, licking me, most likely trying to get fed or go to the restroom.

“Good morning to you, pretty girl. You ready to go on a walk?” The moment she hears the W-word, she barks and starts to pace the room as I gather my things to get her outside. The weather is finally warming up later in the day, and I feel like summer is right around the corner.

Once Lola gets a few laps outside, we get ourselves back into the apartment, and I take her food out.

While Lola’s inhaling her meal, I pick up my phone and start to solidify my plans with Kennedy.

Hey Skip. We still good to meet at the restaurant at 5:30?

Skipper

Yeah. That should still work. I have a few meetings throughout the day and hopefully no one stops me on the way out.

Great. See you at Luigis soon.

I look down to find Lola watching me, clueless that I have to leave her a few more hours on her own. Hopefully, she’s out of her vendetta phase. When I would leave her alone when she was still a puppy, she would go into my closet and chew one of my shoes. Of course she’d choose my favorite and most comfortable pair. I started closing the door, but the taller she got, the quicker she learned how to open the door. Back then, I’d come home, and she would be lying on the bed with my shoe and a torn pillow to boot.

She hasn’t done that in some time, and I just hope she doesn’t decide to grace me with that personality again.

“Alright, sweet girl of mine. We’ve got a little more time together, but then I’m headed out after my shower,” I say as I scratch her under her chin. “But I won’t be gone all night. Ipromise. I have to get Kennedy right where I want her. Don’t worry; you’re still my number one girl.”

* * *

I stand outside of the restaurant, waiting on Kennedy. She’s a few minutes late, but she texted that she was on her way. I stand just outside the entrance, as there is no wait for a table on a random weekday. The influx of tourists won’t start until next month, so we are still a few weeks away from the chaos this city brings in the chaotic summer months.

Kennedy’s Uber pulls up, and she steps out. I’m used to seeing Kennedy in some sort of business attire, as she’s always running from work to whatever friend gathering we usually see one another at. But tonight, she’s dressed in a flowing dress, something very reminiscent of summer, and I take her in a bit longer, realizing how naturally beautiful she is.

Her hair is pulled to the side into a long braid, a much more relaxed look for her than I was expecting. She isn’t one to wear too much makeup, but she has a little bit on her eyes, and I’m not sure if the redness I see on her cheeks is her own flush or something she added. Either way, she is absolutely breathtaking.

“Hey Riv, sorry I’m late. I got pulled—” The moment she’s close enough, I pull her in and kiss her. I have been thinking of her nonstop, and when I didn’t have things going on at the station, my mind constantly drifted back to her. Now I can act on it when I’m around her, and I’m not wasting any time.

She closes her eyes and melts into my touch. I don’t know how long we stand there, but someone walking on the sidewalk yells out, “Get a room,” and I can’t help the laugh that slips out. I pull away, and I see Kennedy’s cheeks flush; this embarrassed side of her is new to me.

“It’s good to see you,” she says as I interlace my fingers with hers and pull her toward the entrance to the place. “So where are we going on this non-date?”

I laugh thinking about the back and forth exchange via text. When I told her we should grab a bite to eat, she kept arguing that we weren’t dating and that this was the exact opposite of what we should be doing together.

I’ll admit, we have a deal that we are just having some fun together, but it feels wrong not to at least grab food and talk to one another. We are usually at each other’s throats, and finding neutral ground felt like the gentlemanly thing to do.

“Have you been here before?” I point at the restaurant behind me. My parents discovered this spot soon after moving into this neighborhood, and it’s been a staple for my family and me.

“Maybe once years ago? I can’t remember. The sign may have been different.” She looks up and points at the sign inside that mirrors the sign hanging above the door outside as well.

“Yeah, Luigi is the father, and his son, Leonardo, decided to revamp the colors and bring more people in when business wasn’t doing so well. I was here watching the entire thing unfold when the son broke the news to the dad. It was like I was watching an Italian movie with the father yelling and throwing his arms in the air. It was hard to look away.”

“You seem to be quite invested in this place.” She looks at me, sort of surprised I have this deep of a connection with a local restaurant.

“Yeah, they were sort of a big part of my upbringing after my dad passed. We would come here as a family when Clay and I were small, but then my mom couldn’t come back into the restaurant for years, so they’d deliver to my mom’s house until my brother and I were old enough to come by ourselves and pickup take out,” I ramble, and I see Kennedy taking everything in, without seeming bored.

“River, hey, son. How are you?” Luigi’s booming voice pulls my attention as we walk inside, and I look over to see the older of the Russo family coming toward Kennedy and me.

“Hey, Luigi.” I shake his hand, and an easy smile takes over my face.

“And you brought a beautiful woman with you. Bellissima.” He pushes me aside now that he has spotted Kennedy and pulls her hand up, kissing her knuckles. I see her blush and smile at the sweet man.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kennedy,” she introduces herself. I stand there and take her in. No matter if Kennedy is in her work attire or in a simple dress like she is now, she exudes strength. Her confidence is nothing but a turn-on for me, and I am taken in by her beauty.

“Come now, let me show you to our best table in the house.” Luigi takes us to the back, where he has a whole setup with candles in the wine bottles like you see in the movies.

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