Page 108 of Fix Them Up
My mouth fell open. ‘Oh my god. Royalty.’
Liam laughed. ‘Yep.’
We stopped in front of The Vine & Olive, a restaurant with sash windows and a stripy green canopy. It had a couple of iron tables outside, which I imagined were for when the sun shone briefly and a crisp white wine was on the cards.
‘This is lovely,’ I said.
‘We used to come here a lot as kids. It was Mum’s favourite. Best Italian in the city,’ Liam said. ‘I know the owner, Frank. He tends to be quieter at lunch.’
Liam nodded and opened the door, the bell ringing as we walked through.
‘Liam!’ a man bellowed.
The man was in his sixties, with dark hair and greys at his temples. He approached us, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and a red apron emblazoned with the restaurant logo.
He clapped his hand on Liam’s shoulder, and I swear I saw Liam wince a little.
‘Frank,’ Liam said in an indulgent tone.
‘Your table is free.’ Frank grinned, and his eyes widened when he spotted me.
‘Liam, who is this? Ciao. I’m Frank.’ He held his hand to me, and I couldn’t help but grin. ‘Lovely to meet you.’ His bizarre blended Italian-Mancunian accent came out.
Liam looked down at me, smiling. ‘This is Kat.’
‘Liam, you’ve never brought a girlfriend here.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Must be serious.’
‘Frank,’ Liam warned.
His eyes widened, feigning innocence. ‘What else am I meant to think?’
His arm grazed my shoulder as he angled me towards a table in the window.
‘Come on,’ Liam murmured into my ear. ‘If we don’t sit down, he’ll keep embarrassing me.’
Frank winked as he brought us some menus, and I could feel myself going a bit red.
‘Sorry about him,’ Liam said, his eyes twinkling. ‘I only come here with Dad and Abigail. It’s a bit of a shock for Frank.’
‘How long has he had the restaurant?’
‘Frank has run this place for… god, it’s got to be twenty years now. He’s one of the reasons I love to cook so much. He used to give me cooking lessons early on Sundays before they opened. I learnt how to use a knife and make Italian sauces with Frank.’
‘So he is to thank for the amazing pasta.’
Liam smiled. ‘Yes.’
‘He said you’ve never brought a girl here.’ My curiosity piqued. ‘Did you not bring Yasmin?’
Liam shook his head, glancing down at the menu. ‘It wasn’t her vibe. And we were always too busy to come into town. We just stayed local.’
I studied the menu.
Liam cleared his throat. ‘The strozzapreti is good. If you are struggling to pick.’
Strozzapreti with broccolini and anchovy butter. My mouth watered. Everything on the menu looked amazing.
I glanced up. ‘Do you want to pick us something to share? You probably know all the best dishes.’
