Page 42 of The Forever Formula
“You remembered.” I practically whispered the words. I had, in fact, once told him that I wished I could live in Italy so that everything I ate would be Italian. It was definitely my favorite.
“You ever get to visit?” he asked. “Italy, I mean.”
I shook my head. “Not yet.” I grabbed my purse and followed him outside. “It’s still on my bucket list. What about you? Any international adventures?”
“Like backpacking through Europe?” He laughed. “I’m a cliché, I’m afraid. Jameson, Austen, and I went when I graduated. Logan’s been reminding us lately that it’s his turn soon.”
“Are you going to take him?” I asked.
“It’s hard now, with Jameson married and me and Austen so busy, but we hope to find some time.”
As we drove to the restaurant, I asked Noah a thousand questions about his travels.
“But Italy is still on my to-visit list,” he said as we pulled into a parking spot at the restaurant.
I couldn’t help my mind from wandering ... picturing a romantic scene that involved Noah and charming cobblestone streets, great wine and long walks through the piazza.
Pulling in a breath, I shut down my outlandish thoughts. Noah, as handsome and sweet as he was, wasn’t my boyfriend. I wasn’t even in the market for one of those. Like, at all.
The parking lot was crowded, and my stomach rumbled. I worried for a minute that I’d have to wait forever for food, but when we got to the hostess counter, I learned that Noah had made reservations. Knowing the thought he’d put into tonight made my stomach do a little backflip.
The hostess led us to a table in the back near a large stone fireplace. It was perfectly dark and cozy. The kind of place where you could linger over a delicious meal and great conversation.
“So, tell me more about what it’s like owning your own brewery,” I said, swirling the red wine in my glass.
“What would you like to know?” He met my eyes with a sincere look.
I shrugged. “What’s the best thing about your job, and the worst thing about it?”
His answer must have popped into his head immediately because he chuckled. “Working with my brother. It’s both the best and the worst.”
I smiled, watching him. “How so?”
“Well, getting to work with family is a cool perk. I know I can generally count on the guy, but at the same time, Austen is Austen. He can be a pain in the ass.”
I nodded, still grinning. These were facts.
Noah lifted the bottle of red wine from its resting spot on the table and poured a little more into my glass. “Thanks for saying yes to tonight,” he said, his voice low.
After we ate piles of pasta and more bread than is good for any human, I swiped a mint from the hostess stand and passed one to him too.
“You trying to tell me something, Rach?” He laughed as he held the door open for me.
“Yeah, that I plan on kissing you later,” I said with confidence I didn’t know I had.
“Good to know.” He smiled.
“Where to next?” I asked, excited to see what else he had planned.
He shook his head. “You’ll see when we get there.”
17
ALL NIGHT LONG
Noah
There really was no reason to keep it all a surprise, but a little part of me worried Rachel would laugh, or worse, turn down my idea.
