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Frankie believed they made the best pizza anywhere in New York City, and given that she’d eaten pizza on almost every street at one point or another, no one argued with her.
This early the tables were empty but already the scent of garlic and oregano wafted through the air.
The door to the kitchen was open and Paige ducked through it. As expected, Maria Romano was already at work making pasta.
“Buongiorno.” That was one of the few words of Italian Paige admitted to knowing. The others were her secret, part of a time when she’d deluded herself into thinking something might happen between her and Jake.
“Paige!”
Instantly she was embraced by flour and affection. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Never. How are you?”
Paige took a deep breath. She’d fallen in love with Maria Romano from the first moment Jake and Matt had introduced her. It had been during her first week in college, when being in New York had felt like landing on an alien planet.
“I didn’t get the promotion. I lost my job.”
Maria released her. “Jake told me. He called by last night. I have been worried about you. Sit down. Have you eaten?”
“I’m having breakfast with Frankie and Eva. We have things to talk about. But coffee would be good.” It didn’t surprise her that Jake had called by. He was fiercely protective of Maria, who had taken him in when he was six and later adopted him. It was Jake who had bought the restaurant and provided his mother, her brother and several cousins with employment and accommodation.
Five minutes later Paige was sitting with a cup of perfect espresso in front of her telling Jake’s mother everything from her meeting with Cynthia thro
ugh to an edited version of the conversation on the roof terrace.
She wasn’t sure exactly when she’d started to confide in Maria. It had happened gradually after she’d moved in with Matt in her first year of college.
Too busy to cook, he’d taken her to Romano’s to make sure she had a decent meal once in a while. Friday evenings in Romano’s had become as much of a routine as their Saturday movie nights, and those evenings spent with her friends, against the backdrop of sounds and smells from the restaurant, were often the best part of the week for Paige. She loved the warm family environment, the laughter, the controlled chaos. Maria was caring, without being smothering. Somehow it was easier to talk to her than it was her own mother, simply because she didn’t feel the pressure of someone trying to protect her.
“So you’re setting up business on your own.” Maria sat down opposite her. “And you’re feeling scared and wondering if you’ve done the right thing.”
Paige’s stomach rolled. She was glad she’d refused breakfast. “I’m excited.”
Maria picked up her own coffee. “You don’t have to keep up a brave face with me.”
Paige gave up trying. “It’s scary. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Tell me I’m being pathetic.”
“Why would I tell you that? You’re being honest. Feeling scared is natural. It doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong decision.”
“Are you sure? I’m worried I’m being selfish, that I’m doing this for me. I spent my whole childhood with other people in control of what happened to me, and I want to feel as if I have some of the control now. Even if that means failing. But if I fail, I take my friends down with me.”
“Why would you fail?”
“Jake will tell you how many businesses fail.”
Maria sipped her coffee. “So it’s my boy who has been scaring you?”
Boy?
Paige pushed aside a vision of strong shoulders and hard muscle. “He laid out the facts. The facts were pretty scary.”
“Don’t let that put you off. If anyone can help and advise you, he can. It’s because of him that I have this place. He bought it, then he taught me how to run it and spent time with Carlo showing him how to do the financials.” Maria put her cup down. “Talk to Jake. You’ve been friends a long time. You know he would help you if you were in trouble.”
Paige knew she’d have to be desperate before she’d ask Jake for more help, but she couldn’t explain why to Maria. “I’m not in trouble. I am worried about what happens if this doesn’t work out. Eva needs the money badly and so does Frankie.” It was the thing that bothered her the most. “What if I let them down? It isn’t just about me. I’m asking them to take a risk.”
“You’re asking them to take a chance. Life is all about taking chances.”
“But this was my decision. My dream. I swept them along with me.” And it was the thought of what would happen if it didn’t work out that had kept her awake for most of the night. “Frankie is brilliant with flowers and gardens and Eva is a fabulous cook, but in the end I’m the one who has to bring in the business. It’s all down to me. What if I can’t do it? What if I’m being selfish?”
