Anxiety shot through her. But she didn’t have time to dwell on it, not just then, as she was needed at the kitchen. She hurried along, shoving her phone into her purse and telling herself to deal with the problem of Valeria later.
When she entered the kitchen, Diana put her to work immediately. Because they’d worked in kitchens together for many years, they had a sort of symbiosis that bordered on telepathy. Diana and Rachelle told the lower-line cooks what to do and where to go as they prepared the first line of appetizers to go out to the waiting guests. Diana blushed and offered Rachelle a rare smile.
“How’s it going?” Diana asked, although they’d hardly spoken since Rachelle arrived more than an hour ago.
Rachelle considered Valeria’s voice message and how Valeria was assuredly losing her cool as she waited for Rachelle’s reply. But she didn’t want to tell Diana about that.
“Good! Excited to be here,” Rachelle said.
“That’s the spirit,” Diana said. “Let’s get through this. Then we can have a glass of wine together? Catch up?”
“Absolutely.” It was true that for the past few weeks, Rachelle had been more or less consumed with wedding planning. She’d worked all her shifts with Diana, but she’d often had to speed off to meet with Valeria, or dine with Riccardo’s extended family, or go see a wedding venue, or some other thing. Rachelle had decided to listen to her friends, who’d told her that marryinginto Riccardo’s family was a Cinderella move. Who would throw that away?
After the second round of appetizers went out, one of the servers ducked into the kitchen and called back, “Rachelle, your boyfriend’s here.”
A shiver ran down Rachelle’s spine. But she was in the middle of plating the third course! How could she abandon her post to go see him?
“Tell him I’m in the middle of something,” she said, her voice tight. She could feel Diana’s eyes on her, assessing her next move.
“He says it’s really important,” the server said, shrugging.
Rachelle rolled her eyes over to Diana, who made a face. “I can take over from here,” Diana said. “But be back soon, okay?”
As Rachelle hurried out of the steaming kitchen and into the front of the restaurant, she glanced at the clock to see that it was nearly one thirty. Two hours till Valeria’s so-called “impossible to get” wedding dress appointment. Riccardo waited for her outside the doorway, his eyes hidden behind expensive sunglasses. He didn’t look pleased to see her. Despite that, she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him. His lips were cold. He was probably hungover.
“What are you doing here?” Rachelle asked him.
Riccardo looked miffed. He removed his sunglasses. “That’s what I’m here to ask you.”
Rachelle raised her eyebrows, then glanced back through the restaurant to see the general chaos, the diners awaiting their next courses. Through the window, she could see Diana, hustling, sweat glinting on her cheeks and forehead.
“My mother arranged something very special for you today. For us,” Riccardo said. “I can’t believe you’d disrespect her like this. She’s panicking, saying that you aren’t answering your phone.”
Rachelle gestured back toward the restaurant. “I have to work! I’ve had this party booked for weeks!”
“But this is important to my mother,” Riccardo stammered. “Parties like this come and go. But we’re only going to have one wedding, Rachelle. Right?”
He said it almost as though it were a challenge. Rachelle was stunned into silence. She knew it was wrong that she hadn’t answered Valeria, that she’d ignored the voice message and thrown herself into work. But she’d felt so overwhelmed!
“My mother is starting to think you’re not serious about our family.” Riccardo’s voice wavered. He sounded like he was going to start crying.
Rachelle felt it like a slap. “She didn’t say that.”
Riccardo nodded and pressed his forehead with the back of his hand, as though he had a fever.
Rachelle wavered. She thought she might faint. She imagined Valeria telling Riccardo not to marry Rachelle. She imagined removing the engagement ring, returning it to Riccardo, moving out of their apartment—and into what? Fear rocketed through her. Riccardo was her life and her love. He was the only person in Italy who really understood her. They were a perfect team.
It wasn’t like she could go back to Nantucket. It wasn’t like she could call home for help.
Rachelle limped backinto the kitchen to find Diana hard at work, her eyes alight. When she saw Rachelle’s face, she raised her sharp knife. “What’s going on?” Diana could read her like a book.
Rachelle spoke delicately. She could hardly look at her boss and friend. “It’s Riccardo,” she said. “Something is going on with his family. A sort of, um, emergency?”
Diana raised her eyebrows. Her expression was difficult to read, which was funny, as Rachelle had always thought she could understand her. Maybe Rachelle simply didn’t want to read what Diana was thinking just then. Maybe it was too mean-spirited.
“But I can work another hour,” Rachelle hurried to add.
“I thought it was an emergency,” Diana said.
