The Popestar

𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝕱𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓- 𝕭𝖔𝖓 𝕬𝖕𝖕é𝖙𝖎𝖙

Part 15- Bon Appétit
Lucie clutched onto Terzo's tender hand as he led her back down the rickety stairs, to find his mother, Francesca, had splendidly prepared the table for dinner.

In the centre of the circular, solid-oak dining table, lay a graceful bouquet of fresh tulips presented in hues of pinks and whites. Surrounding the glass vase they were placed in were small tea lights letting off a soft glow, followed by three jute placemats, indicating where each of them would be sat.

Terzo helped Lucie into her chair and pushed her in closer towards the table before explaining he was going to help his mother in the kitchen. Lucie took the time to take in and absorb the surroundings- everything was very vintage, and very traditional-Italian. The dining room was placed just before the glass doors leading into the large back garden. There was a lot of old art hanging on the walls and the use of deep colours within the decor was prominent.

She heard the footsteps of Terzo and his mother gradually getting louder before she saw him walk through the door frame first, carrying two large plates of food with plate cloches over them, masking the exquisitely smelling food.

"Bon appétit!" Terzo exclaims in a poor French accent as he gently puts her covered plate down in front of her. Shortly after his mother walks in carrying her own.

"Here." Terzo says, pulling something from underneath the table. "This is a little bit of a celebratory occasion, no? What is a celebration without a good bottle of champagne, eh?" He smirks as he pulls out an expensive bottle of the finest champagne he could find.

"Oh! Si!" Francesca exclaims. He pops the bottle, causing a cheer to arise from the bunch, before individually pouring each of the two woman and himself a glass, and clinking his own simultaneously with the others. "To my bambino and his beautiful love."

"To us." Terzo says smiling whilst looking Lucie in the eye with that bewitching stare. "Now! I'm starving, I can't resists the good smelling food any longer mamma."

"I prepared a simple lasagne, you can't go wrong with that, si? Enjoy, miei cari!" They lifted the plate cloches off of the plates, revealing the most pristine slice of lasagne Lucie had ever seen.

"Wow! Thank- wait...how do you say thank you in Italian?" Lucie furrowed her brow and grinned.

"Grazie! Grazie Mille!" Francesca exclaims, before Lucie copied, gaining praise from Terzo and his mother.

"I will have to teach you Italian one day tesoro. The language of romance and love." Terzo softly smiled.

"I'm sure he's already taught you all of the curse words in the book Lucie, si?" Francesca giggled whilst raising her eyebrows, thinning her lips and shaking her head at Terzo.

"Not true!" Terzo cries making Francesca pull an unconvinced look and causing the three to chuckle.

"So, I have to know all of the details. Terzo has only told me pieces about you Lucie. How did you two meet? At the ministry I'm guessing?"

"The first time we ever met was a bit bizarre," Lucie smiled whilst retelling their story of meeting whilst looking towards Terzo, "I'm actually the Ministry's dentist, and Terzo needed help-" before she could finished she was interrupted by his mother scoffing.

"I hope he didn't put up as much of a fight with you as he did with me! I nearly lost my teeth trying to get this little devil to see the dentist as a child. Once a diva, always a diva."

"Again, not true." Terzo sinfully smirked, knowing full well it was true.

"Always trying to do the opposite of what he was told. I had my hands full with him!" She laughed, reminiscing the eventful times she had when her son was small.