Page 145 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘I meant in the...’ Susie started, but then realised that Pedro had perhaps deliberately misunderstood. He knew she wanted a chance in the kitchen—she’d asked often enough!

‘Susie...’ Pedro sighed. ‘Please, there are guests waiting.’

‘Of course.’

Burning with a blush, she turned and approached her first table for the night. The guests were English, so no practising her language skills there.

It was a busy Friday night—so busy that her blonde hair started spilling out of its pins, and Pedro sent her to the cloakroom to fix it. In the mirror she saw her flushed face and, very rarely for Susie, the glitter of tears in her vivid blue eyes.

‘Susie...?’ Her name was being called as she came out. ‘Kitchen!’

She felt a lurch of hope—but no, Cucou was putting the finishing touches to the birthday cake. It looked stunning, and had been made by the maestro himself.

She watched as Cucou wiped the edge of the plate.

‘Perfect,’ he said, more to himself than to Susie.

‘It looks far too good to eat.’

Susie smiled, trying to make conversation, to be noticed by Cucou, but he wasn’t really listening.

‘It’s my sisters’ birthday today,’ she said in Italian, as Pedro lit the candles on the cake. ‘I’m sure their cake isn’t—’

‘Sister!’ Pedro abruptly corrected Susie’s Italian. ‘Hercake...’

The correction was unnecessary—for once Susie hadn’t mixed up her plurals or tenses or whatever. ‘No, I meantsisters,’ she said. ‘They’re twins.’

For the first time Cucou seemed interested in what Susie had to say. He actually asked her a question. ‘Are they identical twins?’

It was the same question everyone asked.Everyone!

‘Si,’Susie said.

And then she stood there, her lips a little pursed, as Pedro and Cucou proceeded to chat about some identical twin brothers who lived nearby. How, even if they came to Pearla’s separately, they ordered the same meal, inadvertently dressed the same at times.

Typical, Susie thought as Cucou proudly lifted the cake, that the one time he’d spoken to her it was about her sisters.

Out they all walked, Cucou carrying the cake, and Pedro, Susie and the wine waiter behind with champagne, descending on the couple as the lucky birthday lady let out a cry of surprise and delight.

‘How beautiful!’ She smiled at her partner. ‘You never forget.’

Gosh, she really was teary tonight, Susie realised. Only it wasn’t the little party here that was causing her slight upset tonight. It was the little party undoubtedly taking place tonight back in London that had her feeling a little...

It was a feeling she would rather not acknowledge.

Anyway, there wasn’t time—the delightful SignorCasadio had again made good use of his new phone and she was to take over his meal.

It had been New Year’s Eve when he’d first rung the restaurant.

They had been so busy that all calls were going to the machine, and yet Pedro had been startled when he’d heard his voice and had immediately taken the call.

‘Of course, Signor Casadio, it would be our pleasure to bring your meal over.’

Susie had frowned as Pedro had hung up the phone.

‘I thought the restaurant didn’t deliver?’

‘We do when it’s Gio Casadio asking,’ Pedro had snapped, and then dashed off to speak with Cucou.