Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Aria paced back and forth in her cramped, self-imposed prison for too long. She knew she’d have to leave soon but her riotous heart wouldn’t slow down.
“Well, you wanted sparks and butterflies. You got ‘em!” she whispered to herself frantically.
She wondering if the man had left, finally finding the courage to leave the restroom after the tenth person jiggled the handle trying to get in.
She slowly opened the door and walked out, her heart in her throat.
She scanned the cafe quickly. Caught between relief and disappointment, she discovered he had vanished.
Passing by the counter, she assured the owners, Susanna and Louie, a sweet couple she knew from her frequent visits, that she was fine.
Finding a seat, she gave her order to the server and nervously looked around once more.
Grabbing her phone from her purse, she checked to see if any of the photographers had returned her calls but sighed at the empty screen.
When her pasta was brought out, she ate even though her stomach was in knots. She couldn’t figure out why the man seemed so familiar. He hadn’t called her by name, but the way he looked at her, he seemed to be convinced he knew her.
His hands were a bit rough but had held her tenderly. Her eyes closed with the memory of his masculine scent. Sandalwood? Musk? She wasn’t sure, but the whole interaction made her feel an attraction that was unexplainable yet powerful.
But as suddenly as the new emotion was acknowledged, a wave of guilt washed over her. She shouldn't let herself feel that way. Guilt ate away at her gut as she pushed her plate away.
Her silly romantic heart was in complete disorder over a man, a stranger, she might never meet again.
I must be losing my mind. But—what if he comes to the cafe again? What will I do if I see him again?
And suddenly, something inside her started to grow in intensity. She couldn’t stop it if she tried.
A truth that wrecked her quiet, safe, and lonely life.
She wanted to see him again.
Aria didn’t remember walking back to the office, but once back inside her own office, she tried hard to listen to what Luna was saying as their scheduled meeting dragged on.
When her phone rang, she glanced over at it, seeing her best friend’s name on the ID. She held up her finger to Luna and said, “Just a minute, it’s Corinna. I’ll tell her I’m in a meeting and can’t talk.”
After having lost Nicholas, she and those closest to her promised to answer calls no matter what.
Swiping the phone to take the call, she answered, “Hey, girl. I can’t talk right now—”
“Hey, gorgeous. I won’t be long. I have a favor to ask you and you can’t say no.”
“Corinna, I’m in a meeting and this is not an emergency.”
“No, but it’s important to me, so give me this one, just this time.”
Keeping her grumble to a minimum, she answered, “Fine. What is it this time? I’m not calling your boss and pretending to be your sick aunt again so you can go to the Versace sample sale.”
“That was only one time, sheesh,” Corinna deadpanned. “I want you to come with me to a gallery opening tomorrow night. One of the attorneys just told me about it and I figure if I waited any longer, you’d say no.”
“I’m saying no anyway. I can’t go. It’s too crazy right now.”
Aria hoped her astute friend wouldn’t recognize the lingering unease in her voice from her earlier encounter.
“Are you alright? What’s wrong? You sound funny,” Corinna asked, her voice going higher.
“I’m good. Just busy.”
“Come on, Aria. It’ll be a fun girls’ night out and it should be a great exhibit. I know you'll love this artist. Apparently, he’s been painting all over the Amalfi Coast.”
Aria knew her best friend wanted her to start socializing again and had been relentless in her pursuit for months.
She wanted to ease her back into the world outside of work and books by inviting her to events like the art exhibit.
She had turned down Corinna’s invitation a few weeks before to a cocktail party, and before that, a concert.
“Corinna,” Aria whined. “I’m in crisis mode. I desperately need a photographer. I don't have time to go out. Next time, I promise.”
“You always say that. What if I promise to help you find a photographer?”
Aria pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew she couldn’t put her off for much longer.
“Fine, alright,” Aria said grumpily.
“That’s my girl. You won’t regret it. I promise it’s going to be so much fun,” Corinna squealed happily as she hung up.
After finalizing their plans for the week, Luna left Aria’s office to finish up on her own project.
Taking a moment to breathe and thinking of Corinna, Aria scrolled through her phone at the photos of them.
They had met on the first day of their fifth year of school, becoming instant friends. Corinna Tupelo had transferred to Aria’s school, and even though she and Aria were polar opposites in personality, they clicked. Their friendship never waned through the years.
When Aria and Nicholas moved to Positano, a year after they married, Corinna moved nearby to Ravello when she took a job at a prestigious law office.
She loved that they got to live near each other, sharing every aspect of their lives, even if it bordered on insanity at times.
They were inseparable, especially after Nicholas passed.
Now alone in her office, Aria had to stop herself from calling Corinna about the man at the cafe, but decided she would wait until they were together the next night. Shaking her head, she knew the chaos that would ensue once she did.