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“I could tell from our first meeting something happened in your past, and a second ago there was a change in you when you said, ‘There were sacrifices.’ I saw the difference in your eyes.”
Bruno’s gaze dropped to his hand as he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. “You’re very perceptive, Marissa. You are good at what you do.”
“One of the best,” she reminded him.
He didn’t speak again for long seconds, and she thought he’d end the conversation, but then he lifted his gaze to hers.
“Her name was Lorraine. We lived together for a time. We split more than ten years ago. She broke up with me.”
Marissa’s eyebrows shot skyward, which prompted a smile to Bruno’s lips.
“Believe me, no one was more surprised than I was. Her favorite words were ‘You work too much,’ and her final words to me were ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ She didn’t understand that I didn’t want to take the easy way out. I had been handed everything in my life. I wanted to earn my place as a chef, and that meant long hours and starting from the bottom, the way everyone else did.”
“It must have been difficult to hear that from someone you cared about. Your commitment to your craft is admirable, and it’s unfortunate she couldn’t see the value in your dedication. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love. It’s not easy. I’m sorry that happened to you,” Marissa said quietly.
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “No need to be sorry. I was angry for years, but I’m not anymore. I’ve had plenty of time to move past Lorraine and her… unhappiness with the pursuit of my dreams. She had a few choice words for me before she left, but I refused to walk away from the path I’d chosen.”
“You don’t do well with demands, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” he said in a hard tone. “One of the less than stellar traits I inherited from my father. When Lorraine left I put my nose to the grindstone and worked harder.”
“And now you’re one of the top chefs in the world.”
She wondered where Lorraine was now. Did she see his success and have regrets?
“Exactly. Something good came out of the breakup.” He tilted his head to the right. “You said you know what it’s like to lose someone you love. What’s your story?”
Marissa blew out a long breath and lifted her bag onto her shoulder. “That’s a tale for another day.”
“I hope you mean that,” Bruno said.
She realized she did. She wanted to tell him about Chet and how he’d broken her heart, but she wasn’t quite ready yet. Opening up to other people wasn’t easy for her, and sharing an episode so painful and intimate with Bruno felt premature.
“I will. One day,” she promised.
They walked out side by side into the main dining room. As they passed through the restaurant, winding through the tables, men and women turned their heads. Marissa didn’t think for one minute they were looking at her. They were looking at the man next to her, and she couldn’t blame them. He was over six feet, and God had seen fit to bless him with an unreasonable amount of good looks.
Outside, Bruno walked her to her car.
“I’ll reach out in a couple of days with a schedule for your dates,” Marissa said, placing her bag in the back seat of her white Camry.
“I look forward to hearing from you. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Marissa climbed behind the wheel and started the car. As she pulled away, she saw Bruno walk toward his Porsche in the side-view mirror.
A hollow feeling filled her chest. She wished she could spend more time in his company, but doing so wasn’t a good idea. She had enjoyed those moments alone with him, getting to see another side of the handsome bachelor.
She had enjoyed those moments too much.
Chapter Ten
“Theo, let’s go!” Marissa yelled from the kitchen.
She picked her travel mug of iced coffee from the counter and turned toward the bedroom. She had learned to make her own to save money, instead of stopping at the coffee shop drive thru in the mornings.
“I’m coming!” her son called back.
