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Mrs. Antonetti clapped her hands, clearly pleased. “Bene, grazie. Carlo, you go with Luke, I check the food. Andiamo.” Mrs. Antonetti started toward what Luke assumed was the kitchen. Carlo shrugged and followed. Luke glanced at Abbey, Jake, and Cassie. The three of them seemed grateful.
Crisis of his own making averted, Luke followed Carlo down a short hallway into the restaurant’s hot busy kitchen. Fortunately, Luke thought no one had noticed him during their walk to the kitchen.
The kitchen itself was a different matter. For a moment, he watched in awe as the chefs, assistants, and wait staff performed a sort of choreographed dance of among each other between prep work, cooking, baking, plating, boxing leftovers … until they noticed him.
Some of the wait staff had their phones out, snapping pictures. Luke was used to that, but he didn’t want to draw the press’s attention to his whereabouts. The amazing scents of authentic Italian cooking made his mouth water and his stomach growl so loud Carlo heard.
“Get back to work and don’t tell anyone, capire?”
Carlo’s employees shot a few more pictures, nodded, and got back to work, talking excitedly to each other but sneaking glances Luke’s way. “Antipasti per Tyler e Jayne, my office, subito.”
Carlo led Luke down another short hallway to his office. Done in the same dark wood tones as the restaurant and banquet rooms, Carlo’s office was decorated with a large mahogany desk and executive leather high-back chair. Two luxurious leather captain’s style chairs were set in front of the desk and a leather couch was placed against the back wall of the office. The walls were decorated with various pictures of the Antonetti family and their well-known Italian wine vineyards. And a picture of Carlo with the band Kiss in full makeup? There were several pictures of Carlo and who had to be his son, a younger, spitting image of his father. Luke felt the annoying pang of jealousy. If things had worked out differently, he’d most likely have little mini me’s of his own by now.
Carlo gestured for Luke to sit as he took a seat behind his desk. Luke sat down and waited, feeling awkward from his earlier Neanderthal display. “First, let me apologize for Ma. She’s been trying to marry me off since before my son CJ was born. I meant no disrespect to you or your woman. She’s beautiful, of course, but I had no intention of acting on Ma’s enthusiasm about her being single,” Carlo began. Before Luke could respond there was a knock on the door.
“Entra.”
The office door opened and Luke was surprised to see the head chef. Luke sat at attention when he saw the chef was carrying a large plate filled with Jake and Cassie’s hors d’oeuvres—mozzarella-stuffed bacon-wrapped shrimp, Italian sausage-stuffed mushrooms, and mini Italian meatballs. Luke’s stomach grumbled again and the chef and Carlo laughed.
The chef handed him the plate, a white cloth napkin, and a fork. “Mr. Stryker, I hope you enjoy this.”
Luke happily took the plate of delectable hors d’oeuvres from the chef. “Thank you, Chef. Although I’m surprised you’re bringing this in.” He speared a mini meatball with his fork and popped the entire thing in his mouth. So fucking good. He moaned as he devoured the delicious Romano cheese and herb-seasoned beef meatball. He could easily eat a dozen.
Carlo shook his head. “Don’t be fooled, Luke, he was sent by the staff.”
Luke ate a stuffed shrimp in one bite, savoring the salty bacon and warm mozzarella cheese. He could guess why the staff sent the chef in with his plate, and he would not be a jerk, especially after sampling the chef’s amazing food. “No worries, Chef, I’m happy to take a few pictures and sign autographs. Can you give Carlo and me a few minutes?”
The chef looked over to Carlo. When he nodded in agreement, the chef said, “Thank you Mr. Stryker. And don’t worry, the staff won’t take much of your time.”
“Find CJ for me and tell him to bring the camera, per favore,” Carlo said as the chef left his office.
“Will do.” The office door clicked shut.
Luke thoroughly enjoyed an Italian sausage-stuffed mushroom and looked up at Carlo apologetically. “Thank you for this, I haven’t eaten much today. It’s been nonstop busy.”
Carlo nodded his head in understanding. “You’re very welcome. Why should you miss out on cocktail hour? Again, I’m sorry about the misunderstanding with Ma and your woman.”
Luke grunted and munched on another shrimp. Everything does go better with bacon, he thought. “Abbey was my woman ten years ago.”
“Ah, the one that got away, eh?” Carlo frowned and shook his head sadly.
Carlo must have let someone get away too, from the sad but knowing expression on his face. “Yes, but I’m getting her back—this weekend. She’s not making it easy though, but I’m determined to make her come around. You’ve lost someone too, I take it?”
Carlo sighed and nodded. “Yes, years ago, when CJ was just three weeks old. He’s eighteen now.”
Well shit, Carlo wasn’t over his girl either. Luke estimated Carlo to be in his late thirties, early forties at the most. There was still plenty of time if he wanted to pursue her.
“You should reconnect with her. See if the attraction and chemistry are still there.” Now Luke felt like a total dick for being rude earlier. Carlo wasn’t interested in Abbey. He was still pining over his own long-lost love.
Carlo shrugged, sadly. “I don’t know. She had big dreams she wanted to work toward when I last saw her. I didn’t want to stand in her way so I didn’t even tell her I loved her. I was twenty-three years old with a newborn. She was eighteen and off to beauty school and then she wanted to open a salon and spa with her sister and friends. I didn’t want to tie her down. It was for the best, I think.”
Luke felt like a complete jackass. “That was then, and this is now. It couldn’t hurt just to find her. If anything, just to catch up. Get a haircut? You could try finding her on Facebook.”
There was a sudden knock at the door and it flew open. Carlo’s son CJ bounded into the room with a camera in his hands. He went right to his father without looking in Luke’s direction. The resemblance between father and son was striking. Luke felt another pang of jealousy deep in his gut. “Hey, Dad. They said you wanted the camera?” Carlo nudged his head in Luke’s direction.
CJ’s eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. “Holy shit! Luke Stryker!” CJ shoved the camera into Carlo’s chest and rounded the desk with his hand extended.
Luke placed his plate of mostly eaten hors d’oeuvres on Carlo’s desk and stood. He shook CJ’s hand. The young man had a strong grip. “It’s good to meet you, CJ.”
