readily
concurred.
“I
called Carmina. She cancelled the
restaurant reservation.”
“Okay
… thanks,” she scowled at him.
Luca
looked away and bit his lip. “I just
wanted to make sure you got back safely,” he said softly. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he
silently walked away towards the elevator.
Gaby
inserted her key in the door as quickly as humanly possible and entered her
room. Leaning her back against the
closed door, she let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes.
Good,
she told herself firmly. They didn’t
seem to agree on much, but at least they were both unequivocally certain it was
best that they stayed out of each other’s way. Why then did she feel so deflated by the thought of avoiding him in the
future?
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Gaby!
Here I am!” Carmina called to her from a small marble table at the coffee
bar. Gaby sat down and waited for the
interrogation to begin.
“So,
what happened to you last night?”
Why
lie about it? Carmina had a right to
know. “You’re brother happened, that’s
what,” she replied sulkily. “He didn’t say anything to you?”
“ Due caffe’ per favore, ” Carmina ordered
from the waiter as he passed. “Well, he gave me some pathetic excuse about you
not feeling well, and having dinner together another night.” She squinted at Gaby. “You two are certainly giving each other a
bad time.”
Gaby
blinked at her. “I don’t know what you
mean.”
“Come
now Gaby. From the looks of Luca this
morning, I’m not quite sure which one of you came away less unscathed from last
night.”
“ Hmm, ” Gaby contemplated, “He looks bad?”
Carmina
smiled. “Well, he doesn’t look
good. And that my dear friend, for Luca,
is most unusual.”
That
brought a small smile to Gaby’s face. At
least she wasn’t the only one suffering from lack of sleep or peace of
mind. Revenge was indeed sweet!
“Gaby,
why don’t you just give in and admit it?”
“Admit
what?”
Their
coffee arrived and Carmina brought it to her lips and looked over the rim at
her. “Admit that my brother drives you
to distraction in more ways than one.”
Gaby
sipped at her coffee. Carmina continued
to stare, forcing her to cave. “Alright,
alright, I admit it. He makes me crazy. I don’t know whether to kiss him or kill him
half the time. And it’s partly your
fault you know!”
“Mine?”
“Yes! Getting him to pick me up last night! Maybe I should kill you instead! What were you thinking?”
Carmina
laughed. “I thought maybe you were in
need of a little gelato. You know. Something bad for you; but oh so delicious.”
Gaby
threw her a dirty look. “When I want
gelato Carmina, I’ll pick my own flavour, thank you very much.”
“Do
they make broccoli flavoured gelato?”
Carmina said with a straight face.
“Yuck!”
Gaby couldn’t help but grin.
“ Esattamente . Exactly! You’re in Italy, Gaby. We don’t
eat to live. We live to eat! Enjoy yourself. Have the best gelato you can possibly get,
and worry about the calories tomorrow.”
“But
what if I want to eat that gelato for the rest of my life? What if I can’t get it out of my
system?”
Carmina
solemnly chewed on her lip.
“You
see. You know I’m right,” Gaby replied,
suddenly a little more serious. “It’s
best not to get addicted in the first place. Gelato may make you happy for a moment, but in the end all you’re left
with is … is …,”
“Really
high cholesterol?” Carmina winked at her.
“ Esattamente, ” Gaby smiled wanly back.
Gaby
and Carmina continued to chat and ordered another coffee. Gaby promised to not let Luca interfere with
their friendship and Carmina promised that she wouldn’t try any more
matchmaking.
After
drinking their third espresso, Carmina voiced the very question Gaby had been
pondering since the “He’s my
concurred.
“I
called Carmina. She cancelled the
restaurant reservation.”
“Okay
… thanks,” she scowled at him.
Luca
looked away and bit his lip. “I just
wanted to make sure you got back safely,” he said softly. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he
silently walked away towards the elevator.
Gaby
inserted her key in the door as quickly as humanly possible and entered her
room. Leaning her back against the
closed door, she let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes.
Good,
she told herself firmly. They didn’t
seem to agree on much, but at least they were both unequivocally certain it was
best that they stayed out of each other’s way. Why then did she feel so deflated by the thought of avoiding him in the
future?
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Gaby!
Here I am!” Carmina called to her from a small marble table at the coffee
bar. Gaby sat down and waited for the
interrogation to begin.
“So,
what happened to you last night?”
Why
lie about it? Carmina had a right to
know. “You’re brother happened, that’s
what,” she replied sulkily. “He didn’t say anything to you?”
“ Due caffe’ per favore, ” Carmina ordered
from the waiter as he passed. “Well, he gave me some pathetic excuse about you
not feeling well, and having dinner together another night.” She squinted at Gaby. “You two are certainly giving each other a
bad time.”
Gaby
blinked at her. “I don’t know what you
mean.”
“Come
now Gaby. From the looks of Luca this
morning, I’m not quite sure which one of you came away less unscathed from last
night.”
“ Hmm, ” Gaby contemplated, “He looks bad?”
Carmina
smiled. “Well, he doesn’t look
good. And that my dear friend, for Luca,
is most unusual.”
That
brought a small smile to Gaby’s face. At
least she wasn’t the only one suffering from lack of sleep or peace of
mind. Revenge was indeed sweet!
“Gaby,
why don’t you just give in and admit it?”
“Admit
what?”
Their
coffee arrived and Carmina brought it to her lips and looked over the rim at
her. “Admit that my brother drives you
to distraction in more ways than one.”
Gaby
sipped at her coffee. Carmina continued
to stare, forcing her to cave. “Alright,
alright, I admit it. He makes me crazy. I don’t know whether to kiss him or kill him
half the time. And it’s partly your
fault you know!”
“Mine?”
“Yes! Getting him to pick me up last night! Maybe I should kill you instead! What were you thinking?”
Carmina
laughed. “I thought maybe you were in
need of a little gelato. You know. Something bad for you; but oh so delicious.”
Gaby
threw her a dirty look. “When I want
gelato Carmina, I’ll pick my own flavour, thank you very much.”
“Do
they make broccoli flavoured gelato?”
Carmina said with a straight face.
“Yuck!”
Gaby couldn’t help but grin.
“ Esattamente . Exactly! You’re in Italy, Gaby. We don’t
eat to live. We live to eat! Enjoy yourself. Have the best gelato you can possibly get,
and worry about the calories tomorrow.”
“But
what if I want to eat that gelato for the rest of my life? What if I can’t get it out of my
system?”
Carmina
solemnly chewed on her lip.
“You
see. You know I’m right,” Gaby replied,
suddenly a little more serious. “It’s
best not to get addicted in the first place. Gelato may make you happy for a moment, but in the end all you’re left
with is … is …,”
“Really
high cholesterol?” Carmina winked at her.
“ Esattamente, ” Gaby smiled wanly back.
Gaby
and Carmina continued to chat and ordered another coffee. Gaby promised to not let Luca interfere with
their friendship and Carmina promised that she wouldn’t try any more
matchmaking.
After
drinking their third espresso, Carmina voiced the very question Gaby had been
pondering since the “He’s my
Similar Books
