Page 162 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘We meet again,’ she said, and smiled.

‘Everyone meets here,’ he informed her.

‘How was the sour cherry?’ Susie asked.

‘Like sour cherries,’ he replied, and gestured to his table. ‘Would you like to join me?’

‘So long as you’re not going to interrogate me about Gio,’ she said. But even though he made no promises not to do so, she took a seat.

‘I was just about to order.’ He signalled to the waiter.

‘Is there a menu?’

‘No need. I was just getting pastries, bread...’

Susie frowned. ‘For all you know I might be gluten intolerant.’

‘Then you shouldn’t have had that cone last night,’ Dante said, then conceded, ‘I’ll ask for a menu.’

‘It’s fine.’

Gosh, he was confident. Or perhaps it was just the way things were done here, she mused as he ordered for both of them.

The waiter commented on the gorgeous morning and Dante nodded. Then he attempted to draw Dante into conversation and said how nice it was to see him back...

‘Thank you.’

He was rather terse with the waiter, which Susie thought was a bit of a red flag, so she pursed her lips as he shut down the conversation, but when the waiter had gone she spoke up.

‘He’s just making conversation,’ she said. ‘Believe me, I know how hard that can be.’

‘I went to school with him,’ Dante said. ‘He was nosey even then.’

‘Oh!’ She gave a half laugh. ‘Sorry. I thought you were being rude. I didn’t know there was history.’

‘There is history on every corner. You wait—we shall soon be the talk of the town.’

‘I’d love to be the talk of the town,’ Susie said, and sighed. ‘It’s my ambition.’

He offered a polite smile at her little joke, but then frowned. ‘You’re not joking, are you?’

‘I’m not,’ she agreed. ‘I’m sure I’d soon tire of it, but...’ She smiled at the very gorgeous Dante. ‘Just once.’

‘It’s actually quite easy to achieve here,’ he said. Taking a bread roll, he tore it, then dipped it in honey. ‘Aren’t we supposed to be speaking in Italian?’

‘Not on a Saturday,’ Susie lied, forgetting her earlier vow. She wanted to concentrate on the conversation, not on the language. She didn’t want to be stilted with Dante. ‘It’s nice to have a day off—at least from classes.’

‘Well, I’m glad to have caught you. I did want to thank you.’

‘You already have.’ She shrugged.

‘Susie, I know about Gio and Mimi. At least, I think I do.’

‘What about them?’ she asked.

Dante admired the fact that she remained discreet.

‘I’ve long since guessed she is more than a housekeeper.’