“Good evening,” I answer, unable to stop the affected tone that creeps into my voice or the noble posture. “It’s an honor to visit your establishment.”
Lexa looks at me in complete shock, her mouth twisted into a tight line. “Don’t embarrass me!” she mutters.
I look down at her, more confused than I’ve ever been in my whole life.
I can’t stop myself from using a commanding tone or threatening body language. Grandfather beat it into me from the time I was five.
“It’s okay, Harry,” Lexa says, a slight drawl echoing at the edge of her words. “He’s my mate. You didn’t hear?”
“Nah,” Harry answers, still watching me warily. “No one thought to tell old Harry.”
“Well, now you know. It’s all good, old friend. We’re just here for dinner.”
I feel like shouting out loud that I’m not going to murder his whole family if the burger is undercooked.
“One chicken supreme and a beef special, coming right up!” Harry waves his spatula and disappears around the corner, and I hear the grill start up.
“That didn’t go as expected,” Lexa remarks. “Is the whole town that scared of you?”
“Probably,” I sigh, shaking my head. “Except the north side.”
“Maybe you should do something about that,” she muses, tilting her head. The intense look in her eye is slightly mischievous, and I grin back.
“I think I will,” I answer. “Things are out of balance in this town, and it’s time to set it right.”
I thought I’d done enough to undo Grandfather’s reign of terror. Now I know I’ve barely scratched the surface.
“Order up!” Harry calls.
We hurry to the window to get our food, and I manage to pay without frightening the old man. I leave a big tip for him, and Lexa leads me over to the picnic tables in the park.
When we sit down, Lexa immediately opens up the little cardboard boxes and starts stuffing fries into her mouth. I open mine to reveal a huge burger and a mountain of fries.
“So what, exactly, am I about to put in my mouth?” I ask warily.
“It’s a bacon cheeseburger. Trust me, you’ll love it.”
“Hmm,” I mutter, picking it up. There’s not a shred of salad in sight, and grease drips from the side of the bun to run down my hands.
“I’m going to get this junk all over my shirt!” I complain.
Lexa laughs. “I think you can handle a little grease and dirt on you—besides, is it really that hard for you to buy a new shirt?”
“No,” I answer, suddenly realizing how ridiculous it is to care so much about temporary things. “It’s not. Okay, I’m going in. Let’s see how this goes.”
Lexa watches me with amusement, starting on her own burger. I have to squish it a little and open my mouth wide, but I manage to get a big bite without the whole thing falling apart.
I chew carefully, waiting to be assaulted by disgusting flavors. To my surprise, the meat is just nicely charred, on top of crisp bacon and melted tasty cheese. With barbecue sauce on the bottom bun and mayo on the top, the entire burger is a symphony of flavor.
“Oh my God,” I mumble. “This is fucking fantastic.”
“I told you!” Lexa laughs, looking truly pleased. She keeps watching me as I finish the burger, enjoying my sounds of satisfaction and surprise as I make my way through it.
“My lord,” I mutter, wiping my mouth with a napkin. “The fried onions hidden in the top bun with a spot of mustard really pushed it over the top. Thank you, Lexa. I’ve never had food like this before.”
“My pleasure,” she says, finishing her own food. “But the night isn’t done yet.”
“Oh?”
