Page 8 of Played By the Fool

“We are. We don’t close for another two hours.” I smile at them. “You can sit at any table, and we can put a few together if you want.”

“These by the window would be nice.”

I help them arrange the tables in a way that’s comfortable for them. I can’t stop sneaking looks at one of the younger guys in the group. It’s not that he’s gorgeous…because he is. There’s just something that’s making me want to know him.

Ciarán

On our journey to Lake Renegade, we’ve made a stopover in Starlight Bay, Massachusetts. We’re staying here for a few days and then driving to Lake Renegade. The drive should take us two to three days, depending on how many stops we make.

Starlight Bay is a nice little town. We chose a pizza place for our first American meal. I’ve never really believed in love at first sight. But I’m a believer now. The woman that’s inside the pizza place…there’s something about her. I don’t even know her name yet. But I know I want to know her. I finally look at her name tag, it says ‘Emilia.’

“Hi! Welcome to Pi. I’m Emilia and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. That’s Frank in the kitchen.” We all look over and see an older man smiling and waving. We wave back. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

We order drinks and start to look at the menu. I can’t help but watch Emilia. Aisling pokes me in my side.

“You’re kind of staring at Emilia,” she whispers.

“I can’t help it,” I whisper back.

I hear her giggle and I roll my eyes at her.

“How long are you all here in Starlight Bay?” Emilia asks.

“Only for a few days. It’s a really lovely town,” Mam says to her.

“Are you here on vacation?”

“We are. We stopped here in Starlight Bay on our way to Lake Renegade, Illinois.”

“I know Lake Renegade! I’m from Chicago.” She smiles.

“Our daughter and her family live in Lake Renegade.” Liam smiles.

“I love it there. My parents used to take us there on weekend drives. Precious Risings Bakery has the best pastries ever.”

Liam chuckles. “They do. Our daughter is one of the owners. I’ll be sure to tell her.”

“That’s so awesome. Whenever I go back home, we make sure to go and get some.”

We take a minute and introduce ourselves to Emilia. It’s crazy to think that we’ve just met someone who knows the town where our family lives. I need to get to know her.

“Do you get back to Chicago a lot?” I ask.

“I try to at least once or twice a year. Right now, my older sister is here visiting.”

“Do you have other siblings? Or is it just you and your sister?” Áine asks.

“I have an older brother and a younger one.” Emilia smiles.

“Big families are awesome,” Aisling adds.

“How long have you been here in Starlight Bay?” I ask.

“It’s been three years now?—”

Emilia stops and frowns as we see a guy walk into the restaurant. He’s smiling at her and I don’t like it.

“Mia, you have to talk to me. I told you, Kali is just a friend, nothing more.”

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