Page 20 of Gary

“Nothing is ever too late!” His aunt said softly.

“I did not call you to talk about the difficulties surrounding my family. I have decided on preparing chicken scallopini and need your expert advice on what to buy.”

“Will you be pairing it with creamy risotto and a Caprese salad?”

He chuckled and felt the tension around his heart dissipating. “You read my mind. I am at this Italian produce store and want to know what to pick up.”

He listened as she reeled off a list of ingredients for him to purchase. “Call me when you are preparing the chicken.”

After promising that he would, he ended the call and sat there for a minute before heading towards the store.

Chapter 5

“Christ!” Pulling his hand back, he ducked it beneath the cold water from the tap and waited for the stinging sensation to fade before turning off the water.

He was making a mess of everything. The chicken scallopini was a success and looked succulent. With a lot of help from his aunt who had patiently stayed up to guide him through, he had finished preparing the dish.

He had bought a bottle of Vino da tavola (A table red wine) to go with the meal. The risotto was also finished, but he was wondering if it was as creamy as it should be. It could not be helped now, because he was running late.

On his way back from the market, he had received a call from his uncle about some board meeting or the other and his swinging by the office had ended up with him spending almost the entire day.

Then his father called and demanded to see him. Something about his will and the signing of documents that he would have rather not have done. It was a reminder that he was inheriting a legacy he did not want.

It had put him in a bad mod which had further escalated when he had an argument with the old man. It had led to his pressure hiking up and the nurse intervening and ordering him to leave and return when he was calm.

He had to rush home to start preparing the meal and set the table. He had also forgotten about fresh flowers. His mother would be horrified if a vase of flowers were not in the center of the table.

And the tablecloth had to be snowy white. He had to get off the highway that led from his dad’s place to his apartment and stopped at a florist shop to pick up some yellow and white roses. Red would have been too obvious and inappropriate.

And the kitchen was a damn mess. A frantic glance at the clock showed that he had fifteen minutes to clean up and take a shower.

“Damn it all to hell.” He muttered. Who could he get on this short notice to come and do the cleaning for him? No one.

He should have listened to his uncle and hired a housekeeper. He was not lazy or entitled, expecting people to pick up after him, but at the same time he had grown up with servants doing his every bidding. What the hell was he thinking?

Hissing out a breath, he made a mental note to take his uncle up on his offer to find someone to do the cleaning. With that part of it resolved, he resigned himself to stacking the dishes into the dishwasher and cleaning off the counter.

With five minutes to spare, he dashed upstairs and took a quick shower. Pulling down clothing at random, he donned a pair of khaki pants and a black silk sweater. Running his fingers through his damp unruly hair, he slid his feet into a pair of dockers and hurried downstairs.

He was hoping she would be tardy, but that was shot to hell. At precisely eight thirty, he saw her on the camera, just before she rang the bell.

Pressing the button, he opened the downstairs doors and had the front door ajar for her to enter.

“Hey.” He was completely speechless as he stood there staring at her. She had obviously gone home to shower and change. The black dress was molded to her slender curves, the V-cut giving him glimpses of her cleavage.

Tearing his eyes away from that part of her that was making his mouth water, he studied her face and felt the reaction in his loins as her lips captured his attention.

“Am I allowed to come in?”

The amusement in her sultry voice had the color rushing to his face. Stepping back, he waited until she had stepped past him before securing the door.

“Let me take your jacket.”

She shrugged it off and handed it to him.

“You must be in upper management.”

“Pardon?” Her perfume was distracting him and the presence of her inside his apartment was making him crazy.