Noah chuckled. “With cannolis.”
“Oh, okay,” I said. “I guess I’ll see—”
“You’re welcome to stay,” he interrupted.
“Please stay!” Gina begged.
I didn’t have any plans. I rarely made plans the nights I worked in case parents came home late. But none ever asked me to stay for dinner. “I would love to. As long as I’m not intruding.”
“Not at all,” he said. “It should be here around five-thirty. I ordered on the way home.”
The pizza and dessert arrived right on time. Noah insisted we use paper plates since they were easier to clean up. Even though he was rarely home, he knew his way around a kitchen. It was almost cute.
We all sat at the kitchen table together.
“So, tell me more about yourself,” Noah said. “This hiring process moved along a lot quicker than I expected and I didn’t get to ask many personal questions.”
“I’m an open book. What do you want to know?” I said.
“When did you move to the States?”
“About four years ago,” I said. “After graduating college, I moved out here on a whim, and I haven’t looked back.
“I bet your family misses you,” he said.
“I only have my mom out there,” I said, and I hoped he didn’t delve deeper into the subject. History with my family wasn’t something I shared with anyone, especially my employer.
“We don’t have much family around either,” Noah said and then ruffled Gina’s hair. She swatted at his hand. “My wife had been an only child, and her parents had passed away before we were married. I have a brother who lives in Texas with his family, but we don’t see each other much.”
“On the phone we do!” Gina said.
Noah smiled. “We do video chat on occasion with her cousins.”
“That’s really sweet,” I said. I hoped Mom never figured out video chatting or else I was sure I’d have to keep my apartment much cleaner for her inspecting eyes.
We chatted more about our personal lives, keeping the subjects lighter on a professional level. This was the most I’d talked to Noah since knowing him, and I liked him even more after the conversation. In addition to being attractive, he was funny and absolutely adorable with Gina. He spoke to her like another person instead of a child, a trait that I admired in anyone who did it.
After pizza, Noah brought out the box of cannolis.
“I hate to admit I’ve never had one of these before,” I said.
“What?” Gina asked.
“You have no idea what you’re missing,” Noah said, reaching across the table to place the dessert on my plate.
“So yummy,” Gina said while licking the end of hers.
I took a bite, acutely aware that their attention was on me. The sweet, creamy filling had a unique taste and mixed with the crunch of the shell and the powdered sugar on top. I was in heaven.
“Oh my God,” I said with my mouth full.
Gina giggled. “Told you it was good.”
“You were right,” I said. I finished off the dessert in two bites.
Noah handed me the box. “This is why we get more than enough.”
I took another one and thanked him.