Page 61 of Night and Day
Chapter 24
The sun had dippedbelow the buildings as they entered the city centre. Izzy parked on Victoria Street, snatching an available spot just as someone else pulled out, sighing with relief. He hadn’t considered parking, which apparently had gotten worse in the last couple of years.
The chairs from the restaurants spilled out on the wide footpath and the lights hung under the eaves, warm orange against the blue of the night.
“Where are we going?” Mia asked as Izzy paused on the footpath, looking both ways.
“I thought we could take a walk and you choose.”
“But I don’t know any of these places.”
Izzy scratched the side of his face, discomfort twisting his gut. “Well, that makes two of us.”
Mia’s jaw dropped as the realisation sunk in. Izzy tensed, bracing for her reaction. But within seconds, her face softened into a warm smile. “You came out here for me, even though you never leave your house.”
“I know how it sounds,” he grumbled. “I’ve never liked crowds, but it’s not like a phobia. I go out with Mac about once a year to show him I haven’t fused to my chair... I just don’t feel like going out. It’s not for me. And most of my friends live somewhere else, so it’s easier to stay in touch online. Like my film school buddies... Hamilton doesn’t have much of a film industry.”
“I’m not judging you.” She stopped in the middle of the footpath and grabbed his hand, forcing him to meet her gaze. “It’s difficult to change your habits. How’re you feeling right now? Do you want to go home and order something, because I don’t mind. Seriously.”
Izzy fought the part of him that wanted to accept the offer. “No. We’re eating out.” He peered over his shoulder at the myriad of hanging signs and specials boards. “Do you want me to check the restaurant ratings, or should we go old school and choose one that looks nice?”
“Old school!” Mia grinned and pulled him down the footpath.
One of the names caught her eye. “Iguana? We have restaurants called Iguana in Helsinki. I thought it was a local chain? This one looks different, though. It’s probably just a coincidence.”
“Should we try it, then? See if it’s different?”
“Let’s!” She led him into the classic open floor restaurant featuring solid wood tables and indoor plants. “No, this is nothing like the Tex-Mex place in Helsinki.”
A cute waitress with a bouncy ponytail showed them to a corner table and ran through the specials. “Monday is pizza night!” she exclaimed, and they ordered a small pizza, bao buns and curly fries.
As the waitress collected the menus and left, Izzy’s gaze flitted over her shoulder at the window and he shrank back in his seat. “Shit.”
Mia followed his gaze and saw the group of people stepping into the restaurant. “You know them?”
Izzy blew a heavy breath, resigned to his fate. Apparently, he wasn’t allowed to have one night out with the woman he liked without running into his dead girlfriend’s father and his work colleagues.
As the waitress left their table to tend to the arrivals, Henry spotted Izzy. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth stretched into a half-shocked smile. Izzy lifted his hand, and the old man got up, slowly, holding onto the table. Okay, he couldn’t let the man break a hip. Izzy closed the distance. “Don’t get up.”
