I smile hesitantly. The playfulness in his voice, coupled with the dimples peeking out of his smile, makes me think he is enjoying himself, even though he just revealed something difficult.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

A pretty waitress comes to take our order and Vinny orders for both of us without asking. Lasagna. For lunch. It’s not something I would ever order at this time of the day, but I find it sweet he remembers what I’d always ordered for dinner when we studied late back in high school.

Returning his attention to me, he turns back and makes an expectant face. “So, what is it, yes or no?”

“No.”

“Now you’re giving me a one word answer. I thought we agreed those aren’t gonna cut it. Unless you want to start over with my answers all being no…”

“Fine.” I try my best to act annoyed. Rolling my eyes, I continue with my response. “I don’t have a boyfriend, currently. Two long-term relationships while I was away at college, the last one ended when school did. A date every once in awhile, but I’m pretty busy with my work most of the time.”

Vinny nods, pleased with my answer. My turn. “You turned down a fight with Ravek last year, saying you weren’t ready for a title fight. What makes you think you’re ready now?”

His eyebrows arch in surprise at my question. “You’ve done your homework.” I smile at the compliment and await his response. “I was considering joining the military last year. I may have been ready physically, but my head wasn’t in the game for that level of a fight.”

I remember back to when we were in high school. He’d always worn dog tags around his neck that belonged to his father. “Your dad was in the military, right?”

He reaches in under his sweater and pulls out the same tags I remember dangling so many years ago. “Haven’t taken them off except to fight since I was a kid. He died in the line of duty when I was a baby.” His face looks sad at the memory, but he quickly recovers. “That’s two you owe me now.”

“Did you go to the prom with Evan Marco?” Vinny asks.

The name brings back sad memories. “No.”

“Why not?”

“He was too injured to go. Wonder how that happened?” I respond with sarcasm. I’m actually surprised that he would even bring up Evan, no less push me to talk about what happened back then. I was only in tenth grade, so I was shocked when Evan had asked me to the prom. He was two years older and captain of the football team. Every girl wanted him to ask her. Yet he asked me. I hadn’t even realized he knew my name. I was just a wallflower, one of the smart girls who took advanced classes. But he did, and I was excited to go…even though deep down I secretly would’ve rather gone with Vinny. Then Evan got into a fight with Vinny a few weeks before prom and Evan canceled on me. I’d bought my dress and everything. I was devastated, but Vinny got it worse. He was already on probation for fighting and Evan’s father was on the school board. No one was surprised when Vinny was expelled.

My turn. “Why did you beat up Evan?”

Vinny’s eyebrows arch in surprise. “Olivia Michaels, are you asking me a personal question, not for your article?”

I blush, hating myself for asking. But I’d always wondered. Vinny got into fights often in high school, but it wasn’t usually with the jocks. He’d even been friendly with Evan before that. “I guess I am.”

He smiles halfheartedly, tension creeping back into his face. “He said something I didn’t like.”

“He said something you didn’t like?” I mock his answer in disbelief that he’d gotten himself expelled over something so trivial.

“That’s gonna count as another question if I have to repeat myself.” Vinny warns with a grin.

Almost two more hours go by and Vinny’s answered every question I’ve thrown at him. And I can tell he’s done so truthfully. In between our question and answer sessions, we reminisce about the time we spent together in high school. I’m surprised how much he remembers about me. My favorite foods, the music I listened to, how I rewrote my own endings to the classics, my dream of becoming a writer. It’s sweet and unexpected.

Vinny pays the check even though I tell him the paper would pay the bill. “Can I get one more question, Liv?”

I roll my eyes playfully, but somewhere along the line in the last few hours I let my guard down…he knows I’m kidding. “Go ahead.”

He leans in closer and whispers to me, “Can I kiss you?”

I don’t respond right away, mostly because he doesn’t give me time to. Instead he kisses me. At first it’s hesitant, controlled, gentle…almost unsure. He tastes sweet, like the tiramisu we just shared. Incredibly delicious. After a minute he pulls back, our lips still touching after his gentle kiss, and a low moan escapes my lips before I can stop it. And then gentle goes out the window and he’s on me, kissing me hard, his tongue pilfering my mouth and demanding I allow him to take the lead. The tension gripping my body for the last few days since I saw him again begs for release. I find myself grabbing at his shirt, clenching, pulling him even tighter against me than his already strong hold has us pressed against each other. He sucks on my tongue desperately and bites down on my lip when I move to pull away for air.

Panting breathlessly, eventually we come up for no other reason than we need to breathe. Shocked at the intensity of my reaction, embarrassment starts to seep in. I begin to pull away, but Vinny follows, not allowing our contact to break. He nuzzles the side of my face, and I listen to his hard breathing so close to my ear. It’s insanely erotic and I need to put space between us to stop myself from doing something stupid. “I need to see you again, Liv.” His voice is low and rough.

I do my best to pull my thoughts together, but my head is spinning, my mind a tangled web of mixed emotions, some old, some new. “What about Krissy, or Missy, or whatever her name is?”

“Over.” His response is quick, tone clipped.

“Since when, I just saw you together last week?”

“Since right now.”

Shit. I wish I didn’t love his response, but I do. It’s defiant and socially improper, but it’s also raw and honest. And everything that attracted me to him so many years ago. He is who he is, and makes no apology if it’s not what you expect. In a strange way, I was always a little envious of him. The ability to live your own life, truly for yourself, is such an easy thing to say, but such a difficult thing to do.