Chapter 12
Date number two.
Bruno entered Cafe Intermezzo and scanned the almost empty dining room. Of the three women he had chosen, he believed Casey was the best fit. She had a great sense of humor and had been engaging during their conversation at the mixer. Physically, she appealed to him with a shapely figure and blonde hair.
They planned the meeting to avoid the dinner crowd, which meant finding a seat in the European-style coffeehouse should be easy.
He spotted her in the back, her bright blonde head standing out in the low-lit room. As he approached, she looked up.
Beautiful red lips. Friendly blue eyes.
“Hello again,” she said.
“Hello, Casey.” Bruno sat down.
Before they began their conversation, a female server approached. Casey ordered a coffee and pastry, and he opted for an espresso and the flourless chocolate torte.
When they were alone again, she said, “It’s good to see you. I’m really glad you chose me.”
“It was an easy decision. I enjoyed our conversation, and we have a lot in common.”
Casey angled a smile across the table at him. “I have a question for you,” she said.
“Please, go ahead. This is our opportunity to get to know each other better.”
“As a chef, do you have a difficult time dining out? Are you secretly judging the food and atmosphere of every restaurant you enter?”
Bruno laughed easily. “I admit to being pickier than the average consumer. I know how food should be prepared and what the decor of a good restaurant should look like. I notice the details that the average diner doesn’t. A blessing and a curse, believe me.”
“I’m sure. When our food arrives, you’ll have to tell me how the torte is. I haven’t tried it before.”
“I can tell you before it arrives since I’ve had the torte before, and it’s delicious.”
“Good to hear. I’ll have to order it the next time we come back.”
Not subtle, but smooth. Bruno allowed himself a smile.
“Tell me more about your family. You said you’re from Kentucky?” he asked.
Casey nodded. “Like you, I come from a big family. Growing up, our lives were chaotic, but I wouldn’t change a single moment. I have great memories of us seated around the table for big Sunday dinners and crowding into the living room on weeknights to watch our favorite shows.”
Bruno slowly nodded. Strange. He seemed to remember her saying she was an only child at the mixer. Did he have her background mixed up with one of the other women he met?
“How many siblings do you have?”
“Originally, there were seven of us, but one of my brothers passed away a few years ago.” A cloud of grief crossed her features.
“I’m sorry.”
She took a quivering breath and slowly released the air from her lungs. “Losing him made me take a good look at my life and its direction, and I realized I was focusing on the wrong things. Instead of pursuing more accolades and the next promotion, I wanted to be married, and I wanted kids. I don’t want to go through life alone, you know?”
“I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way.”
“Ideally, I’d love to have two kids, but I’m open to more if my husband wants additional children.”
Great. They were on the same page as far as children were concerned.
The server arrived and placed their food and beverages on the table.
After she left, Casey continued talking. “Why did you become a chef?”
“Long story, but the short version involves me spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my stepmother. She loves to cook and taught me everything I know about preparing Southern cuisine. Eventually, I attended the Culinary Institute of America and then traveled to Paris to work for several years under an executive chef at a restaurant on the Left Bank. When I returned to the United States, my father gave me my first break by investing in my first restaurant—Garlique. From then on, the sky was the limit.”
“I have to check it out. I’ve always heard good things, but because the meals are on the high end, I’ve never been. Maybe now that I have an in…” She winked.
“You’re welcome to come by any time.”
“Do you own any other restaurants in town?” Casey lifted the white mug of coffee to her lips.
“Bruno’s Tavern.”
“Oh my goodness, my brother-in-law loves Bruno’s Tavern! He swears you have the best hamburgers, and they’re absolutely worth the price.”
Bruno chuckled. “I’m happy to hear that. Our burgers are the most popular items on the menu, but the chef takes great pride in the preparation of every meal. You’ve never been there?”
“No, I’m not much of a sports bar kind of girl.”
“What kind of girl are you?” Bruno asked.
His gaze quickly skimmed her fitted blouse with a sweetheart neckline. The top showed off her ample bosom without being revealing.
She let out an engaging laugh that lit up her face, and he relaxed as he watched her. This date might not turn out bad after all.
“I’m the kind of girl who likes to have fun. I enjoy hiking in the mountains. Being outside and soaking up all of nature’s glory is… exhilarating and a great way to work out—as you can see.” She swept a hand down her side.
A confident woman was very sexy.
“I see,” he said.
“I’m also the kind of girl who enjoys pleasing her man,” Casey purred in a lowered voice.
“Do you?” Bruno lifted a piece of cake to his mouth, keeping his gaze on her.
“Mhmm.” A mischievous glint entered her eyes, and she rested her chin on her hand. “Do you want to know where I really shine?”
“Yes. Tell me.”
“In the bedroom. I swallow.” She licked her lips.
The chocolate dessert caught in the back of his throat, and Bruno started coughing.
She laughed. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Your answer took me by surprise, and I don’t surprise easily.”
“Well, I thought you should know, in case you’re into that.” She winked.
Mierda. Bruno hadn’t anticipated the conversation going in that direction, and suddenly he wasn’t sure about Casey. She had seemed perfect at the start of their conversation, but no longer.
The old Bruno would have appreciated a woman being forthright, but her forwardness didn’t appeal to him.
Why not? he wondered.
As time went on, the date continued downhill. While he wanted to get to know her better, Casey insisted on dropping sexual innuendo into the conversation too much for his liking. Furthermore, additional inconsistencies made him wonder who the real Casey was. Disappointed, he wrapped up the conversation minutes after finishing his cake and asked the server for the bill.
As they walked out of the restaurant, she tucked her hair behind her left ear. “Do you have plans when you leave here?”
“I do.” He didn’t see the need to elaborate. His “plans” were to go home and work.
“If you’re free later, we can meet up after you’re finished.”
“I won’t be free.” He made a show of checking his watch. “I should go now. Nice seeing you again.”
“Wait a minute, don’t rush off!” Casey said with a laugh. “Give me your phone, and I’ll put in my number so we can make plans to meet up again.” She extended an open palm.
Bruno didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but time to nip this in the bud. Their relationship wasn’t going anywhere.
“I won’t be giving you my phone,” he said.
A frown settled on her face. “Why not?”
“Because you and I aren’t going to work, and I don’t want to waste your time, or mine.”
“I don’t understand.” She appeared genuinely confused.
“You lied to me. At the mixer, you said you’re an only child. Tonight you said you had seven siblings and one died.”
“I—”
“I don’t know why you lied. If we became involved, I would find out the truth.”
“My brother really did die,” she said, sounding defensive.
“So you’re not an only child?”
Her mouth fell open, and she bit her bottom lip. “I’m an only child now.”
Bruno raised an eyebrow.
“One little lie?—”
“When we first sat down, you said you enjoy the outdoors—specifically, hiking. Halfway through our date, you said you’ve never been an outdoorsy person and learned that lesson after going hiking a handful of times.”
Casey’s cheeks reddened.
“Again, I don’t see the point of lying. Should I continue?” Bruno asked.
“No,” Casey said in a hushed voice, lowering her gaze to the sidewalk.
Bruno studied her bent head. “You don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not. You should be yourself. You’re a beautiful woman, and the right man will come along, and your personalities will mesh together perfectly.”
“But he won’t be a billionaire,” she said with a wry smile.
“He might be, or he might not. Either way, my advice is to be honest.”
He walked her to her car, and she climbed in. Seated behind the wheel, she paused with the car door open.
“I don’t suppose I could change your mind and convince you to give me another chance?” she asked hopefully.
“No, we’re done,” Bruno said.
Her shoulders slumped.
Bruno closed the door and walked away. His last glimpse of Casey was her driving past him into traffic.