my online lover

shoot

The restaurant Kevin has picked has a view of Milan's Dome. The whole big wall is covered by windows that overlook the big enlightened church. Our table is placed right next to one of the windows, in front of the main view. There are few people in the lounge and most of them are couples. I feel so out of context and not because this looks expensive but because you should come here with your lover and not with the guy you're half working with and half finding out what you feel about him but I guess life is full of surprises.

When we arrived at the place, a man at the entrance asks for the reservation name and I hear Kevin saying his first name, not his last name. That makes me wonder if he one day will change it or keep the legacy even if he doesn't like to be correlated to his father.

However, he says his name and the man nods to a young waiter, telling him the number of the table. We walk behind him, passing through the other tables and my sight is firmly in front of me, looking outside and facing the crowded square.

As we achieve to our table, the waiter leaves to let us sit and Kevin pulls out my chair to let me sit. I thank him before he goes to the other side and moves the chair to shift it from in front of me to my left side. So he both faces the Dome and is closer to me. He does everything with automatic movements as he isn't afraid of doing something wrong while I have my full body stiff in nervousness. Before I can say anything, the boy who escorted us to the table comes back with the menu and leaves them on the table.

I puff out the air in my lunges. «All this seems so far from what I'm used to,» I murmur, afraid to speak too loud.

Kevin looks amused by my being goofy, with a grin on his face while he never moves away his eyes from me. «You actually don't seem to fit it.»

«Hey,» I retort with an offensive tone, hitting him with the menu. «Don't go too far, smart-aleck.»

He shoots me a confused gaze and I hold back a laugh, pushing a hand over my mouth. «Smart-aleck?» He asks bowing his brown and I laugh a bit, being hard to keep it low.

I inhale sharply, trying to shut my laugh. «Smart-aleck,» I repeat trying to be serious. «It's an idiomatic expression used to refer to someone who thinks they know a lot,» I explained to him.

«I know what is that,» he replies, frowning. «But how am I correlated to that?»

«It's just a funny joke,» I declare rolling my eyes and picking up the menu to read what's inside. I hold my eyes to widen as I read the price of everything and I suddenly want to know if Kevin's money is his father's or earned someway differently.

But his stare is distracting and I guess he is still thinking about the nickname I just gave to him. I push down the menu to meet his eyes. «Don't take it too personally,» I comment with an amused smile.

«I don't,» he says. «I wasn't thinking about that.»

«Good because I think I'll keep using it, smart-aleck.» I chuckle, checking back at the menu.

After a few minutes, we both decided what to eat and drink. I wanted to avoid the wine section but Kevin instead picked a bottle of a red one, not even mentioning the price of it. I know it's not a problem for him, but it feels so wrong to pick one of those expensive bottles and I know as soon as I try to debate it, it was a one-way conversation so I let him do it. I ordered Pacchero fresco allo scoglio con pomodoro datterino* and I didn't hear what Kevin ordered but I think it was also pasta. When we're back alone, I decide to put out some questions about his life. He always told me if I was curious I could've just asked.

«Can I ask you something?»

He nods. «Anything.»

«Do you use your father's money?» I ask with an insecure tone of voice. I don't want to sound mean or anything. Mine is pure curiosity but I think he knows it and his relaxed gaze confirms it.