47. Rose
ROSE
God, what is that incessant buzzing? And why does it feel like it’s coming from inside my skull? As I slowly peel my eyes open and look around through squinted eyes, I can see I am in Dante’s guest room, but I definitely don’t remember coming up here last night.
The last thing I remember was listening to another classical album that Dante selected after he told me about his childhood and then…
nothing. Why is my head still buzzing? Oh shit, my alarm!
What time is it? Rolling over, I grab my phone off the bedside table.
Thankfully, I must’ve had the foresight to plug it in last night before going to sleep because it’s fully charged, but it’s not my alarm.
It’s a phone call from an unknown number.
I am too hungover for that right now, so hopefully they just leave a message.
Now that I’ve declined the call, I am greeted with the time: ten o’clock a…
m… How did I oversleep? I always set several alarms because I am not a morning person, but when I open my alarm app, it shows all three alarms I have set have been turned off.
Did drunk Ro try to help morning Ro, and I just don’t remember?
Just like I don’t remember coming upstairs from the sitting room?
I wish Dante had cameras or something so I could see what I did without having to ask Dante, which I will not be doing.
I seem to always make a fool of myself when I’m around him.
Luckily, I don’t have any deliveries today, but I did want to get a jump on putting together a recap for this project to provide to Dante at the end of the contract.
Ideally, he will approve several of the photos I’ve taken and allow me to use them in my portfolio to pitch future clients.
Speaking of future clients, I need to respond to the inquiries I’ve recently received and see if I can set up my next project.
This one will be coming to an end in a few weeks, and it would be nice to roll into something as quickly as possible.
Maybe I can see if Luca has any clients looking for a designer.
Or maybe not. I don’t know if I want to cross that bridge just yet because that would be fully welcoming him back into my circle, and we still have things to clear up before I can totally put my guard back down between us.
First things first, though—a hot shower and food, oh, and caffeine, lots and lots of caffeine.
Making my way downstairs and into the kitchen to make myself a to-go coffee in my travel mug, I snag my gaze on a folded piece of paper on the kitchen island, identical to the one Dante left for me yesterday morning.
Was that only yesterday morning? It feels like I’ve lived a different life since then.
As I get closer, I can see my name printed on the outside of the folded paper in Dante’s neat handwriting.
Without hesitation, I pick it up and unfold the paper to read what it says inside.
Rose,
I will be out of the house again today but would like to cook you dinner this evening. Please let me know if you will be available and if you have any requests. I will pick up ingredients while I’m out.
Yours, Dante
Yours, Dante? Mine? Wait, is that how he signed his first note, or am I tripping?
There is no way I wouldn’t have caught that on his first note.
Maybe that’s just how he signs off? I’m sure I’m just reading into it since my brain is still foggy from the whiskey last night.
Shaking off my minor panic, I decide that if he wants to cook me dinner, then who am I to decline?
His cooking is delicious, and it would be nice to spend more time with him to see if last night’s version of Dante was a fluke or not.
Before I can second-guess myself, I pull my phone out of my purse and pull up Dante’s contact information.
I am not in the headspace for a phone call, so I click the message icon to start a new text thread with him.
Me: 11:03 a.m.
Hey Dante, I got your note. Dinner tonight sounds great. No specific requests. Let me know if I can pick up anything for tonight. I will be out today as well. Does 7 p.m. work?
Dante (client): 11:04 a.m.
7 p.m. works.
See you then.
Oooookay. That was a little short, especially after the time we shared last night and the nice note he left this morning.
Maybe he is busy or in a meeting or something?
I guess he did answer the question I asked.
I’m not sure what else I was expecting. I think this hangover is making me grumpy over nothing.
Time for some greasy diner food and coffee.