Mila's Reckoning

Chapter 8

Mila

Sweatshirt? Nice blouse? V-neck? I feel like I'm going through several mini-panic attacks as each week progresses. Gino and I were at this stage where I wasn't sure where we stood. There's no doubt that we were into each other, and let's face it, we text non-stop. But neither of us had taken the plunge of verbalizing anything, and I was too traditional to be the first.
But, this state of limbo leaves me in a whirlwind when it comes to picking out clothing. Of course, I want to impress Gino. I mean, the guy is constantly wearing dress pants and a button down shirt. So, I guess that makes up my decision for the night.
I picked out a sheer lavender blouse that hugs my waist just enough to distract from what I was lacking upstairs. Black skinny jeans seemed to be a staple in my life right now, because they are the perfect balance between dressy and comfortable. Plus, they sure did make my booty look plump. I added a pair of black heeled booties, and checked the mirror. Dang, I even impressed myself.
I ran downstairs to check on Claire. She had been such an awesome aide for the past several weeks, literally the best one that we've ever had. She works way more than I ask her to, and even helps out on the weekends when Aunt Margaret can't come over. I'm not sure why she keeps this job when it is measly pay, but I'm not about to argue with it either.
"Hey, Claire. So I'm getting ready to head to Gino's, is there anything you need me to help out with before I go," I ask, making my way to the fridge. She usually has some sort of treat stashed in there for us to eat.
"I can't think of anything," she says, beating me to the fridge. She pulls out a platter of treats that are absolutely adorable, chocolate-dipped and everything. "Make sure to share some with Gino tonight, I made them for the two of you. I still can't believe you two are doing your stupid lab on Valentine's Day. But, at least you decided to look cute this time," she commented, giving me a once-over and a satisfied smile.
"What do you mean? Does it look like I tried to hard," I asked, panicking that Gino may think I have some sort of expectations about the night.
She walked out of the room without another word. I checked the time, and it was time to go. I ran to the bathroom to double-check that my face looked decent, and grabbed the platter on my way to the car.
"We won't wait up for you, so stay out as late as you'd like!" Claire shouted toward the door. I could hear my Papa scoff as the words came out of her mouth.
On the drive to Gino's, I glanced at the platter sitting in my passenger seat. The plate was red and it had strawberries and pretzels that were covered in chocolate and white chocolate. They looked delectable, but it wasn't until that moment that I realized what this would look like to Gino. As I pulled up and saw Ethan, I panicked as to whether or not I should even take them in.
"Good evening, my dear," Ethan said, reaching for my hand. "I see you have some goodies for Mr. Goretti. Would you like for me to have them delivered for you," he asked, obviously reading the panicked look on my face.
"No, I'll take them up. But thank you, Ethan."
I handed him my keys, and slowly made my way up the steps. February in Missouri could be unpredictable, and with the way the cold weather had been, I wasn't about to slip and fall on invisible black ice. Especially not when I looked this good.
I made it up to his floor, and stood in front of the door. I'm not sure why, but I could feel the nerves rising up in my chest. I knew that I should have made up an excuse and cancelled tonight, but it was too late for any of that now.
As Gino opened the door, I was able to catch my breath as I looked around and saw that everything seemed to look normal. The TV was on CNN and the lab supplies were sitting on the counter.
"Come on in," he said, as he tried to help me take off my coat because I was still holding the platter.
"Claire insisted that I bring these snacks, I'm not sure where she finds the time to make all of the delicious things that she does," I said, sitting the platter on the counter next to the oven.
"Well, those pretzels look like they need to be in my stomach. You want one," Gino asked, heading for the platter.
"Not a big fan of the pretzels, but the white-chocolate strawberries are my weakness," I said, trying not to drool as I watched him grab a plate and put a few on there.
Gino seemed to be a little more pressed than usual. Don't get me wrong, he always looks great. But his shirt looked like it had just been ironed, and he was wearing dress socks. Maybe he always wore dress socks, but tonight was the first time I'd noticed.
"So are you ready to dive into the world of cellular respiration," Gino asked, sitting across from me in a barstool.
"I guess we don't have much of a choice. Divvy up the jobs or work together?" I asked.
"Divvying up the jobs will get the deed finished quicker, so let's stick with that." Gino said, grabbing the materials.