“Yes, sir,” she said with a salute. I liked the way ‘sir’ sounded coming from her mouth. I bet it was even more alluring in an intimate setting.Focus.
I plated chicken pesto pasta, salad, and garlic bread onto four plates, and Serenity took them one by one to the table. We also gathered everyone’s drinks: Mountain Dew Zero for Gio and me, white wine for Emma, and apple juice for Serenity.
“This might be the best home-cooked meal I’ve ever had,” Serenity said.
“Same,” Emma agreed.
Everyone looked over at Gio for his response. “I have an Italian mother who loves to cook, but it’s good.”
The laughter echoed around the table.
I turned my attention to Emma, “What is it that you do for work?”
She set down her fork. “I work in early childhood special education at a preschool.”
I inhaled a breath. I was instantly thrown back in time to Luna's seventh birthday dinner when Gram asked Avery what she wanted to study in college. That was the beginning of the most fulfilling time of my life, and now it was a time I tried to forget. I took a few steady breaths.
“Are you okay?” I felt Serenity’s hand rest on my thigh. I snapped out of the memory and looked over at her. Her soft smile brought me back to reality.
“Sorry, I was in a daze for a second,” I told the group. I turned back to Emma. “Wow, so you’re like a real-life superhero, shaping today’s youth?”
Emma laughed. “It feels that way sometimes. I don’t even know how many fires I put out each day, but it is rewarding, and I love the kiddos.”
“She’s also working on writing a children’s book,” Serenity chimed in.
Gio spoke up then, “What’s it about?”
“It’s about how to be empathetic toward kids who are different from you. I still have a long way to go, but it has been an outlet for my creative side.” She smiled with pride.
“As an older brother of a sister on the autism spectrum, your book is going to be very much appreciated,” Gio responded.
Emma's smile widened. “How old is your sister?” Emma asked him.
“She's nineteen now and thriving, but some people did not make it easy for her.”
Emma and Serenity exchanged a pointed glance. “Maybe you can share some stories about your sister with me and I could incorporate them into my book,” Emma responded.
Emma and Gio continued their conversation, forgetting we were even there.
Serenity turned her attention toward me. “You really do look handsome. It means a lot that you made dinner and humored me with the dinner party idea.” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“I was happy to do it. Good food, good company, and I’m sure it will continue to be a good night.” I gave her a knowing wink, and she blushed.
The anticipation of telling her how I felt was all I could think about. Those feelings scared me, but the idea of ignoring them was even scarier. I didn’t expect us to jump into a relationship, but it’d open the dialogue for her to express how she currently felt, too. She showed it every day, but I also wanted to hear her say it.
Gio interrupted us, “Serenity, tell me about this new book club job Grant has been raving about.” She looked over at me quickly with a warm smile before turning her attention back to Gio.
“I truly love my job. I get to talk to authors and readers for a living, and I’ve never felt more fulfilled. One day, I’ll use my experience to open my own bookstore.” She glowed every time she talked about her work and where she hoped it would lead.
“That’s incredible,” Gio responded. “I haven’t read a book since high school, but I love a good audiobook on my runs.”
“That’s still reading!” Emma and Serenity said simultaneously. We all laughed.
The dinner was supposed to be about me getting to know Emma and Serenity getting to know Gio, but they excused themselves to talk in the living room.
“They really hit it off, didn’t they?” Serenity asked.
“I honestly didn’t see it coming. Especially since Gio has been a recluse lately. I guess Emma was the perfect recipe to bring him out of his shell.”
