Page 119 of The Reno
“Liam, who is this? Ciao. I’m Frank.” He held his hand to me, and I couldn’t help but grin. “Lovely to meet you.” His bizarre blended Italian-Mancunian accent came out.
Liam looked down at me, smiling. “This is Kat.”
“Liam, you’ve never brought a girlfriend here.” He raised his eyebrows. “Must be serious.”
“Frank,” Liam warned.
His eyes widened, feigning innocence. “What else am I meant to think?”
His arm grazed my shoulder as he angled me towards a table in the window.
“Come on,” Liam murmured into my ear. “If we don’t sit down, he’ll keep embarrassing me.”
Frank winked as he brought us some menus, and I could feel myself going a bit red.
“Sorry about him,” Liam said, his eyes twinkling. “I only come here with Dad and Abigail. It’s a bit of a shock for Frank.”
“How long has he had the restaurant?”
“Frank has run this place for… god, it’s got to be twenty years now. He’s one of the reasons I love to cook so much. He used to give me cooking lessons early on Sundays before they opened. I learnt how to use a knife and make Italian sauces with Frank.”
“So he is to thank for the amazing pasta.”
Liam smiled. “Yes.”
“He said you’ve never brought a girl here.” My curiosity piqued. “Did you not bring Yasmin?”
Liam shook his head, glancing down at the menu. “It wasn’t her vibe. And we were always too busy to come into town. We just stayed local.”
I studied the menu.
Liam cleared his throat. “The strozzapreti is good. If you are struggling to pick.”
Strozzapreti with broccolini and anchovy butter. My mouth watered. Everything on the menu looked amazing.
I glanced up. “Do you want to pick us something to share? You probably know all the best dishes.”
Liam hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want to bethatguy.”
“What guy?”
“The guy who says what you’ll have. ‘She’ll have the salad.’ That arsehole in the films.”
My lips twitched. “Are you going to order me a salad, Liam?”
He wrinkled his nose. “Fuck, no.”
I laughed. “I didn’t think so. But the Caprese salad does look good, actually. Maybe as a side, though.”
Liam nodded. “It’s really good, to be fair.”
I nodded, acting solemn. “Okay. I permit you to order that side salad, Liam.”
Liam ordered the strozzapreti broccolini, which was salty and light. To balance the saltiness, he ordered the hearty ragu and finished with a side of garlic bread and Caprese salad. The dishes arrived in traditional Italian bowls, which Liam said Frank sourced from Italy. We shared them in the middle of the table.
“What do you think?” Liam scratched his arm.
“It’s amazing. Why do you look so stressed?”
