“Shut up,” he retorts as we pull up to the restaurant and he escorts me inside.
“Oh good. You know what you’re doing?” Amato asks me.
“I’ve been here before,” I chuckle.
“Right. Yeah. I’m sorry, I’m down a cook and a hostess and waitress,” he says.
“Why? What happened?”
“Guess working for the mob didn’t appeal to them,” he says with a shrug.
“You mean they saw something they shouldn’t have,” I reply, “and they got scared.”
He nods, “I didn’t kill them. I gave them hush money and a threat.”
Well, that makes me feel better. Even if he did kill them, which I know happens when someone finds out about the business, he wouldn’t tell me. It’s not something I’m supposed to know.
“I’m ready. I can help waitress if you need me to,” I tell him and he looks grateful.
“Thank you,” he hugs me tight.
“Only if I can take home some food,” I chuckle.
“Of course,” he says, going back to the kitchen and I take my spot at the front, waiting for customers.
It’s not busy today and I can do both jobs as hostess and waitress. Amato told me I could keep tips left by customers, not that I need them, but I could buy dog treats for the dogs at the shelter.
It’s after the lunch rush of three people when the biggest man I’ve ever seen comes in. He takes up the doorway, he has to angle himself in the door. He’s beautiful and scary all at the same time.
“Hi, welcome, table for two?” I ask, out of habit.
“Just one,” he rumbles in a thick accent, Russian I’m guessing. I’ve visited many places all over the world, Russia was one of my favorites. I show him to a corner table by the front window, handing him a menu our hands' brush and I feel an electric spark flow through me, warming me. He stares at me for a minute and I blush, before I shake it off and ask him what he wants to drink.
“What do you suggest?” He asks, and I like that he wants to know what I think. No man in my life, my father included ever wants my opinion.
“Sangiovese. It’s a red wine. It’s pretty smooth,” I tell him.
“One of those and a water.”
“I’ll get that for you while you look at the menu,” I rush off to pour a glass of wine. I feel like I’m a girl with a schoolgirl crush, but there is something about that man that makes me feel giddy. I can at least enjoy him for the time that he’s here since I’m sure he’s just passing through.
I place his glass of wine in front of him, “did you decide?”
“I’ll try this,” he points to osso buco.
“That’s a good choice,” I stutter a little bit, and his lip twitches. I notice he has scars on his face, but it doesn’t take away from his good looks and green eyes.
“What is your name?” He asks.
“Adelina,” I say softly.
“I like that,” he says.
“Thank you. I’ll go put your order in,” I almost lose my footing as I back away from him.
“Osso buco,” I tell Amato as I grab a basket of warm bread.
“For the Russian?” He asks.
