Page 122 of On The Rocks

“You worked them off.” He arched a brow at me and grinned when my mouth dropped open. “Do I lie?”

“No.” I poked him in the belly. “I know a place that has the best burgers.”

“In Miami?”

I laughed. “When I lived here, I ate a lot of Cuban and Mexican food. Sometimes you want to change it up.”

“All right then.”

“We’ll probably be overdressed,” he said with a laugh and tugged me away from the wall.

“Hole in the wall and mom and pop places are the best, no matter where.”

“See, you get it.”

We headed away from the club to one of the main streets. There were a mix of bistros and sandwich shops, along withan alcove full of food trucks to take care of the harder partiers looking for greasy food to soak up the alcohol.

“Where are we going?” He looked over his shoulder. “We’re getting a little sketchy.”

“I told you it was a hole in the wall place.” I linked my arm through his. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Finally, I spotted the stucco building. A hand-painted sign with Frankie’s hung over the skinny window. Inside was dark and needed a new coat of paint, but the scent of burgers, onions, and garlic made me sigh.

“Trust me?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Good. Go find us a seat, and I’ll order.”

“Okay. This place have a beer?”

“Of course.”

“Get me one of those.” He reached for his wallet, and I waved him off. He didn’t argue, just found a tiny table in the corner.

“Hey, Frankie.”

“Little Miss Fire, where you been?” The older man with a cue ball of a head was wearing his usual golf hat, this time, in a crazy lime green. His skin was baked from the sun and his brown eyes were kind.

“I’ve been all over. Mostly New York lately.”

“Bah!”

I laughed. “I know, I know. I need a few number sevens.”

“You got a man with you?” He craned his neck to look around me.

“Maybe. I told him this was the best burger place.”

He puffed out his chest. “Of course it is.”

“And two Modelos.”

“Can do.”

I moved down to the registers where Matilda was manning the till and seemed to be training someone at the same time. Thedollar bills were flying and the poor trainee looked like she was going to cry.

“Lennon!” Matilda ran around the counter and nearly smothered me with her boobs. She was round and soft and always smelled like chocolate chip cookies.

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