you care anyway, aren’t you married?...to a girl?”
Bain said, in a rather hostile tone.
“ Because
I am a fool,” Luigi said casting rueful glances at Bain. “And
you come to my restaurant every Thursday with your best friend and
you talk about your love lives and I thought it was because you
wanted me to know. So I eavesdrop. But you are in love with someone
else now…”
Bain glared at him.
“I come here because I enjoy the food and not the MARRIED chef
who left me for a woman. I thought we were all being civilized adults
about this.”
“ We
were,” Luigi said taking Meaghan’s seat. “We are.
But my stupid Italian feelings can’t seem to disengage from
you. What is a guy to do?”
Bain shrugged. “I
think that falls into the category of ‘no longer my problem’,”
he said.
Luigi nodded sadly,
“Will you come back?”
Bain just shrugged
and Luigi sighed.
“ Tell
this Daniel fellow he is an extremely lucky guy,” he said
standing up.
“ I
believe he knows,” Bain replied his tone cold.
Luigi smiled at him
and walked away, signaling to a waiter as he went to go over to Bain
to settle the bill. Bain made sure to leave a large tip and just as
he was finished with his transactions Meaghan came up and they left.
*****
Dean was waiting in
the visitors’ parking as she finished her shift. She thought
that she really needed to think about getting a car to make her
commute easier, though public transport tended to be much faster in
New York City. Still, it’d mean that Dean didn’t feel
obliged to drive all the way across town to pick her up. She couldn’t
seem to make him stop any other way.
“ Hi,”
she said as she slid into the Lamborghini.
“ Hey
yourself,” he replied leaning toward her for a kiss. She
planted a fat one on his lips and he made a noise of satisfaction as
if he’d tasted a particularly succulent slice of pizza. This
impression was enhanced by the fact that his eyes were closed.
“ Should
we pass by your place and get a change of clothes?” he asked.
“ Nah.
I already have some,” Meaghan replied. Dean smiled.
“ What
you need I think is your own closet space at my place.”
“ Oh
oh,” Meaghan said leaning back on the seat rest and closing her
eyes.
“ What?”
Dean asked grinning at her.
“ You
know it’s serious when it’s you suggesting I get closet
space in your apartment. I’ve read in all the magazines that
it’s the girl supposed to push for that,” Meaghan teased.
“ Well
aren’t you the lucky one then,” Dean countered.
“ I
guess I am. Do I get to leave my toothbrush too?”
Dean turned to her
with a concerned look. “What do you mean? Don’t you
already have a toothbrush at my place? Or have you been using mine
you skank?”
Meaghan laughed. “I
have actually been using your spare one if you must know. Hopefully
no-one else is as well, ugh,” she said making a moue of
distaste.
“ Hey
you’re at my place all the time these days, you seen evidence
of anyone else?” he asked.
“ Nope,”
Meaghan conceded dryly.
“ Well
there you are then,” Dean said. He put out his hand to cover
hers in the seat and they drove in silence for a while. Suddenly he
turned to her and said, “You’re the only one for me.”
*****
Carmen, Dean’s
housekeeper/cook had outdone herself with the food. She’d made
a Mexican mix of mole, tacos al pastor and guacamole. The food was
simmering gently on Dean’s warmer, just waiting to be served up
and Meaghan’s mouth was already watering despite the slight
hangover she was still sporting from last night. Dean poured her a
huge glass of water first with a cucumber in it and she drank it down
while he served up the food.
“ Dinner
is served,” he said.
“ Thank
you,” Meaghan said taking her plate and going to curl herself
in front of the big screen TV, putting in the movie. They had been
going through the Fast and Furious series in preparation to watching
the last one and they were