She held up the one already in her hand. It was still three-quarters full. “Nope. Still good on that front too.”
I nodded, wiping my palms on my pants. “Right. Good. Just sit right here. I’ll go get the food.”
“Okay. I can’t wait to see what you’ve made. Thank you, Vincent. This is really lovely. Your home is gorgeous.”
I glanced around my outdoor area critically. I’d spent the entire day scrubbing down the Mediterranean-style space that overlooked the large inground swimming pool. I’d set the table carefully with a white cloth and shining silverware. Fairy lights overhead reflected in Bliss’s hair, turning it a fiery red.
I wanted her to like my house. I wanted her to have a good time.
I didn’t know how to make sure that happened.
I scurried to the kitchen, pulling out all the appetizers I’d prepared earlier. A huge tray of cheeses and meats and specialty breads. I carried it back outside, where Bliss stared thoughtfully over the pool with her drink in her hand.
I placed the tray in front of her and then stood back to watch her face carefully.
“Oh wow. This is gorgeous.” She smiled up at me.
She wasn’t beaming though. I frowned. It wasn’t enough. “Wait a moment. Please.”
I scurried back inside, pulling a tray of warm finger food out of the oven. I slid it all onto a platter and carried that back out to her as well. “Here.”
Her eyes widened. The two trays of food took up the entire tabletop. “This is enough food for a party. Are you expecting anyone else?”
“No. Just you.” I hesitated. “I have other choices. Soup? And for main course I have steak or chicken. I could cook fish if you prefer? I bought some, just in case…”
She cocked her head to one side. “Are you a feeder?”
I squinted. “What does that mean?”
She laughed. “It’s a love language. Feeding people brings you joy. Most often found in little old nonnas who bustle around their kitchens, trying to shove food into their grandchildren’s mouths. But apparently also found in handsome, twenty-something men.”
“I didn’t know what you would like. So I made everything.”
She reached out and took my hand. “Please sit down. We have more than enough food right now. I’m not fussy. I’ll literally eat anything. But I want to eat it with you, not with you running back and forth to the kitchen every few moments.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry. I’ve never been on a date.”
“You mean you’ve never been asked on one?”
“No. I’ve never been on one.”
She picked up a fork and speared a rolled-up piece of prosciutto. “How is that even possible when you look like that?”
I glanced down at myself. “When I look like what?”
Her laughter was so sweet. I liked it. I wanted her to laugh all the time, because it felt like it wormed its way inside me and chased away some of the darkness.
“Fishing for compliments, much?”
I hadn’t been, but I didn’t comment.
She picked up a napkin, running it through her fingers. “I just meant that you’re clearly very attractive. It surprises me that you haven’t dated many beautiful women. Did something happen? You didn’t even date in high school?” She smiled. “You would have been that dark, mysterious, broody sort of guy that all the girls love, even though you know he’s probably trouble, weren’t you?”
She was joking, but there was definitely an air of curiosity to her statement.
“I can’t remember most of my high school years,” I admitted.
She cringed. “Oh wow. Drugs or alcohol?”
I shook my head. “Neither. I have a condition that affects my memory. Sometimes it steals memories altogether, and sometimes it lasts for long periods of time.”
“Oh wow. That must have made studying difficult.”
“I was out of school a lot anyway. I had to work.”
“In your family business? How old were you when you started working there?”
“About ten. Maybe eleven.”
She nodded. “You didn’t even really get a chance to be a kid. I know I live in a big fancy house now too, but I didn’t always, so I do understand how it is. Not everybody has the luxury of getting a good education or completing high school when your basic needs are going unmet.” She glanced around the house. “Looks like you’re doing pretty well now though.”
“My parents own it. I just rent it from them right now, until I work out where I’m going and what I’m doing.”