Page 54 of Banter & Blushes

Maya snorted. “Well, when you put it that way, I can see why I’m not there with you. I mean, Joe?—”

“Don’t you dare.” I cut her off, laughing. “You’re totally into him. Youhaveto be. I hear it in your voice when you talk about him.”

She paused, then let out an exaggerated sigh. “Maybe, but Irefuseto admit it. He’s, like, the human equivalent of a traffic cone. Ugh, and despite all that, he has the craziest ways to make me swoon. What is wrong with me? How could I even be into half the things he attempts and miserably fails at? But, you know what? I’ll call him if I want. You don’t control my love life, Miss Queen of Planning.”

“Uh-huh,” I said. “And how’s that going for you?”

“Don’t make me getserious, Rebecca. I don’t know how to handle this much... emotion.” Maya’s voice lowered into what could only be described as the world’smost sarcastictone. “But don’t you worry, I’ll call you after I?—"

“Gotthe world’s greatest man,” I interrupted her, giggling. “Yeah, I know. I’ll call you when I’m planning our wedding. But I’m pretty sure that involves a lot of pasta and wedding cake, so... we’ll see.”

Maya groaned. “You’re so cheesy. Why are you like this?”

“Well, you’re lucky I’m not trying to be allromanticright now,” I teased. “If I were, I’d send you a picture of me and Luca making out on our rooftop... in a sea of rose petals... with candles everywhere.Romantic.”

“Don’tmake me picture that.”

“Well, I’m going to, because?—“

Before I could finish, Luca walked into the kitchen, a plate in his hands, and he was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

I held up the phone to him. “Maya’s just jealous that she’s missing out on all the romance.”

Luca raised an eyebrow, but then grinned. “Tell Maya to stop being so bitter. Joe isn’t that bad. He has a good heart. I’ll cook for her next time she visits, and I’ll make her the best pasta she’s ever had.”

Maya’s voice came through the phone, sarcastic but undeniably amused. “Ifhe can top Joe’s crazy pasta concoction, Rebecca, I might actually forgive him for being Luca.”

I laughed. “We’ll see about that. Alright, I gotta go. Love you, girl.”

After hanging up, Luca set the plate down in front of me and dramatically swept his arms. “Behold!” He gestured to the dish like he was presenting a masterpiece. “The Rebecca. The most beautiful, most perfect dish I’ve ever created.”

I looked at the plate. It was pasta. Of course. But this time, it was something different—something intricate and delicate, with perfectly sautéed vegetables, a rich sauce, and a touch of truffle oil. It looked like something I could only dream of eating.

“What’s in it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Some kind of Luca special?”

He smiled shyly, his eyes softening. “I named it after you. Because you’re... well, you’re everything to me.”

I felt my heart skip a beat, my chest warming.Everything to him.

“I—” I cleared my throat, trying to hold back the rush of emotion. “I love you.”

His face softened, and he leaned in, kissing me gently on the lips. “I love you more.”

As I looked at the dish he’d made for me, the one named after me, it hit me—this wasn’t just about the food. It was his heart. His soul. His promise to take care of me forever.

I didn’t need anything more. I had everything I ever needed right here.

Before I could take the first bite, in that quiet moment, Luca looked at me with a hint of nervous excitement in his eyes. He dropped to one knee, his hand reaching for mine and my heart stopped.

"Rebecca," he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion, "From the first moment I saw you trying to make love with your iced coffee, I knew I was a jealous man. And the way we continued to collide while you were here made me realize what it’s like to just be carefree with someone and love it. Chasing you down at the airport, I thought I’d lost my chance at everything I knew I couldn’t live without, but you proved me wrong again. And now? I want to make sure you never get away, even when I annoy you. Will you marry me?"

I stared at him, trying not to laugh at the image of myself "making love" to my iced coffee. It was such a ridiculous thing to say, but hearing him say it with such sincerity made my heart swell.

"Yes," I said, barely able to hold back my grin. "But only if you promise never to mention my iced coffee obsession again."

He chuckled, clearly relieved. "Deal."

"Good," I said, shaking my head, "Because I can’t live with the idea of being tied to a man who thinks I’m in a relationship with a beverage."

And with that, we both laughed, the future suddenly feeling a lot less complicated—and a lot more fun.

---