Page 7 of The Holy Ghost
And it was about fuckingtime.
Chapter 4
Francesca~
Fivemore minutes until my break.Wednesdays were just as slow as Tuesdays, so it felt pointless totake a break, but our shift manager was very adamant aboutfollowing labor laws. That being said, I made a quick round of mysection and informed everyone that I’d be taking a break soon, butSabrina would help them should they need anything before I gotback.
I had just walkedinto the back and was about to take my apron off when Mona walkedinto the employee break area. “Hey, Frankie.”
“Hey, Mona.”
“I know you’reon break, but there’s a guyout there insisting that he be waited on by you.”
What?
My brows furrowed.“Is it Edmond?”
Mona shook herhead. “No, it’s not. But I gotta tell you, girl, if you don’t servehim, I sure as hell will,” she replied. “The man is tall, dark, handsome, andmore.”
Mystomach dipped as I froze in themiddle of untying my apron. “What?”
Moan fannedherself in true dramatic fashion. “The man is gorgeous, Frankie.Dark hair and black fucking eyes. I mean, have you ever seensomeone with black eyes? They’refucking stunning.”
Myheart stopped inresignation.
I’ve only seentwo men in my life whose gazes were as black as evil, and that wasLuca and Giovanni Benetti. Even Luca’s two younger brothers,Leo and Sal, didn’t have the GiovanniBenetti black eyes. Only Luca. Leo and Sal had their mother’s eyes,mossy green. And while they looked like Benettis through andthrough, Luca was the only one who resembled his father one hundredpercent.
“He’s insisting onme?”
“Yeah. Itold him you were going onbreak, and he said that was perfect. Which made no sense,” shereplied, confused a bit.
If I had any doubtit was Luca before, I didn’t now. The only question was what was hedoing here?
I took off myapron to lessen the odds of usbeing interrupted. I told my tables I was on break, but if they sawme out there in my apron, they might believe I was still inservice-mode.
I plastered on afake smile. “Okay. Thanks, Mona.”
As I went towalk past her, she grabbed me by my shoulders. “No, seriously,Frankie. Find out if that manis single and, if so, put in a good word for me. Good Lord,” shepraised.
“Sure thing,Mona.”Not.Even if Luca were single, I wouldn’tdo that to Mona. I wouldn’t sign her up for a life that I knew shecouldn’t mold herself to fit into.
As soon as Istepped out from the kitchens,I saw him. He was sitting at a booth, his back up against the wall,his eyes scanning the restaurant. He made sure to choose a boothwith no window and made sure it was one that gave him the perfectview of the entire place and the people in it.
Some things neverchange.
He didn’tsmile or stand up or anything as I walked towards the booth. Thatblack gaze Mona had fallen inlove with stayed glued to mine until I sat down on the oppositeside of the booth. It’s been six years, and the beautiful boy Ionce shared so many secrets with had grown up to be aheartbreakingly gorgeous man.
Luca’s hairwas still black as coal, short onthe sides, but long enough everywhere else that it’d be noproblem for some lucky girl to run her fingers through it. Hisbrows were just as dark, thick, and arched. His eyes were so black,you couldn’t see where the color began, and where the pupil ended.Gone was any softness that once marked him as a boy. Now his facewas all hard angles and a strong jaw. He looked like he was carvedfrom stone. And I knew without a doubt his body was in primecondition underneath that expensive suit he was wearing. All theBenetti men were as conditioned as soldiers in their prime. LucaBenetti was six-foot-two-inches of pure, unstoppablemuscle.
As a boy, Luca hadbeen beautiful.
As a man, he wasbreathtaking.
“What are you doinghere?”
Luca leaned inand placed hisforearms on thetable, clasping his hands together. He didn’t quite smirk, butthere was something in his expression. “Is that your way of tellingme you haven’t missed me?”
I almost cried.
