Ahead of us, a small crowd had already gathered. There was a buzz of excited energy as everyone waited for their order to be ready. The smell of grilled fish and the smokiness of the firepit made both my eyes and mouth water.

I could sense Levi’s skepticism as we approached the little sea shack. “Lamer?” he said, looking up at the hanging wooden sign above the counter. A second later, I saw the realization dawn on his face.

“La Mer.” Lorcan, the owner, a curly-haired Poseidon with rippling arm and chest muscles, straightened himself behind the counter. “It means ‘the sea.’”

“The letters are a little close together,” Levi mumbled, still looking at the sign.

I tried not to giggle. “Levi, this is Lorcan. He’s Lucy’s boyfriend.”

Levi nodded. “Hey.”

Lorcan grinned at me. “Hey, man. Good to meet you. What can I get you two?” he asked, waving his hand at the gathering of people in front of us. Everyone made room for Levi and me to step through the gap.

“You can’t go wrong with anything at Lorcan’s place.” I grinned at the owner. “What do you recommend for a city boy who’s about to get his first real taste of Maine seafood?”

“Literally anything on my menu.” Lorcan folded his arms across his chest and smiled at me.

“The Fisherman’s Sampler,” Levi read out loud from the chalkboard sign behind Lorcan’s head. “Fish, shrimp, scallops, clam strips, calamari, crab cakes, and two sides.”

“Sides are corn on the cob, roasted on the pit or boiled and buttered, and French fries.” Lorcan sized us up. “That’s more than enough for two people on a date.”

Levi shot me a quick glance. He took a breath. “What do you think, Babe? Do you want the sampler?”

The total cost of the meal would be forty dollars, more if we added drinks. That was a bit more than I wanted Levi to spend on our date tonight. “Could we just go with a basket of shrimp?” I looked at Levi for approval before saying, “And nix the appendages, please, Lorcan.”

Lorcan gave me an openly amused smile. “Anything for you, Babe.” He winked. “Go take a seat. I’ll give you a shout when your order’s ready.”

“What do you want to drink? Soda, water?” Levi asked, skimming the menu.

“Make that two Moxies,” I said, figuring he’d never had one before. “It’s sort of like root beer.”

At his quizzical smile, I knew I was right.

“Nah,” said Lorcan. “I’d say it tastes way more like a Dr Pepper.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” I grinned at Levi. “You’ll love it.”