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In truth, it wasn’t just Dani that I was distracted by. Before I drove into work this morning, I met with a realtor, and we stopped in the empty storefront in Hutton Hill. My brother Rocco met us and as soon as he and I walked in, we both knew it was the perfect size for the kind of restaurant I wanted to open. The two side walls were exposed red brick. The ceiling had been stripped bare and was now industrial looking, and the floor was made of wide reclaimed wooden slats. There was even a small patio area out in front for summer seating.
But the back of the place was even more perfect. The kitchen area would be double the space of what my parents had, and there was even enough room for a brick oven. Margery Casings, the local, fifty-something, seasoned realtor who gave us the tour, needed my answer by noon tomorrow, and I couldn’t think of anything else. Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, the perfect time to start a new adventure, but I was completely stuck.
She had another client interested in the space to open a popular coffee shop franchise, which would kill the smaller, independent coffee shop Hutton Hill already had. She wouldn’t disclose the name of the franchise, but whatever it was, my restaurant would be a much better fit with the other small businesses already in town.
Still, I felt stymied.
Rocco had wanted me to sign on the dotted line right then and there, but a funny thing happened to me. When faced with my dreams becoming a reality, I froze.
I couldn’t do it.
I could barely breathe, let alone make it all real. Especially since I knew the woman I was falling in love with wouldn’t be by my side. Suddenly, living without her made everything seem less important.
I’d known this going in, but it still hurt, maybe more than it should.
My father reappeared with two trays of fresh pizza dough.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s get to work, and no flying dough this time.”
He smiled over at me and for the first time in my life, I finally got what it must have meant for him to break away from his family and his country to pursue a dream.
It took a strong will and a determination that I believed all four of his sons had, but for some reason, we were hesitant to implement. My loyalty to our parents, especially to our dad, kept me working for him.
But if anyone could understand my wanting to branch out on my own, my dad was that person.
Now all I had to do was channel my inner dad and do the exact same thing he did when he was only nineteen.
AROUND EIGHT O’CLOCK that evening, about the time when Aunt Bella uncased her mandolin and Cousin Joe brought out his acoustic guitar after dinner, I excused myself and disappeared into my bedroom. I couldn’t wait another minute.
I sent Shannon a text.
Jonathan:
I still have your panties.
I waited through an entire rendition ofThat’s Amore,a Dean Martin ballad from the 1960s that everyone joined in on. I didn’t know why this family seemed to love Dino so much. I was more of an Andrea Bocelli fan, and I especially liked his rendition ofWhen I Fall In Love,but I would never admit that to anyone in this family… although I thought maybe I’d mentioned it to Rocco when he was getting through his last romantic challenge, but I couldn’t be sure.
I heard the voices and the music coming up from the living room downstairs, almost the entire song, before Shannon finally answered.
Shannon:
You can just toss them. I have others.
My heart thumped against my chest. Just her response caused my body to prickle with excitement, and the blood flowed to my dick.
Jonathan:
Never. I want to slip them back on your body on New Year’s Eve.
The three dots pulsed on the screen.
I waited, worried that she wouldn’t engage. Each time we did this, I hoped it wouldn’t be our last. I wanted so much more from this relationship, but for now, I’d take our texting.
Shannon:
Don’t guys usually want to take clothes off women rather than putting clothes back on?
Great! She was fully engaged once again. I let out the breath I’d been mindlessly holding.
