CHAPTER TEN: ROBIN'S FINE DINERY

I shifted slightly on my seat on the couch as the television played the next episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'. I sighed as the episode ran. Roxanne tightened her embrace on me slightly, her tail wrapped around my waist. I wrapped my arm around her waist, trying to keep the distressed wolf calm. As I tried to calm her, I knew deep down that it wasn't doing wonders for her.

For the entire day, none of us did anything. The shock of it all took away the inspiration to do anything for the day. All we did was watch TV in an attempt to get our minds off of it, with little success. It proved to be very difficult, almost impossible to move on. The shock came back like moths to a flame or a mosquito buzzing around you looking for an opportunity to suck your blood and drink until it was full.

I looked at Roxanne, who was looking at the TV, distress clear on her face. Roxanne has remained this way and had me locked in this embrace for the entire day. No matter what I did, it did little to ease her. Whenever I had to go somewhere, like go to the kitchen to get some water or go to the bathroom, Roxanne would cling to my arm and her tail would wrap itself around my waist, refusing to let go of me, wanting me beside her for the entire time no matter what. It was stressful for both me and her.

To be honest, I couldn't blame her for behaving this way. After learning about what happened at the Pizzaplex, something told me that she was very afraid that they might try to do something like that here. I had a gut feeling that she was afraid of losing me to them. She knows what they're like so the idea of that happening was probably making her paranoid.

My mother, on the other hand, was showing signs of trying her best to move on from the shock, but it was clear she herself was having a hard time trying to do so as well. Maybe I could very much be overthinking it, but I had a feeling that she was debating if it was a good idea to go to Robin's Fine Dinery for the reservation she made the other day. If she decided to not go and cancel it, I would be upset, but at the same time, I would understand.

As I thought about the reservation, a troubling thought came to my mind. What if there was a possibility of the brothers sending men to take all 3 of us out at the diner? It didn't seem possible and pretty farfetched, but after the incident that took place at the Pizzaplex earlier this morning, the idea of them pulling off something like that didn't seem impossible.

I shook my head at the thought. If that was indeed the case, they had to be the biggest cowards to ever walk the face of the Earth. I found it to be incredibly sad and pathetic and yet, there might be a reason for them sending people to try taking us down. They probably knew that it was too risky to face me by themselves as that would cause them to be put back behind bars, ruining their chances to get their revenge. It was laughable, to say the least.

The thought of the reservation made me curious. I wondered if she did cancel it or not or was thinking about it. I looked at my mother, who looked to be in deep thought.

"Hey, mother?" I said loud enough to get her attention. She jumped a little before looking in my direction.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Are we still going to Robin's Fine Dinery?" I asked curiously. My mother stared at me for a moment before going into deep thought. I waited patiently for her response.

To be honest, I was expecting her to say no. After what happened at the Pizzaplex, any sane mind would decide against it. But then again, this was my mother. She did set it up and besides, it has been years since I last went there. She might see it as a way for us to get our minds out of what happened.

She finally looked me in the eyes.

"I think we should go," she said. "It might help us move on from what happened. I know you might disagree and think it might be very dangerous, but we can't spend our entire time here."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I remained silent. She was right. I did think it might be dangerous, but it was true that we couldn't just stay here and not go. Plus, Leon gave me a walkie-talkie so we could talk to each other or alert the other about anything. I guess in a way, we would be okay.

I sighed.

"I guess you're right," I said. "But if something happens, we'll be leaving no matter what."

My mother nodded at that. I looked at Roxanne, who looked uneasy. I couldn't blame her, yet at the same time, I never thought I would ever see her this scared. But then again, Ben and Ian are still out there doing God knows what. Whatever it was that they were planning in the shadows, it no doubt concerned all of Hurricane.

"Roxanne, let me go," I said. "I have to get ready so we can go to the diner."

She held me tightly.

"No, I'm not letting you out of my sight, Mihael," she whimpered. I groaned mentally at that. I began regretting telling her anything about Ben and Ian's escape, and yet at the same time, I knew that it was needed.

"Roxanne, all I will be doing is heading upstairs to my bedroom to get ready," I said matter-of-factly. "Even if something happened, I can defend myself. You know what I am capable of. Everything will be okay."

To my irritation, Roxanne refused to let go. I loved her, but this was starting to get ridiculous. I knew that she was going to be afraid of the news, but I never expected it to reach this kind of level. It was like she was afraid of the Grim Reaper coming to get her.

I opened my mouth to say something.

"Roxy, let him go," my mother said sternly. I looked to see a very stern expression plastered on her face. "He will only be gone for a minute. I know my son and he is very capable of defending himself. So, please."

I looked at Roxanne, who looked very troubled. I knew she didn't want to let go, but deep down, she knew she had to. She couldn't keep me in that embrace forever. I also knew that we couldn't hide from the brothers forever. One way or another, we were going to have to confront them. And when we do, it won't be easy.

With a heavy sigh, Roxanne finally let me go of her tight embrace. A pleading expression formed on her face as she looked at me. Just the expression alone was enough for me to get the message. I nodded and headed upstairs to get changed.

I double-checked the shirt and pants to see if they were perfect, with no wrinkles or flaws. They were. I smirked in pride. I was wearing a button-up shirt and a pair of ankle-length shorts. I wasn't going to wear anything fancy as we were just going to a diner.

I looked at the nightstand and saw my phone and the walkie-talkie Leon handed to me. I walked over to it, picked up my phone, and put it in my pocket. I looked at the walkie-talkie and thought about what Leon said.

After what happened at the Mega Pizzaplex, I truly didn't want to believe that Ben and Ian were going to be petty or stupid enough to send people to take me out at a family diner with tons of witnesses and all. It would be one of many fatal mistakes they would make before we caught them.

But then again, the brothers were stupid enough to trash the house and stay in it while my mother and I were in the hospital. If they were that petty or stupid enough to do that, there was no doubt that they would pull something like that off.

When life decides to throw you into a dangerous situation such as this, it is wise to be ready for just about anything. Letting your guard down will be a major mistake, one that would be paid dearly. The risk of letting your guard down was an invitation for something to come at you and possibly end up getting hurt if you were lucky or kill you if you were extremely unlucky. That was something I had no intention of letting happen to me, my mother, or Roxanne in any way, shape, or form.

'I'm taking this with me,' I thought to myself. With that, I began walking out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

I walked down the stairs to the living room where my mother and Roxanne were waiting for me. I reached the bottom and looked to see them still sitting on the couch. Roxanne looked in my direction. The wolf immediately hopped off the couch and walked over to me, wrapping me in an embrace. I mentally sighed at this.

My mother got up from the couch, a pair of keys clutched in her hand.

"You ready to go?" she asked. I nodded. Roxanne looked at her and nodded as well. "Okay, let's go. We will be taking my car since your truck isn't big enough for us to fit."

I nodded in understanding. That was one of the cons of having the truck. It was only big enough for only two people to sit in. If I had something like a caravan, I could transport my family to places without issues. Who knows, something like that might come in handy one of these days.

With that, my mother walked over to the front door and opened it. We all walked out of the house, closing the door behind us. The 3 of us walked over to the garage where my mother kept her car.

After her car was wrecked a few months ago, my mother had to buy a brand-new car. It was a pain in the butt, but we managed to find a car that suited her.

I opened the garage up to reveal a 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser, the car my mother picked. We walked over to it and we hopped inside. My mother took the driver's seat while Roxanne and I sat in the back. The wolf immediately wrapped her tail around my waist and held me tightly. I rolled my eyes in amusement and annoyance.

My mother started the car and drove out of the garage and onto the road, heading in the direction of the family diner.

We arrived at the diner in 10 minutes, the place surprisingly not as busy as I thought it would be as it was quite a popular diner in Hurricane. The place itself was a medium-sized brick building with a flat roof and several large glass windows that emitted a very welcoming aura. A large sign that read 'Robin's Fine Dinery' glowed like a beacon in the night. At the front of the building was a set of double glass doors leading into the diner.

We pulled into the parking lot, parking close to the building. My mother turned off the engine and we all stepped out of the car, slamming the doors. Roxanne remained glued to my side, refusing to let go. We walked over to the entrance of the building.

As we inched closer, I looked around for any signs of black cars, like the ones I saw at the Pizzaplex. There was nothing. No signs of anything suspicious. I didn't breathe out a sigh of relief. This could very well be a trap. One to let our guard down. I wasn't going to let it down for even a single bit.

We reached the front doors and stepped inside. Entering the Lobby, I surveyed the diner. The diner had that 1980s feel that old diners used to have in the day. Even the layout itself looked like one. If I had to guess, Robin wanted to go for that feel to bring in that feeling of nostalgia. While the booths were modern, the layout of the building itself had that feel. At the far end was a pool table and the bathrooms.

Standing in front of the host stand was a man in his late 50s with a white beard and hair. His face had wrinkles and his fingers were slightly crooked. The man himself was Robin, the owner of this old diner.

He looked up and his face brightened at the sight of me. This was to be expected since he hadn't seen me in a long time.

"Mihael Patel!" he exclaimed happily. "How are you, my boy?! My, you have grown to be such a fine young man! You almost look just like your father!"

I smiled at his happiness. What he said was true. I did look a bit more like my father than my mother. The thing was I didn't have any of their eyes. Mine was a light blue. Despite that, I was unique in my own way.

"Hey, Robin," I said softly. "I have been doing great. Crazy to think that it has been over 10 years since I last came here. It all feels like a lifetime ago."

"You're telling me, boyo," Robin said, the smile still on his face like a bright Sun. "There hasn't been a day that went by that I had hoped you would return. Looks like today is the day."

"Your patience has been rewarded," I said.

His smile grew some more at that. He turned his full attention to Roxanne. I looked to see her looking slightly uncomfortable.

"And this must be your girlfriend, Roxanne Wolf, right Mihael?" he asked. I turned my attention back to him.

"Yes, it is," I said. "We started this relationship 3 months ago. I love her dearly."

His smile brightened. "That I knew. Your mother told me all about her. I am very happy you have a partner of your own, Mihael. It was about time you found someone to settle down with."

I nodded at that. The thing about Robin was that he was the only one who knew about my… troubles with finding a girl. Back when I was in school, I had a few crushes on some girls, but they either were interested in someone else or rejected me in the worst way possible. After all of that, I gave up on romance as it seemed to be impossible. Now that I had Roxanne, I was happy and content with what I had now.

"Thanks, Robin," I said.

"Now, I shall lead the 3 of you to your table," Robin said. "This way, please."

Robin began to lead us to a table that was against the wall with a window. We sat down and he handed my mother and I a menu with Roxanne still clinging to me like a spider web. He asked us what we wanted to drink. I just ordered a cup of water while my mother ordered a Diet Coke.

Once we ordered our drinks, he walked away, leaving us alone to choose what we wanted to eat. It didn't take me long to choose. Dippy eggs with a side of 3 strips of bacon and homemade hash browns for me. My mother, on the other hand, ordered salmon with a side of broccoli. Once we chose what we wanted to eat, we laid down the menus on the table and waited for Robin to return with our drinks.

As we sat, I looked around the restaurant. The place still looked how it looked all those years ago. Not a single thing about the place screamed at me 'change'. To be honest, I wasn't at all very surprised to see it hadn't changed. Robin was the kind of guy who preferred to keep the tradition. Despite making good money, Robin never liked the idea of changing the layout. Not that I could blame him. I liked the restaurant the way it was.

As I looked around, I noticed something that made me raise my guard. The people that sat in some of the booths and tables were all looking at us, however, not in a good way. They eyed me with obvious envy while others looked at Roxanne very inappropriately. It took everything I had within me to not jump out of my seat, go up to those people, and put them in their place.

Although it has been going on for three months now, it wasn't something I could easily get over at the drop of a hat. I was very protective of Roxanne and the last thing I needed was for these people to ruin this experience for her. I couldn't even imagine the mental impact it would leave if something terrible happened.

Robin returned and asked what we wanted to eat, his question snapping me out of my trance. We gave him our orders. Robin smiled, nodded, took the menus, and left to get our orders ready.

As we waited for our food and drinks, I looked over to Roxanne. The wolf looked to be in deep thought as if she was thinking about something intensely or was lost in thought. From the looks of it, whatever it was that was going through her head, it was troubling her greatly.

"Roxanne, are you okay?" I asked. She leaped, letting out a loud yelp as she did. I was taken aback by this. It was like I scared the utter shit out of her.

She looked at me, her face full of surprise.

"Huh? What?" she babbled like an idiot.

"I said 'are you okay'?" I repeated. "I noticed that you were lost in thought, like you were thinking about something, looking very troubled as you did."

Roxanne looked at me for a moment before looking around as if she was looking for any signs of anyone listening in. From the looks of it, it looked as though she wanted to tell me something without all of the people hearing. I had somewhat of an idea of what that was all about.

"It's nothing serious," Roxanne said looking at me. "It's just… I've been noticing these people looking at me weirdly. I don't like it."

I had to keep my bubbling anger in check. These people were giving us nasty looks and for what? All because they couldn't have her all to themselves? I had a feeling these people were trying to make all of this as unpleasant as possible or possibly trying to get under my skin, knowing how quick I was to anger.

I looked at Roxanne.

"Don't pay attention to them," I said calmly, although traces of anger were clear in my tone, making my voice intimidating. "If they know what's good for them, they better remain focused on themselves if they don't want a ticket to the emergency room."

I turned my attention to them and gave the best intimidating glare I could muster. Some of them got the hint and stopped looking at us rudely. However, some of them were bold enough to keep it up. Well, they wouldn't be that way if they tried anything stupid.

I felt Roxanne tightened her hold on me. I looked to see the wolf looking very intimidated. I rubbed her shoulder to comfort her, but it did little to help her.

"Roxanne, you know me well enough that I can take care of anyone who tries to do anything to you," I said softly. "You are perfectly safe as long as I'm around."

Roxanne looked at me with a small smile, though the fear was clear in her eyes. I hated seeing her like this. This was supposed to be a great experience and it was being ruined because of disgusting people like them.

I looked down at the table for a moment, trying to find the words to break the silence.

"So, any plans on what we're going to do when we get back home?" I asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. I waited for a moment for what Roxanne and my mother were going to say.

"I think we should watch a movie together," my mother suggested. I looked up to see a hopeful expression plastered on her face. I then turned my attention to Roxanne who still had that small smile on her face.

"I like the idea," she said. "I want to watch either 'Star Wars', 'The Purge' movies or maybe even 'Ip Man'."

I smiled at her suggestions. Roxanne Wolf doesn't look like it but she was a fan of action and horror movies. I remembered the first time Roxanne and I watched 'The Purge'. It was two weeks into the relationship. We were trying to pick a movie to watch and when I brought up 'The Purge', she was curious about it so she suggested it. Let me tell you, it was one hell of a ride. With all the violence and the blood, I thought for sure Roxanne would hate it, but she actually enjoyed it greatly.

Then came 'Star Wars', which we watched about a week after we both watched all of the Purge movies. I didn't care much for it, but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the story that George Lucas came up with all those years ago. It was incredibly interesting and Roxanne enjoyed it as well.

However, out of all of them, Roxanne enjoyed the 'Ip Man' movies the best. She loved the story and the true history surrounding the man. How he came to be and became an iconic legend in China, along with Bruce Lee. To be honest, I enjoyed the movies as well. The idea that this man created Wing Chun and taught it to some of the most famous people on Earth was admirable. It was no surprise that Roxanne developed a strong interest in learning Wing Chun. She was in luck because I knew Wing Chun from my father. If she wanted to learn, I would be happy to teach her.

"And speaking of Ip Man, Roxanne, I never said anything about this at all, but if you want to learn Wing Chun, I can teach you just like how my father taught me," I said with a smile.

She looked at me with surprise, her mouth wide open.

"You know Wing Chun?!" she exclaimed.

"I do," I said with a nod. "Remember I told you about my father during our first date at El Chips?" She nodded. "When I say that my father learned martial arts, I'm not kidding when I say that he learned all forms of martial arts. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Capoeira, Krav Maga, Wing Chun, Karate, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Arnis, Aikido, etc. He learned every single one throughout his youth after his father died and taught them to me. Once this is all over, I can teach you if you like that."

Through that wide-eyed expression, I could see her eyes sparkle with joy and excitement. A big smile spread across her face and she wrapped me in a tight embrace.

"Yeah, I love that," she said. After a moment, she let me go. I noticed a curious expression take the smile off her face. "By the way, what is capoeira?"

I smiled. "It is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that includes elements of dance and acrobatic moves. You know some of the dance moves you see on TV? Some of those are actually used as techniques in capoeira. One of the most iconic movements in it is what many of them call a meia lua de compasso or the compass crescent. It is even considered by many that a person's general skill level can be determined by how hard and fast they can perform the kick. It also happens to be one of the most powerful kicks.

"As for Wing Chun, the way it is depicted in the 'Ip Man' movies is accurate. It is a martial art that is characterized by its focus on close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, rapid-fire punches, and most importantly, straightforward efficiency. They are both complicated martial arts, but with a lot of dedication and time, you can master them all."

Roxanne nodded with interest, taking everything I said to heart. I wasn't lying when I said they were complicated. Every form of martial arts has its own difficulties that once overcome, you will be a master at them. It will take months or even years, but with time, I was sure she could become a master.

Roxanne remained silent for a moment, processing everything I had told her about Capoeira and Wing Chun. I watched the smile return on her face.

"That sounds really cool," she said. "And it's crazy to know that your father learned all of them in his youth and taught it to you. Now, I am really determined to learn martial arts."

I smiled and nodded. It felt good to tell her that. I could only hope that by spilling those beans that it would get those people to stop looking at us negatively. With the knowledge that I know how to put people in their place, it would be best to stay in their lane and not push their luck.

I looked to see some of them were now looking down at the table. I was somewhat satisfied that some of them got the hint. However, it was very disappointing that there were a few that kept their glares on us. The tension was so tense that it could be cut with a butter knife. They were pushing their luck and if they tried anything, it wasn't going to end well for them.

Robin came to our table with our plates of food in a tray. He handed our food to us and I couldn't wait to dig in.

"Do you guys need anything else?" Robin asked politely.

"No, we're good," we said at the same time. He nodded and left to let us enjoy our meal. We didn't hesitate to dig into our food.

I took a bite of my eggs and looked at Roxanne. Even though that beautiful smile was plastered on her face, I could see small hints of jealousy in her eyes. I was slightly taken aback by this, though I didn't show any signs of my surprise. However, at the same time, I did understand where it was coming from.

I remembered the things she told me back at the meadow. How she wanted to be more real. Like getting the upgrades to be able to do things like people can. Eat, drink, shower, etc.

To be honest, I had forgotten about it until now. At the time, I didn't know how to feel about the whole thing, but now that I was thinking about it, it would be nice to do things with her that we aren't able to at the moment. Again, this is a decision that would affect the relationship to a certain degree. When the time was right, I would have a word with Kyle and see if there was anything we could do to make her wishes come true, but not before telling her how I felt about it.

As I ate, I noticed Roxanne watching me intently. I could see the jealousy growing in her eyes. As much as I wanted to tell her what I thought of the idea of her becoming more real, there was no way in hell I was going to embarrass her like that. With all of these people glaring at us, watching us like hawks, it would be the final nail in the coffin for some of them.

"You okay?" I asked her. Roxanne jumped a little as if I had just snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh, yeah," she said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head with her right hand. "I… uh… how is the meal?"

I could tell she didn't want to express her jealousy about me and my mother eating. I understood completely. It would be embarrassing if I was in her place.

"It's good," I said casually. "I asked if you were okay because I noticed you looked to be lost in thought and had a strange look on your face. I wanted to make sure you were okay and that nothing was wrong."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, nodding her head in understanding. I nodded and decided to drop the matter so I could enjoy my meal. The eggs and bacon weren't going to eat themselves.

I was about to eat the last strip of bacon when something happened that caught me by surprise. I felt something cold touch my cheek. I heard the sound of smooching before the feeling went away. I looked at Roxanne, who looked at me with a loving smile. I blushed a bit at that.

I looked at the other guests and saw one of them looking at me with the most enraged expression plastered on his face. He made a slitting motion with his hand before he got up and began walking over to our table. That did it. I felt the rage flow through me, though I did my best to remain composed. If that son of a bitch wanted a problem, he was going to get one.

I looked at Roxanne and my mother, who were looking at me with an expression of worry. They knew what was about to happen.

"Don't worry, it will be okay," I said. "He won't know what hit him."

I cracked my knuckles before he stood beside my spot. I looked at the guy with a calm, yet intense glare. If he tries anything to my girl, he's got another thing coming. I wasn't going to hold back. I would give my all.

"Is there a problem, sir?" I asked in a tone that matched the look on my face. His glare intensified.

"You think you're so damn special now that you are with the most popular mascot in the Pizzaplex, huh?" he accused. It took all I had to not burst out laughing at his absurdity.

"I don't think that," I said. "Me and her have a history so it was inevitable for something like this to happen. You just can't stand the sight of who you think you deserve to be with is with someone else other than you. If you know what's good for you, walk away and get back to your seat or you will be in for a world of hurt."

That made him angrier. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and threw me off my seat. I hit the ground hard with a grunt, the air being knocked out of me.

"MIHAEL!" Roxanne shouted. I watched the guy grab her by the arm. "HEY, LET GO OF ME! I WILL NEVER LEAVE HIM!"

I instantly got back on my feet. Before he could react, I slammed my right foot into his left leg. A sickening, and loud crack echoed throughout the restaurant. He screamed in agony before I grabbed him by the neck and slammed him onto the floor. Balling up my hands into tight fists, I began to rapidly punch him in the chest, the shoulders, and his face. After a moment, I stopped. The man began convulsing on the floor, stuttering.

I looked at the other guests and some of them grew angry. I knew right away a fight was going to break out. They all got up from their seats and began charging at me. I waited for a moment before I performed a double compass crescent, sending one of the men flying into one of the tables, knocking it and a few chairs over. Two men came charging at me from the sides. Foolish move. I waited before I leaped into the air and split my legs horizontally, putting all of my force into the kick. My feet struck them in the face. They both fell onto the floor and lay motionless.

I watched a man running at me, preparing himself for a kick. I waited until he swung his leg. I stepped outside of the kick and used my right hand to push them forward while using the closest leg to reap the supporting leg of my attacker. He hit the floor. Before he could get up, I raised my leg horizontally and slammed it into his face. He was knocked out instantly.

I saw the last guy trying to throw a punch. I grabbed his arm and elbowed him in the face. Grabbing his neck and holding back his arm so he couldn't escape, I slammed my kneecap into his face before I twirled him around, pinning his arm onto his back. Grabbing his neck, I spun my arms around hard enough for him to spin into the air and crash through one of the windows.

I took a deep breath and looked around at the chaos. Every single one of them was knocked out cold. I was not proud of the damage I had caused, but they asked for it, and they got what they wanted. A full-on fight.

I turned my attention to Roxanne and my mother, who were watching the whole thing. Roxanne looked at me in amazement while my mother, while having a disappointed look on her face, nodded her head in full understanding.

I looked at the other guests. They all looked at me in absolute fear. I didn't like having people be afraid of me, but if it meant getting people to not mess with me or my family again, I would give them a reason to not get into a fight with me.

I heard footsteps coming our way. I looked to see Robin walking over to us with a shocked look on his face. He surveyed the place and saw the people who tried to attack me on the ground in a deep sleep. He looked at me, obviously knowing who did this.

"What the hell happened here?" he asked, sounding a little angry. I was about to explain.

"One of the guys came over, grabbed Mihael, and threw him onto the floor," Roxanne said. "He wasn't happy when I kissed Mihael so he tried to take me away. Mihael beat him before the rest decided to join in."

He looked at me for a moment. While the anger was very clear on his face, I could tell he wasn't angry at me, but rather at the few people who were on the ground unconscious. I looked at the window and saw it shattered. A wave of guilt washed over me. I turned my attention to Robin.

"I will pay for the window," I said. He raised a hand.

"You don't have to," he said calmly. "It's these folk that will have to pay for it for causing a conflict over something so stupid. They will be working for me for a long time, and they won't have it so easy. And don't even worry about paying for your meals. You guys go enjoy the rest of your evening and have a fun night."

I smiled weakly before nodding my head, grateful for him having our backs. I looked at them and motioned with my head that it was time to go. They nodded and they got up. I looked at Robin before I reached into my pocket and grabbed my wallet. I took out $1,000 and handed the bills to him.

"This is for your hospitality," I said with a smile. "See you next time."

I began to walk away without giving him the chance to do anything. We stepped out of the restaurant, heading in the direction of the car. What a night this turned out to be.