"Manjari, yes."
"That explains how beautiful you are."
I rolled my eyes."My general genetics explain how beautiful I am."
"At least you're accepting the compliment."He took another sip of wine."So, what other questions do you have for me?"
"What's your favourite comfort food dish to make?"
"Fried olives stuffed with feta," he responded instantly.
"Unexpected."
"I'm Greek," he responded."And they're delicious.Salty, fatty, just the perfect bite.What's yours?"
"Uttapam.It's..."
"A savoury pancake made with fermented rice and lentil batter," he said."I spent some time in India."
"Most people don't know what they are."
"I'm not most people."The wordsshouldsound arrogant, and yet somehow, they didn't.
"No, apparently not," I murmured."All right, next question.If you were cooking for someone for the first time, what would you choose to make?"
"For a date?"he checked.
"The question doesn't specify, so yes?"
His lips quirked up into a smile."If you agree to a date with me, you can find out."
I didn't think he was fully serious, and yet there was a part of me that was responding as if he was.
Poseidon cleared his throat and straightened his jacket."It would depend on the person.I love seafood, but if my date didn't, then it wouldn't be a good idea to cook it for them.So I'd tailor the menu to both the person I was cooking for, and the experiences we'd had together.If Iwerecooking for you, I might make uttapam and fried stuffed olives because we've talked about them."
I laughed."That's an interesting combination."
"I'd finish it off with a bottle of Dionysus' wine.One of the excellent vintages, he owes me a favour or three hundred."
"I'm sure you're not exaggerating," I said, but mostly to distract from the response within me that I'm having to his suggestion of cooking for me on a date.It shouldn't sound as good as it does.
"I am a little," he responded.
I cleared my throat, mostly to regain my composure."I'm sure I know what you're going to answer to this one, but what's your favourite restaurant?"
"Oh, that's a hard one," he said."Surprised I didn't just sayIl Cavalluccio Marino?"
"Absolutely."I drank some more of my wine while I waited for him to elaborate.
"My restaurant is never going to be my favourite," he said."We do good work, use good ingredients, have talented staff, and an inspired menu.But it'smyrestaurant.I know all of the faults, and I'm always improving."
It was such a genuine answer that I struggled to think of what to say in response.
"So my favourite is something entirely different," he continued, unaware of my response."It's this gyro place in Cape Sounion.It's a local spot, but it has some of the best gyros I've ever tasted."
"Unexpected."
"A gourmet can enjoy fast food."
