Page 12 of A Perfect Pairing
Serenity brought her hand to her chest and let out a contented sigh. “The first week in Paris was amazing. We ate our way through the city, and of course I had to pick up a couple of dessert recipes to try out.”
“That’s perfect for you and Gabriel, since you’re both foodies.”
“You know he actually googled all the places beforehand, so we wouldn’t have to waste time once we got there. My husband is serious when it comes to food.”
Natasha laughed. “I know. Remember the brownie incident?”
“Oh, you would bring that up. We’ve more than made up for all the animosity we had at the beginning. I actually made him a batch yesterday,” Serenity added with a sly grin.
“Please tell me you saved me at least one.” Gabriel was known to devour an entire pan of the thick, rich dessert. Serenity held up a Ziploc bag, and Natasha all but snatched it out of her hands. “Bless you, my sister. This is going to be my afternoon snack. Oh, and I’m going to need some of those boozy berries for two clients.” Last year Serenity had made chocolate-dipped strawberries that had been soaked in champagne or whiskey, and Natasha thought they would make a good gift when she closed on a home. She’d been right, and it had become her signature to present buyers with an elegant gift box filled with a few of the champagne-infused treats.
“I’ll make them this weekend, and you’d better not eat them all before they’re dipped this time,” Serenity added pointedly.
“Okay, okay, but you know they’re my weakness, so I’m counting on you to make a couple of extra—one milk and one white chocolate, please. Now, back to the honeymoon. How was the Bahamas?”
“Simply divine. We lay on the beach, chilled on our balcony, had a private dinner in a gazebo over the water, a couple’s massage… The nights were even better…divine.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Natasha fanned herself. “All right now. See, you’re making me wish I had a sexy brother to help meindulge.” They burst out in laughter.
“Speaking of sexy brothers, have you seen Antonio since the meeting?”
Her smile faded, and she sighed. “We met with the mayor on Monday to discuss the condo project.” She paused when the server returned with their plates.
“Can I get you ladies anything else?” she asked.
“No, thank you,” they chorused.
“Okay, enjoy, and holler if you need anything.” She moved on to the next table.
“He didn’t look any happier to see me, but I did get a whole sentence this time,” Natasha said, picking up the conversation. She added hot sauce to her fish and popped one of the smaller pieces into her mouth. An involuntary moan slipped out.
“That good, huh?”
“It is.” She forked up one and handed it to Serenity.
“Oh, this is good. I might have to call in an order to go and pick it up when I get off. Now, what do you mean you got a whole sentence this time?”
She told her about the first encounter with Antonio, how he’d all but shut her down at the town meeting and his refusal to listen to her apology. “And now we have to work together. I’m meeting him at Mrs. Ward’s house after I leave.”
“I was so sad to hear about Ms. Velda. She was the sweetest lady when she came in for her appointments. As far as you and Antonio, I’d think he’d be over what happened after all these years.”
“Him mentioning the letter, and more than once, says he’s not. But you know what’s really crazy?” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening. This would be just the kind of thing that would spread like a wildfire. “I think I’m still attracted to him, and that doesn’t make sense. I haven’t seen him in years, and it’s been even longer since we’ve spoken. Not to mention how irritating he’s being.”
“I don’t think it’s crazy at all. Irritating or not, he was your first love, and you two were planning to get married after graduating from college, so I can totally see some of those feelings coming back. And as yummy as he is, it would be crazy if you didn’t have them.”
“I guess.” But she really didn’t want those emotions to creep back in because nothing would come of it. The constant taunts from some of the girls in her high school class flashed in her mind.You’ll never be able to keep him. I don’t know what he sees in you. He can do so much better than a nerd.Natasha pushed the negative thoughts aside and continued eating and catching up on everything that had happened while Serenity was gone. Natasha had planned to save half her food for dinner, but she was obviously hungrier than she thought because only crumbs remained on her plate. At least she’d have her brownie for later.
“Well, I need to get back for the afternoon rush. Call me later and let me know how it goes with Antonio.”
“I will.” They paid the bill and went their separate ways. On the way out, she ran into another of her would-be suitors who asked her out every time their paths crossed. She’d gone out with Reginald Payne once three months ago, and it had been all she could do to get through the dinner date. The man had barely said two words the entire time they were out, despite her trying to engage him in conversation. She refused to put herself through that kind of torture again. She called out a greeting and threw up a wave but didn’t break stride. Natasha saw his crestfallen expression and felt bad. She hoped he found someone, but that woman wouldn’t be her.
As Natasha got closer to the house, butterflies danced in her belly. “It’ll be fine,” she mumbled. “You do your job, he does his, and then you leave. Simple.” She could do this.
Antonio was already there, leaning against his car, when she drove up. He glanced up from his cell, straightened, then shoved the phone into his pocket.
“Hey. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” She walked over to where he stood.
“No. I’ve only been here a couple of minutes.”
