Slowly, they all made their way outside, tasty egg drop soup in their bellies. They shivered in their bathing suits before they could sink into the bubbling water.
Most of them groaned as they poured themselves in. Considering all the moaning coming from their group, it was the least sexy hot tub experience ever, all of them exhausted from the day’s work on the mountains.
The view more than made up for it. It was a little harder to see in the dark, but snow-capped mountains loomed above them in almost every direction.
“I think we should take it easy tomorrow,” Abby said, her eyes closed and head leaning against Emilio’s. The group nodded in agreement. “Emilio can give us his pasta class in the morning, and then we can eat that for lunch while we play games.”
“Yessss, teach us your Italian ways, oh lean, keen Florentine,” Cole said. He was always trying new nicknames for Emilio. Keyword:trying.
Emilio chuckled at the attempt. He fit in great with their group, dealing with Cole’santics with ease.
“When I’m through with you, you’ll all be pasta masters.”
“Oh, pasta master!” Cole exclaimed. “If you say it with a Boston accent, it kinda rhymes.”
“Boston isn’t in Italy,” Josh said. “Oh, do you have a Boston in Italy like we have a Florence in Jersey?”
“No, I think everything in Italy was already named before Boston existed,” Emilio said, which pulled a smile from Riley.
His best friend wasn’t a genius when it came to book smarts, but Riley appreciated it when people didn’t make him feel stupid.
Josh was a genius where it mattered, in the way he treated others. And Riley had always made sure people treated Josh with the respect and kindness he deserved.
6
“WOW, EMILIO, I DIDN’T think pasta making would involve paddling each other,” Cole said, inspecting a wooden utensil with a handle and a flat end with grooves. “Pretty kinky. Congrats, Abby.”
He saluted Abby with his paddle, but the exchange left Josh confused.
“Uh, I don’t want to be paddled for pasta,” he said. “I can go get mine at the store.”
“It is not a paddle, but a pasta making board,” Emilio said, easing Josh’s worries. “We are going to roll the dough against the grooves to create some different shapes.”
“Well, that seems less fun, but okay,” Cole said, pouting. Josh couldn’t always tell when Cole was joking. It was even more difficult when Elena whispered something in his ear that had him turning red.
Cole lucked out with Elena. She was model-gorgeous, with her caramel-colored skin, long, silky black hair and curves to boot. But Josh had never felt anything toward her besides friendship because she was also scary as hell. Apparently, that was Cole’s type.
Josh was on a mission to find someone who treated him as well as Riley did, but no woman he’d met over the years had ever come close. Maybe one day. It was New Year’s Eve, so maybe this would be his lucky year.
“Cole, you may not borrow the pasta making boards when we’re done with them,” Abby said, throwing a glare in his direction.
“Fine, ruin my fun,” he said. Cole had such a weird definition of fun.
“Bene, children, let’s get started on the dough, and then we can make the pasta shapes as we play Hailey’s newlywed game.”
Josh watched, transfixed, as Emilio created dough using water and flour. Just two ingredients. The boxed pasta he bought at the store usually had a whole list of ingredients.
They made a huge batch. Emilio separated it into big chunks, dispensing the pieces to each of them.
Emilio took a small ball, maybe the size of a nickel, and placed it on the board. In one motion, he used his thumb and simply rolled the ball down the grooves of the board, resulting in a little grooved pasta shape.
“Here we have cavatelli. All you have to do is roll it down the board with your thumb. Try to make them all the same size so they cook evenly,” their Italian tutor explained.
“Holy shit, it looks like real pasta!” Josh exclaimed, drawing chuckles from everyone. “You made it look so easy.”
“It is easy and you can do it. Here…” Emilio said as he lightly held Josh’s thumb against another tiny dough ball, pushing so he dragged it along the board.
“I did it! Riley, look!”
