“Pretty sure it’s the men’s.”
To avoid starting an argument, I looked pointedly around the bathroom that only had stalls. The fact that it actually smelled nice should have been a dead giveaway. He peered past my shoulder, surveying the room, and his eyes briefly widened as realization flashed across his face.
“Maybe not,” he murmured, looking back to me. ’Is your noseOK?”
“I have no idea.” I moaned again as the throbbing in my nose continued. “God, this is so embarrassing. I am so sorry about this.”
“Stop apologizing,” he said. “Come here, let’s look.” He placed a hand on my shoulder but kept his distance as he guided me torest against the sink.
His other hand circled the wrist protecting my nose, and it all happened so quickly.
His touch shocked me, causing my hand to dart away from my face. He must have been startled by my surprise because he let go of my wrist and, in doing so, flicked my hand even more.
The bright red drops splashed onto his crisp white T-shirt. In an attempt to stop them in their tracks, I managed to make matters significantly worse by smearing even more blood onhim.
If I had no decency and hadn’t been wholly mortified, I would have dwelled a little longer on the absolute washboard of a stomach I felt underneath the shirt.
His eyes flickered to the stain, and he released a deep exhalation.
Please kill menow.
He turned to a stall, the light metal squeak of the tissue holder the only sound in the otherwise empty bathroom. Folding the paper a few times, he extended his arm, gesturing for me to take it and press it against my nose.
“I know you said not to apologize, but now I do have something to apologize for. I have completely ruined your T-shirt. I really am sorry.”What a complete disaster.
“It’s fine.” He let out another exasperated sigh before continuing, “I didn’t realize this wasn’t the men’s restroom. It’s my fault.”
“No, no. I should have been watching where I was going.” I pulled the tissue away from my face, surveying the mess. Although it was stained red, my nose seemed to have stopped streaming. I couldn’t quite bear to make eye contact yet, so I turned to the sink to wash my hands.
Luca’s silence from behind me was wholly unsettling.
Just as I was about to break it with some waffling, he passed me another wad of tissue, which I used to pat my face dry. I opened mymouth, unsure what to say, but Luca cutin.
“Don’t apologize again. YouOK?”
A nervous laugh escaped me. Luca didn’t smile back, but I didn’t let mine fall.This was not the start I wanted.
“Yeah, I think so.” I dabbed my nose with the back of my hand, finding it clean. It still hurt like a bitch, but I ignored the pain; I didn’t want him to feel guilty for an accident.
“Good.” He nodded once, then darted his eyes up and down my body.Checking for other signs of injury?Presumably finding nothing else wrong, he nodded again.
He turned and strode to the door. With much more finesse than I’d had when I’d tried to leave five minutes before, he gripped the handle, pulled, and walkedout.
What a shit show.
“What time do we finishtoday?” Luca asked his agent as I approached their table in the café.
“It shouldn’t be a late one—” His agent paused when he spotted me and beamed. My cheeks warmed as I took in the two gorgeous men sitting at the table and fought the urge to break eye contact with them.
Fake it till you make it, Matilda. I set my shoulders back and held my head high, summoning every ounce of confidence I could find.
These days, Luca was renowned for his stoic expressions and frowns. His lightly tanned skin, tousled dark hair, and deep brown eyes made me wonder if one of his parents was Mediterranean. The man on his left was his opposite; he exuded charisma and smiles, making his presence known within a five-hundred-yard vicinity. He had dark green eyes that almost glowed against his dark, wavy hair.
Even in an empty, open café, their presence seemed too large for the room. I felt like a garden gnome in comparison.
“Hey,” I said, a bit too loudly, making me wince.
I decided to pretend we hadn’t met. At least that way, if hehadn’t mentioned it to his agent, it wouldn’t put him in an awkward position.
