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I chuckle and teasingly add, “And Tequila.”
He lets out a sigh, feigning exasperation and we both smirk.
It’s not long before I remove the perfectly cooked meat lovers’ pizza from the oven to place it onto a large cutting board.
My eyes narrowing at Darian, “Squares or triangles. There’s only one right answer,”
He blinks, “Triang-” he begins to answer, but I quickly interrupt him with a buzzer sound as if we’re on a game show.
I raise a finger into the air, pointing it assertively.
“WRONG! The correct answer is squares. One shot of tequila for Gryffindor!” I cheer.
He bursts into laughter as I begin cutting the pizza in squares with the round cutter.
Halfway through the first slice, I pause and fix my gaze on him, my expression suddenly serious as he raises his glass for another sip of wine.
“Did you think I was joking?” I ask my tone deadpan.
His laughter erupts again, and he chokes on his wine, quickly placing the glass down and coughing in surprise before looking at me with disbelief.
“The tequila is the prize for the best pizza, Lara,” he manages to say between coughs.
I narrow my eyes, “Fine, but mark my words, when I win this contest, I’m claiming my shot of tequila.” I state with a nod, as if reaffirming that I’ll win.
Darian places his pizza next to mine, proceeding to cut it into unappealing triangles and my nose scrunches.
“Well, I have half a mind not to try yours now,” I retort.
His chuckle fills the air as he retrieves plates from the cupboard, arranging a selection of pizza slices on each one. Meanwhile, I refill our glasses with wine and dispose of the empty bottle.
With everything in place, I set one plate on the floor for Val, who eagerly sniffs each slice before diving into the meat lovers’ pizza.
“Well, let’s try yours first, team triangle.” I say teasingly, gesturing toward his questionably cut pizza in front of him.
Biting into the slice, I can’t help but admit that his pizza is well-made, and I suppress a groan of satisfaction, determined to maintain my facade.
“Alright, now it’s my turn. But first, a palette cleanser,” I declare, taking a long sip and Darian laughs softly as he follows suit, polishing off his wine and placing his glass down.
We both grab a square of the meat lovers’ pizza, and a satisfied grin spreads across my face as I look confidently at Darian.
The meaty toppings deliver a savory, salty burst of flavor that melds with the crisp thin crust. The pizza hasn’t lost its texture or become soggy, and the balance of meat to sauce to dough is perfection.
I steal a quick glance at Darian, who has already taken a second piece of the meat lovers and bites into it.
He freezes as he looks at me, his mouth still filled with pizza, and I catch the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he struggles to hold it back.
“I think it’s time for that Tequila now,” I declare with confidence, raising my chin slightly.
“I actually preferred the veggie one,” Darian states after swallowing his bite, and I scoff in disbelief.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! After you devoured another piece of mine? No way!” I exclaim, incredulous.
Darian shakes his head, “I was just saving the best for last.”
My eyes roll, and I let out an exaggerated huff in protest. “Well, it seems we’ll need a tiebreaker!” I declare, gesturing toward Val lounging on the couch, his ears flattening backwards.
“Val, it’s your time to shine,” I beckon to him.
