Page 48 of Bella Rosa
"But—"
"No buts! Do I need to go tell Matteo you are over here talking shit about yourself or do I need to whip your ass myself?"
I smile and shake my head. "You sound so American sometimes. No. He would freak out and give me a lecture about how awesome I am or something."
"As he should! And don't ever say I sound like an American again."
I take the last bite of my sandwich and put my napkin on my plate. "You're a really good friend, you know that right?"
She finishes off the last of her sandwich and starts stacking our plates. "Duh. Now let's go pick out some dessert. I'll put yours in a bag so you can take it with you. Make sure you get something for Matteo too." Everyone needs a friend like Juli. She hands me a bag with all my goodies. "Let me know how it goes with the marketing stuff and with Expedition Italy tonight. I'll see you this weekend at Luca's party. This is my last weekend before I have Gemma for a few weeks."
I nod my head as I start walking to the door just as another customer comes in. I forgot she was taking care of her niece while her sister and her husband are out of town. I thank Juli for lunch and battle with my umbrella for far too long before I finally make it out the door into the pouring rain. I stand on the curb for a moment and take in the beauty of the Eden Valley.
A car drives by and I close my eyes so I can listen to the sound the tires make as they go through the water on the road. I can hear a bell ring as a shop door opens and closes a few doors down. I can smell the fresh baked bread from the bakery down the street. I can hear the rain drops hitting my umbrella.
"Hello, Rosa."
I open my eyes and see Matteo walking across the street with a smile on his face. He parked his car in front of Alda's place. A huge smile takes over my face. "Hello, handsome."
He comes up on the sidewalk and sweeps me up in his arms. I drop my umbrella and wrap my arms around his neck. He sets me down and picks my umbrella up off the ground so he can keep the rain off us. "I missed you." He pulls me in close. Right where I want to be. The smell of sandalwood and leather wrapping me in a warm blanket.
"I was only gone for a few hours."
He puts his hand on his heart. "Are you saying you didn't miss me?"
I lightly push him on the shoulder. "Of course I did."
He kisses me on the nose. "That's what I thought. Ready to go?"
We cross the street toward his car. "As ready as I'll ever be."
30
Seeing is Believing
Rosalie
Mypalmsaresweatyand I feel like I'm going to faint.
All eyes are on me as I set up all my camera gear and lights. Why couldn't we have done this while the restaurant is closed? All I need is for everyone to watch me fumble around with my setup.
I know. I know. I want fresh food and some of the employees in my shots. I just need to deal with it. I've just never been the one in charge of something like this. I take a deep breath to center myself. I can do this. If I have a freakout moment it's not going to make this any easier.
I shake out my arms to try and bring the circulation back to them. I wonder if that's normal? Probably not.
Okay. I'm ready.
One of the cooks brings over my first dish and I begin the staging process. Matteo brought me a mountain of props earlier, so this should actually be fun. I start arranging the scene and it's like everything around me fades away. The sound of all the clattering of dishes and the sizzling of food cooking on the stove melts into the background. I can no longer smell the freshly cooked pasta sauce on the table next to me. It's just me and the camera.
Before I know it, I've taken over a hundred photos and I have pages and pages of notes for social media marketing ideas. I can't wait to use some of these photos on my blog later. I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at the time. I've been at this for a few hours. I should probably take a break. Plus, I just realized I've really got to pee.
I look around but don't see Matteo anywhere. His office door is closed. I'm sure he's busy. I'll just go use the restroom and get back to work. Before I go to the restroom, I start uploading my photos to my laptop. I don't want to lose all the photos I've worked so hard for. Better to be safe than sorry. I put my lens cap back on and store my camera away in my bag. I reach my arms up to stretch my back and crack my neck.
I make my way to the staff bathroom by the sinks where all the dishes are washed. When I'm done I splash some water on my face and rub the back of my neck with a cold towel. It can get so hot in the kitchen with all the stoves and ovens going all the time. I dry off my face and open the door to go back out into the kitchen.
I'm surprised to find Lorenzo standing next to my table. He smiles when he sees me coming. "Hello Rosalie. It's so nice to finally meet you. Mind if I sit?" He motions to a chair next to the table I've taken over with all my camera gear.
"No, not at all, Mr. Moretti. Go right ahead. It's so nice to finally meet you as well." I sit and turn to face him so I can devote all my attention to the man that raised the most amazing man I know.
