She sighed. ‘I went back to Vipers last night. Another bartender there said she’d seen him recently, like in the last few weeks. I left my details.’ She swallowed. ‘Last night, it felt like all my Christmases were coming at once but in a city this big, it’s still a long shot.’
‘Hey, don’t underestimate the outside chance. Drummond Global has made a fortune on some of those.’ He smiled. ‘We’re here.’ He held his hand out, indicating the building they’d stopped at.
‘Restaurant Romario,’ Hayley said, reading the sign.
Oliver took it all in like he was seeing it for the first time. Not much had changed since he was a kid. The window frames and door had been given a fresh lick of paint but the green and red canopies over them were still the originals. His stomach rolled as if it could already taste the delicious Italian feast about to come their way. Breadsticks and olives followed by a garlic-infused lasagne.
‘I’m starving,’ Hayley announced. ‘I want the biggest pizza they’ve got.’
Oliver smiled, stifling the laughter with a hand to his mouth.
‘They dodopizza don’t they? This isn’t one of those restaurants where I won’t know the name of anything, is it? I went to a Christmas meal once where they didheirloomtomatoes andsomething called a mackerel escabeche. I was too scared to order anything but turkey.’
Oliver pushed at the door. ‘One thing I can tell you is, you won’t want the biggest pizza they’ve got.’
‘Are you sure about that? I’m a big eater.’
‘It takes two people to carry it,’ Oliver responded.
Hayley watched Oliver push open the door and a bell chimed above as he moved over the threshold. Heat hit her as she stepped up into the entrance and smells of oregano, parmesan, olive oil and freshly baked dough infused her nose. As she relieved herself of her coat, shaking snowflakes off the material and folding it over her arm, she watched Oliver being swallowed up in the embrace of a short, dark-haired woman in her sixties. The woman was speaking in hurried Italian and Oliver was responding, kissing both her cheeks with real affection. This was somewhere he knew well. And it was nothing like the opulent surroundings of Asian Dawn. This was a cosy restaurant, somewhere you would come to feel at ease. It wasn’t the sort of place Hayley had imagined eating dinner at tonight and, as she watched Oliver in this relaxed atmosphere, she realised that was a good thing.
The older woman shuffled forwards, dark eyes shining at Hayley. Before she had a chance to do or say anything, the woman had taken her hands and was clutching them tight in a move that suggested she was thrilled to meet her.
‘You are a very beautiful girl, very beautiful,’ Mrs Romario said, still holding on to Hayley’s hands.
‘Thank you,’ Hayley said, a little embarrassment creeping in.
‘Hayley, this is Anna Romario; this is her restaurant,’ Oliver introduced.
‘Oh, it’s so lovely to meet you,’ Hayley replied, shaking the hands that were holding on to hers with more affection.
‘This one needs a good girl,’ Mrs Romario continued, her eyes moving to Oliver.
‘Whoa there, Momma, I think that’s enough of the matchmaking right now.’
Hayley looked to the newcomer. He was taller, late twenties, with dark eyes and hair to match. He smiled and held out his hand.
‘Tony Romario,’ he introduced himself. ‘And actually, this is my restaurant now, along with two others from the Papa Gino franchise.’
‘You’re not at a networking event,’ Oliver said.
‘She’s cute,’ Tony whispered back.
‘Thank you,’ Hayley replied. She shook Tony’s hand.
Oliver smiled. ‘Hayley, this is my best friend, Tony. Tony, this is Hayley Walker.’
‘Charmed,’ Tony said, smiling. ‘Now, please, let me show you to your table.’
Hayley followed Oliver through the restaurant to a booth at the back next to a window looking out onto the street. Oliver pulled out a chair for her and she sank down into it, looking to the view outside. A group of carol singers stood across the road, the tune of ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High’ just audible through the glass. A couple walked by, wrapped up in hats and scarves, taking turns to nibble on a doughnut.
Hayley turned back to the room and watched Oliver take his seat opposite.
‘A menu for madam and one for sir,’ Tony said, passing them out. ‘Can I recommend a wine or perhaps some champagne?’
‘You keep working that charm,’ Oliver joked. ‘Hayley? What would you like to drink?’
‘I do like fizzy wine. It doesn’t have to be champagne. Sometimes, fizzy wine is actually better,’ she responded.
