Blossoming Connection Chapter 7 Preview:
“Here are your entrees,” Toadlee smiled. “Please tell us if there’s anything more you need.”
“Will do,” Luigi returned the smile.
“Wait a sec,” the other Toad’s eyes widened to his cap, “aren’t you Luigi?! One half of the Super Mario Brothers?!”
Luigi couldn’t contain a third chuckle, letting it fly from his lips. “Guilty as charged!”
Overflowing with enthusiasm, the assistant Toad sprang into the air, accidentally bumping into Toadlee in the process, which earned him a fleeting look of irritation from the server. He flashed a small apologetic grin before redirecting his attention to Luigi.
“This is awesome! I’m a huge fan of you guys! I’d never thought I’d meet one of the Mario Brothers in person, let alone both of them!” He inched his face closer to Luigi with a conspiratorial smile. “Having said that, between you and me, you’re my favorite.”
Luigi’s heart swelled with pride at the kind words, and his best efforts to suppress a grin that stretched from ear to ear went as well as Bowser’s attempts at marrying Princess Peach. Though he recognized that a decent portion of the Mushroom Kingdom residents admired him, Mario’s popularity exceeded his by every place they’ve been to. Consequently, he welcomed every praise he received with genuine appreciation.
“Thank you,” he absentmindedly patted the Toad on his head before hastily retracting his hand when he realized his folly. He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. “Sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Are you kidding?!” the Toad gazed at Luigi with Power Stars in his eyes. “Not only did I get to meet my idol, but he also patted me on the head! This is one of the best days of my life! I can’t wait to tell my family and friends! You have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Luigi!”
“Ahem,” Toadlee adjusted his throat with a cheeky smile, “don’t you have something important to attend to at this moment, Luss T.?”
Luss T. snapped out of his idolization trance and glanced sidelong at Toadlee, who nodded towards the kitchen. He rolled his eyes at the server, a smirk playing on his lips, before seizing Luigi’s hand with both of his.
“It looks like I have to get back to work now,” he shook Luigi’s hand with such vigor that the plumber’s seat repeatedly thudded against the booth bench. “It was such a wonderful privilege to meet you, Mr. Luigi!” He released his grip and casted one more wry look at Toadlee before returning to the kitchen with a hop in his step and a cheerful whistle from his lips.
“I must apologize for Luss T.’s behavior,” Toadless addressed Luigi and Daisy.
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Luigi smiled, shaking his arm and trying to steady himself after Luss T.’s vigorous handshake. “I didn’t mind it one bit.”
“That’s good to know,” Toadlee smiled in relief. However, the smile shifted into a frown. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you, Mr. Luigi. You and Mr. Mario have done so much for us, particularly by introducing us to your cherished Italian recipes. On that note, I hope this ziti is to your liking.”
Luigi’s eyes lit up as he focused on the generous square of ziti in front of him. He was so engrossed by the effervescent Luss T. that he forgot about his food. He smiled as he picked up his fork, ready to dig in. He knew there was zero chance of him finishing the entire serving in one sitting, but he looked forward to the first bite. The cheesy, meaty aroma wafting from the dish had already captivated him; he hoped it was as scrumptious as it smelled.
Not wishing to delay any longer, he cut a corner piece and nodded with a small smile to Toadlee before bringing the fork to his lips. It was still hot, so he burned his tongue some. After that brief discomfort, he chewed a few times and swallowed before his eyes brightened. The cheeses were gooey yet glided down his throat with little resistance. The combination of the Italian sausage and ground beef was spicy, but not to the extent in which he needed to seek a fire hydrant for relief. The pasta was soft but not overwhelmingly so. Lastly, the rich, creamy tomato sauce was seasoned with enough herbs and spices that harmonized the entire dish. Moments later, his lips parted into a broad grin.
“Questo è delizioso!” he exclaimed, causing Toadlee and Daisy to stare at him in bewilderment, although Daisy’s face displayed a flicker of amusement. His cheeks warmed a bit as he rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle. “Sorry about that. I sometimes revert to my native tongue when I get too excited. That’s Italian for ‘this is delicious!’.”
Toadlee blinked a couple of times before regaining his professional composure. “You really think so?”
“Absolutely!” Luigi grinned. “I’m picky when it comes to some Italian foods, with baked ziti being one of the main ones. I don’t mince words when it comes to something like this. The kitchen staff did a great job! It’s about as good as my mother’s!”
“I’m delighted to hear you think so, Mr. Luigi,” Toadlee smiled. “It means a great deal coming from you. I’ll be certain to inform the kitchen staff of your opinion.”
“Wow! This is definitely something worth trying based on your praise, Luigi!” Daisy exclaimed as she grabbed her fork and cut into one of her zitis.
Luigi smiled upon observing Daisy’s eagerness of tasting baked ziti for the first time. The smile, however, transformed into a frown when he realized that he broke another rule of his by taking the first bite over any woman. Some of the guilt dissipated when he recalled Daisy telling him not to fret about deferring to her in anything; nevertheless, he still admonished himself for his thoughtlessness.
Daisy brought the fork to her lips and took a few bites. After swallowing her piece, she stared at the ziti with a look that was hard to decipher. Luigi’s stomach started cramping, wondering if she didn’t like the ziti. He would live with remorse for ages if he recommended something she found unappealing. If that were the case, he could kiss any chances of developing a relationship beyond friendship goodbye, and even the friendship part felt precarious.
Fortunately, that didn’t appear to be the case because Daisy’s eyes lit up as a huge grin filled her face. “This is absolutely fantastic! You weren’t kidding about this dish, Luigi!”
Luigi was awash with relief at Daisy’s jubilant feedback about the ziti. Yet, the urge to tease her flowed within his body. His lips curled into a playful smirk. “What? Did you doubt my impeccable taste in food, especially the dishes that are native to my culture?”
“Yep!” Daisy replied without missing a beat, a smirk of her own appearing on her lips. “I heard from Mario that your taste in food isn’t as refined as you think it is just because you know how to make a few dishes.”
Luigi almost broke character with a chuckle, but he maintained the façade. “Just for that, you can forget about showing you how to cook breakfast tomorrow morning!”
Daisy eyelids flirtatiously concealed half of her eyes. “That was only a ploy to entice me to your place so you could have your way with me, wasn’t it?”
Luigi’s face was ablaze to the point where a plunge into molten lava would cool it down. Despite knowing their banter was all in jest, he was still blindsided. He didn’t foresee Daisy pushing the envelope like that. He was too frazzled to think of a retort and even if he could, it still wouldn’t be enough to outdo her.
“Pardon me,” Toadlee interjected, causing Luigi to flinch in his seat. He had forgotten about the Toad server, but he was thankful he was there if only to break up the awkwardness. “Is all well between you two?”
“Oh yes, all is well,” Daisy giggled while waving her arm. “We’re just having fun with one another. Right, Luigi?”
“Y-Yeah,” Luigi responded, still reeling from Daisy’s last remarks.
Toadlee held in a chuckle before returning to his professional demeanor. “Is there anything else you need?” Luigi and Daisy shook their heads in unison. “In that case, I’ll take my leave. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you need anything from us. And do give our regards to Mr. Mario for the ziti recipe.”
“Will do,” Luigi said through a forced grin and maintained said grin until the server disappeared from view before sighing in disappointment. He should have been accustomed to this by now, but it still stung every time it happened. He looked down at his ziti, not feeling hungry at the moment.
“Luigi,” Daisy’s concerned tone lingered in the air, “is everything OK? Did I cross the line with my banter?”
“No,” Luigi chuckled lightly before refocusing on his ziti. “I’ll admit your remarks caught me off guard, but you did nothing wrong.”
“Whew, that’s a relief,” Daisy giggled. “But in all seriousness, is there something on your mind? Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I’m alright,” Luigi replied. “It’s something I don’t want to trouble you with.”
Daisy’s hands squeezed his, compelling him to gaze into her eyes, which were filled with a combination of concern and determination. Luigi held in a laugh, realizing that she wouldn’t let him brush her aside so easily.
“Luigi,” she murmured with a blend of softness and resolve, “I can’t just sit here and observe you struggling with something without offering my assistance. You say you don’t want to burden me with your problems. Unfortunately, seeing you troubled is already a burden. I won’t force you to share if you don’t want to, but maybe there’s a chance I can help you if you tell me what’s on your mind.”
She’s as stubborn as Princess Peach, Luigi chuckled to himself. No wonder those two are such good friends. Speaking of the princess, he still wrestled with the idea of keeping everything to himself, but he recalled the sense of relief he felt when he finally admitted his feelings to her despite it not ending too well for him and the recovery from the heartbreak. Although this issue wasn’t as significant, he knew he would feel much better with this burden off his chest. It also helped that he would be discussing it with someone who wasn’t involved in his situation. With a nervous smile, he braced himself to tell Daisy what was bothering him.
