We stood up from the table, and my heart was pounding. I wasn’t sure what the criminal charge would be, but I knew it had to be a felony. This was one thousand dollars we were walking away from. Marty looked casual and unconcerned as he gave me a wink and then reached out to take my hand. Slowly, we turned and looked along our path toward the front door. Shit. The manager stood there, chatting with a couple of the waiters, including Diego. Marty took one step that way while I held firm.

“That’s crazy. A suicide move,” I said in a low voice.

“It’s bold and dramatic.” He gave me a smile that somehow set me at ease.

I had a better idea. I pulled him back toward the table and around the partition that concealed the way toward the bathrooms. There was another door at the end of the hallway. It led to the little outdoor dining area, where one waitress, who appeared to be thirteen years old, was wandering around. Taking the right angle, with the right pace, we could step through the patio area and over the velvet rope and be only a few feet from freedom. The question was, would the manager and Diego figure out what was going on if they saw us?

We had to do something. I tugged on Marty’s hand and pulled him along the corridor. I turned to him and said, “Last chance to pay or use the bathroom. Do you want to do either?”

“Hell, no, I’m an outlaw. I’m with you all the way.”

I pushed open the door and was relieved to see there were only two couples on the patio. We wouldn’t have to awkwardly step past anyone. The waitress looked up and smiled, eager to have someone else in her section. I just shrugged like we’d walked through the wrong door and then turned quickly to my left, stepping over the rope that sealed off the area as Marty followed me. We took a few steps down the sidewalk and then heard a man’s voice shout.

“Wait!”

The manager had seen us.

My impulse was to freeze in place and come up with an excuse, like we were going out to get money from the car. But Marty took off at a sprint and I followed. The CrossFit classes came in handy as we shot north toward Second Street. Just as we turned the corner, I looked over my shoulder and saw the manager and Diego on the sidewalk coming after us.

I said, “We should probably get to the car. We can outrun them easily, but I doubt they’ll be happy about us walking out on the bill. They’ll have the cops down here looking for us in a few minutes.”

Before I knew it, I’d lost any fear and was laughing as we trotted along the sidewalk toward the park, where the car was waiting for us.

I couldn’t believe how this guy had brought me out of my shell. I loved that he was so unpredictable and had an edge to him. I never would’ve thought a respected architect would act like a teenager and do something like dine and dash. This was the most excitement I’d experienced in a long time. Definitely since I’d been locked in this nasty divorce. I’d had no idea life could be this much fun again.