“My mom had breast cancer,” he says. “I know how hard it was, how hard she fought. You’re a survivor, Bella. Thank God for that.”
“Is she alive? Your mom?”
He nods. “She is. And so are you.”
“Tony, my brother, he thinks I’m gonna break. But he’s wrong. I’m stronger than he thinks. In his mind, I’m keeping everything in — but I’m not.”
“No?” Matt takes my hand. My fingers wrap around his as if this is something we’ve done a hundred times before. “You have someone to talk to?”
I nod. “Not to get personal, but I have a therapist at my doctor’s office. She helped me process losing my parents when I was a teenager, then getting sick. Everything.” I don’t know why I'm so blunt with him… but I think I’m testing him. Wanting to see how he is going to take my truth. I need a man who isn’t scared by it. I need a man who sees me as strong. An asset, not a liability.
“That’s good,” he says. “I work out most days to clear my head. We all need a way to deal with our shit, ya know?”
I lick my lips, sitting up, and he sits next to me. “You really wanted my number?”
He smiles. Shakes his head. “I wanted more than your number. I wanted… hell, when I saw you yesterday, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
I roll my eyes. But he takes my face in his hand. “Don’t do that — dismiss my truth. You are, Mirabella. You are something out of a fairy tale. Dark eyes, dark hair, curves that make me…”
“Make you what?” I ask, biting my lip.
“Make me need —” He stops talking then. And instead he pulls me in his arms and kisses me. Soft. So, so soft. I melt against him, his lips the first I’ve ever kissed. His lips the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.
My eyes are closed, my heart hums, a whimper escapes me, coming from somewhere deep within.
Finally, we pull apart.
“What happens next?” I ask, my voice a whisper, just as I hear the back door of the shop open.
Matt smiles. “Tonight, you come to Angelina’s on Perry Avenue at eight.”
He stands, takes my hand and kisses the top of it. And then he walks right out the door.
Leaving me breathless, speechless, and utterly smitten.
Chapter Four
Matt
I walk away, grinning like a fool in love. Crazy, maybe, but I know she is the one for me. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and her heart — damn, what a precious thing. But I have a feeling that isn’t how she acts with everyone. Her brother says she is shy… but the Mirabella I know hasn’t acted nervous.
She laid it all out there for me like an open book.
Damn, I want to spend the rest of my life reading each of her pages. Learning every single detail, savoring her words. I want to know her by heart.
When I get home, I make a point to tidy my penthouse up. If the night goes as planned, maybe we’ll end up back here talking till dawn. I text my sister Lucia, not expecting her to answer — she’s always busy at the farm where she works.
Me: Hey… I need dating advice.
Lucia: WAIT, WHAT? MY BACH4LIFE BRO IS DATING?? WHO IS THIS UNICORN?
I chuckle, typing back.
Me: Unicorn is right. I think she’s the one.
Lucia: And I’m just hearing about her?
Me: Well, we met yesterday.
Lucia: If you could see me, you’d know I was rolling my eyes. I’ll believe this when I see you giving her Grandma Angelina’s diamond ring.
I run a hand over my jaw… my sister has no idea. I have plans for the ring. Big ones.
Me: The photo will be coming shortly. Be on the lookout.
Lucia: Wait. Are you for reals?
Me: Yes. Her name is Mirabella and she’s… she’s special.
Lucia: Do you want to talk?
Me: No. I just need advice. Should I ask her brother for her hand in like, marriage?
Lucia: No. This is 2020.
Me: FYI, I expect whoever you date to ask me permission.
Lucia: You are so weird.
Me: Love you too.
Lucia: Well, good luck tonight. And yes, that is sarcasm. Maybe sleep on it before you pop the question.
Me: You know I always listen to my sister’s advice. Will do.
I slide my phone in my pocket, feeling oddly at peace with things. I may be jumping the gun here… but maybe not. Maybe there are crazier things than meeting the girl you are going to spend the rest of your life with.
Once I get to Angelina’s, I park in my reserved spot and head through the back kitchen, clapping my head chef on the back.
“Lucia sent some gorgeous tomatoes over this afternoon,” he tells me. And I check them out, reminding myself to thank my sister for always making sure our produce from Nettle Bank Farm is top notch.
I check in with my right-hand man, Lukas — the floor manager. “The back room will be all ready for you at eight o’clock, boss,” he tells me.
The next few hours fly by. I’m on the floor, checking in with the sommelier when he has a question about a new wine, making sure our regulars are happy and that the kitchen isn’t falling behind.
I own this restaurant. It’s my pride and joy. And I can’t wait to show it off to Mirabella tonight.
Mirabella
I change my clothes four times. This isn’t any old date. It’s the date. The date of my life. Well, technically the only date of my life — but more importantly, it’s a date with Matt. A man whose last name I don’t know, but whose eyes I’ve already memorized.
“I don’t understand. You want to go out with this guy?” Tony is scowling. “In that?”
“In this?” I look down at myself. I have on a fit and flare peach-colored dress that hits above my knees and simple, black three-inch heels. Nothing flashy or showy… though the dress does hug my body perfectly and the neckline is flattering… and clearly Tony disapproves.
“He is gonna get the wrong idea,” Tony says with a frown.
I smirk, grabbing my purse. “The thing is, Tony, this is my life. My body. I get to decide what idea I’m offering up. And frankly, it’s none of your business.”
Tony’s eyes go wide. I never, ever am so blunt or direct. I always nod, say yes, please and thank you, and I’m over it. He thinks I keep everything bottled up, but I feel ready to throw the damn bottle across the room and let it break. If there is a man worthy of my love, he won’t be scared by what is scattered amid the broken glass. In fact, a man deserving of my love won’t mind bleeding a bit in order to hold my heart forever.
I leave the apartment, my heels clicking against the stairs in a satisfying way, and I order an Uber to take me to the fanciest Italian restaurant in town. When I pull up to Angelica’s, my heart flip-flops. I kissed Matt earlier… and yet I know next to nothing about him. I need this night to tell me if it was a burst of chemistry, or if it was the start of the best thing to ever happen to me.
When I walk in the front door, a maître d’ asks how he might serve me. “I’m meeting someone here,” I tell him.