He smirked at her. "Thanks. Have you ever been to a live show?"
"No." She turned her attention to driving. "I haven't. I bet they are amazing."
"They certainly pull out a great experience." He leaned back in the seat, and she swallowed. She nodded, swallowing, suddenly nervous.
They pulled up at her favorite barbeque restaurant, and she seemed to relax a little. This was her spot, and she knew everything would be okay. If Devlin turned out to be an asshole, she had several people here that knew her.
She got out, and Devlin got out right behind her. He smiled at the building.
"This looks like a great place. Do you come here often?"
She nodded, shutting and locking the car door. "I do. It's my normal dinner on Sundays. I've not been in for a while, but I try. They have the most amazing burgers ever here."
He smiled, walking next to her as they entered the building. The restaurant had a rustic vibe with cowboy decorations and dart boards in the back. The smell of barbeque hit you when the door opened, and the waitstaff was always chatting loudly over the TVs that were never actually loud enough to be heard.
This was like home to her. All the noise and volume drowned out everything else in her life. When she was stressed, nothing seemed to matter once she entered this building.
Roslyn was the waitress running the front, and she beamed when they walked in. She smiled wickedly at Kate. "Well, look who the cat finally dragged in. After weeks of not coming in, you finally show your face again."
Kate blushed, knowing she was going to get a little bit of shit since it had been so long since she'd last been in. She felt bad, but her life had been so busy.
"Hey, Roslyn. I'm sorry I've not been in. Table for two, though."
Roslyn's eyes went from her toward Devlin. She leaned over the counter, narrowing her eyes. "You better be a nice date, or we won't be afraid to pull out the steak knives," Roslyn said in a gentle tone, but her eyes were hard and straight-up deadly as she looked at Devlin.
Devlin only smiled back at her, nodding his head. "Noted."
Roslyn pushed herself up. "All right, table for two." She turned, grabbed two menus, and started down the narrow walkway. They followed, having a table in the back, away from a large group having a party. The live band was playing just to the right of them but far away enough that it wasn't a huge distraction.
"What do you guys want to drink?" Roslyn asked as she pulled her pad out.
Kate sighed, looking at Roslyn. "Just water for now."
"Same," Devlin said, not even looking at the menu. Roslyn turned, leaving them alone.
She looked at Devlin, expecting him to be uncomfortable, but he wasn't. If anything, he looked like a normal guy in a normal restaurant. He leaned on the table, looking like he was in his element. It made her insides stir. How could he be so perfect?
"So, what do you feel like eating?" she asked, watching his eyes glance down at the menu.
"A burger sounds good," he said. "You said they were."
"Oh yes." She smirked. "But which one? They have lots of options."
"Maybe I'll have more than one." He chuckled, and she smirked at him.
"Kate." Someone stopped at the table, and she pulled her gaze up. Her eyes landed on Charlie, an older gentleman who was another regular at the restaurant. "I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"
"Sorry, Charlie. I've been busy. How is your wife?"
"She's wonderful," he said with a smile. "She's eager to retire, finally."
"You guys can finally take the trip you've been talking about. You've only mentioned it every time we've spoken."
He nodded, turning toward his table. "I said that. It's good to see you, dear. I hope all is well for you."
"You too, Charlie."
Devlin tilted his head, still holding a smirk. "You're popular here, aren't you?"