Page 75 of That's Amore


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I give her another moment, but that’s all she says. I swallow and wet my lips. “Try what?”

“Try again. Being together.” She holds up a hand as thoughI’m interrupting her, even though I’ve said nothing. “Yes, it’s a little crazy, but there are some things you should know first.”

“Okay.”

“So, I’m not just here on vacation. I’m here on a work visa.”

Well, that’s a surprise. “Seriously?”

She nods, and her smile is wide and genuine. She’s proud of herself, and she should be.

“Marina, that’s great. Wow.”

Her smile grows, and that little flutter I used to get whenever she lit up is back, flitting around low in my body. “It was something I have been working on for a while but never told you because I wasn’t sure it would come through. But it did, and I came here to work for a food tour company here in the Big Apple.” Spoken like a true tourist, and I smile at her. “I’m not designing the tours—yet—but my boss is very open to my ideas, and he lets me be creative, so it’s working out really well. At least I think so. I hope he does, too.” At that, she makes a face with her teeth clenched, and it makes me laugh.

“I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before he has you making up the tours.”

She lifts one shoulder in a modest half shrug. “Maybe. But anyway, I’m here for a while, and I’d like to take you out. If you’ll let me.”

God help me, I can’t seem to find my anger. I mean, it’s there, don’t think it’s not, but in all my fantasies about the possibility of seeing Marina again, I unload on her. I unleash all the hurt and pain she caused. I let her have it. But that’s not happening now, because goddamn it, I’m just so glad to see her. I’m not sure what to do about that.

“Take me out, huh?” I nibble on the inside of my cheek as she slowly lets herself smile.

“Yes. I have learned of some really great places. I knew New York was a”—she snaps her fingers, looking for the word—“heaven?”

“Haven.”

“Haven! That’s it. I knew it was a haven for amazing food from all cultures, but it’s even more than I ever could have imagined.” She seems to realize her excitement is running away with her, and she takes a moment to calm herself. When her voice is back to a normal register, she says, “I spend two days a week just wandering around, stopping into little places that might fly under the radar and tasting their food.” She gives a small, self-deprecating chuckle. “If I wasn’t walking so much, I’d have to be careful of how much weight I could gain here.”

“You have nothing to worry about. You’re still gorgeous.” I was only thinking it, so I’m as surprised as her when the words leave my mouth. She flushes a pretty pink on top of the olive tint of her skin.

“I’m so happy to see you, Lily.” She says it so softly, I almost don’t hear her, but her eyes are wet, and when she reaches her hand across the table to me, there’s no way I’m not going to take it.

“Can we go back to something you said earlier?” I ask it quietly because I feel like I need to step carefully here. I don’t want to chase her off, but I need some clarification.

She nods, slightly wide-eyed, like she’s nervous about what I might say next.

“You said you had reasons for cutting off contact in Rome. Can you tell me what they were?”

She presses her full lips together and looks off to her right for what feels like a long time but probably isn’t really. Then she swallows, something I see and hear and says, “I knew—” She stops and clears her throat, then looks down at our hands while she tries again. “I already had feelings for you. Pretty early. Even when you asked me about us being casual and I agreed.” She swallows again. “I maybe should not have.”

“Oh,” I say softly, drawing the word out as I take in what she’s said, roll it around in my head.

We sit there, looking at each other silently for a long while. The ball is in my court now, she knows it, and I know it. The Ping-Pong games go on. Reggie sits looking up at us both as if waiting for what will happen next.

“I’m so sorry,” Marina whispers. “I’ve missed you so much.” With those words, I think her nerves can’t take anymore. The tears spill over and track down her beautiful face, and I can’t stand it.

“Okay.” It’s just one word, but it’s as if it has power, and it blows the clouds away.

“Okay?” Her eyes go wide, and I think she can’t quite believe it.

I say it again, and punctuate it with a nod. “Okay. Take me out.”

And before I realize it, she’s pulled me to my feet and has me in her arms, hugging me tightly. God, she smells amazing, and the feel of her, of being this close to her, sends so much emotion rushing through me that I feel my own eyes well up.

We’re not okay. We’re not magically better. I know this. But for right now? For right now, I’m happier than I’ve been in four months.

I am more nervous right now than I was the first time I went on an actual date with Marina. Like, a hundred times more. It’s ridiculous. I am ridiculous.