Page 17 of Bella Rosa
11
That One's Just for Me
Matteo
Ican'tstoplookingat her. She is a fascinating creature. I don't even think she realizes she mumbles to herself while she works. My new favorite thing may be this adorable little crease she gets between her brows when she's trying to figure out the best word to use in her notes.
I feel like a creeper. I don't seem to be making her uncomfortable though. I guess that's a good thing because I'm currently following her around like a lost puppy as we take a tour of the kitchen.
Mario opens the large walk-in freezer in the back of the room. Rosa turns and gives me a face-splitting grin and does a little wiggle to further emphasize how excited she is. She is the cutest thing I've ever seen.
It's a little cramped in there, so I reach over and take her bag off her shoulder to hold while she goes in with Mario. I didn't even question the notion. It feels like the most natural thing in the world.
I don't know how, but this woman has turned my world upside down within a few days time. My willpower to ignore her pull is slowly fading. I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold out. I'm starting to question my sanity to be honest.
How can spending an hour watching one woman work make me change my mind about something so important to me? Not fully change my mind, just make me see things in a different way. What if I allowed myself to claim her? Just for three weeks. Maybe then I could get her out of my system. Or she could destroy me. Somehow I know she has the power to ruin me for anyone else.
I'm transported back to reality when the freezer door slams shut. I hand Rosa back her bag, and we continue on our tour. After the tour she asks Mario countless questions, then we say our goodbyes and make our way toward the front door. I don't think she has stopped smiling since we entered the kitchen. I hold the door open for her to walk out.
She turns to look at me when we get to my Vespa. "Thank you so much for all of this. I never would have gotten to ask all those questions or tour the kitchen without you here."
I reach over to take her bag to store under the seat. "It's no problem. I'm glad I could help. I'll give you a tour of my kitchen soon." I grab her helmet and strap it on while she babbles about the food, Mario, and her interview with some of his staff.
I interrupt her while she takes a pause to suck in a deep breath. "The three C's." I start to count them off on my fingers. "Conversation, company, and cuisine. They're all equally as important to the dining experience." That seems to have stopped her brain from firing on all cylinders for the moment, so I take the brief pause to explain. "They're all equally as important. If one of the C's are bad, then the entire experience can be ruined. It's about the entire experience, not just the food."
It seems she has short circuited. I reach over to push a stray hair behind her ear, and then I hear her whisper. "You're amazing." What the hell. I drop my hand back to my side. I couldn't have heard her correctly. She suddenly shakes her head as if to physically clear the commotion going on inside her beautiful head. "Oh my gosh, did I say that out loud?" She's pacing now. She does that a lot.
I grab her hand to still her. I bring my other hand up to trace her lips with my thumb. She gives me a shaky inhale when I touch her bottom lip. "Yes, Rosa." I take a step toward her so we're sharing the same air. "You said that out loud."
Restraint I didn't know I was capable of is all that's keeping me from claiming her mouth. We're stuck in each other's gravity, and I can't bring myself to give a damn.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sure Emilia wouldn't appreciate that."
"Why the hell would she care about what I do?"
"She's your girlfriend."
I shake my head. "I've never even met the girl."
"But I heard what you said at the train station."
It takes me a moment to recall what she could possibly be talking about. She couldn't have overheard what Luca and I were talking about. "Luca was trying to get me to go on a double date with him. Emilia is his girlfriend’s best friend."
She moves closer to me. "So you're not dating anyone?"
I shake my head and lightly grab her waist. "No." My mouth is inches from hers. "I'm not dating anyone."
The spell is broken when the restaurant door bursts open and a family with a screaming baby walks out. We both spring apart like we're on fire. I have no idea what just happened. Rosa turns away from me and lets out a shaky breath.
The rolling hills in the distance must capture her attention. She grabs her camera and starts taking photos of the landscape. She gets this thoughtful look on her face before she goes over and picks a rose from a planter in front of the restaurant. I watch her try to position the rose in front of her camera so it’s in the foreground of her shot. She’s having a difficult time holding her camera and the rose though. Before I know it, my feet are moving on their own accord. I reach out and gently take the rose from her fingers. "Show me what to do."
"Thank you," she says quietly as she grabs my arm to position my hand the way she wants. She snaps a few photos before stepping back to look at the camera screen.
She starts to put her lens cap on to put her camera away, but I grab her hand to stop her. "Don't I get to see it?"
She doesn't say a word. She just hands me her camera so I can look at the screen. The photograph is good. Really good actually. It's not as stereotypical as I would have thought it would be. The mountains are actually out of focus. She focused on the smallest little split in a petal of the rose. I hadn't even noticed the flower was damaged. I hand her back the camera and look into her eyes because I want her to know how serious I am. "This is really good, Rosa. Will you put that photo in your article?"
She turns to look back at the mountains. "No. This one is just for me."
