Page 50 of Where We Met

"No, no… We can get this." Teresa tries to wave me off.

"I insist. I can't just sit here and watch you slave over preparing a meal andthen doallthe dishes. Please, let me help.”

Thankfully, Teresa caves and lets me bring some dirty dishes back to the kitchen.

“So, what’s it like having Luke as a professor?” Isabella asks as I begin to hand her dishes as she rinses them and places them in the dishwasher.

“It’s great. He’s very passionate about his work, and he makes sure to deliver that same enthusiasm when he’s teaching.”

“And he’s very handsome,” she whispers to me. “I’d go to college if men like him were teaching.”

I tuck my hair behind my ear nervously. “Oh, I, um… Yeah, he’s okay.”

“Oooh, you likelikehim,” she says with a sigh. “I guess I’ll back off if that’s the case.”

“What? No. No, why would you say that?” I stammer.

“Him being handsome is just obvious. It's not up for debate. You fumble over your words, then tell me he'sokay," she mimics me in her Italian accent, tutting at me. "No, you're trying to hide something."

I'm momentarily frozen at her ability to see through me. "Oh gosh, I’m not sure what to say. I didn’t think I was being so overt," I say, and then it hits me what she said. "Wait… what do you mean you'll back off?"

She laughs a loud, infectious laugh. "It gets boring out here in the country with the same old people day in and day out. If you weren't so obviously hung up on him, I'd be taking my chances."

Despite her admitting her attraction to Luke, I think I like her. She's fun, carefree, and easy to be around.

"You might as well go for it,” I tell her with a smile. “He won't do anything with me because I'm his student."

"You hear this, Mamma?" Isabella shouts over her shoulder to Teresa. "Luke won't touch Savannah because she's his student."

I'm expecting Teresa to turn my way with a look of disgust. Instead, she keeps her eyes on the counters as she continues scrubbing them. "You silly Americans."

I look back at Isabella, surprised.

She just laughs at me. "We don't put so many restrictions on love. In Italy, love is love. That is all that matters, not the rules. Is he the one grading your papers?"

"Well, no, his TA does that, I think. But it's still a conflict of interest."

She just shrugs like it's no big deal and looks at me with wide eyes as if a lightbulb has just gone off for her. "I say we make him crazy."

I'm not sure exactly what she's talking about, but it seems like she's already got a plan.

Chapter Seventeen

Savannah

Teresahandsmeabottle of wine and shoos me out of the room.

"Go, bellisima. Go tell Giovanni to open," she says with a knowing smile to Isabella.

I walk back outside to the beautiful patio with string lights hung over the wood pergola and vines growing throughout the trellises. The sun is setting, and the view of the rolling hills in the background makes my heart flutter.

Luke and Giorgio are talking, but as soon as I step outside, Luke turns to me and smiles. I grin back, then walk over to Giovanni, Luke's eyes growing narrow as they follow my path.

"Your mother asked me to bring this to you." I hand the bottle to Giovanni.

His charming smile comes out. "Ah, I see they want to spoil our guests. They must think you're very special. This is one of our best wines. Not many bottles were made."

I feel honored that they're willing to waste one of the bottles on me. I'm nobody in this world of wine enthusiasts.

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