Page 24 of Duty and Desire

“That isn’t an answer.”

I gave her a mock glare. “Yes, okay? I’m attracted to him. And maybe—I said maybe, all right?—there’s a spark. A seed of something that might grow, providing someone doesn’t chop it off at the roots before it gets a chance.”

She leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Then go have dinner with my blessing.”

I snickered. “Thanks for that. So glad to have your permission.”

Claudia cupped my chin, tilting my face toward hers. “But if this guy hurts you, he’ll have me to deal with. Even if I’m back in the States, I’ll be on the first flight to Tahiti, ready to kick his ass.” She removed her hand.

I squeezed her shoulder. “I hear you. Now get out of here so I can put some clothes on.”

She stood, planted a kiss on my damp hair, then walked out of the room.

I didn’t move for a moment, staring at the thin rug next to the bed. Claudia had accomplished something important.

She’d forced me to be honest with myself.

The trickle of anticipation, the lightness in my chest, the feeling that my whole body was vibrating… I hadn’t felt like this for so long, and all these sensations were down to Gio. But underneath the growing excitement was one thought.

I don’t want to be disappointed.

I pointed to Gio’s rapidly emptying plate. “You really hate that, don’t you?” I teased. Once upon a time it had contained shrimp chow mein.

He nodded. “It’s disgusting. I might need to eat it all over again to make sure, though. Your tuna and frites looks just as bad.”

I took a sip of my sparkling water. “I was right about the food, wasn’t I?”

He chuckled. “And about the wait, but boy, it wassoworth it.” He glanced at our surroundings, a plastic table under a green canopy. “I think I nailed it with jeans and a tee. That appears to be the dress code around here.”

I’d spent the evening so far trying not to let him catch me staring. Gio wore a diamond earring in his left ear, and a gold chain that lay snug against his collarbones.

Hopefully he attributed my drooling to the food.

“And you were right, it isn’t a typical eatery, but I have to tell you, the food here was better than in some of the fancy restaurants in San Francisco.”

“Have you always lived there?”

He nodded. “I grew up in North Beach, except some people call it Little Italy. Mynonnatold me her family arrived there in the late eighteen-fifties, looking for gold. When the mines lost their appeal, they stayed and worked in hotels and restaurants.”

I smiled. “You’re very fond of your grandmother. There’s a light in your eyes when you talk about her.”

He let out a sigh. “I love her, but man, she makes it so hard.”

“What do you mean?”

Gio finished his chow mein, then wiped his lips. He took a long drink of water before regarding me with a pained expression, his face tight. “My family is very… traditional. And when I came out? Let’s just say Nonna wasn’t happy about having a gay grandson.”

Dear Lord.Gio and I weren’t so different after all. Maybe that was what I sensed in him, a connection.

“Has she mellowed since you first told her?”

He shrugged. “A little. Not much.” Another heavy sigh rolled out of him. “I grew up in a family that valued practicality over passion. My parents pushed me to pursue a ‘real’ job,” he air-quoted. “They wanted me to follow a safe, structured path in life. When I first toldthem I wanted to write, they tried to dismiss my ambitions as impractical and naïve.”

“I’m guessing you rebelled.”

He chuckled. “You guess right. I think pouring my heart and soul into my writing was an act of sheer defiance.”

“Can you tell me what you write now?” I grinned. “Unless it’s a secret.”

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