Page 217 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘Good, yes?’ he asked.

‘Perfect.’ Susie nodded.

Certainly she wasn’t about to disagree with Cucou, and she was grateful when Phillipe came over and tasted it too.

‘To die for!’ he declared.

‘Are you waitressing at the wedding?’ Cucou asked her.

‘Is it a wedding?’

He nodded. ‘If so, the cake needs to come out of the chiller exactly twenty minutes before serving—no earlier...’ Cucou gave her some more somewhat unusual instructions, and perhaps saw her frown. ‘It’s a tiny wedding...just a party of five...’

Cucou opened up the massive chiller, and if this Valentine’s Day had proved challenging for Susie so far, it suddenly became impossible.

Gio and Mimi

The names were piped on the cake elaborately, and there were little hearts and bells... And if there was a God, then he was playing tricks on her, surely?

‘Gio and Mimi are getting married?’ she croaked, hurt that Mimi hadn’t told her. ‘When?’

Cucou glanced at the huge clock. ‘About now...’

He closed the box on the precious cake.

‘Susie...?’ Pedro called. ‘You need to get changed.’

As she headed for the cloakroom she braced herself for a second hurt.

Dante.

Dante won’t even be there, Susie told herself as she slipped on her stockings and wriggled into her black dress, remembering his hands on the zip even as she reached for it. Remembering his hands on her hips and how in that moment their promised one night had turned into three...

Of course he’ll be there, she argued silently in her mind as she put on her ugly sensible shoes and then tied her black apron on.

And if he was going to be in Lucca then he’d want to see her, surely?

Call her?

Warn her so she could at least warn her heart!

But then what did one weekend with a waitress mean to a man like Dante?

He’d made her feel special and adored, but she didn’t doubt he’d done the same to many women.

He wouldn’t be here, she reassured herself as she tied her hair into a low bun and put a slick of lipstick on.

It felt odd to step into Gio’s through the staff entrance and not the main kitchen.

Pedro was his usual self—behind the scenes he was frantic, but she knew he would be all polished smiles when the wedding party arrived.

‘Susie and Camilla, you are here in the butler’s kitchen, serving...’

‘Can’t I work in the main kitchen?’ Susie asked.

‘You’re a waitress today,’ Pedro reminded her sharply.

Oh, God.