Gray reached for the breadbasket without a word. He grabbed a slice and buttered it up. Chloe picked up a piece, too, still grinning.
"This bread is good," she said after taking a bite. The bread was soft and warm. It was one of the best breads she had in a restaurant.
"Yup. Told you. Their food is nice here, so just order what you want later on," Gray muttered, trying to keep his gaze on her. avoiding her gaze.
"Yeah..." Chloe glanced at the menu.
"I think this is the first time I've eaten somewhere that doesn't have at least one truffle dish that costs a thousand dollars," she said, half-joking.
"That's tragic." Gray looked up with a smile. "I guess you'd have to do it with other dishes."
"I guess so." She laughed. "I'll survive."
Lorenzo returned a few minutes after with a pen and notepad in hand, though the grin on his face hadn't faded.
"Are you ready to order?"
"What's good here?" Chloe glanced at Gray.
"Everything," he said. Then, after a beat, "But if you're asking for a real answer, then get the short rib tagliatelle. They slow-cook it in red wine and bone broth for hours. Trust me."
She turned to Lorenzo. "I'll have that."
"An excellent choice, Ma'am." Lorenzo looked at Gray expectantly.
"Same for me."
"Two tagliatelle coming up." He scribbled, then winked again at Gray before walking off.
After a few minutes of waiting, the short rib tagliatelle arrived steaming hot, the aroma deep and savory. Chloe closed her eyes for a second, whiffing the smell of it.
Her stomach grumbled in hunger.
"I know you're hungry. Let's eat, then we can order some desserts later." Gray muttered.
Chloe silently nodded; her gaze was glued to the food in front of her. She slowly held a fork and took a bite.
"Oh my god," she whispered, her eyes widening for a fraction. "You weren't kidding."
"I told you. The food is really nice here." Gray chuckled, already digging into his own plate.
"Yeah. I guess it's better than I expected."
The conversation continued as they ate. They talked about music, books, business, and some of their own personal experiences.
Chloe was talkative. She talked about everything, anything. Gray was surprised at it. He didn't realize that Chloe could talk that much. Though he was thankful, since with it, he laughed more than he expected to.
He thought that night would be awkward, but it was going on smoothly.
What was more was when they were talking about business, Chloe shared a few of her insights. She may not be active right now, but she still knows a few things.
She didn't meddle with her family's business because she didn't want to, not because she couldn't.
She was a Lancaster. Business talks and meetings were a shared topic every time her family ate together. That was the norm. It was what they were good at.
From behind the counter, Lorenzo watched it all like a proud friend who'd pulled off the perfect setup. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.
"Alright, let's see what they'd do next."
Lorenzo waited... waited... but nothing happened.
For the past hour, the two continued to talk.
Just... talking.
'Is Gray's game not that good?' Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. 'How come there was no improvement other than talking? What about hugs? kisses? Taking pictures?'
No. He can't let that happen.
He'd be the best wingman in the world. Just wait.
'Just wait, Gray.'
A few moments later, Lorenzo strolled toward them again. There was a notepad in hand like he was doing the most natural thing in the world.
When Gray realized it, "What's he doing now..." he uttered in a whisper.
"Hi! I'm just checking in!" Lorenzo chirped, his voice bright. "How's the food? The service? The ambience? The mood? The temperature of the butter?"
Chloe let out a soft laugh at the sudden surge of questions. She was in a good mood.
"Everything's great, thank you."
"We don't usually do this," Lorenzo said, lowering his voice slightly as if sharing an insider tip, "but this wine is on the house tonight. Chef's pick. Only for our... VIPs."
He placed the wine down with a flourish.
"Oh, wow," Chloe said. "What's the occasion?"
"Ah, yes," Lorenzo snapped his fingers. "A tiny favor. We just need a picture of you two. For social media. A fun promo thing. You know—happy customers, great food, that sort of thing."
"That's actually a good promo idea." Chloe raised a brow.
"Wait a second—" Gray narrowed his eyes, his suspicion deepening.
"Come on, it's just a picture," Chloe said lightly. "We already look good anyway."
Lorenzo gave a victorious grin, then shot a secret wink at Gray, who looked like he might choke on his wine.
'Pay for the wine later,' he mouthed silently before quickly turning to Chloe again.
"Where should we stand?" Chloe gently patted her mouth against the napkin.
"Oh no, no. You two have to sit next to each other," Lorenzo said, already rearranging chairs. "We want that cozy, 'date-night at our hidden gem' vibe."
"Wow. You really thought of that?"
"Shh." Lorenzo shooed him. "It's a good promotion, Sir. Right, Ma'am?"
"Well, I guess so?"
Chloe laughed and walked over to the seat beside Gray, sitting down so close their shoulders touched together. She looked up at him with a bright smile.
"Is this, okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. It's fine." Gray pressed his lips together and nodded.
'Damn. I am so smart. They look so good together.' Lorenzo pulled out his phone.
"Alright, look here—one... two..."
Just before the shutter clicked, Chloe leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Gray's cheek.
"Huh?"
Gray froze. His brain short-circuited.
Click.