Teaching Mia

Chapter 4 - 21 Questions

He took her to an Italian restaurant nearby, Mama Mia. Fitting. She had passed it several times on her way to school, but had never actually gone inside. It looked cozy enough and she decided it was just what she needed. They sat down at a private table and stared at each other for a few moments. There were so many questions but she didn't know where to start.

She eventually asked the first question that came to her mind, a topic she had always been curious about. "So what language do you think in?"

Leo smiled at the abrupt question. "Mostly English. But Spanish always gets mixed up in there too. How about yourself?"

"Pretty much the same. I was born in New York but grew up in Mexico City so Spanglish has always been a part of me. It's always been easier to just say whatever comes to my mind, regardless of the language. Although, sometimes I find it hard to speak to someone in just English or Spanish. I guess it just takes longer to sort through two different sets of lexicons instead of just one, and then be able to properly process through the thoughts in your brain. It's funny how that happens, don't you think?"

Leo looked back at Mia, speechless. She was pretty surprised too, she usually didn't speak that much in front of strangers. Well, Leo wasn't exactly a stranger, but still it had been odd the way she had just opened up to him so easily.

"Sorry, I was a Psych major in college. I can't help it sometimes," she tried to explain.  "Just don't ask me to tell you what you're thinking because I have no idea. So are we going to play 21 questions or what?"

It seemed to take a while for Leo to process his own thoughts.

"Um, of course...why else would I take you out to dinner?"  He had been glancing over the menu, when he lifted his gaze and met her eyes. 

"I want to know everything that goes on in that cryptic mind of yours," he said.

Mia diverted her eyes back to the menu, her long lashes fanning over her pink cheeks. "Well, that might be a problem...that's certainly going to take a while," she teased.

"No problem at all. I think time is on my side, at least for now."

A waitress soon arrived to take their orders. Mia noticed how the waitress ogled Leo and batted her eyes at him the entire time, but he didn't seem to notice. Did all women treat him like that?

"So...how is it that a girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend?" Leo asked as soon as the waitress left.

Mia laughed. What an ironic question. The fact that an absurdly good-looking guy was asking her that question was beyond ridiculous. "Why do you assume I don't have a boyfriend?"

"Well, at first glance I would have assumed otherwise, but I haven't really seen you talking with other guys. And you probably wouldn't have come here with me if you did."

Mia diverted the topic. "So you've been stalking me?"

"Don't try to change the subject. You can't answer a question with another question."

Mia was about to protest when he lifted his hands in the air. "Sorry... those are the rules of the game."

"We're still playing that?"

"Answer the question, Mia."

She didn't know whether it was the authority he commanded in his words or the way he said her name that brought a slight shiver down her back.

She made a pouty face and crossed her arms. She looked back at Leo and he just stared at her with all the patience in the world. He slowly raised an eyebrow at her.