Page 102 of Third Time Lucky

‘Isn’t it? We can eat, drink, and throw sharp objects safely. What’s not to love?’ I laugh. ‘What’re you in the mood for?’

‘Um…’ he glances around. ‘You like spice?’ he asks, his crooked grin is adorable.

‘Depends on the kind,’ I say flirtatiously.

The man is pretty much my every thought. Flirtatious Lucy – who has been missing for a while now – has no chance of staying hidden around him at this point.

‘For now, the chicken kind?’

Has his voice always been this captivating? I mean, my heart is hanging on his every word, dangling from the tallest building by a thread and not even a little bit afraid of falling to its death. That’s for sure new.

‘I love spicy chicken,’ I say, glancing at Ali’s hot chicken and smash burger truck, which is my favorite, alongside De La Hi Barbecue. ‘It’s what I’d usually pick. Wanna do a swap?’

He raises a single eyebrow.

‘You order from Ali’s; I’ll order from the barbecue place, and we share?’

‘My God,’ he says, looking as proud as he could. ‘You are a goddamn genius; have I ever told you that?’

‘Once before,’ I remind him, thinking of the restaurant name text thread. ‘But you used the word brilliant.’

‘I wasn’t a syllable wrong either.’ Pulling his wallet from his pants as he speaks, he tries to hand me cash, but I shake my head.

‘Nope,’ I refuse the money he’s handing me. ‘I know you said no debts owed, but considering you’re the heroic type, tonight’s on me.’

He shakes his head. ‘You owe me nothing because the pleasure was all mine.’

God, he’s sweet, and I’ve heard his conversations with Aaron. He’s a guy’s guy, but when with me, he softens into a cinnamon roll I want to unroll.

‘Effortlessly charming is what you are,’ I say, studying him admiringly.

He cocks his head. ‘See anything you like?’

A nervous giggle leaves my lips.

‘Let’s not wander down that road. Yet…’ I tease. Sort of. ‘Let’s order!’ I say, blowing past it and handing him a twenty-dollar bill.

He accepts the bill, slightly begrudgingly, with a playful wink.

‘Alright, my lady. I will meet you in ten.’ With his unhurried swagger, he heads to Ali’s hot chicken truck, and once our orders have been filled, we meet back at the seating area, sitting across from one another.

‘What’d you get?’ he asks.

‘A two-meat plate – ribs and tri-tip with beans and mac and cheese. Also, barbecue chicken nachos.’

‘Whoa, great minds,’ he says, lifting one of the two trays. ‘One Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich and fries, extra pickles. And Ali’s loaded nachos.’

I gasp. ‘Nachos! We both ordered two dishes, and each got nachos. That’s it. We’re meant to be. This seals the deal.’

‘It’s definitely a hard-to-miss sign,’ he says with a grin, passing me a fork. ‘Maybe we’re one another’s elusive soulmate.’

My jaw drops a bit. A man has never said that word to me – not one. In fact, over the last year, I’ve wondered if soulmates are as real as Bigfoot.

‘Maybe…’ I say, but only because it’s the only word I can find. Does he really feel that way about me?

Don’t overthink it, Luce. Focus on the food.

The scent of sizzling meats and aromatic spices fills the air under the canopy.

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