Ethan noticed the subtle shift in the woman’s expression as she looked straight passed the man sitting across from her. As Clare proceeded to excuse herself from their conversation and grab her phone, Ethan turned his head slightly wondering what seemed to pull her attention away at that moment.
There she goes again. He thought, realizing that this wasn’t anything new to him, even back when they were a thing. But if anyone knew how much your career could pull you down it’s own road at any moment, it was him. Although, he never compared his own job as a “Nightclub Consultant” to that of a New York City cop. They had their own shit to swim through on a daily basis, and that was just not something Ethan ever wanted to deal with no matter how noble the cause.
As if the girl could sensed the man's thoughts, she promised to put the phone away for good, which elicited a smile from the other. He hoped that was the last at least for the evening.
When the server arrived -a new face of course- Ethan ordered a bottle of wine that would match with their meal, as well as taking the initiative to order for them both. If the man could boast about anything, it was a sharp memory, and he remembered what Clare liked even in her indecisiveness.
“Let’s start with the Ahi tuna & spicy lobster rolls and see where we go from there.” He nodded, glancing at the latin beauty across from him and giving a flirtatious wink. She knew he knew. “And let the chef know that we'd like that special dipping sauce he makes upon request. He'll know what you're talking about.” Ethan grinned. Funny enough, neither he nor Clare ever found out what was mixed in with the usual sauces, but it was something that gave the sushi a hell of a kick as well as acting as an aphrodisiac to a certain degree. Overall, it was quite the experience.
Carlos nodded, thank them both for their orders, and went on his way.
“So, Clare.” Ethan leaned forward a bit with a serious expression and his hands folded on the table. “What's a girl like you, doing in a place like this?” Moments later, a smirk formed across his lips along with a slight chuckle. “God, what the hell were the odds of running into one another after all those years? And more importantly, how's it feel being one of the few female detectives in the Five Boroughs?” He shrugged, then leaned back casually in his chair. “I did a bit of research earlier. Amazing what Google tells you these days.”