Slowburn

Chapter 2

         The presence of this man was loud. He barely spoke and yet the place felt so loud. I felt crowded in an empty restaurant. "You said this was your brother's place? Are you guys renovating or something?" I inquired on why they'd be closed during peak business hours. 

"No" was all he said. I just looked up and blinked at him. He removed his hands from the bar top and smoothed his suit down. Turning away from me he grabbed his pour of whiskey, swirled it, and took a sip. 

        "Um, I'm Kat by the way" I tried introducing myself. I would have done so much sooner, but this man had me off kilter here. "I know" I heard his deep voice, though he was facing away from me. He knows? 

"H-how?" I asked. The man turned around and placed the glass down beside him. I watched as he leaned his nice butt on the edge of the counter space the liquor was shelved on. He crossed his arms to look at me, and his coat stretched with his obvious defined muscles. Oh my. 

When he crossed his ankles I thought I saw a bulge in his pants, meaning his groin was...gifted. Oh gosh what am I saying. I snapped my eyes away from him. I couldn't think straight. 

        "Because you told the man your name, and the man spoke your name several times. That's how" he sounded like he was saying 'duh' but in a serious and disinterested way. He probably thought I was an idiot.

"Um, what's your name?" I asked. I was dying to know. Again he took his time answering me. He was observant though. He'd watch me squirm each time he kept his eyes on me in between words. "Renzo," he answered. I repeated it under my breath. 

"Short for Lorenzo or something?" I don't know why I asked, I just wanted an excuse to talk to him. He's the most handsome man I have ever seen. He just looked at me. I guess not. I cleared my throat and pushed my now empty dish across the bar top for him to take. He glanced down at it, but he hadn't moved from his leaned position. 

        Black suit, crisp white shirt, expensive watch, and cufflinks. Does he run this restaurant too? I wanted to know. "Oh, I can wash it out myself" I quickly offered, feeling bad for making him feed us and not offering to help him clean up afterward. "Ok" he said. I did a double take. 

OK? I thought he'd deny the offer just to be polite, but then again does he look all that polite?

 I took both bowls and climbed off the stool. That's when Renzo finally moved off the bar and walked towards those doors leading to the back. It was a standard restaurant kitchen with lots of cooking space and fancy looking equipment. The dishwashing station had those run through dishwashers, but also industrial sized sinks and faucets that can pull out on a cord and hose something down. 

I carried the dishes there and looked around for the soap. It was placed beside me and I looked up to Renzo who was completely serious. Is it a mask or is he seriously that serious all the time? 

"Thank you" I said in the most ridiculously soft and silly voice. I just hadn't expected for his sleeve to brush my shoulder when he placed the soap there, and I also didn't expect to smell his intoxicating cologne. If I called him smoky spiced whiskey before, now I proved it. He's finer than the most expensive bottle. 

        My top was sleeveless, so I just got right to it and started washing the dishes. He was somewhere behind me but I didn't dare look where. "Do you work here?" I asked him without looking at him. "No" was the only dang answer he'd give me. "I guess this is why you think of me as chatty. You are a man of few words it seems" I pulled the bowls up to the dish rack and reached for a rag.

"Are you always this comfortable with strangers?" He took me off guard when he asked. "Um, I'm friendly if that's what you mean." He shook his head slightly.