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“Oh, ouch. It’s anumbrella.” She gives me a big smile, and her eyes grow warm. “Better luck next time. It’s a damn shame, too, because the special dessert is lava cake.”
I make a pouting face. “I’ll pay double.”
She laughs, and clicks her pen. “You want your usual?”
“Of course.”
“And you, sir?” she turns to Silas.
“No quiz for me?” he chuckles, handing over the menu. “I’ll have whatever Ivo is getting. He has big opinions, and my gut says to trust him on this.”
“Suit yourself, dude. Drinks?”
We order a couple of beers, and she trots off toward the kitchen, while I try not to stare at her ass.
Silas chuckles, sitting back in his chair. “That is more English than I’ve ever heard you speak in an entire day before. Actually, I think I know why you like this restaurant so much.”
“The pizza is very good.”
Silas laughs harder.
The pizzaisvery good, though, and after our salads, Silas is forced to admit it. “I had my doubts, but this crust is terrific,” he says. “She brings you this half-and-half pie every time?”
I nod, but I have a question. “If you are the master of pizza, why have you not tried this place before?”
“I like the little old school joints,” Silas says. “The uglier the better. Di Fara, for example. Or Jo and Pat’s on Staten Island. I’m a purist.”
Then Silas tells me about all his favorite pizza restaurants all over the country. I like hearing about them, and it’s probably good for my English.
Even though I am a loner, I can admit that this is more fun than going home alone and watching Finnish TV, which is what I often do.
And the restaurant is lovely tonight, with little candles on every table. Chiara is more beautiful than ever.
In a perfect world, I would like to take her out to a restaurant like this sometime. Not this one, of course. Somewhere else, just the two of us.
“Why don’t you ask her out?” Silas says in a low voice as I watch her open a bottle of wine for another table.
My chin snaps back in his direction. “Sorry?”
“You should ask her out,” he says. “On a date.”
“No,” I say in response.
“Why not?” he asks with an irritating smile. “Why wait? I asked my girl out practically the day we met.”
“She said yes?” I ask.
“Nope. She said no for weeks.” He shrugs. “But you can’t hear a yes unless you ask.”
“I will not hear a yes at all.” I shake my head. “That chain around her neck now holds a diamond ring. She does not wear it on her finger while she works.”
His face falls. “Really? She’s engaged?”
“Yes sir.”
He sits back in his chair, as if shocked. “You missed your window! How did this happen?”
I shrug. “He got there first. I wanted to learn the language before I asked her out…”
