“Seafood in general, no. But shrimp? They’re basically sea crickets. No thank you.”
I turn my fork to look at the shrimp, then I drop it back onto my plate. “Now I can’t eat it. Thanks a lot.”
He laughs. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “You just ruined my dinner.”
He reaches over and picks up my fork, carrying the shrimp back up to my mouth. “Come on. Just eat it. I’m sure crickets aren’t that bad for you.”
I push away the fork. “You’re not helping.” I try to look mad, but it’s hard to suppress my laugh when he presses the shrimp against my lips.
“In some parts of the world, crickets are a delicacy,” he says.
“That’s very reassuring.” I snatch the fork out of his hand and eat the shrimp, trying not to compare it to a bug while I chew.
“I can’t believe you just ate that.”
I throw my napkin at him. “I’m never eating dinner with you again.”
He laughs. “We’ll see about that.”
I roll my eyes, still fighting a smile. “Tell me about your family,” I say. “How many siblings do you have?”
“Three,” he says. “Twin sisters and a brother.”
“Oh, wow. Twins? I always wanted a twin sister. Did they ever wear the same outfit and trick you or your parents while you were growing up?”
He smirks. “Sometimes. They’re identical, but if you really know them, you can spot their differences easily.”
“I am so jealous that you grew up with a big family. I’m guessing you’re pretty close with your family?”
He takes a moment to chew his food before responding. “I guess you could say that. I see my dad every day. I get together with my brother and sisters a couple times a month. We have a family dinner once a month. It gets pretty chaotic with all the kids, cousins, extended family. Most of them have annual passes to the aquarium, so they come by often.”
“That sounds like fun. I grew up with my cousins, so I know how chaotic that can be. Do you have any nieces or nephews? Or any kids of your own?” I look up from my plate as I ask the question. I hope that I’m being subtle in my nosiness.
His brows shoot up like he’s surprised I would even ask that. “Me? No.”
“You’ve never been married?”
He shakes his head. A smile teases the corner of his lips. “Have you?”
“No. No kids, either.”
“You’re good with kids though.”
“What makes you say that?” I ask.
“I’ve seen you outside with Caitlin a few times.”
I frown. “Who?”
“Caitlin,” he repeats. “She’s a funny kid. Loves bugs.”
“Oh! Caterpillar Kid? That’s her name?”
He raises an eyebrow. “You nicknamed her Caterpillar Kid?”
“She’s always picking up caterpillars and coloring in a caterpillar coloring book,” I say with a shrug. “I guess I should have asked her what her name is.”
