“Yes, ma’am,” Leo said.
“I just wanna eat. I’m not going to make any noise at all,” Matteo said. “Mainly because I want to come back, though,” he admitted.
“Here are your menus. Would you like to hear the specials tonight?” the waiter asked.
“Dad, tell him what I want,” Matteo said, nodding his head, sure that Ronan knew exactly what he wanted.
“Does everyone already know what they want?” Ronan asked, “or do you want to hear specials?”
“I’d like what I had last time,” Giada said.
“I want the same thing Matteo wants,” Leo said.
“We’re ready, then,” Ronan said.
The waiter smiled at Ronan. “I’m ready.”
“The lady will have the filet cooked medium, the largest one you have, on creamed spinach with the crab meat sauce on top. The boys will have the the 8 oz filet, but no spinach,” Ronan said, then paused to look at them. “Do you want the crab meat sauce on the top?”
“Yes,” Leo said.
“No,” Matteo said.
The waiter nodded.
“And I’ll have the porterhouse, please. Cooked medium as well.”
“Are we all having baked potatoes, or would you prefer to try the scalloped tonight?”
“Scalloped potatoes for me,” Giada said.
“French fries!” Matteo said.
“Mom, do I like scalloped potatoes?” Leo asked.
“They are in a cream sauce and have onions cooked with them,” Giada explained.
“I’ll have fries,” Leo said.
“And appetizers?” the waiter asked.
“Could we have the stuffed artichoke and the crab claws again, please?” Ronan said, scanning the menu. “Oh, and the small fondue, too, please.”
“What’s that?” Leo asked.
“That’s a little pot of melted cheese and you get to put things on the end of a stick and dunk it in the cheese before you eat it.”
“Oh, I like that!” Leo said.
“I thought you might,” Ronan said.
Wasn’t long before their meal came, and talking was minimal as the boys concentrated on their food. Ronan and Giada managed to laugh and talk, completely enjoying themselves and the kids as they ate.
When they were done and a busboy cleared their dishes away, their waiter approached the table with a rolling cart. He laid platters of an array of desserts in the middle of the table for them to share, then placed a very large Creme Brulee’ in front of Giada.
The kids were thrilled as they started taking what they wanted off the platters, but Ronan watched Giada closely.
“Oh, they gave you all the silverware,” Giada said, reaching for a spoon from Ronan.
