“I Googled it.”
“When?”
“When you shot to your feet, trying to figure out how to keep your distance.” He smirked at me. “I got my phone out and Googled her under the desk. I thought name-dropping some titles of her backlist, pretending to have read them or whatever might help, but when I read her body language I figured that wasn’t the right strategy.”
“You read her body language?”
“It’s part of my job. I have to know how the girl or woman feels every step of the way. Is she comfortable touching me or me touching her? Is she ready for her lap dance or to go upstage? Is she enjoying herself or are things too overwhelming? Does she really want me in her bed or just the company? I read women for a living, Gabi.”
“What do you see when you read me?”
He blinked, his face soft. “A beautiful mystery I have yet to solve.”
“C’mon, I’m an open book. Unlike you.”
“Ma i tuoi occhi sono un mare profondo di segreti.”
I ran a hand through my hair and took a gulp of water. “My eyes aren’t a deep sea of secrets. You know everything about me, even my dirty secrets. I, on the other hand, know nothing about myfiancé.”
“I think I’ve told you everything there is to tell.”
“You haven’t told me anything other than what can be found on a resume. What about you? Your past? Your dreams? Your food allergies? Your favorite color? Dog or cat person?”
“I’m more of a dog person. I own one. Tiara. I’m not opposed to having a cat, too. My favorite color is red.”
You’d have loved my red dress when I went over to Poles to see you.“Okay. Good to know. What about the other things?”
He fiddled with his fork. “The past belongs to the past. My dreams are boring. They’re all family related. And I’m not allergic to anything.”
“That’s total BS, but I won’t push it. You’ll tell me everything sooner or later.”
We finished lunch and walked to a gelato shop a block away. He intertwined our fingers all the way just like he did as we left the office. I liked it. No matter how hard I was trying to deny it, I liked the way Fabio touched me, and I liked our time together even when he was being an asshole.
“What flavor do you like?” he asked.
“Chocolate.”
“That’s way too predictable. Choose something more daring.”
“But I really like chocolate.”
“You and almost all of humanity, but when was the last time you tried something new and out of your comfort zone? Life has different flavors, and you gotta have a new taste every once in a while. Who knows what other flavors you might like if you do?”
“Hmmm, okay. You might have a point. Do you have any recommendations?”
“I do, but how about you let me surprise you?”
I hated surprises. It must have shown on my face because he put on the smile he charmed women with, ready to sway my mind.
“Ti prego, Gabriella. I promise you won’t regret it.”
How could I resist when his lips moved like that? “Fine, but if I don’t like it, you’re buying me another one.”
“Deal.”
He spoke to the ice cream man in Italian and ordered each of us two scoops. Lemon and salted caramel. Ricotta and caramelized figs mix and biscotti.
Both orders were surprises for me. I’d have never thought about having any of those alone or together, but I must say the combinations seemed interesting. I wondered which one was mine.
