still a growing girl, Tony."
Lauren's eyes darkened with exasperation and confusion at his words, and for a minute she idly traced a large red check on the tablecloth with her manicured fingernail. "Nick, may I ask you a question?" she said softly.
"Of course."
She folded her arms on the table and regarded him directly. "Why do you talk about me, as if I'm some naive teenager?"
Wry amusement twisted his lips. "I didn't realize I was. But I suppose it's to remind myself that you're young, that you come from a small town in
Missouri
and that you're probably very naive."
Lauren was amazed by his answer. "I'm a grown woman, and the fact that I grew up in a small town doesn't mean a thing!" She paused as Tony served her spumoni, but the moment he turned away she added irritably, "And I don't know what gave you the idea that I'm naive, but I'm not."
The teasing light in Nick's eyes was extinguished as he leaned back in his chair and studied her speculatively. "You're not?"
"No, I'm not."
"In that case," he drawled smoothly, "what are your plans for this weekend?"
Lauren's heart somersaulted with delight but she asked cautiously, "What did you have in mind?"
"A party. Some friends of mine are having a party this weekend at their house near Harbor Springs. I was about to leave for their place when we met today. It's approximately a five-hour drive from here, and we'd return on Sunday."
Lauren had planned to drive directly to Fenster that afternoon. On the other hand, it only took a day to drive each way, and she could easily pack all her belongings in less than a week. She had more than two weeks before she was to start her new job, so time was no problem, and she desperately wanted to go with Nick. "Are you certain it won't inconvenience your friends if I come with you?"
"It won't inconvenience them; they were expecting me to bring someone with me."
"In that case," Lauren smiled, "I'd love to go. In fact, my suitcase is already in the trunk of the car."
Nick glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Tony, signaling for their check. The older man brought it over and placed it on the table near Nick, but Lauren deftly covered it with her hand and pulled it toward her. "I am buying lunch," she stated, carefully concealing her shock at the total on the check—rather exorbitant for the amount they had eaten. As she reached for her wallet, however, Nick laid several bills on the table, and she watched helplessly as Tony swept them away.
Tony saw her dismay and chucked her under the chin as if she were eight years old. "You come back often, Laurie. For you I will always have an empty table and something good to eat."
"At these prices," Lauren teased him, "I'm surprised all your tables aren't empty."
Tony leaned closer confidingly. "My tables are never empty. In fact, you cannot even reserve one in advance unless your name is on my list. I will have Ricco place
your
name on our list." He lifted an imperious arm and three young, darkly handsome waiters glanced up, then came to Lauren's table. "These are my sons," Tony said, proudly introducing them. "Ricco, Dominic and Joe. Ricco, you put Laurie's name on the list."
"No, please don't bother," Lauren interjected quickly.
Tony ignored her. "A nice Italian girl like you needs a family to protect and guide her in a big city like Detroit . You come often to see us—we live on the floors above the restaurant. Ricco, Dominic," Tony ordered them sternly, " when Laurie comes, you keep an eye on her. Joe, you keep an eye on Ricco and Dominic!"
To Lauren, who had burst out laughing, Tony explained, "Joe is married."
Repressing her mirth with an effort, Lauren looked at her four appointed "guardians" with happy gratitude shining in her eyes. "Who should I keep
my
eye on?" she asked teasingly.
In perfect unison, four dark Italian faces turned accusingly to Nick, who was lounging in his chair, observing them all with an amused expression. "Lauren tells me she can take care of
Lauren's eyes darkened with exasperation and confusion at his words, and for a minute she idly traced a large red check on the tablecloth with her manicured fingernail. "Nick, may I ask you a question?" she said softly.
"Of course."
She folded her arms on the table and regarded him directly. "Why do you talk about me, as if I'm some naive teenager?"
Wry amusement twisted his lips. "I didn't realize I was. But I suppose it's to remind myself that you're young, that you come from a small town in
Missouri
and that you're probably very naive."
Lauren was amazed by his answer. "I'm a grown woman, and the fact that I grew up in a small town doesn't mean a thing!" She paused as Tony served her spumoni, but the moment he turned away she added irritably, "And I don't know what gave you the idea that I'm naive, but I'm not."
The teasing light in Nick's eyes was extinguished as he leaned back in his chair and studied her speculatively. "You're not?"
"No, I'm not."
"In that case," he drawled smoothly, "what are your plans for this weekend?"
Lauren's heart somersaulted with delight but she asked cautiously, "What did you have in mind?"
"A party. Some friends of mine are having a party this weekend at their house near Harbor Springs. I was about to leave for their place when we met today. It's approximately a five-hour drive from here, and we'd return on Sunday."
Lauren had planned to drive directly to Fenster that afternoon. On the other hand, it only took a day to drive each way, and she could easily pack all her belongings in less than a week. She had more than two weeks before she was to start her new job, so time was no problem, and she desperately wanted to go with Nick. "Are you certain it won't inconvenience your friends if I come with you?"
"It won't inconvenience them; they were expecting me to bring someone with me."
"In that case," Lauren smiled, "I'd love to go. In fact, my suitcase is already in the trunk of the car."
Nick glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Tony, signaling for their check. The older man brought it over and placed it on the table near Nick, but Lauren deftly covered it with her hand and pulled it toward her. "I am buying lunch," she stated, carefully concealing her shock at the total on the check—rather exorbitant for the amount they had eaten. As she reached for her wallet, however, Nick laid several bills on the table, and she watched helplessly as Tony swept them away.
Tony saw her dismay and chucked her under the chin as if she were eight years old. "You come back often, Laurie. For you I will always have an empty table and something good to eat."
"At these prices," Lauren teased him, "I'm surprised all your tables aren't empty."
Tony leaned closer confidingly. "My tables are never empty. In fact, you cannot even reserve one in advance unless your name is on my list. I will have Ricco place
your
name on our list." He lifted an imperious arm and three young, darkly handsome waiters glanced up, then came to Lauren's table. "These are my sons," Tony said, proudly introducing them. "Ricco, Dominic and Joe. Ricco, you put Laurie's name on the list."
"No, please don't bother," Lauren interjected quickly.
Tony ignored her. "A nice Italian girl like you needs a family to protect and guide her in a big city like Detroit . You come often to see us—we live on the floors above the restaurant. Ricco, Dominic," Tony ordered them sternly, " when Laurie comes, you keep an eye on her. Joe, you keep an eye on Ricco and Dominic!"
To Lauren, who had burst out laughing, Tony explained, "Joe is married."
Repressing her mirth with an effort, Lauren looked at her four appointed "guardians" with happy gratitude shining in her eyes. "Who should I keep
my
eye on?" she asked teasingly.
In perfect unison, four dark Italian faces turned accusingly to Nick, who was lounging in his chair, observing them all with an amused expression. "Lauren tells me she can take care of
Similar Books
Startup Weekend: How to Take a Company From Concept to Creation in 54 Hours
Marc Nager, Clint Nelsen, Franck Nouyrigat
