Good Game (The System, #1) (74)

Her bottom lip pops out, kitten eyes staring up at me through thick lashes.

“You’re the best, you know that?”

“I have a few awards that say so.”

She rolls her eyes, smiling at me.

“I’m serious, Stevie, order whatever you want. It’s your night.”

The waitress returns with our bottle of wine. She shows us the label before pouring a small amount into a wine glass, and I motion for her to pass it to Stevie. She gives it a sniff before taking a sip and nodding her approval. The waitress proceeds to fill our glasses, leaving the bottle in a stainless-steel wine chiller.

Stevie fires off various dishes to the waitress. I have only a vague understanding of what she ordered, but I’m pumped. This is probably the most fun I’ve had at a restaurant since the Lau’s invited me out to yum cha for the first time in high school.

Stevie raises her wine glass. “To an amazing day and unforgettable night.”

I raise mine in suit. “To an amazing day, unforgettable night, and a beautiful woman.”

We clink our glasses and take a sip. The crisp wine brightens my tongue.

Our appetizers come out in record speed, and Stevie wastes no time in plating me various spreads and cheeses to try—including some special Siphnian cheese that she had a feeling I wouldn’t love…and didn’t.

“It’s not to everyone’s liking, don’t worry about it. Here, this is garides saganaki; it’s to die for.” She spoons a mixture of shrimp covered in a tomato sauce and crumbled feta onto my plate, and then passes me a piece of crusty bread. I scoop everything onto the bread and take a bite. It’s delicious. The fresh lemon juice cuts through the salty feta cheese and savory tomatoes. The shrimp are plump and a direct contrast to the crunchy bread. It’s out of this world. I can’t stop myself from going back to the skillet for seconds and thirds.

Our mains come out next, and I eye the clay pot meat dish with interest, the seafood pasta looking somewhat familiar.

“What’s that?”

“Mastelo! It’s a hallmark dish in Sifnos. Braised lamb in a tomato sauce with dill, cooked in a clay pot. I have a feeling it’ll be your favorite. The other dish is astakomakaronada. You can’t go wrong with a fresh Greek lobster pasta. Plus, I’m a seafood girl.”

I cut into a piece of lamb, watching as it tears away like butter. Fuck, this is going to be good. The flavors burst in my mouth, the lush sauce coating my tongue as the meat melts. The fresh dill springs through the richness, tying everything together. Damn, this restaurant is amazing.

Stevie twirls her pasta, humming with pleasure as she bites into it.

“This has been the best dinner ever, and we haven’t even gotten to the melopita. I know you prefer chocolate desserts, but everyone loves the honey cake.” Her eyes crinkle. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Her excitement is utterly infectious. When she smiles, her entire being glows, and she hasn’t stopped smiling this entire time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she complained that her cheeks hurt tomorrow.

“I love your smile.”

The compliment blurts out of me, and I reach for my wine, downing the rest of the glass then reaching to fill ours both up again, finishing the bottle.

I look up, and Stevie is trying her hardest not to smile, but she breaks into a full-blown grin.

“Thank you. That’s so sweet.”

I groan.

“What?” she asks.

“I’m acting like an all-out sap,” I complain.

“No! It’s cute.”

“I’m supposed to be hot, mysterious, sexy. Not cute. NightBlade32 is not cute.”

“No,” she tips her wine glass toward me, “but Aleksander Knight just might be.”

I give her a dead stare. “That doesn’t make it any better.”

She just winks at me before taking a sip of wine. I huff but let it drop.

Guess I’ll just have to come to terms with the fact that when it comes to Stephanie Andwell, the playbook doesn’t exist; there are no rules.

She’s the king on this chessboard, and I’m just a pawn charged with protecting her.

***

We are waiting for dessert, Stevie filling me in on an art piece she is working on, when she halts her sentence midway, eyes widening like a deer in headlights.

She immediately whips her head away from me, ducking, her long ponytail almost smacking me in the face.

“Stevie?”

“Shhhh,” she hisses, one hand coming up to shield the side of her face.

I go to turn my head, but she grips my thigh. “Don’t you even think about looking, Aleksander. Just lean forward and block me, okay?”

I pitch forward, folding my arms across the table, effectively sheltering Stevie with my chest.

“You want to give me a clue here, babe?”

“Decker and my ex just walked in.”

Well, now I really want to turn around. Neither of them should recognize me. I’ve never met Decker as Aleksander, but I also don’t want to risk it. The dude has a vendetta against me, and if Stevie was able to clock Parker after a few meetings, there is a chance Decker could do the same. I might hate the guy, but I don’t underestimate him—Decker is smart, sly, a Grade-A manipulator. I might be able to beat him most of the time, but that’s only because I know not to undervalue his abilities.