Chapter 5: The Date
Leo prepared the ingredients and made his plan for the evening.
When evening arrived, he was dressed and ready.
He was already handsome, but now he looked even more handsome in his carefully chosen outfit.
"Looks great. Let's go," Leo said to himself, checking his reflection one last time.
Leo drove his car, left his villa, and set off toward Mary Jane's house.
In just fifteen minutes, he arrived at Mary Jane's house.
With flowers in hand, he rang the bell.
"Wait a minute! I will be there soon!" a voice called from inside.
Leo waited quietly. The door opened, and a young girl came into view.
Gail almost thought that Leo was looking for her. After thinking hard, she realized she didn't know him.
"Hi, who are you? What are you looking for?" Gail asked curiously.
"Hi, my name is Leo. I'm Mary Jane's boyfriend. We have an appointment to go on a date. I am here to pick her up," Leo replied calmly, offering the flowers.
Only then did she understand. "Oh, Mary Jane's boyfriend! You are very welcome."
"I am Mary Jane's sister, Gail Wilson. You can call me Gail."
"Mary Jane is looking forward to this date. She is still preparing, and it may take some time. Please come in and have a cup of coffee."
"Oh, thank you, Gail," Leo said with a warm smile.
"You're welcome."
Leo entered the room and sat down. Gail made a cup of coffee for him.
"I'll inform Mary Jane. I will be back soon," Gail said.
Gail hurried upstairs to find Mary Jane, who had just come out from the bathroom after taking a shower, wrapped in a bathrobe.
"Mary, you never told me your boyfriend is so handsome!" Gail exclaimed.
Mary Jane felt excited. "Leo has already come?"
"Yes, he just arrived! You should change your clothes. Don't make him wait too long."
Only then did Mary Jane notice her situation.
"Yes, I'll change my clothes right now. Gail, please entertain Leo for me. I will be there soon."
After that, Gail came back downstairs and continued to talk with Leo.
They chatted casually about school, music, and Mary Jane's band.
After a while, Mary Jane came downstairs.
She wore a cropped outfit and jeans that made her look a bit like a cowgirl.
Gail couldn't help but hold her forehead when she saw Mary Jane dressed like this. "Mary Jane, this is your first date, and you dress like this?"
"I have three nice dresses upstairs. I'll help you match perfectly!" Gail insisted.
Mary Jane looked at Leo nervously. "Leo, what do you think?"
"You're beautiful. You look good in everything," Leo said sincerely.
"I like it."
"Oh, so sweet!" Gail praised, smiling at Leo's response.
Mary Jane came to Leo, feeling relieved. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."
"Not too long. Shall we go now?" Leo asked, standing up.
Mary Jane took Leo's arm. "Okay, let's go."
"Gail, the coffee was delicious. Thank you," Leo said politely.
"Thanks for saying so," Gail replied with a smile.
Gail sent Leo and Mary Jane out of the house and stood at the door, not forgetting to tease Mary Jane. "If you come back too late, then don't come back at all!"
"Goodbye, Gail," Mary Jane said, laughing.
"Bye-bye! Have a wonderful date!" Gail called out.
Leo drove Mary Jane away in his car.
---
The two left Mary Jane's house and soon arrived at Leo's villa.
Looking at the huge villa, Mary Jane could tell Leo's family condition was excellent.
"Leo, is this your home?" Mary Jane asked, impressed.
"Yes, let's go," Leo said.
Leo took Mary Jane's hand and led her into the house.
Mary Jane looked around in amazement. The villa was spacious, modern, and beautifully decorated.
"Wow, this place is incredible," she said.
"Leo, where is your family?"
Leo's expression became slightly sad. "Actually, all my family members passed away."
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mention it and make you sad," Mary Jane said, immediately regretting her question.
Mary Jane hugged Leo tightly. "I'm always with you. Don't be sad."
"Thank you. I've already come out of that sadness," Leo said softly, returning her embrace.
Then, feeling her warmth against him, Leo couldn't resist teasing her a bit. He leaned closer and whispered, "You know, if you keep hugging me like this, I might not want to let go."
Mary Jane's face turned red. She pushed him away, feeling both excited and embarrassed.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll start cooking," Leo said with a smile.
"You're really going to cook for me?" Mary Jane asked, still surprised.
"Of course. I promised, didn't I?" Leo replied.
"Leo, may I help you in the kitchen?" Mary Jane offered.
"No need. I'm enough," Leo said confidently.
Mary Jane followed him to the kitchen anyway and watched as Leo began preparing the ingredients with impressive skill.
His movements were precise and confident—clearly, he knew what he was doing.
Mary Jane watched from the sidelines, mesmerized.
Seeing Leo preparing food, she felt extremely happy.
"Leo, it smells so good," she said, inhaling the delicious aromas.
"It still takes a while, but it will be ready soon," Leo replied.
As they were in the kitchen, they talked and laughed. The atmosphere was warm and comfortable.
Leo, with his super-genius intelligence, looked even more attractive. He could read Mary Jane's reactions perfectly, knowing exactly what to say to make her smile or laugh.
Soon, Leo had prepared three dishes—perfectly roasted meat with homemade sauce, garlic shrimp, and a fresh caprese salad.
Although there was no candlelight dinner setup, Leo made the atmosphere romantic with soft lighting and pleasant music playing in the background.
At the kitchen dining table, they sat across from each other.
"This looks amazing, Leo," Mary Jane said, admiring the presentation.
"Wait until you taste it," Leo said with a confident smile.
Mary Jane took her first bite and her eyes widened. "Oh my god, this is delicious! Where did you learn to cook like this?"
"I taught myself. When you live alone, you either learn to cook or eat takeout forever," Leo replied modestly.
"Well, you're incredibly talented. This is better then many restaurant quality," Mary Jane said enthusiastically.
They continued eating, sharing stories and laughing together. The food was excellent, but the company was even better.
"Leo, I have to say, you're full of surprises," Mary Jane said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Is that a good thing?" Leo asked with a playful grin.
"Definitely a good thing," Mary Jane confirmed, smiling warmly.
As they finished their meal, Leo said, "Actually, there's a swimming pool in the backyard of my house. If you have time, you can also swim here."
As he said this, Leo couldn't help but imagine the scene of Mary Jane wearing a bathing suit. It would definitely be exciting.
"It would be even better if Gwen and Betty were also here," Leo thought to himself, already planning. "It seems I have to continue to invite them. A pool party would be a good reason."
Leo took the initiative and gently pulled Mary Jane closer. "Actually, I have another arrangement for tonight."
Mary Jane's heartbeat accelerated crazily at this moment. She already expected what might happen.
Recalling what her sister Gail had said, she felt nervous.
"Could it be something wonderful will happen tonight?" she thought.
Mary Jane didn't resist. In fact, she was looking forward to it.
"I want to invite you to a musical," Leo said.
"A musical?" Mary Jane felt a wave of disappointment wash over her.
"I know you want to be an actress. What about becoming a musician?" Leo suggested.
In the comics, Mary Jane was an actress. She had the qualifications and ability. She acted in TV series and musicals and became famous on Broadway.
But if Mary Jane were to act in TV series or movies, she would definitely have romantic scenes with other actors. Leo found that hard to accept.
"A musician artist," Leo explained.
"Yeah. I know your dream is to be an actress, but if you show romantic scenes with other actors, I would be jealous," Leo admitted honestly.
"So I think the career of a musician is more suitable for you."
"You can show your musical talent, and there's no romantic involvement with other people."
Mary Jane understood what Leo was thinking. She realized Leo already liked her deeply.
"I think it's a good idea," she said, touched by his concern.
"Come on, let's go to the musical together."
---
By the time the show was over, it was getting late.
The two returned to the car. Mary Jane was very happy, still discussing the music. "The music was really good! What did you think?"
"Although I don't have much experience in music, I think you will definitely get attention. I'm looking forward to the day when you perform on a big stage as a music star," Leo said sincerely.
Mary Jane looked very happy when she heard praise from Leo. She wrapped her arms around Leo's neck affectionately.
"Thank you, Leo. I think I've fallen in love with you," she confessed.
Leo was surprised by her direct confession.
"I love you too," Leo replied.
Mary Jane's eyes lit up. If Leo chose her right now, she had no plans to leave Leo tonight.
But Leo knew he had to be honest. He took a deep breath.
"Mary Jane, I really love you. I want to spend my life with you," Leo began.
Mary Jane's heart soared.
"But I don't want to deceive you," Leo continued seriously. "I have to be honest—I can't deny my feelings for Gwen either."
The joy vanished from Mary Jane's face instantly.
"I really like you both. I know it sounds selfish, but I can't lie to you. You deserve the truth," Leo said quietly.
Mary Jane felt distraught. The joy was completely gone.
"I need a little time to think about it. Now, I want to go home," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Such an answer was difficult for her to accept.
"I'll take you back," Leo said gently.
Mary Jane sat uncomfortably in the passenger seat, constantly thinking about what to do.
"What should I do? Leave and let Gwen and Leo be together?" she thought.
"Or accept Leo's suggestion and share him?"
Mary Jane's mood was complicated.
After just a few days with him, she had fallen deeply in love.
Leo knew she needed time to process everything.
On the way back, Leo played soft music. Mary Jane looked outside at the passing scenery, lost in thought.
It didn't take long to arrive at Mary Jane's home, but Mary Jane didn't react immediately.
Leo didn't bother her until she finally realized they had arrived at her home.
Seeing her about to get out, Leo came out of the car first.
"Mary Jane, I have something to say," Leo called out.
"I'm tired. Maybe next time," Mary Jane replied with emotion in her voice.
Leo took the initiative and held her in his arms.
"I know that you need some time, and I respect that," he said softly.
"Thank you for appearing in my life. I want to say I will always love you."
Leo ended the date with a heavy heart, but in a gentle way that left a mark.
"Good night," Leo said.
"Good night," Mary Jane whispered back.
---
Mary Jane returned to her room and saw her sister Gail looking at her with excitement.
"Oh, Mary Jane! I thought you weren't coming back tonight!" Gail said teasingly.
"I'm tired. Going back to my room," Mary Jane said flatly.
Gail wanted to say something, but Mary Jane ran back to her room first and closed the door.
Looking at Mary Jane's behavior, Gail felt something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what.
---
Leo drove back home, his mind replaying the evening.
His first date with Mary Jane was both successful and failed.
Back home, he took a bath and fell asleep, thinking about the complicated situation he'd created.
---
The next morning, Leo woke up and saw Tony Stark dominating the news.
[According to official news, Tony Stark has been rescued and is returning soon.]
[Missing for nearly three months, Stark finally returns home.]
[Stark Industries stock rises 12% on news of CEO's safe return.]
Leo smiled slightly, knowing he had played a crucial role in that rescue.
"I wonder when Tony will contact me," Leo thought.
---