Moving on with the Bully (Book 2 of the Bullied Series)

Chapter 3

Marinette's POV

To say I was over the moon would have been the understatement of the century. I couldn't even express how excited I was. The boy who I had grown feelings for just asked me out on a date. Who wouldn't be excited?! Girls dream about getting asked out by their crush, and I was living that fantasy.

Adrien told me that we would eat out at a nice restaurant, afterward we'd grab some dessert, then come back to the house to watch a movie and hang out. It sounded absolutely perfect to me. Simple, yet elegant. I was instructed to wear one of the dresses I had just gotten, so I picked the third one that I hadn't shown to Adrien. This dress was seafoam green with lace around the entire garment. It was sleeveless and came down to just above my knees. There was a cool contrast between the tight top and the loose skirt. It was gorgeous paired along with heels to match the dress. I did some light makeup and curled my hair slightly to give it that beach waves affect. I did a little spin in my full length mirror, and loved the outcome.

As if he could sense me finishing, Adrien knocked on my door. I told him to come in and he did so. I paused at how handsome he looked. He was wearing a lilac-purple dress shirt, black slacks, and Nike Air Forces. It was simple and he made it look so good.

"Are you ready, Mari?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded. He held out his hand to me, and I took it without thinking twice. We walked down the stairs and to the town car. As we drove to the restaurant, Adrien described that this is his favorite place to eat. He told me about his trips of Italy when he was younger; he shared, in detail, how he would cry the entire flight home because he had never wanted to leave. Natalie had brought him to the Italian restaurant. The owner was extremely friendly and had made the best Italian cuisine he had ever had.

"It was almost as good as the authentic pizza from Italy," he laughed. He looked at me and said, "I hope you'll love it as much as I do."

"And I bet I will," I replied.

We continued talking for the remaining five minutes it took to get there. Upon arrival, a short and chubby man exited the restaurant. He looked older with forehead wrinkles and streaks of white in both his hair and mustache. What really put a smile on my face though was his smile. He seemed like the man who would never stop smiling.

Adrien grabbed my hand and helped me out of the car. We walked over toward the happy-looking man and stopped right in front of him.

The man greeted Adrien first. "Adrien! My son, welcome home!"

Adrien smiled at the man and said, "Good to be back. I missed this place. And you and Concetta."

He laughed and clasped Adrien on the back, "My wife would die to see you. She always says you look like me when I was young. She wishes! Back off, buddy, she's my wife."

Adrien chuckled at this and I giggled lightly. Adrien looked down toward me at the sound of my laughter.

"Oh, Giovanni," Adrien started, motioning toward me. "This is my date, Marinette."

Giovanni looked toward me and put a hand over his heart. "Ciao bello."

"Piacere di conoscerti," I replied in Italian.

Giovanni gasped, scaring me for a moment. He then turned to address Adrien.

"Adrien, you've picked the perfect girl! She is both beautiful and smart! You might as well marry her now," Giovanni gushed, making me blush and Adrien chortle. "We can talk all about the wedding plans indoors. Come in, come in!"

Giovanni ushered us in and was met with the most amazing garlic smell. The restaurant was very cute. There were the classic red and white checkered table cloths, photos and paintings plastered all over the olive green walls, and a sweet looking woman standing behind the counter.