Progressed with Potential Lover

In the deli, in the room where Deborah usually dances—a room typically occupied only by her—Lorenzo was present.

Lorenzo observed Deborah, who seemed visibly upset. He felt a surge of satisfaction, realizing she was affected by his absence from the deli the previous afternoon.

"You don't need to deny it, Deborah," Lorenzo chuckled, eyeing her keenly. "You're clearly upset; it's written all over your face."

At his words, Deborah felt a twinge of embarrassment but retorted with a defiant pout, "So what if I am? It's not because of you, okay? I was just feeling off earlier." She attempted to justify, too embarrassed to admit the truth.

"You know, you look adorable even when you're upset," Lorenzo teased her.

Deborah, hand on her waist, moved closer to him and asked, "Are you here just to annoy me further?"

Lorenzo shook his head, conceding with a smile, "Alright, I give up. No more teasing from me."

Deborah responded with a playful, dismissive snort.

Lorenzo's smile deepened. Had it not been for the [Relationship Tab] indicating that Deborah's feelings towards him hadn't soured, he might have refrained from teasing her altogether.

Despite knowing Deborah was genuinely upset with him for missing yesterday afternoon, he also knew her annoyance was only skin deep—it hadn't truly affected their relationship.

Catching her eye, he asked, "Don't you wonder where I was yesterday?"

Deborah, still miffed yet undeniably curious about his absence, feigned indifference. "Why would I care?" she retorted.

"Just play along, will you?" Lorenzo laughed. "Pretend to be curious."

A slight smile broke through Deborah's pretense as she asked, "Fine, then. Where were you?"

With a triumphant grin, Lorenzo declared, "I actually met with the Don of the most powerful family, the Corleone Family." He aimed to astonish Deborah, eager to see her reaction to his meeting with Don Corleone.

Deborah gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. "What? You met with Don Corleone!?"

Lorenzo, basking in the moment, asked, "Cool, huh?"

However, Deborah surprised him by playfully shoving him on the chest and accusing, "Liar."

Deborah's shock turned out to be an act, a playful ruse to catch Lorenzo off guard.

"Do you really not believe me?" Lorenzo inquired, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"And who would?" Deborah retorted with a snort, her skepticism clear. "A kid like you, meeting with the Don of New York's most powerful family? Please."

"Admittedly, it does seem far-fetched that someone like me could have an audience with Don Corleone," Lorenzo conceded with a nod, understanding her doubt. Then, with a slight shift in tone, he added, "But there's one thing you got wrong, Deborah..."

Curious, Deborah faced him, asking, "What's that?"

To her surprise, Lorenzo stepped closer, gently holding her chin as he corrected, "I'm not a kid. I'm a man."

"Oh? Did calling you a 'kid' wound your pride?" Deborah teased, laughter dancing in her eyes.

"Who are you calling a kid? Can't you see? The person standing before you is all man," Lorenzo insisted, his tone playful yet firm.

"A man? Where?" Despite Lorenzo's grip on her chin, Deborah's eyes darted around in mock search, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. The annoyance she felt toward Lorenzo for his absence at the deli the previous afternoon was fading, replaced by the amusement of teasing him like this...

"Do you truly not recognize the 'man' before you?" Lorenzo challenged, locking eyes with her, seeking a connection.

Deborah responded with a gentle shake of her head, her gaze unwavering, locked on Lorenzo's.

Sensing Deborah's playful mood, Lorenzo leaned in closer, teasing the boundary between them, almost as if he were about to kiss her.

Deborah's heart raced, the proximity and the tension of the moment catching her off guard. She braced herself for a kiss, only to find Lorenzo stopping short.

"What?" she blurted out, her voice a mix of confusion and anticipation.

Lorenzo drew back, releasing her chin, his laughter light and teasing. "What, you thought I'd actually kiss you?"

Deborah's cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and surprise.

"Haha, I thought I wasn't considered a 'man' in your eyes?" Lorenzo continued to tease.

Caught off guard and eager to steer away from her embarrassment, Deborah quickly changed the subject. "But seriously, where were you then?"

Lorenzo, amused by her quick pivot, didn't skip a beat. "I was indeed meeting with Don Corleone at the Corleone family mansion in Long Island."

"Still sticking to your story, huh?" Deborah asked, her annoyance flickering back, mixed with disbelief.

With a look of earnest sincerity, Lorenzo met Deborah's gaze. "I'm not lying, I swear!"

Deborah studied him more intently, skepticism lacing her voice. "Really?"

Lorenzo nodded affirmatively.

"You actually met with Don Corleone?" she pressed, sensing a truth in his demeanor she hadn't caught before.

"Yeah," Lorenzo confirmed with another nod.

Surprised, Deborah's curiosity piqued. "Why would you meet with him?"

"I needed Don Corleone's help," Lorenzo admitted.

"For what?" Deborah inquired, her intrigue growing. She was aware of Don Corleone's reputation for assisting even the most ordinary people, which lent Lorenzo's claim a shade of plausibility.

With a heavy sigh, Lorenzo shared, "It was for my friend Adam's outstanding hospital bills at Mount Sinai... I couldn't cover them, so I had no choice but to seek Don Corleone's aid."

This revelation took Deborah aback, and she regarded Lorenzo with newfound respect. "Wow... Did he agree to help?"

Lorenzo nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Yes. Just yesterday, he helped me settle the hundreds of dollars in hospital bills for my friend."

Deborah's eyes widened in astonishment. "Seriously? Are you actually telling the truth?" She couldn't hide her skepticism.

Lorenzo let out a chuckle, his gaze meeting hers. "Starting to doubt me?"

Deborah wanted to believe him, yet her skepticism held strong. "Well, it's just that..."

Noticing her hesitation, Lorenzo offered a solution. "If you're having doubts, why not come with me to the hospital to see my friend for yourself?"

The suggestion caught Deborah off guard. "You want me to come with you to visit your friend in the hospital?"

"Only if you're up for it," Lorenzo replied, making it clear that he wasn't pressuring her.

After a moment of contemplation, Deborah made her decision. "I'll go with you."

Lorenzo was pleasantly surprised by her willingness. "Really?"

"Yes, I'll come with you," Deborah affirmed, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I'm also interested in finding out what happened to your friend and how he's doing now..."

"That's great!" Lorenzo exclaimed, clearly pleased that Deborah agreed to accompany him to the hospital. "Let's head out."

"Now?" Deborah asked, a trace of surprise in her voice.

"Yes, now," Lorenzo confirmed with a nod.

As they stepped out of the room, they almost bumped into Fat Moe, who was scanning the area with a plate of food in his hands. His gaze quickly focused on Lorenzo.

"Ah, Lorenzo! I've been looking everywhere for you," Fat Moe exclaimed as he made his way over, noticing Deborah by Lorenzo's side.

"Hey, Fat Moe," Lorenzo greeted him, turning to face him.

"Here's your order," Fat Moe said, sounding a bit winded from his search.

"Thanks, Fat Moe." Lorenzo gratefully accepted the Chicken Noodle Soup and compensated him.

Deborah, seeing the food, suggested, "Maybe you should eat before we leave."

Lorenzo agreed with a nod, appreciating her consideration.

Fat Moe, overhearing the conversation, looked puzzled to see his sister, Deborah, in Lorenzo's company.

"Deborah, are you going somewhere with Lorenzo?" Fat Moe inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Deborah briefly acknowledged Fat Moe with a "Yes," before her gaze swept across the bustling deli, filled with customers. She turned back to her brother, advising, "You should focus on the customers instead of worrying about us."

Fat Moe, never one to mince words, shot back, "You ought to be helping out more here, Deborah."

Without missing a beat, Deborah firmly declined, "No, I can't."

Just as Fat Moe was about to retort, a customer's call diverted his attention.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo had settled at an empty table, observing Fat Moe's frenetic efforts to manage the deli. "Poor Fat Moe," he mused aloud.

Deborah, sitting across from him, quipped, "Feel free to lend him a hand if you're so concerned."

Lorenzo met her gaze, half-joking, "I just feel bad for my brother-in-law, you know."

"Brother-in-law?" Deborah echoed, caught off guard by his comment.

Lorenzo, nonchalant, took a spoonful of his noodle soup. "Yeah, I plan to ensure a good life for my brother-in-law in the future," he said, with a hint of seriousness beneath his playful tone.

Deborah couldn't help but laugh, a mix of surprise and amusement in her voice. "Now you're starting to sound delusional..."

"Delusional?" Lorenzo countered with a playful snort. "Not at all. I'm just confident that you'll end up being my first wife."

Deborah's amusement quickly faded, replaced by a flicker of annoyance at Lorenzo's mention of a "first wife." With a challenging gleam in her eyes, she retorted, "First wife? What, so there's going to be a second?"

Lorenzo, caught off guard, nodded automatically before realizing the implications. He saw Deborah rising from her seat, possibly to leave, and quickly urged, "Wait, wait."

Deborah, fixing him with a steely gaze, reluctantly sat back down.

Lorenzo tried to lighten the mood, "You're taking this too seriously... Can't you see I'm joking?" he said, attempting to return to his noodle soup nonchalantly.

"Just eat and keep quiet. Wouldn't want you to choke," Deborah snapped back.

"Didn't realize you'd get jealous even before we're married," Lorenzo teased, hoping to elicit a lighter response with his chuckle.

"I'm not jealous," Deborah replied, her voice icy.

Lorenzo noted Deborah's growing irritation with him, yet to him, it signaled that she was beginning to care more deeply about him.

In his mind, a constant reminder buzzed about the progress of his relationship with Deborah. The [Relationship Tab], a tracker of sorts, showed their connection strengthening, now at a score of 21. Lorenzo mused that reaching 30 might not be too far off, at which point he would accomplish a particular goal...