Darling, You.

The Dinner Interrogation

She just doesn’t know that her sarcastic smile is so sexy in his eyes that it’s making his heartbeat quicken by the second.

“Maybe I should start frequenting La Bricco aside from Salumeria Spallanzani.” Catalina leans back on her chair, crossing her arms before her. She looks out the window, watching a few people walking down the cobblestone street while there are some sitting at the tables near the pedestrian lane of nearby restaurants. She chose a table for two inside La Bricco that is situated a bit far from the other tables so that no one nearby could overhear their conversation.

Domenico breathes out a soft laugh which Catalina heard. Just as he reaches for his glass of water and brings it to his lips to take a sip of it, Catalina then says, “I’m starting to like their sandwiches here more than Salumeria Spallanzani.”

Domenico chokes on his water and he coughs roughly, throwing her a look of bewilderment. Her comment is no anymore a reason for him to keep his mouth shut. “Were you serious with what you said?”

She shrugs nonchalantly.

He clears his throat and then asks, “Is this a test?”

“No.”

“Catalina,” Domenico starts in a low voice, making sure that he won’t be heard by the other customers, “I am an observant person, too. I absolutely know who my rivals are. Did you choose this place to test my patience?” Because you really are testing my patience so much but because I love you I can’t seem to get mad at you.

Being in front of her in the worst place in the world is making his head hurt. He can’t even keep his thoughts from running everywhere.

“I chose this place because this is supposed to be an interrogation, not a date.”

“Then we might as well begin now.” So that I can take you away from this horrible place as quickly as possible.

“Tell me,” she drawls out, tracing the rim of her glass of water, “what does your family do?”

“Same as yours.”

Catalina rolls her eyes and Domenico almost lets a grin slip out. He loves it when she suddenly turns sassy. It was just like that time at the black-tie gala. “That doesn’t answer the question,” she mutters, annoyed. “You’re not treating this like an interrogation.”

“Must I explain more? If you want the answers you want to hear then you need to ask more specific questions, darling.”

“Is this some kind of challenge you want to leave me? The way you’re so vague and why you keep on calling me ‘darling’? Just so you know,” she leans forward, resting her elbows on the table, and continues in a hushed yet pointed voice, “I am a woman who is always up for challenges, Domenico, Nemo, whoever the heck you are.”

“You can call me darling, too, if you want.”

“You know what? I'm going to stick to the fish name. I am not giving in to whatever fantasy you have of the two of us in your head. Do you think that I am an easy woman?”

He instantly shakes his head and sincerely answers, “I never thought of you like that.” Domenico then scowls and juts his head to the man behind the counter who is currently replenishing some of the cold cuts on display. “If you were, you would have said this was a ‘date’ to that pathetic excuse of a man we gave our order to who apparently doesn’t know how to properly dry lettuce!”

“I knew you were mad!” Catalina shouts in a whisper. Oh, my goodness, Domenico thought, I love the look of determination on her face when she knows she’s right. He internally slaps himself, Cavoli! Focus!