27. Isabella
27
ISABELLA
M assimo offered to pick me up at my house, but with all of the security we have, I figured it would be best to meet him at the restaurant.
I pause at the front door of Cucina del Sole, giving my phone one last look. Nicco’s latest message haunts the screen. I reread two particular sentences I haven’t been able to get out of my head: My dad never had a prospective wife for me. It was all a lie.
Nicco’s timing is impeccable. To get this message when I’m on my way to my first date since being with him is messing with my head. What does he mean it was all a lie?
I shake my head and stuff my phone back into my clutch, not wanting to focus on Nicco no matter how many times it was all a lie repeats itself in my head.
Taking a deep breath, I walk through the doors that Rocco holds open for me, and am immediately drawn to Massimo who’s standing by the hostess stand. He looks handsome dressed in gray slacks and a black dress shirt. His black wool jacket is draped over his arm. As if he senses me, he turns around, and when his eyes meet mine, he smiles wide, showcasing his perfectly white teeth. “Isabella,” he says, holding out his arms.
“Hi, Massimo,” I say with a smile as I walk up to him. I slide my hands in his, and he leans in, placing a soft kiss on both of my cheeks. The whiskers of his scruff tickle my sensitive skin.
“Perfect timing,” he says. “Our table’s ready.”
Following him, I feel Rocco hold back at the front of the restaurant to keep an eye on things while allowing me some privacy.
The hostess takes our coats and seats us at our table.
“So, tell me, how was your day, Isabella?” Massimo asks.
“You can call me Izzy,” I say, giving him a small smile. “It’s what most people call me.”
“Izzy it is,” he says, his charming smile never leaving his face. “So, how was your day?”
“Not too bad. I spent most of it helping Liana out at the boutique. How about you?”
“Oh, you know. Usual business stuff,” he says vaguely. “You’ve been helping Liana at the boutique?”
“Yeah, just here and there. She has a lot on her plate right now, so I try to help in the storefront whenever she needs it.”
“Oh, I haven’t seen you there,” he says, intrigued.
“It’s pretty sporadic right now. She’ll just randomly ask me to come in when she needs to get some things done for her new bridal line.”
Massimo gives me a few subtle nods as if he’s thinking about something in particular in response to what I said, which reminds me of what Liana told me.
I tilt my head and raise my brow. “Why? Do you go there often?”
A slow smile plays out on Massimo’s face, and damn… he really is so freaking good-looking.
“Now why would I need to go to a women’s boutique?” he says playfully, and that’s when I know he knows exactly what I’m referring to.
I let out a small laugh and lick my lips. “Oh, come on, Massimo. You know us girls like to talk.”
He lets out a deep chuckle, taking in my equally playful tone. “Enlighten me,” he says with a raise in his brow that lengthens the scar he has.
I lean forward and give him a sly smile. “Rumor has it you like to frequent the boutique.”
Massimo leans forward and the corners of his mouth draw up into a smirk. The candles on the table highlight his dimples. “And who did you hear that from?”
The gleam in his eye tells me he knows exactly who I heard that from, and that’s when it dawns on me.
“Wait a second,” I say, sitting back in my seat and placing my hands in my lap. “You asking me to dinner; was that because you genuinely wanted to take me on a date, or is it because of a certain someone that owns a very nice boutique on Fifth Avenue?”
“Well, that depends… Was you accepting this date because you genuinely wanted to come, or was it to try and help you get over a man who clearly won’t let you go?”
That statement catches me off guard, and I part my lips while I try to formulate words, but nothing comes out.
When my mouth finally moves, I whisper, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He can’t be talking about Nicco… can he?
When Massimo says nothing, I lean forward over the table again, the heat from the candle tickling my chin. “What do you mean by that?”
Massimo smiles and raises a thick brow at me once more. “I think you and I both know what I’m talking about, Izzy.”
He is talking about Nicco.
“How do you?—”
“Good evening, my name is Tisha, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. May I start you both off with something to drink? Perhaps a bottle of wine for the table?”
“A bottle?” Massimo asks me, and I give him a mindless nod.
While he orders the wine and a couple appetizers, all I can think about is Massimo knowing about Nicco and me. Why does everything circle back to that man? I can’t get away from him no matter what.
Heat rises up my neck and flushes my cheeks, making me feel a little lightheaded.
“Will you excuse me?” I say to Massimo once the server leaves. “I just have to run to the ladies room real quick.”
“Yes, of course. Are you okay?”
I muster up a smile and say, “Yes, definitely. I’ll be right back.”
After finishing in the stall, I wash and dry my hands before checking my appearance in the mirror. I’m about to head back out to Massimo and find out exactly what he meant about Nicco when the bathroom door opens. I pay little attention to it until the sound of a deadbolt locking causes me to dart my attention over to the door in the reflection of the mirror. My heart nearly jumps out of my chest as I take in the heated glare of my intruder.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” I say.