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The second the power went out inside The Forge, there was a general moan in the sudden darkness.

But people didn’t freak out as much as I thought and, in general, were pretty calm and good-natured about it.

Someone called out to the owner, Scotty, about why hadn’t he paid the electric bill that month and some people laughed. Out came the phones then, of course. The modern flashlight. In a minute, the mood calmed even more as the inside of the restaurant became illuminated in a silvery bluish glow.

It looked strangely festive, even a little fun, I thought. Like a crowd at a concert just before an encore starts.

Looks could be pretty damn deceiving, couldn’t they, I thought, glancing at the front door.

As I saw people begin to get up and head outside, I stood myself and went into my kit bag. The nine-millimeter semi-auto I slipped out and tucked into the back of my khakis was a Smith & Wesson Model 5906.

I really liked the 5906. Not only did it hold fifteen with one in the pipe, there’s an added safety feature where if you kick out the magazine during a tussle, it disengages the trigger so it won’t fire. It was also the same type of gun I had first carried when I was a beat officer in the NYPD, so maybe I was a little biased.

Why I wanted to bring the gun outside with me at this juncture, I wasn’t completely positive. But I must say, just like when I was in the cops, I sure felt better with the familiar weight of it nestled at the small of my back.

“Hang back with Jodi and let me see what’s happening out there,” I said to Colleen as she stood as well.

“Okay, Mike,” Colleen said.

But even in the dimness, I could see that she looked pretty shaken up. Freaked out would probably be more accurate.

“This date is going pretty great so far, huh?” I said jokingly to cheer her up.

But I guess I needed to work on my material because she only laughed politely and said nothing more as I got in line behind the construction workers and followed them outside.