"Do you like Italian food, kitty?" Em asks me when we all are finally sited round the table.

   "I love it," I beam. "I was actually planning to order something from that part of the menu."

   "Good! Then I offer you to let me choose for you and you'll choose something for me from the Japanese section. What do you think?"

   "That will be great!" I answer enthusiastically. I really can't wait to see what he'll pick for me.

   "Is there anything you don't eat?" I ask. "There's quite a lot of raw fish and specific spices in our cuisine." I don't want to order something that he won't like.

   "No, sweetie. I'll be happy to try anything you chose for me," he smiles and strokes my cheek.

   We both start to dig into the enormous list of dishes. In few minutes Em's eyes lighten with delight.

   "I know what I'll order for you," he says excitedly. "I told you that half of my family is from Bologna. My father is from there. It's in the region Emilia Romagna. Besides the fact that it's very beautiful, the town is famous with its delicious food. Do you know that Italians actually call it Bologna 'la grassa'? It means Bologna 'the fat'."

   He chuckles and I can see the love for the place, written on his face.

   "I spent my childhood there and cooked every day with my nonna [1]. I really enjoyed it," he says lovingly.

   "You're so sweet," I can't help but coo at him. "I love the way you speak about your family."

   "It's because of you, kitty." He kisses the tip of my nose. "You made me this way. I haven't spoken to anyone about my family for ages."

   Em pauses for a moment, looking into my eyes. I can feel the unspoken words, lingering on his lips. I know what he's thinking. I want to tell him that he can say it now. I'm no more afraid to hear it. I need to let him know that I feel the same. But I'm still not ready and only smile. He smiles back and continues.

   "Anyway, I see that they prepare some of the most famous Bologna dishes here. Soo, I'll order for you tortellini alla Bolognese [2]," he states triumphantly. "It's ring-shaped pasta, stuffed with a mix of prosciutto crudo di Parma [3], mortadella [4], Parmigiano Reggiano [5], hen egg and a little nutmeg, served in brodo di cappone [6]. I hope the taste will be authentic. Do you like how it sounds?"

   "I'm thrilled to try them," I nod my head eagerly.

   "I surely like how your Italian sounds," Emma mumbles with an expressive sigh.

   "I can speak Italian if you'd like," Lucky immediately offers, making everyone laugh.

   "And then I have for you Cotoletta alla Bolognese [7]," Em goes on. "It's a hot veal cutlet, dipped in beaten egg and dredged in bread crumbs with butter, served with slices of prosciutto and cheese on it."

   "Em, both sound absolutely delicious, but I can't eat all of this food. It seems a lot. Order one of them. The other I can try next time."

   "Oh, no, my sweet. Be thankful that I'm not ordering a starter as well. I knew you would say this. Being with half-Italian means eating a lot. Get used to it," he chuckles. "And we're drinking prosecco [8], of course."

   Now it's my turn. After Em's sophisticated choice, I feel a little anxious if I'll manage so well. Finally, I decide that he'll like the tempura shrimps and vegetables [9]. In addition, I decide to order a platter of Nigirizushi [10] with various toppings and wasabi [11], pickled ginger and soy sauce on the side.

   Em's sincere praises when I show him the dishes, tell me that I've succeeded.

   Everyone orders and we're sipping wine while waiting for the food to arrive.

   "So, what was that about you becoming world famous and what do I have to do with it?" I can't wait to learn. "How did the meeting go?"

   "Oh, the man was a real pain in the ass," Lucky grunts. "We started at five and the whole thing went on for three full hours with no prospect of ending. The guy was like a coiled spring."

   "Yeah," Tony intervenes, rolling his eyes. "At some point I started to wonder if he was on some kind of drugs and where this endless energy was coming from. He asked about almost every tiny detail of our life, taking notes all the time. We confessed where we had graduated primary and secondary school, in which University we're in, where we worked, about our parents, hobbies, former and current romantic relationships, absolutely everything."

   "At some point it was pretty embarrassing," Mikey quietly adds. "But he was determined to learn it all and said it was the standard procedure."

   "Absolutely annoying!" Jamie also joins. "It was going on for a full hour. We were almost ready to run out when he finally said that he wanted us to perform life some of our most popular songs. To be honest, I felt relieved. I'd much rather play than being interrogated."

   "It was really funny, though," Lucky chuckles, "how the man's mouth fell agape when he saw Em. He wasn't able to stop gazing at him during the whole interview. Not that it stopped him from going on and on with the questions, most of them directed particularly to Em. I'm astonished how, at some point, you didn't tell him to fuck off," he shakes his head, looking at Em.

   "It's just his job, guys. He has to make sure that we're not going to pull some ugly scandal, right after the company has invested an outrageous amount of money in the band," Em says and the others nod in understanding. "I'm sure, as impressed as he was by me, I was still his main suspect," he sneers.

   "What did you expect with this kinky look," Lucky grins widely. "I wonder what he would've thought, if he saw you with Sunny."

   I immediately tremble at his words. Is it possible that their fame has the price of Em not being with me anymore? I know that agents prefer their rock stars to be single. That sells records better.

   "Hey, sorry!" Lucky quickly blurts, seeing my startled expression. "Don't get me wrong. I just meant that you're pretty impressive as a couple. Em looks smug and perverted while you're just the sweetest, shy bunny. You're total opposites."

   He looks remorsefully and smiles anxiously at me.

   "It's ok!" I shakily smile back. "I'm not offended. I just thought that... may be... you know..." I feel that I'm severely blushing and just lower my eyes, unable to go on.

   "Lucky, you just don't know when to stop, do you?" Emma snorts. "Be happy that it's your birthday, or else I would've made you regret your big mouth."

   "Emma, don't!" I mumble. "He said nothing wrong. I know that I and Em are totally different. I get what Lucky means and agree. It's not a bad thing."

   "Me and my sweet kitty are the best match. Isn't that just right, love." Em cups my checks and lifts my face to look at him.

   He sweetly smiles at me and pecks my lips. I smile back and nod.

___________________________________

[1] Grandmother

[2] Tortellini from Bologna

[3] Ham, typical for the town of Parma

[4] Sausage, typical for the town of Bologna

[5] Italian firm cheese

[6] Capon broth (from a rooster, bread in aspecial way)

[7] Bolognese cutlet

[8] White, sparkling Italian wine, named after the village of Prosecco

[9] Battered and deep fried foods in Japanese cuisine

[10] Hand-pressed, oval-shaped balls of sushi rice with toppings

[11] A chili paste, made of Japanese horseradish

***

Photo by Rajesh TP from Pexels

Photo Harry Dona by from Pexels

***

A/N

Hello everyone at the end of Chapter 53!

Thank you for reading and supporting! ❤❤❤

You're amazing!

Again, sorry about the lesson in Italian and Japanese cuisine! 😀😀😀

I wanted this book to be not only a hot love story, but also to express my firm believe that people from all over the world must live together in harmony.

And what brings people together better than the good food and love? 💕💕💕

Despite the fact that we might live on two different sides of the globe, we're all the same.

So, yeah, I send you all my love! 💗

Share your thoughts, be free to express yourself and criticize if you think it's necessary.

And don't forget to vote, if you enjoyed the story.

It's the greatest award for the author.

See you in the next chapter.

Love: Anny