“It’ll be easy. I just need chocolate, almonds…”his dark head bowed close to mine.
“Do you have Strega?” he asks softly.
“No, but I could order it…”
“I will have some sent to you.” He lifts my hand and presses a kiss to it. “Until tomorrow,principessa.”
He sweeps out from behind the counter. My legs are so weak, one wobble, and I’d be on the floor with the fallen cups.
On his way out, he pauses to remove something from his sleek black wallet and slot it into the tip jar.
Then he’s gone, leaving me to shuffle through the sea of white cups back to the counter.
He left a hundred in the tip jar.
CHAPTER 2
The next morning, I blow in with a wintry wind before five a.m. There’s a bottle of Strega on the countertop, sitting on the ripped scrap of paper that holds the recipe.
“Mr. Rossi?” I call. “Did you leave this here?”
“No, I thought you left it.” He sidles up to Big Bernadette, as I have named the espresso maker, inspired by Royal’sshe’s a woman, no?comment. “You got the machine working!”
“Um, sorta.” With a lot of help from a gorgeous customer.
“Soon, we will be printing money! And look,” he holds up the tip jar, “one hundred seventeen dollars, for your college fund.” He beams before disappearing into the back.
“Yay.” I pick the scrap of paper up. “Strazzate.” I try the word out, mimicking Royal’s lilting pronunciation.
If you make me strazzate,Royal said,I will marry you.
I drop the card with a shiver. Somehow, Royal got me a bottle of Strega for the authentic recipe. Either that, or little Italian fairies delivered it.
I bet I’ll get a Royal visit later today. I could make the cookies… and text him? His card is burning a hole in my pocket,but after the morning rush, I have my college class. If I text him, he’ll know when to come.
That’s the plan then. I tuck Royal’s business card back in my pocket where it will keep my phone company until the appointed time. My heart is skipping as I head back to start on a batch of cinnamon rolls.
Royal
The little bakerrushes around the small space behind the counter, making espresso and filling orders. Every so often, I think she’s going to finally look up and see me watching her through the front windows, but she never does. She’s totallyfocused on the customer in front of her, giving them one hundred percent of her generous smile.
“You’re watching her again,” Enzo mutters at my back. “It’s been every week for a year. She doesn’t even know it.”
“Does the prey know the hunter?” I murmur absently. I didn’t expect Leah to recognize me yesterday. It had been a year since I last entered her place of work, after all.
Enzo shakes his head. “Enough already.”
When it comes to Leah, I’ll never get enough. She got my gift, but she hasn’t called or texted. Maybe she’s too busy.
Maybe’s she’s afraid.
Enzo takes my silence to mean he can keep blabbing. “Just ask her out. You know she’ll say yes.” He lights a cigarette.
My fingers itch for a cigarette of my own, but I’ve quit. New year, new me. My aunt looked me in the eye as she dealt the cards.This is the year you claim it all.
“I don’t date.”
“Then ask her to fuck.” Enzo blows smoke. “No woman’s turned you down before.” His smirk fades when I turn and he sees my expression. He raises his hands. “No offense.”
