“I—no—I mean, four hundred is fine. For now.” I was just about to play my last card—my late lunch—when a voice I didn’t recognize called out from the front of the building.
“Hello?”
Luna’s face brightened considerably with a smile that made my chest clench as she called back, “Oh, Tony, perfect timing! We’re back here.”
“Who the hell’s Tony?” I murmured.
“Tony Rizzoli from Rizzoli’s Pies. Best pizza in Oregon. Best subs too.” Just then, a welcomed blast from the past stepped into the doorway.
“Well, if it isn’t little Natey Boy.”
“Tony Rizzoli!”
Luna’s gaze bounced between Tony and me. “You two know each other?”
“We don’t just know each other. I gave Nate here his first job back when he was in high school. It’s been too long, son.”
I stood from my chair on a hearty laugh and rounded my desk, meeting Tony halfway across the room for a sturdy man-hug, complete with back slap. “That it has, old man,” I said jovially as I stepped back so I could get a good look at him. Now in his sixties, he still had the same deep olive complexion, the same bright, smiling brown eyes, but time had thinned his once dark hair and painted it liberally with silver. The laugh lines around his eyes had deepened a bit, and while he still maintained that stocky build, he’d softened a touch around the middle.
“Who you calling old? I could still take you on any day of the week.” He balled his fists and pretended to give my gut a couple jabs for good measure.
“I don’t doubt that. Man, it’s good to see you.” I sniffed the air, the familiar scent coming back to me in an instant. “And your meatball parm still smells like heaven,” I said as I glanced down at the white plastic sack he was holding, the handles straining under the weight of the two subs inside. Tony didn’t skimp on his sandwiches. He loaded his sub with so many meatballs it was heavy as a damn brick.
“Damn straight it does. Tastes like it too.” He turned to Luna, and I could have sworn the man got stars in his eyes for a moment. “Little moonbeam here called in a lunch order for pick-up, but I saw who it was for and figured I’d make the delivery myself, stop in to officially welcome you home.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t been by. Things have been a bit crazy since I got back.”
He lifted his bushy caterpillar eyebrows. “I might have heard something about that.”
Ah, the small-town grapevine hard at work. This was going to be a fucking nightmare.
“Also heard you’re taking care of it, which shows you’re a good man.”
Luna let out a snort that she tried to cover up with a cough. “Sorry. Allergies. I think the pollen count’s high today.”
I shot her a glare when Tony wasn’t looking, and in return, the harpy stuck out her tongue. Pollen my ass.
“Well, I’m sure you two are busy, so this old man’ll get out of your hair.”
“It was good seeing you again, Tony. I promise I won’t be a stranger,” I said, giving him a clap on the shoulder.
“You make sure you don’t.” He reached out and placed his hand on Luna’s arm. “And be good to this one, yeah? She one of the best out there. You really lucked out, getting her on your team.”
Luna beamed proudly at my old boss. “Thank you, Tony. For the compliment and for delivering our lunch.” She took the bag from his hand and leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek, and if I wasn’t mistaken, the man actually blushed.
She waited until he was gone before turning on her heel, looking far too happy with herself. “Well, boss. If you don’t need anything else, I’m going to enjoy my lunch break. Then I have some filing to do.”
She sauntered out of my office, whistling a happy little tune as her tantalizing ass swayed from side to side with each step.
This was my worst nightmare.