Page 32 of The Holiday Swap

To her relief, Miguel nodded. “I get it. Totally. When we moved from paper to tablets it took a while to adjust and really slowed me down at first. I like my routines, too.”

Just then a waiter arrived with a plate of stuffed zucchini blossoms, arranged like little works of art, all sunny yellows and verdant greens. “Almost too pretty to eat,” Cass murmured.

“True, but you’ll regret it if you don’t,” Miguel said, popping one into his mouth. She did the same, and moaned with happiness.

“Oh my goodness! What’s in these? I taste...” She paused, letting the flavors mingle on her tongue. “Fresh ricotta and lemon zest and... something else. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s sublime.”

“Don’t even bother asking,” Miguel said. “Every one of Fabrizio’s dishes has a secret ingredient or special twist, and he refuses to tell me what’s in them.”

“Why would I do that?” Fabrizio had appeared beside their table, two glasses of white wine on a tray in his hand. “My culinary secrets keep my favorite customers coming back for more. Now, try this with the blossoms. Avermentino. The perfect pairing. “He winked and set the glasses in front of them, then retreated.

“I like his passion,” Cass said. “That’s important in a chef.”And maybe something my life in Starlight Peak has been lacking...

Miguel’s and Cass’s eyes met in the flickering candlelight, and Cass reveled in the fact that she knew one thing for sure: this was definitely a date.

•••

“Iam never eating anything, ever again,” Cass said, staring at the empty dishes in front of them. Fabrizio had kept the food coming all night: first the zucchini blossoms; then a salad with vibrant green and red lettuces and shavings of a hard goat’s cheese, so simple and yet so perfect; then tiny bowls ofribollita, a bean and vegetable soup that was uncomplicated and yet, somehow, one of the most flavorful dishes Cass had ever tasted. This was followed by mushroom ravioli and a scampi pasta to share; and finally, a whole roasted branzino and side plates of grilled rapini and balsamic-glazed Brussels sprouts. “No exaggeration, this is the best food I’veeverhad.”

Miguel looked pleased. “Told you. He really has outdone himself tonight. I usually leave full, but tonight you might have to roll me out of here.”

As the meal had progressed, Cass’s nerves had quieted. Somehow, Miguel didn’t feel like a stranger anymore. More like someone she’d always known.

“Don’t forget to save room for dessert,” Miguel said. Cass groaned, unsure where she could fit another morsel. “Remember, they’ve got something special waiting for Charlie Goodwin, their guest of honor.”

Charlie Goodwin.Right.Miguel may have felt like someone she knew well, buthedidn’t know her at all.

“Dessert for my guest of honor. Cannoli,struffoli, and zeppoli.” Fabrizio took the plates from the waiter’s hands and announcedthem as he placed them on the table. “And, finally...” He set a demitasse in front of each of them, the cups steaming with hot espresso and melting ice cream. “Affogato!”

Cass gazed at the colorful, creamy confections before her, and then selected a cannoli, biting into it and murmuring, her mouth still full, “This is heaven,” to Fabrizio’s obvious delight. “I don’t ever want this night to end.”

•••

It was past midnight by the time Cass and Miguel arrived outside Charlie’s building. They had walked through the streets slowly, talking and laughing and completely focused on each other. Charlie now knew that Miguel was the youngest of three kids, and that his entire family was in the medical field; his older brother, Romero, was a cardiovascular surgeon; Jacintha an obstetrician; and both his parents had been family doctors before they retired. Miguel joked that he was clearly the “underachiever of the family,” but that he’d chosen to be a physician assistant because it offered better balance.

“I still get to surf,” Miguel had told her. “And read, and do yoga, and go out for dinner, and enjoy my life. They all think I’m crazy, but I don’t care. So what if I’m the black sheep of my family? I love what I do, but I’m not willing to give up everything for it, you know?”

Cass nodded, thinking about how the bakery wasn’t quite like being in a surgical suite but was all-consuming nonetheless.

Now that they stood outside Charlie’s building, Cass felt she didn’t want the magic of the evening to end. It had been the perfect first date. Herfirst, first date. In a few seconds it would be over—and she didn’t want it to be.

“Thank you,” Cass began. “Tonight was...”

Miguel was quiet, waiting for her to finish her thought. He stood close, and then smiled.

“Perfect,” Miguel said, echoing her thoughts. “Tonight was perfect.”

“It was.”

“Thankyou, Charlie.” But before she could experience a hit of guilt at her sister’s name, Miguel’s lips were on hers. She lost herself in the kiss, which was, not surprisingly, also perfect.

After a few moments Miguel broke the kiss, and Cass found herself slightly off balance, her lips tingling from the delicious pressure of his mouth on hers. With a shy smile, Miguel handed her one of Fabrizio’s business cards. Cass looked from the card to his face.

“Flip it over,” he said. Miguel’s phone number was written on the back. “I hope you’ll call me. I’d like to do this again.”

“I will,” Cass said. Miguel leaned in and gave her another soft kiss. Then he stepped backward down the sidewalk for a few steps before giving her a final, dimpled smile and turning around to walk home.

As Cass was unlocking the door to her sister’s apartment, her mind full of thoughts of Miguel and their perfect first kiss, her phone rang. She dropped everything. “Charlie!” The dreamlike bliss she’d been feeling evaporated the moment she heard her sister’s voice.

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