Chapter 21
Bruno escorted Ashleigh to the taxi.
“Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said, gazing up at him. A gentle breeze blew reddish-blonde strands across her face, and she tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I had a nice time too,” he said.
“Have a good night.” She tossed him a soft look over one shoulder before lowering into the cab.
Deep in thought, Bruno watched the car drive away and then walked toward his metallic gray Porsche.
Ashleigh checked quite a few boxes. They held similar religious and political beliefs, and she had a great relationship with her family. She worked for a nonprofit with a lot of flexibility in her schedule and should have no problem traveling with him if necessary.
She had a fantastic figure—beautiful, full breasts and a round ass. He’d noticed several men at the gallery checking her out.
But the night was young, and the truth was, if he’d really wanted to spend more time with Ashleigh, he wouldn’t have put her in that cab. He would have invited her to a late dinner or found an excuse to prolong their time together.
An image of Marissa on top of the steel counter flashed before him, and his chest tightened, regret flooding his system. He could still taste her lips. His ears filled with her soft pants and the way she moaned when he kissed her belly. He’d kept his distance the past few weeks, but the night at The Wine Cork was never far from his mind.
He muttered a curse and drove to Garlique, where he checked in on staff before packing food into containers to take with him, enough to last a couple of nights. On the way home, he dialed Marissa’s number to give his usual update.
“Hi, Bruno.”
The sound of her voice always hit him low in the gut, but tonight she didn’t sound like herself.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m fine,” she replied.
“You sound odd.”
“Thank you.”
Bruno switched lanes to go around a slow-moving pickup. “Marissa, is there something wrong? Have you been crying?” he demanded in a sharp voice.
“That’s none of your concern. I assume you’re calling to report on your evening with Ashleigh? How did the date go?”
“You have been crying, or you would have said no. What happened?” He gripped the steering wheel, ready to tear apart anyone who had hurt her.
He heard her sigh. “Why are you so nosy? You don’t need to concern yourself with me. I’m having a bad day, that’s all.”
“What made your day bad?”
She fell quiet, and someone honked their horn nearby.
“Answer me, Marissa.”
She released a trembling sigh. “I had an argument with Theo’s father. It’s nothing.”
This time he fell silent.
“Bruno?” she asked, sounding unsure if he was still on the line.
“What did he say?” he asked.
“It’s personal.”
“He hurt you.”
“I’m too sensitive.” She let out a husky laugh filled with pain.
“You’re kind-hearted and sweet,” Bruno said in a rough voice. “What did he say, Marissa?”
Silence filled the line again.
“He implied I’d be alone forever.”
“He’s wrong. Any man would be lucky to have you.”
“They’re not exactly beating down my door,” she said in a dull voice.
“What are you doing now?” Bruno asked.
“Watching television, but you called for a reason. Tell me about your date with Ashleigh.”
“Never mind that. Have you eaten?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m bringing you dinner.”
“Why are you always trying to feed me?”
“I’m a chef, and you claim to be a foodie. Give me the address to your apartment.”
“You’re a bully.”
“And you’re hard-headed. Address please.”
“What are you bringing?”
“Food from Garlique, a James Beard nominated restaurant, I might add.”
She laughed. “Well, when you put it that way… Fine.” She rattled off the street address and apartment number.
“I’ll be there in twenty-five minutes.” Bruno made a U-turn at the next light and drove onto Highway 20 going east.
When he arrived at Marissa’s apartment complex, he followed her instructions and took the stairs to the second floor. After a quick knock, she flung open the door, and he stood for a moment on the outside, drinking in her appearance in her black glasses, jeans, and a black T-shirt that fit snugly on her breasts and showed off her waistline. Her hair was pulled into a smooth ponytail, and a pair of gold earrings looped through her earlobes.
It was great to see her in person after weeks apart.
She adjusted the black glasses on her nose and inhaled. “Smells amazing.”
“You won’t be disappointed. I promise.”
Bruno stepped across the threshold into the tastefully decorated apartment, which contained a small kitchen with a bar separating it from the living room, where several grouped chairs were nestled together. The apartment was spotless and neat.
“Dinner,” he said, handing her the bag.
“I hope you’re not giving me your meal,” she said, eyeing him with suspicion.
“There’s enough for two.”
“In that case, I’ll get the plates. Have a seat at the table and make yourself at home.”
Bruno removed his jacket and sat at the small table.
“I don’t have wine or beer. Would apple juice or water be okay?” Marissa asked.
“Water is fine.”
She brought him a glass of water with several cubes of ice in the glass, and he watched her remove the food from the bag and place spoons in each container.
“This is a lot of food. You were going to eat all this?”
“It was supposed to last me a couple of days.”
“It all looks delicious. And smells good.” She took in a deep breath.
Bruno appreciated anyone who had a love for food. “Wait until you eat it. Can I help, by the way?”
“No. I’ve got it. Serving the meal is the least I can do since you’re feeding me.”
Five minutes later, they both sat at the table with a spread of short ribs, lamb, chicken, accompanying sides, and a huge salad split between them.
“This garlic Parmesan sauce on the potatoes is the best thing ever. These potatoes alone are enough for you to be nominated for an award,” Marissa said, covering her mouth since she was talking with her mouth full.
“You think so?” Bruno asked with amusement.
“Mhmm,” she said with enthusiasm.
They ended the meal by sharing a hunk of chocolate cake.
Afterward, Marissa patted her mouth with a napkin. “That hit the spot. Now what happened between you and Ashleigh?”
Bruno stretched his legs to the side, and with his arm on the table, he kept his fingers curled around the glass of water. Being with Marissa changed his whole mood. He was completely relaxed. He didn’t want to talk about Ashleigh, but he obliged.
“She’s great.”
“But…”
He chuckled. “I don’t think she’s right for me.”
“Anything specific that was wrong?”
“No. We just didn’t click.”
“Okay,” Marissa said thoughtfully.
Bruno sipped his water. “Tell me about what happened between you and your ex.”
“I don’t want to talk about him.”
“He upset you. Holding in your feelings isn’t good.”
“No, it’s not,” she admitted. She glanced down at her apple juice. “He wants to get back together.”
Other than tightening his grip on the glass in his hand, Bruno didn’t allow himself to have any other outward reaction. “How do you feel about that?”
“I’m absolutely not interested in getting back together with him.”
He breathed easier.
She shrugged. “Every so often he tries to convince me that we should be raising Theo together. This time he tried to convince me by implying I’m going to spend the rest of my life alone.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“His words were hard to hear and bothered me, that’s all.” She shrugged again and shot a wan smile at him. “He’s a great father, by the way, so I don’t want to sound as if he’s a monster. He’s taking Theo to Disney World in June. They’ll be gone for a week.”
“Oh really? When?”
“The second week in June. Theo’s grandparents live in Florida, and he’ll get to see them, and his cousins will be there.”
“The second week in June?” Bruno asked.
“Yes. Is the date important to you for some reason?”
An idea germinated in his mind. “I mentioned to you that I’m going to the James Beard Foundation’s award ceremony in L.A. It happens to be the second week of June too, which means I won’t be able to schedule any dates during that period.”
“No problem. We can work around your schedule until you come back.”
“You should come with me.”
“Where?”
“To the James Beard Awards in L.A.”
Her eyes widened. “I can’t do that.”
“Theo will be out of town with his father. Do you have anything better to do that weekend?”
“Just because I don’t have anything better to do doesn’t mean I should fly off to Los Angeles with you. First of all, I can’t afford the trip.”
“I’m inviting you, so of course, I will take care of the costs. All you have to do is show up. I’ll make sure you have the clothes and whatever else you need for the event. Your flight is covered because I’m chartering a plane. You don’t have to worry about a hotel since I own a little house out there, and you can take one of the spare bedrooms. Frankly, since you haven’t found me a suitable partner yet, you owe me. Therefore, you will be my date.”
She laughed. “Just like that?”
“Yes. Do you really want to stay here and mope around the apartment with your son gone, thinking about how you’ll never get married?”
“Ouch.”
“Well?”
She let out a resigned sigh. “I’m supposed to be giving you advice.”
“Not this time,” Bruno said.
“You make the offer sound very tempting, but I can’t. I’m not the spontaneous type.”
“Most women would jump at the chance to fly off to another city for a couple of days, all expenses paid.”
“I’m not most women.”
“No, you’re not. There are no strings attached, Marissa. You would attend the awards as my guest—my platonic guest.”
She seemed tempted by the offer but then shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but I really can’t.”
He couldn’t give up. He wanted more than a few minutes on the phone during their debriefing sessions. An entire weekend with Marissa would be fantastic.
“The trip would be strictly business, and you could visit the Beverly Hills office while you’re there. I’ll be busy visiting my restaurants, and in the evening we can attend the awards ceremony. It’s up to you, but I think you should accept my offer. Tell you what, think about it and get back to me later.”
“You don’t like taking no for an answer, do you?”
“I do find it difficult when there’s something I want, and I want you to come with me.”
“I’ll give the invitation some thought,” she hedged.
“Progress.” He leaned toward her. “I hope you come. If you do, I promise you won’t regret it.”