“I’ll come in, but I need to close the cafe and get on the bus, so could you let me know if it shows up so I can go straight to the hospital?”
Janine agreed and hung up, leaving Paolo to stare at his phone and contemplate closing the cafe before the lucrative lunchtime rush. The thrill in his gut faded. Suddenly, his late-night encounter with Luis seemed a long time ago.
He pocketed his phone and went back inside. Luis was still at the dishwasher, but he was leaning on it, arms folded, waiting for Paolo. “What’s the matter?”
“I have to leave. My nonna’s being taken to hospital.”
“From the nursing home?”
“Yeah. She had a fall a week or so ago, and her hip isn’t healing.”
“Okay.” Luis wiped his hands on the apron Paolo had finally got round to giving him. “Do you have any open orders?”
“No. There’s some tables that have just sat down. I’ll go tell them they have to go.”
“Go? Why?”
“Because I have to close up.” Paolo started for the kitchen door.
Luis grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “You don’t have to close. I can cook until closing time.”
“What?”
“I can cook and take the money if you trust me not to rob you blind.”
“Why would you think that had even occurred to me?”
“Because you’re looking at me funny.”
“I—” Paolo shook his head to clear it. He felt like he was underwater. “Fuck, I really need to go.”
“Then go. I got this, I promise.”
Something clicked in Paolo’s brain. He nodded slowly and untied his apron. Luis disappeared and came back with Paolo’s coat and wallet. “Do you want me to lock up and go home or stay here until you get back?”
“Um, I don’t know. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“Want me to post the keys through your letterbox?”
“Yeah, actually, that would be great. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You want me to call you a taxi?”
“Nah, there’s a bus in a couple of minutes.” But Paolo didn’t move. His feet were welded to the floor, his heart transfixed by the man in front of him. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Luis gripped Paolo’s shoulders. For a moment, Paolo thought he might shake him, but he didn’t. He wrapped his arms around Paolo and hugged him tight.
It felt like a lifetime had passed when he pulled back. “Go,” he whispered. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
* * *
“Thanks, Janine.”
Paolo shut the door on the heroic nurse and took a seat by Nonna’s bed. She was sleeping now, like she did most of the day, apparently unaffected by her grand day out to the local A&E, and Paolo was glad of it. Nothing was worse than seeing his beloved grandmother in pain, and fuck knew, he’d seen it enough over the last few years.
He slumped in his chair. Now he knew Nonna was okay—for now—his brain kept trying to take him back to fretting about Luis and the cafe, but his worries found no traction. It was as if his heart knew something the rest of him didn’t, and he couldn’t make himself move. He woke Nonna up for dinner a little while later, helped her eat, and filmed her weekly message for Toni. Maybe at the weekend he’d bring Toni for a visit. Sunday, if he didn’t spend it getting drunk and snogging Luis.
Like that’s happening again.
