Part 7 (2/2)
”I'll bet Lanie makes Homecoming queen,” I told him. ”You'll need to polish up on your dancing.”
He smiled at me with those blue eyes. ”Okay. I'll talk with you later.”
He disappeared out the door with the chaos. It was just Tony and me at the front. I saw Aunt Roma headed for the kitchen out of the corner of my eye. When she saw me talking with Tony, she stayed on the floor to give us privacy.
”So,” Tony said with a laugh. ”You look pretty busy. Do you still have my number?”
I nodded, biting the side of my mouth. He seemed as uncomfortable as I was. Dad rounded the corner just then and stopped. I wanted to shoo Tony out of the restaurant before my dad opened his mouth.
”What do we have here?” Dad crooned with his thickest Italian accent. ”A handsome boy, a beautiful girl, and voil! A match made in heaven.”
”Stop,” I whispered under my breath. I felt so embarra.s.sed.
Tony laughed good naturedly. ”I'm Tony,” he said, extending his hand for a shake.
”I'm Beatrice's father,” Dad bellowed. ”You come to ask me permission to date my daughter?”
”Dad, stop,” I said and slapped his arm.
”Yeah,” Tony replied. ”I was checking to see if Beatrice wanted to hang out today.”
”What is this hang out?” Dad asked.
”Go away, Dad,” I begged, trying to push him toward the kitchen. He refused to budge.
”What?” Dad asked innocently. ”A boy comes to court my daughter and I don't have any say in the matter?”
”No,” I retorted. ”Go in the kitchen.”
Dad wouldn't leave. And it just got worse. ”What are your intentions with my daughter?”
I groaned as Tony's eyes grew larger. ”Uh, well, I was just going to see if she wanted to go out some time--”
”That's the problem with the boys today. In my youth, if you asked a girl out, you had the thought of marriage in the back of your mind. You know? You were ready to make a commitment.”
Shoot me now. Tony's smile had turned to confusion and then to panic. He backed to the door while my father talked. As soon as my father took a breath, Tony looked quickly at me and waved before escaping out the door.
I stood in shock. My father shrugged his shoulders and gave me a wry grin. I carefully placed the coffee pots on the counter and slapped my dad's arm as hard as I could.
”Marriage? Are you crazy? I don't even know that guy.”
”If the word marriage scares a boy, Bea, you're better off to know that up front.”
”Dad, I actually had a chance to go on a date with a cute guy. Not some ugly, have to settle guy. A real, cute guy who thought I was pretty cool. You ruined it for me! Wait till I tell Mom.”
He swallowed hard. He didn't want to face Mom's wrath. He knew he had gone too far. ”Let's just keep this between ourselves, Bea.”
”You owe me, Dad,” I said sternly. ”Big time.”
”All right. I admit, I probably took it a little too far--”
”A little?”
My dad scratched his head. ”Sorry, honey. I was just having some fun.”
”Don't ever have fun with anyone that I talk to ever again,” I warned in a hoa.r.s.e voice.
I grabbed the coffee pots and strode into the kitchen, trying to curb the anger. Tony would probably never speak to me again. My one chance to actually go out on a date my senior year. I didn't blow it--good old pops did.
Aunt Roma breezed into the kitchen, wearing a look of sympathy. ”Sorry, honey. I saw the whole thing. I couldn't get away from the customers to come to your rescue.”
”Did you see how cute he was?” I asked her.
”He was a cute one,” she agreed. ”Don't worry. There will be others.”
”Really? Because I don't think so. I mean, this guy drove out here to see me. He actually called me pretty, Auntie. Look at me. Do I look pretty?”
”Of course you do, Bea. You always look pretty.”
”You're my aunt. You have to say that. I look like a train wreck. But that guy--Tony--thought I still looked good enough to hang with.”
”He'll be back,” Aunt Roma said firmly.
”Are you kidding? He couldn't get out of here fast enough.”
She patted my arm and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. ”Let's get out to the floor, hmm? Make some good tips.”
I followed her to the grill and grabbed breadsticks from under the warmer. Dean threw me a look of sympathy, as well. He always heard everything from the kitchen.
”Why don't you ask Brody out?” he suggested.
”Brody? He would never go out with me. Besides, he's dating Lanie.”
Dean frowned. ”I don't think he's dating anyone.”
”He's taking her to Homecoming.”
”I didn't know that,” Dean said with a shrug. ”I'm surprised. He's always asking about you when he works.”
”That's because I work here too. It's almost mandatory to ask about family members, Dean.”
Dean raised his brows, but didn't say a word. He just didn't understand the situation. Brody was definitely out of my league. He would never ask me out. I mean, a big girl like me going out with a cute, popular guy like him? It would never happen.
”Table three's spaghetti is up,” he said.
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