“Absolutely.”
She presented all the hiring paperwork and collected my information so they could get me on the payroll. The salary was decent at seventy euros a year. It wasn’t a fortune, especially in an expensive place like Paris, but it was definitely a lot more than what the internship paid. “Thank you so much for this opportunity.”
“Of course,” she said with a smile. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
It’d been a couple days since I’d spoken to Luca, so I sent him a text.Hey.He might already be asleep from working all night, or he might not be off work at all. I really didn’t know with him.
But his three dots were immediate.Hey.That was all he said, back to being a tightly shut clam.
Thought we could get something to eat if you’re free.It was still morning, almost eleven by the time I walked out of Diamant with a new job under my belt.
I can pick you up.
I’m not at home. Just finished my interview. I can meet you somewhere.
You know Holybelly?
I’d never heard of it. I pulled it up on my phone.I can get there in fifteen minutes. It was too far to walk from where I was close to the Seine. I’d have to take a taxi, which was a reasonable expense, considering I had a job now.
See you then.
I got into a taxi, and it took me across town at the very edge of the 19th arrondissement. The taxi dropped me off on the one-way road, and I walked inside the double doors to discover an American-themed breakfast joint with orange booths. It was packed with people, but Luca immediately stood out as he sat alone in a booth, in a long-sleeved shirt with his elbows on the table. His eyes immediately caught mine, and with the recognition, he gave a hint of a smile. He slid out of the booth and stood to his full height as I approached, a slight smirk moving over his lips at the sight of me.
When I was close enough, his arm circled the small of my back, and he pulled me close for a kiss, greeting me the way a man greeted his woman, like I was someone special, someone who made him get to his feet.
Luca had been the biggest jackass when I met him, but now he was someone different.
At least, he was with me.
He let me go and returned to where he’d been sitting in the booth.
I scooted onto the bench across from him.
He set his menu in front of me.
“So, what’s good here?”
“I get everything.”
“You get everything?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s a small menu,” he said with a slight shrug.
The waiter came over, and he seemed to know Luca because they fist-bumped each other then talked about football. They seemed to like opposing teams because there was a little shit-talking back and forth. I ordered a coffee, and Luca stuck to water.
“You come here a lot?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Take girls here the morning after?” I meant it playfully, because it was a joint that only served breakfast until they closed at two p.m.
His eyes hardened at the taunt. “I don’t do that.”
“Then you come here alone?”
“I come here with the guys sometimes. Usually on Sundays.”
“Aw, that’s cute.” I looked at the menu and tried to decide.
