Page 33 of Dante
They had moved into the indoor living area and bar while they waited for their pizzas, and Amo had been spending his time trying to persuade Leo to play pool with him.
“Why not?” Amo pleaded.
Annoyed, Leo finally gave the reason, “How the fuck do you expect me to shoot a ball in a hole? I can’t do shit now.”
Nadia’s heart sank, along with everyone else’s in the room. She had seen him struggle to do a few things, witnessed him try to stick pieces of food with his fork and miss. She imagined losing an eye would need time and physical therapy for your brain to rewire, but she could imagine even more just how hard it must be to go through.
Watching Amo sadly put the pool stick back down, she was absolutely gutted for the soldier, who looked guilty for even asking.
Nadia took a sip of her drink before getting up from the bar. Moving to the pool table, she picked up the stick and walked up to Leo, who was sitting on the velvet couch.
“I imagine trying to shoot a ball into a hole is the best practice you could do.” With a tender smile, Nadia held out the pool stick to him. “What do you think?”
Leo stared at the outstretched stick while they all closely watched the one-eyed teen in silence for what he was going to do. It wasn’t until he finally took it that the tension left the room.
“All right!” Amo boomed, rubbing his hands together and walking back to the pool table.
Neither Nadia nor Leo needed to say a word to each other. There was a silent understanding between the two as Leo went and started to play with Amo.
“Pizzas are here!” Lila announced, coming in with a pie in each hand.
The disappointment was obvious on Amo’s face that he wasn’t going to get to play pool after all.
Suddenly, Nadia was struck with an idea. Taking one of the pizzas from Lila, she took it over to a table by the pool table that was meant to hold drinks and set it down. “Why don’t you two eat and play in here, and—”Nadia grabbed the other pizza—“we can enjoy ours on the deck? I like watching the sunset,” she added, not wanting to miss it.
Amo and Leo liked the idea and agreed happily, while Dante agreed by taking their drinks to the table for them.
Nadia was surprised when Dante pulled the chair out for her. “Thank you,” she said, taking her seat, only to be more shocked when he took the seat next to hers, since they usually sat at opposite ends, yet now he was mere inches away.
The beautiful setting sun only added to the proximity and feeling she was getting by sitting so close to the irresistible man.
Nadia should have been upset that she had been the one to say something to the chef, as Dante had sat there stumped. However, she truly believed he had been so shocked to see hisdinner staring back at him that he hadn’t known how to respond. Whereas she did …
His response, or lack thereof, of the chaos she had ensued told her that Dante had agreed with her response.
At least somewhat.
Now, if he had disagreed with her request of wanting different food, she imagined they wouldn’t be sitting here, watching the sunset together.
“Well, I have to say that this is far better than what we were going to eat,” Dante said with a smile, picking up a slice of the cheap peperoni pizza.
“I think so, too.” Nadia laughed, grabbing a slice of her own. “You don’t think I was a bit overdramatic, do you?”
“Nah,” Dante said, taking a swig of the brown liquor he had switched to. “Did you see that fucking thing? That chef dressed a fried lionfish with a crown. Nowthatwasdramatic.”
She died of laughter because it looked like the big, bad mafia boss would have nightmares over that lionfish. “Okay, ’cause I was worried you might hate me after that.”
A confused Dante swallowed the bite he had in his mouth before speaking, “Why would you think that?”
The laughter suddenly eased out of her. “I don’t know. Just thought you might’ve thought I was being rude.”
“No,” Dante said, easing her worry. “I know why you did it.”
He does?
“You do?” she asked, surprised, before taking a bite of her pizza.
“To make Leo happy,” he said simply before begrudgingly continuing, “And Amo.”
