Their Rivalry

19

I raised an eyebrow at him. Did he mean to say Leroy? Also, why just us?

"You mean Leroy, right?"

"Leroy, mm, yeah." He mumbled.

He wanted to say more, but he stopped himself as if choosing the right words to say, "I want us to get to know each other better."

"So, what I'm hearing is, this is a date." My lips quirked up into a teasing smirk.

He frowned, "No, it's just lunch where we talk and get to know each other over food and wine. It's not a date." He defended wryly.

"Mm, yeah." I commented.

I wouldn't be surprised at this point to learn that he'd never taken a girl out on a real date. For him it was just smash or pass, nothing more. I slowly turned my attention to the delicious Spanish dish in front of me.

Neglecting the knife, I picked up the fork, stabbed a chunk of soft steamed seasoned beef, and placed it in my mouth. I wasn't disappointed, it was the best I had ever tasted. Leila had worked her magic to perfection again.

"What's your favourite weapon for killing?" He asked.

I looked up from my plate to see him looking down at his. Was he nervous? I could almost burst into laughter. The Leonardo De Los Santos knew what it meant to be nervous. Where had his high horse run off to?

"Daggers or knives." I stated, my hand going under the table to feel my gold dagger through the dress, "What about you?"

"Guns. They do the job without much close contact with the target." He replied.

There was a faraway look in his eyes, as he probably reminisced something.

"Okay, so how would you spend a day off from the mafia?" I enquired, taking a sip of the wine.

He lifted his head to look me in the eyes. This was the first time I had taken notice of them. They were a beautiful shade of golden brown.

"A steaming hot session with a sexy chica, you?"

I was prepared for an answer like that, but I hadn't expected him to be so blunt about it, "A trip to Vegas with the rest of the Shade." I answered, imagining the kind of fun we'd have and the trouble we'd definitely get into.

"What kind of music are you into?"

I thought over that one for a while, "Any, I guess. I don't really have a kind I listen to, but I prefer to play instrumentals when working out."

I asked him what his favourite dish was, after he made it known to me that he rarely listened to music.

"That would be paella." He paused as if to choose the right words to say, "A friend of mine makes the best."

He gave himself away with the way he replied. The mentioned friend was definitely one of his whores, "For me, it is shepherd's pie." I said.

When his stare felt too intense for me, I went back to looking at my half eaten food.

"What's your favourite quote?"

I smirked at that one, "Kill first, die last."

"Why am I not surprised? For me it's, don't chase, replace."

It seemed as if he was speaking directly to me. I pondered over the words for a while. I did want to be chased, so if he wasn't down with that, he could go to hell.

"Who was your first kiss and how did it happen?" I queried, after swallowing the last bite of my food.

"I don't remember her, it happened when I was drunk in a tapas bar. You?" He answered and looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.