Re: [Theo/Kitane] Bartolotta
She didn't find his explanation at all patronizing, but nodded and filed the information away. Three months was an accomplishment, but Kitane hadn't realized she'd been living with Theo for that long. When she'd first moved in, she spent at least half her time out of the building. A few weeks in and she started sleeping outside on the terrace, but it had taken her the better part of two months to actually start sleeping in the bed that was in her room. And most nights, she could only sleep part of the night in there unless she opened up the terrace doors. Some nights still found her out on the terrace, but it was the terrace attached to his rooms, not hers, that she tended to sleep on.
Unlike most of the other things in Theo's home, his whiskey was not one of the things she helped herself to, past the first time that she had tried it. It had burned all the way down and made her feel funny and she spent half the night giggling at everything that Theo said until he picked her up and ushered her into her bedroom. The rest of his liquor cabinet was likewise safe, after that trial and major error.
The wine rack was also safe, though she more readily had a glass of that whenever Theo did. It still made her giggle, but not quite at everything like the whiskey had. And this wine was good with or without the fish.
"Everything is better than the whiskey," she said firmly as the waitress walked up with the first course. Like Theo, she said a polite thank you to her before staring into her bowl. Did she use the spoon? Or the fork? It looked like a gooey type of rice with noticeable bits of seafood, but she had no idea. Theo was no help as he was eating spaghetti, which had to be done with a fork, but a quick glance up to another table showed a woman definitely using her fork. Smiling to herself, she picked up the fork and began eating small bites. It wasn't something she'd had before, but she liked it and told Theo as much.
She was scarcely done when they brought out the second course. Gnocchi was also not something she'd had, but it filled her mouth like bliss and she moaned at the very first bite. All subsequent bites were met with the same enjoyment, but she gladly saved a few morsels for Theo.
As the final course finally came out, Kitane had to take a deep breath. She never understood how they ate so much food and she knew that at least part of the dinner would have to go home with her. It didn't matter to her though, she wasn't picky and just as often finished off any leftovers during the day as she cooked something new.
However, the stew was delicious. And if she very quietly sucked on her spoon after every bite, she made sure to do so in the least obtrusive manner possible. "It's very good," she finally said, flushing a little. Picking up her napkin -- cloth, not paper -- and dabbing her lips dry as she'd seen Theo do, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Theo."