She makes a whimpering sound like a helpless puppy.
“You can’t always get away with this behavior, ya know,” Valentina complains. “You’re getting married soon.”
“Oh, please, Val. Do it for me,” Sofia pleads.
Valentina laughs softly and nods her head.
“Thank you, babe! You’re the best.” Sofia jumps up and hugs Valentina, throwing her arms around her neck. Her dress lifts slightly off the floor. “I must mingle with the guests, but I’ll see you soon, right? Bye!”
We watch as she prances away, as a moment of silence grows between us. All you can hear is the clinking of dishes behind us and the murmuring of voices as the kitchen staff finishes the final touches. I watch as Valentina stares at the recipe, slowly biting her lower lip.
“So,” I say.
“What?” Valentina replies, almost surprised I’m still standing here, clearly lost in her little world.
“You’re in love with Sofia,” I state.
Valentina snaps her head so quickly in my direction I’m surprised it didn’t break right off.
“Excuse me?” She scoffs. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, please. The tension was palpable. You can see it all over your puppy-dog face. How long has it been? Does she know?”
“There’s nothing to know,” Valentina says between clenched teeth.
Clearly, this is a touchy subject for her, but I’m unbelievably amused.
“Did you ever plan on telling her?”
“Don’t you have some mystery to solve? That you’ve now involved me in it,” Valentina retorts.
“Oh, my God. You weren’t going to tell her. You’re just going to let her get married and never confess? Are you also going to appear at her doorstep during Christmas with big white cardboard signs expressing your love, à laLove Actually?”
Valentina sighs deeply.
“So I’m right,” I say.
“Whatever,” Valentina replies. “It’s not a big deal anymore. She’s getting married, and I’m catering her wedding. Not to mention I’m her maid of honor.”
“Why are you even working at your best friend’s wedding?”
“Because she asked me if I could. Her caterer dropped out at the last minute, and she begged me one night, crying on my couch. How could I let her down, you know? I wanted to show her that I was there for her till the very end.”
I sit on the metal counter, facing the staff, and watch them move swiftly around the kitchen.
I snort. “That’s rough. I wouldn’t be able to do it. Watch the love of my life be with someone else. I’d go crazy. Probably ruin the wedding or something.”
“Well, actually”—Valentina looks around us to ensure no one is nearby—“I do plan on ruining the wedding.”
Suddenly, my stomach flips. I have to grab the edge of the counter to keep myself from spinning into a panic.
“Uh, come again?”
Valentina’s eyes narrow, but there’s something behind her expression—a quiet desperation. “Luciano is not good for her. She deserves to be with someone who has known her her whole life. And would do anything for her. And well, that person should have been me. So I’m going to stop this wedding.”
The calm with which she says this is mindboggling, but I can see it now—the love that blinds her. The way she talks about Sofia isn’t just about protecting her. Valentina really believes she’s the only one who should be with her. I leap off the table, snatching the book from her hands to force her to look at me.
“Are you fucking insane? I wasjoking. You can’t destroy the wedding. Sofia is your best friend; why would you want to ruin something she’s spent so much time planning?”
