“We’ll have the charcuterie board to start.”
“Of course, I’ll be right back with that.”
“Now, what are you going to eat for dinner?” Leo asks and pours me a generous glass of the red wine he ordered.
“I think I’ll have the filet of sole.”
“Good choice.” He takes a drink and hums. “This wine is fucking delicious.” I take a drink and nod my agreement.
I’m not normally a wine drinker, but he picked a good one.
“What are you going to have?” I ask.
“The scallop risotto. It’s one of my favorite dishes here.”
“So do you come here often?” I tease, and he laughs.
“I do. I appreciate good food.”
“I’m used to the champagne and caviar places. My dad is all about appearances with his clients, even if the food is trash.”
“My dad is a beer and pizza kind of guy.” He sounds fond.
“Do you have any other family?”
“No siblings, but my mom is around sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
Leo sighs heavily. “My parents were really young when they had me and then had a ‘shotgun wedding.’ It was obvious they hated each other, and when I was nine, I demanded that they get a divorce.”
“Wow, most people want their parents to stay together.”
“Yeah, well, not me. My mom was terrible to him. She was always nagging him, and he hardly said a word to her. He realized that if he didn’t respond, she’d give up.”
“What was she nagging him about?”
“Everything. He worked ten-hour days and she was a stay-at-home mom. She wasn’t a good stay-at-home mom. She didn’t cook or clean, and I took care of myself.”
“I’m sorry, that must have been hard.”
Leo shrugs. “She was a good mom overall, and we get along for the most part, but she’s selfish, kinda like me.”
“You don’t seem selfish to me.” I take his hand. “My extremely comfortable bed would agree.” Thanks to all the stuff he’s been sending me.
“It’s not that I don’t spoil or spend money, but my time is for me. I want to be able to do what I want, when I want. If I want to go to a movie, I can. I want to go on vacation, I can. If I want to spend my money on art, clothes, and spa treatments, I can. Plus, I travel too much for work. It’s hard to take care of anything.”
“Are you close to your dad?”
“Yeah. He’d probably say I’m too close.” Leo smiles.
“What does that mean?”
“I come over uninvited. I never knock. I’m loud and passionate about things, and he’s not. But he never scolds me or tells me to leave.”
“You forgot that you set him up at bars.”
“Oh, right. I set him up at bars and then abandon him.” We share a laugh. “What about your family?”
