The second chance

Chapter 19

Later in the evening, Erick invited us to an Italian restaurant overlooking the lake. Since it had already cooled down a bit, we sat inside so Hunter wouldn't catch a cold. Although the restaurant was small, it was cozy and enticing aromas spread through the space.

As an appetizer, Erick ordered a mixture of different antipasti for everyone, which barely fit on the table and a bottle of champagne.

"Are we celebrating something?" I asked him as the waiter moved away from our table.

"There's always a reason to celebrate," he replied mysteriously and took the bottle.

"That's right," Hunter agreed and handed him the glasses, which Erick immediately filled with bubbles and handed one to me.

Erick took his own, raised it high, and looked straight into Hunter's eyes. "To Tiffany! I didn't know her, but just from your story I know that she must have been an extraordinary woman."

This gesture of his touched me. I wasn't expecting him, and because of the lump that grew in my throat, I wasn't even able to thank him adequately. That's why I just reached out and squeezed his hand, which was lying on the table.

He could have dedicated the toast to me or turned it into a joke and thanked him for surviving in my presence and with the driving skills I possessed in good health or for the fact that I had not managed to drive him crazy today, but he he chose Tiffany. He did not speak a single word to the girl, whom he had never seen in his life, and thus paid his respects to her.

"To Tiffany," we exclaimed in unison, gently clinking our glasses.

"Thank you," I leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"I should be thanking you," he looked at me tenderly. "For this trip you organized, for you and actually for every day I get to spend with you."

"You probably don't know what you're talking about yet," Hunter warned him. "She's not always an angel."

"It's like you read my mind," Erick agreed with him.

"He's a good devil," Hunter continued.

"Even biting," Erick didn't forgive himself.

"Hello," I raised my hands in the air. "I can hear you, and if you don't want to walk home, shut up and don't gossip right in front of my face."

"But we're not gossiping about you, we're just talking about you, and that's the difference," Hunter pointed out.

"I don't see any difference in that. You just covered it with another word," I objected.

"But Hunter is right," Erick interjected. "How can we slander someone when we want them to hear it?"

"That makes it worse," I replied.

They both chuckled, and Hunter couldn't help but add another remark: "I said so."

"Oh, the women," Erick smiled.

"Just don't complain so much! What would you do without us."

"Right now. We wouldn't do anything," he shrugged innocently.

"Great, at least your breed would die out."

The rest of the dinner went smoothly. The food was fantastic, it just melted on the tongue, not to mention the tiramisu, which was beyond reproach.

We laughed a lot, reminisced about today, but also about childhood and about things that one would not easily confide in. Of course, they were constantly making fun of me, but I didn't blame them. I loved them both in their own way. Erick and Hunter hit it off and were a joy to watch. They simply sat down.