Chapter 6 Ask Me Right #2
Her expression shifted again, careful. Like she wanted to believe him but had already built three reasons not to.
“I have a paper due Monday,” she said.
“All right.”
“And a reading quiz Tuesday.”
“All right.”
“And I work Friday and Saturday.”
“All right.”
“You keep saying all right.”
“Because those are real things.”
She studied him. He waited. It was the hardest thing he had done all week. Harder than not flirting during rush. Harder than fixing his recipe notes. Harder than pretending Gia didn’t scare him. Sophia looked at the ground.
“I’ve never really done this,” she said.
His chest tightened.
“A picnic?”
She gave him a look.
He smiled. “Sorry.”
“A date,” she said.
He nodded. “I know.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“No.”
Her eyes searched his face. He meant it. God, he hoped she could tell.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m asking because I like you.”
She didn’t answer. So he tried again, simpler.
“I like you,” he said. “That’s why I’m asking. Not because you already know what to do.”
Sophia looked down fast. Her cheeks went pink. He wanted to step closer. He didn’t.
“Is it actually a date?” she asked.
His mouth almost curved. He kept it under control because that sounded like a real question, not a joke.
“Yes,” he said. “If you want it to be.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“It is my safe answer.”
She looked up.
He shrugged. “My real answer is yes. I want it to be a date-date. But I don’t want you to feel trapped by that.”
Sophia breathed in slowly.
“A date-date,” she repeated.
“Yes. A very serious picnic.”
That got another smile. Then she was quiet again. He could see the thoughts moving across her face. School. Work. Victoria’s warnings. Her mother. His reputation. The almost-kiss. The cake. The almond spill. All of it, probably.
“I don’t know if I should,” she said.
His stomach dropped. But he nodded.
“All right.”
Her eyes flicked to his.
“I didn’t say no.”
“I know.”
“You looked like I said no.”
“I’m trying to be normal.”
“It wasn’t normal?”
“No. I panicked a little.”
She laughed, then pressed her lips together like she hadn’t meant to. He loved that laugh. No. Too early. Too much. He liked it. A lot.
Sophia shifted from one foot to the other. “I’m worried I’ll get distracted.”
“From school?”
“Yes.”
“Then we work around school.”
“That sounds easy.”
“It probably isn’t.” He started to lean one hand against the brick, then thought better of it and dropped it. “But we can try.”
“What if I’m boring?”
The question came so softly he almost missed it. Vinny stared at her.
“What?”
Sophia looked embarrassed. “I don’t know how dates work. What if I’m bad at it?”
He couldn’t help it. He smiled. Not because it was funny. Because it was so Sophia.
“You can’t be bad at eating food in a park.”
“I probably can.”
“You can spill something. That’s not the same.”
“Or say the wrong thing.”
“I say the wrong thing constantly.”
“That isn’t comforting.”
“It should be. I still have friends.”
She laughed again. He moved half a step closer, then stopped with plenty of space still between them.
“You don’t have to perform,” he said. “Just show up. Eat. Talk if you want. Sit there judging my sandwich choices if you want.”
“I do have sandwich opinions.”
“I assumed.”
Her smile stayed longer this time. Then it faded into something softer.
“You really thought about this.”
“Yeah.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes.”
He could have made that lighter. He didn’t. Sophia looked at him for a long second. The alley went quiet around them, except for the hum from the restaurant and a car passing at the end of the block.
Finally, she said, “Sunday afternoon?”
His heart jumped. He made himself not react like an idiot.
“Sunday works.”
“After church. And after I work on my paper.”
“Perfect.”
“Not too late.”
“Not too late.”
“Public park.”
“Public park.”
“And Victoria is going to ask where.”
“I assumed.”
“And my mother will ask everything.”
“I also assumed.”
Sophia nodded like they were signing a contract. Then she looked up.
“Yes,” she said.
One quiet word, and he believed her.
“Yes?” he asked, because apparently he wanted to hear it again.
Sophia’s mouth curved. “Yes.”
He grinned. Too big. He tried to fix it. Failed. Sophia laughed at him, and this time she didn’t hide it fast enough.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m being cool.”
“You aren’t.”
“No. But I’m trying.”
“It’s fine.”
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I will not make it weird at work.”
“That might be impossible.”
“Fair. I will make it less weird.”
“That would help.”
“And if you change your mind, you can tell me.”
Sophia’s smile softened.
“I won’t.”
His heart did something stupid.
“All right.”
The side door opened behind them.
Gia stuck her head out. “Are we alive?”
Sophia jumped.
Vinny closed his eyes. “Gia.”
“What? Antonia said if I came out here before two minutes, she’d make me clean the espresso machine. It has been at least four.”
Sophia covered her face with one hand.
Gia looked between them. “Did he ask?”
Vinny pointed at the door. “Inside.”
“Did she say yes?”
“Gia.”
Sophia lowered her hand. Her cheeks were pink, but she was smiling.
“Yes,” she said.
Gia’s face lit up. “Thank God. Maybe he can focus again.”
Vinny stared at her. “I hate everyone.”
“No, you don’t.” Gia looked at Sophia. “You all right?”
Sophia nodded. “Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
Sophia glanced at Vinny. Then back at Gia.
“I’m sure.”
Gia’s expression softened for half a second.
Then she ruined it by pointing at Vinny. “If you mess up the picnic, I am telling Victoria.”
“She already knows I exist. That’s bad enough.”
Gia nodded. “Right.”
She disappeared back inside. Sophia laughed under her breath. Vinny looked at her. Sunday. She had said yes. He wanted to say something good. Something that would make the moment land right.
All he had was, “I’ll see you Sunday.”
Sophia smiled. That felt enough.
“Sunday,” she said.
She headed back inside first. Vinny waited a few seconds before following. Not because they were hiding. Because giving her space still mattered. When he stepped back into Bella Luna, Antonia was at the office door. She looked at him once. Vinny tried to keep his face normal.
Antonia’s eyes narrowed. “She said yes.”
He blinked. “How did you—”
“You are smiling like an idiot.”
Gia called from the bar, “Confirmed.”
Vinny sighed. “Yes. She said yes.”
Antonia nodded. “Fine.”
“Right?”
“Nice.” She handed him a container of leftover sauce. “Now go home before you get useless.”
“Yes, chef.”
He took the container. Across the room, Sophia stood by the host stand with Victoria.
Victoria’s arms were crossed. Sophia was talking fast in a low voice.
Victoria looked over at Vinny. He straightened without meaning to.
Victoria pointed two fingers at her eyes, then at him.
Classic. He nodded. Understood. Sophia saw and covered her mouth, but she was smiling.
That smile was going to kill him. Worth it.
Outside, Vinny walked to his apartment with the sauce container in one hand and Sunday in his head.
He had a date. With Sophia. A real one. A real date: public park, afternoon picnic, no pressure.
Room for no, even though she had said yes.
He had to make the food right. Not fancy or too much.
Not something that made her feel like she had to praise him.
Fresh bread, chicken cutlets, roasted vegetables, something lemon. Maybe small biscotti. No messy sauce and no giant basket like a cartoon. He could do that. He could do it right, maybe. He stopped at the corner and laughed once to himself. A woman walking a dog gave him a look.
“Sorry,” he said.
The dog looked judgmental. Fair. Vinny kept walking. Behind him, at Bella Luna, Sophia texted her mother from the staff bathroom because she needed three minutes before Victoria started again.
Sophia: Vinny asked me on a date.
The typing dots appeared immediately.
Mom: Refrigerator boy?
Sophia closed her eyes.
Sophia: His name is Vinny.
Mom: I know his name. I’m deciding how worried to be.
Sophia waited.
Mom: Public place?
Sophia smiled.
Sophia: Picnic. Sunday afternoon. After I work on my paper.
Mom: Right answer from you.
Mom: Smart choice from him.
Sophia stared at that one. Then another text came.
Mom: I am still asking questions when you get home.
Sophia: I know.
Mom: Wear comfortable shoes.
Sophia laughed.
Victoria knocked on the bathroom door. “Are you hiding?”
“No.”
“You are absolutely hiding.”
“I am texting my mother.”
“That is still hiding.”
Sophia opened the door. Victoria stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
“Well?” Victoria asked.
Sophia held up the phone. “My mother says wear comfortable shoes.”
Victoria paused.
Then nodded. “Actually, yes.”
“Victoria.”
“What? It’s a picnic. There may be walking.”
Sophia slipped the phone into her apron pocket. “You are both exhausting.”
“And correct.”
Sophia looked toward the dining room, where Gia was pretending not to watch them from behind the bar. Then toward the kitchen door Vinny had already gone through. Her stomach fluttered. It scared her, but not enough to make her wish she had said no.
“I said yes,” Sophia said.
Victoria’s face softened.
“I know.”
“I wanted to.”
“I know that too.”
Sophia looked at her best friend.
“Are you mad?”
Victoria sighed. “No.”
“You look mad.”
“This is just my face when men are involved.”
Sophia smiled.
Victoria leaned closer. “I’m not mad. I’m watching. Difference.”
“I know.”
“And I want details.”
“Of the ask?”
“Of everything before, during, and after. Food, tone, distance maintained, escape routes.”
Sophia laughed. “Escape routes?”
“Don’t mock safety.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
Sophia’s smile softened. Sunday. A picnic.
Vinny had thought about whether she would feel safe.
He had asked right. Maybe that was why she said yes.
Not because she was sure. She wasn’t. Not because she was brave.
Maybe a little. Because for the first time, wanting him didn’t feel like jumping into something she couldn’t stop.
He had asked and then actually let her answer.