“I had this sundress from before, but it was wrinkly, and there wasn’t time to steam it. Your mom was nice enough to let me borrow her iron today or else it’d still be wrinkly, and?—”
“Can I kiss your cheek?” I ask softly.
“Yes,” she whispers.
And I do. I let my lips linger a bit longer than necessary before pulling away.
When I do, I don’t see Mamma. “Do you know where my mamma went?”
“I went away from you two lovebirds! Thought you needed some privacy!” she shouts from outside in the garden.
We both laugh, Tessa’s shoulders silently shaking.
“I need help with the chairs, Tesoro!”
Back to reality.“I’ll be back as soon as the guests arrive.” I give her hand a squeeze, my heart still beating fast from a fuckingkiss on the cheek.
“Sounds good,” she whispers, face flushed. She gives me a flustered little wave, and I begrudgingly head outside.
After setting up way too many chairs, I head back inside and find Tessa standing next to Mamma, being introduced to guests. She’s currently speaking with my runner up for least favoritecousin, Matteo, in her broken, adorable Italian. He gives her a confused look, before glancing up at me, and I respond with a harsh glare. A glare that saysyou better compliment my pretend girlfriend on her Italian or else.
“How nice it is that you speak some Italian,” Matteo stammers unconvincingly.
Tessa, not seeming to notice his lack of enthusiasm, responds happily. “Grazie! I’ve been studying!”
She wipes a bead of sweat from her hairline. I quickly run to the sink and grab her a glass of water.
When I come back, I see her with…I’m going to kill Mamma.She’s gleefully introducing Tessa to fuckingLuca. I pick up my pace, nearly spilling the water to run interference.
“Tessa, this is Luca. Luca, this is?—”
“My girlfriend,” I interject, wrapping my arm around Tessa’s shoulders.
“Oh, piacere di conoscerti. Sei bellissima,” Luca tells her, with a lower tone of voice than I’m used to hearing from him.
I mentally note that he’s flirting with her, slowly crossing him off my list of extended family members who will be beneficiaries should I ever win the lottery.
“Here you go.” I hand Tessa the glass of water.
In an unexpected show of affection, Tessa leans closer to me and places her free hand on my chest. She lifts her chin and presses a feather-light kiss to my jaw. “Thanks, darling.”
Her loyalty causes a slow warmth to unfurl in my stomach as a proud smile spreads across my face. I feel taller, almost, as her hand begins to stroke my chest. Leaning into her touch, I decide to add Luca back onto my list of beneficiaries.
I clear my throat, giving him a strained smile. “Good to see you.”
My parents’ neighbors come in next. Tessa tells the wife, who’s wearing a skirt, that she loves her pants in Italian.Following the neighbors, five members of our church join us. Tessa tells Rocco, who is bald, that she loves his hairstyle.
I spend the night glaring at almost all of the guests she interacts with, daring them to correct her and nodding approvingly at only a select few who convincingly compliment her accent.
After greeting three more guests in Italian riddled with inaccuracies, she asks, “How am I doing? Are you impressed with my Italian?”
“It’s perfect, Tessa.”
She beams in response, and I decide that white lies are underrated.
“I feel like I’m running out of material, though, with how many people I’ve met.”
You ran out of material about five minutes into this party,I think.
