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“Problem?” he asks me once he’s finished swallowing. At least he has the decency to do that.
“Nothing.”
“No, you look like you have a problem with me. Explain.” He chomps down on his steak.
I sigh. “It’s just … the way you eat.”
“Adelina,” Dario warns.
I ignore him. “It’s … so different from the way I eat. That’s all.” There. I didn’t outright criticize him, but I made my feelings known.
“You eat like a fairy,” he remarks. “All dainty. But I’m a man, Adelina, and I eat like it.” He makes a point of taking a huge bite of his steak.
“I have no problem with how you eat,” Serafina buts in. “I think it’s sexy.”
Dario coughs. “Serafina, enough.”
“What?” She puts on her best innocent expression.
“You know what. Matteo is going to marry Adelina. Stop trying to flirt with him.”
She narrows her eyes. There goes her innocent expression. “I’m not flirting. I’m just telling the truth.”
I sit up straighter, dropping my fork, so it clatters against my plate. “I’m sorry. Is there something wrong with the way I eat?” I ask Matteo. The way he described me as a fairy feels … insulting somehow. Condescending.
“No. Unless you have a problem with the way I eat?”
“No,” I rush to say, even though it’s a lie.
“Then there’s no problem.” He chomps down on his food.
“It’s just …” I can’t seem to drop it. “You called me a fairy. What does that mean?”
He wipes his mouth on the back of his hand, and I grimace.
“Do you need a napkin?” I ask, holding mine out.
He blinks, then smirks. “Do I bother you?”
“No,” I emphasize. “It’s just you can use a napkin when wiping your mouth. You don’t need to use your hand.”
He makes a show of grabbing his napkin and dabbing at his mouth. “There? Is that better? More to your standards?”
“It’s not about my standards. It’s common etiquette. You use a napkin to wipe your mouth. Not your hand.”
He makes a face. “Ok, then. I wasn’t aware I was in the presence of royalty. Next time, I’ll use a damn napkin.”
I scowl. “You still didn’t answer my question. Why did you call me a fairy?”
“Because you flit around like one. There’s an elegance about you. Well, except for your judgy persona.”
I huff and look at everyone at the table except for him. “I am not judgy. I’m a very open-minded person. Ask anyone. Ask Pia.”
Pia startles when everyone looks at her. “Uh … Adelina has always been kind to me. When I first got here and couldn’t speak, she was quick to learn sign language to converse with me. I would say that’s very open-minded.”
Dario places his hand on her back, smiling down at her lovingly. “Yes. Adelina is normally very sweet. I’m not sure where all this animosity is coming from.” He gives me another pointed look.
I duck my head, feeling shame rise over me. What is it about Matteo that, in such a short amount of time, he’s managed to get under my skin in a way no one else has? Then again, I’ve never had to worry before about spending the rest of my life with one person. Is it such a crime that I want that person to be someone I actually like?
