The Trouble With Quarterbacks(59)

“Wow, I’m very excited.”

We end up pulling off into an alley a few minutes later, and Pat must see my confusion because he offers, “Better if you two go in the back door. The restaurant knows to be discreet, and this way you all can eat like normal people.”

I beam. “Brilliant! Ready, Briggs? We’ll be like secret agents sneaking in the back!”

“I’m ready!” he says, taking my hand.

As promised, there’s a hostess waiting just at the door, ready to usher us to a private table in a back room, which we have all to ourselves. Logan and Briggs have brought me to a lovely little Italian restaurant, not real posh and modern or anything, but I like it all the same. There are real ivy plants growing on the tables and those old-school red and white checkered tablecloths.

“This is my favorite restaurant,” Logan tells me, leading me to my chair so he can tug it out for me to sit. “There’s no better Italian food in the whole city. I swear.”

“Oh good! I’m starved. Let’s get loads of bread.”

“Uncle Logan,” Briggs says, clearing his throat. “Could you go sit over there?” He points to the door of the private room where there’s another small table set for two. “Since this is a real date, Ms. Candace and me should be at our own table.”

I use my napkin to smother a laugh as Logan rolls his eyes. “Okay there, Casanova. Cool your jets and I’ll see if they have some chicken nuggets on the menu.”

“And ketchup!” Briggs adds, having forgotten all about his request to sit alone with me.

Logan sits beside me, and Briggs takes the seat across from me.

When our waiter comes, Logan asks if I want some wine, and I nod my head greedily. “Whatever you think is best. I’m not picky at all.”

“Let’s just do the house red then. The bottle, please. And Briggs?”

“I’ll take your finest purple. Juice, that is,” he says, looking up at the waiter. “With a straw.”

I bark out a laugh and Logan rubs his temple as if to say, I can’t handle this kid anymore. “Briggs, how about we remember our manners and add on a please there at the end, bud?”

“Right. With a straw, please.”

The waiter smiles and nods. “Right away, sir. I have a bottle of Welch’s I think you’ll really enjoy.”

Then he winks at Logan and me and leaves the room.

“This is the most dazzling date I’ve ever been on,” I say, and Briggs perks up in his seat. “Though I will say, I think you’re a bit too young for me.”

“I know, I know. It’s really my uncle you like because he’s so big and tall, right?” He sits up in his chair even more, as if trying to compensate for the fact that he’s only three years old. “When I grow up, I’m going to be just like him.”

Logan seems embarrassed by the attention, and instead of responding, he opens up the coloring page and a pack of crayons the waiter left for Briggs.

“Here you go. They have a maze on there I bet you can do with your eyes closed.”

“With my eyes closed! You’re so silly!”

The coloring page does occupy him, though, long enough for me to turn to Logan and aim a little smile his way. “I do like the look of this place. It’s not at all where I thought you’d take me.”

He nods as if understanding what I mean. “There are nicer places in the city. I mean, it’s New York. There are probably a thousand places to eat that would take ten hours and come with a dozen courses, but I really like their lasagna here, and well…you can’t beat Italian food.”

I smile. “Agreed. So then I should get the lasagna?”

“We can share and get something else too?”

“Wow, what a nice gesture. I would have thought you’d be all, Get your own food, lady.”

“Well normally I would, but considering how much I like you…”

I beam.

“Doesn’t it feel like it’s been the longest week?” I ask, turning a bit in my chair so my knee knocks into his leg under the table. He reaches his hand down underneath the tablecloth to keep my leg there against him.

“I swear Monday had its own Monday, and don’t get me started on Tuesday. I looked at the clock once and thought it was running backward.”

I nod in agreement. “I think I’ve been rather annoying to Kat and Yasmine. They say I’m only allowed to bring you up once a day now. Any more than that and they’ve got permission to kick me out of the flat.”

“That’s fine. You can come stay with me.”

“Oh really? Then maybe I’ll sabotage myself on purpose. Maybe I should give them a ring now and go on and on about how nice you look in your tuxedo.”

“No need. It’s already settled. You’ll spend the night at my place tonight.”

“Oh I will? You haven’t even asked me.”

His brown eyes lock with mine, and my stomach tightens.

“Do you want me to ask?”

“Are you guys flirting?” Briggs asks, cutting in. “I can’t tell what you two are talking about. Are you going to have a sleepover? Because if so, I want to come too.”

My cheeks go beet red, but Logan’s the one to save the moment. He leans over and compliments Briggs’ coloring, and then Briggs goes right back to it as if forgetting his question altogether.