“Thank you! Let me just put them in water.” I quickly totter back into my apartment and grab a vase from the kitchen, filling it with water and placing the flowers inside. I’ll sort them properly when I get back; I just need to make sure they didn’t wilt in the meantime. I feel him watching me the whole time, his hungry gaze following me.
Finishing up, I return to where I left him at the door and smile widely. Stepping out, my front brushes up against him.An electric feeling buzzes through me at the contact and I gasp, automatically going to apologise. However, I look up at him and see the warmth in his eyes. He’s not moving and knew that I would have to squeeze by to shut the door. He did this on purpose.
Well, two can play at that game. As I roll back my shoulders and straighten my posture, I feel his gaze move to my chest, my breasts proudly on display. Twisting to face the door, I brush against him again, locking my apartment with exaggerated slowness. He groans quietly and shifts beside me and I quickly hide my smug grin. Taking a moment to school my expression, I slip my keys into my clutch bag.
“Where are we going?” I ask innocently, turning around with a sweet, expectant smile.
He narrows his eyes, his smile turning speculative as he realises that I fully realised what I was doing to him. We make our way down the stairs, him half a step behind me. As soon as we reach the bottom, he reaches around me and grabs the door, holding it open and gesturing for me to go first.
“Roma Cucina. I’ve been told their pasta is the best in the area.”
My stomach chooses this moment to grumble loudly in agreement, and I laugh, choosing not to feel embarrassed about my body. Bear has made it pretty clear that he likes the way I look, curves and all, so I’m more at ease. Surely he would prefer it that I’m hungry and looking forward to our meal together rather than trying to hide a completely normal bodily reaction.
“It really is,” I reply, my smile wide and steps eager, already thinking about what I want to eat. “We are very lucky to have the Giordano family here.”
There is a limited selection of places to eat in town, but the restaurants we have are really good. The Giordano family have lived here for several generations now, and they are well andtruly part of our community. Signore Giordano still places an order with me every week and I have enjoyed learning about Italian techniques to make his bread as authentic as possible.
A touch on my arm has me pausing. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Bear is offering me his arm. Is this really happening, or am I dreaming? I feel like I’m part of one of those romance movies with the handsome newcomer who falls for the curvy woman next door. Life isn’t like the movies, though, and something is bound to bring me crashing down to reality soon enough. In the meantime, though, I’m going to try to make the most of this. Giddy with emotion, I chuckle breathily and slide my arm through his, our bodies brushing as we walk side by side. If Ashley were to see me now, she would be doing cartwheels.
The restaurant is the other side of the town square, so it only takes a matter of minutes for us to arrive. Bear quickly untangles himself from me and steps forward to open the door for me, flashing me a bright smile. Excitement is fluttering inside me like I’m filled with a thousand butterflies.
Inside the restaurant, we are quickly led to our table, a secluded spot in the corner of the room. Our waitress winks at me as Bear helps me into my seat and I have to choke back my laugh. Menu spread out in front of me, I flick through the pages, not really paying attention to what’s written there, as I’m too busy trying to sneak looks at Bear.
I flick my gaze up again and freeze as his eyes lock onto mine.Oops, caught.Smiling awkwardly, I reach up and brush a stray strand of my hair back behind my ear. Did he know what I was doing, or did he just happen to catch that last look? Either way, he instantly makes me feel at ease by returning my smile and placing his hand on top of mine on the table.
The light in the restaurant is dimmed to create a cosy atmosphere, and with him holding my hand and staring at me like I’m the only woman in the whole universe, I feel like I’mliving a dream. Things like this don’t happen to people like me. This has to be too good to be true.
Unaware of my disbelief, Bear strokes his thumb over the back of my hand, sending tingles through me. “You look stunning tonight.”
“Thank you.” I manage to gasp out, not so much at his compliment but because of the feeling his touch is stirring within me. Biting down on my lower lip, I continue to flip through the menu.
“Have whatever you want.”
His comment makes me pause. It’s innocent enough, and most might assume that he’s telling me this so I don’t choose the cheapest option, on the assumption that he offers to pay for the meal. However, there’s something in his tone that is implying more, yet I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. I look at him questioningly, tilting my head to one side.
He gestures to the menu with his free hand. “Don’t choose a salad just because you’re here with me. I want you to enjoy whatever you want.”
Ah, I understand now. He’s probably been to many meals where his dates choose something healthy, assuming that he might not like them if a carb dared to pass their lips. He’s a gym buff, so I can understand why someone might think this. I doubt I am anything like the women he has dated previously. I fully intend on eating as many carbs as I can manage. Food is my love language, whether it’s my baking, or sharing a meal with someone, and I can’t possibly hide that part of myself even if I wanted to.
I want to laugh at the idea of me eating a salad, but I’m still trying to make a good impression here. Instead, the corner of my mouth twitches up and I lean forward with a teasing gleam to my eyes. “What if I want a salad?”
Sensing what I’m doing, he grins and tilts his head to one side. “Do you?”
“No,” I grumble playfully and he laughs in response.
“Look, if you want the cheesiest, carb-filled dish they have, then go for it. I love a woman with a healthy appetite.”
Jake always criticised me if I ate more than he thought I should. He would never outwardly say anything cruel, but he would make small comments that caused me to feel bad about my choices. Often, I just ignored him and ate what I wanted anyway, but towards the end of our relationship, the comments got snider and it was easier for me to just eat what he wanted me to. Bear’s attitude is so refreshing. A man who is encouraging me to eat whatever I want and not what’s best for my figure? He’s perfect. Wait, this seems a little too perfect.
“Are you one of those feeders?” I ask suspiciously, narrowing my eyes playfully. I’m joking. Sort of. Ashley had forced me to take a look at a dating site not long after Jake left, and the weird messages that I got was enough to put me off internet dating for life.
He laughs and shakes his head. “No, I’m just a guy that wants you to feel comfortable eating whatever you want to in front of me. I might own a gym, but I still love carbs. You are stunning and your body is…” He trails off and for a second I panic about what he’s going to say, but the look on his face makes me relax. “Fucking perfect.”
He's genuine about wanting me to be comfortable enough to choose what I truly want, and the fact that he thought of that before I even had the chance to ponder only makes me like him more. Knowing that he isn’t majorly strict about his own diet too helps to put me at ease. It’s hard not to feel gluttonous when your date is eating a lean chicken salad and you’re tucking into a huge juicy burger.
“Bella!” Signore Giordano calls out and appears at our side. “Signora Holly, it is such a pleasure to see you here. It has been too long!”
I smile up at the familiar man, as his friendly accented voice brings a smile to my face. He’s right, it has been a long time since I came to the restaurant. It’s not the same visiting a restaurant by yourself when everyone in the town knows about your break-up and the reason that you’re dining alone. Bear and I are sure to be the gossip of the town, but for once, I don’t really mind. Honestly, I am just enjoying having a nice occasion to eat out.
