Page 19 of Tailored for You

My heart was lodged in my throat, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Tears blurred my vision. I tried to calm down, to blink and think rationally about what Charles said, but I couldn’t.

He had threatened to take Harper from me. He barely showed up, never kept a promise, always had someone new on his arm, but he thought he could take her?

“Calm.” A big, warm hand landed on my back and rubbed circles.

Enzo. I’d know that voice anywhere. The deeply accented husk pulled me out of my panic as he spoke to me in Italian.

Embarrassment, hot and twisting, filled me. He had witnessed not one interaction with Charles but two. In both situations. I had allowed Charles the upper hand.

What must he think of me?

He crowded me, continuing to rub circles on my back. His hand was big and warm. The repetitive motion was soothing. Leaning into it, I took a moment to gather myself.

It didn’t take long for me to come back.

I turned my head, looking up. He was too good to be true.

Why did nothing ever go my way? Was I born unlucky, or did I break a mirror and get a hundred years of bad luck?

First, my awful ex threatens me. Then the guy I've had the biggest crush on since Jonathan Taylor Thomas watched all of it go down.

No wonder that site said I was undatable.

I covered my face, taking another second to collect myself, before looking up at Enzo through my fingers.

“Looks like you have the night off,” he said.

I nodded. “Yeah, looks like I’ll be able to knock out some work.”

He nodded and leaned back against the table behind him.

“Are you going to take a break to eat?” he asked, not taking his eyes off me.

At that, my stomach rumbled. I wanted to crawl into a hole. Why me?

“Yeah,” I said, glancing at the half-finished piece hanging off the mannequin. Then I remembered Harper and I were supposed to go grocery shopping.

Enzo had his phone to his ear, barking what I took to be orders in Italian. As soon as he left, I was going to download Duolingo.

He walked to a table, grabbed a bag I hadn’t noticed, and handed it to me.

“Here,” he said.

Gingerly, I took the bag. When I opened it, I did my best not to squeal in delight. It was Thai food from one of my favorite places in the city, along with a Thai iced coffee.

“How did you know this was my favorite?” I asked, ripping the carton open.

Enzo shrugged, grabbed a chair, dragged it over to the table, and sat on the other side. He jerked his chin when I hesitated.

“Eat.”

Normally, I don’t take commands like that, but I was too hungry and excited to do anything but comply.

After inhaling the first few bites, I slowed down and savored the food, studiously ignoring Enzo, who was watching my every move.

Swallowing my food and taking a sip of my coffee, I eyed him. “Don’t you have places to be? People to,” I waved my fork around, “order around and do your bidding.”

Rather than answer, Enzo pulled out his phone. If I looked close enough, which I didn’t, I could’ve sworn there was a hint of a smile.