“Yeah,” Alex said, turning into the parking lot. “It’s legal. Most people still don’t do it, though. Some employers forbid it, so you might not get arrested, but you could still lose your job.”

“That makes sense, I guess.”

“I don’t know,” Alex said, shaking his head a little. “Employers don’t seem to have a problem with alcohol. Seems a bit hypocritical to me.”

He put the truck in park and got out, and I laughed as he practically ran around to my side so he could open my door.

“But don’t you think drugs are a little more serious than a glass of wine?” I asked, curious about his stance. I’d never really had a conversation about the ethical arguments of marijuana usage, and I couldn’t help but be a little fascinated by the way he spoke about it. Marijuana was still very taboo in the circles I was a part of.

“Not really,” he said with a shrug. He closed my door and set his hand on the small of my back as we walked toward the restaurant. “I know a lot of people back home who don’t smoke to get wasted. A couple hits at the end of the day to relax is pretty similar to having a glass of wine. Plus, there are a lot of pain-relieving properties that people choose to ignore because of the stigma attached to marijuana.”

“You seem passionate about it,” I murmured as he opened the restaurant door for me.

“Eh, I wouldn’t say passionate, exactly,” he said quietly. “Just probably more educated on the subject than most people around here.” He shrugged. “My dad has a bad back—hell, bad hips and shoulders, too. Weed’s the only thing that gives him some relief. Hard not to support that.”

I nodded in understanding as we stepped into the restaurant. The tone in his voice as he spoke about his dad left me feeling all warm and fuzzy. It was rare to hear men talk about their family with that type of love in their voice, especially on the first date.

“Sarai Levy!” Mr. Krakowski called as soon as he spotted me. He always said my full name like that, even though I’d been in to see him and his wife hundreds of times since I’d moved back. I suddenly realized that I probably shouldn’t have brought Alex to this particular place if I wanted to keep our meal simple.

“Hi, Mr. K,” I said as he kissed me on the cheek and hugged me hard. “How’ve you been?”

“These old bones are still holding me up,” he joked, a huge smile on his face. “I can’t complain.” He looked at Alex beside me and stood up a little straighter. “Hello, young man.”

Oh, crap. Choosing this place had been a terrible idea.