A widow at thirty. How was that even possible? They had so many dreams. She had so many dreams. Her eyes misted over at the thought of all she had lost and how quickly three years had passed. Yet in that moment, it felt like just yesterday her life changed irrevocably.
Both her heart and life were in jagged, broken pieces, and she wasn’t sure how to put them back together again. There had been glimpses of being whole again, pieces that had hastily been glued together with the help and love of family and friends.
But inevitably, she would discover cracks that allowed a whole host of emotions to seep through like sand through her fingers.
Regret, anger, hopelessness, guilt. So much guilt.
Taking in a deep breath, Aria knew she couldn't let her constant companion of grief derail her. Not today. She had to stay focused.
She set aside her thoughts of Nicholas and the crisis at hand as she went to work on other projects.
An hour later, she stretched her arms overhead and tilted her head side to side, trying to loosen the knot in her neck. Her mood had brightened somewhat because she was able to check off several small items on her ever-growing to-do list.
The early days of grief had taught her how important it was to set goals. Back then, her list looked like it belonged to a toddler.
Get out of bed. Check.
Brush teeth. Check.
Change out of the pajamas you’ve been in for days. Check.
Play nice with others. Check.
Despite it all, she’d come a long way.
Looking up through the glass that encased her office, she saw Gio staring in her direction. He winced, and she was sure she heard him swear under his breath through her partially open door.
She offered a nervous smile and a quick wave to the handsome art director. He returned the smile, hurriedly walking toward his office, embarrassment coloring his face.
It certainly wasn’t the first time Aria had seen the lingering looks he gave her. Having a man like Gio Nostriami paying her attention was more than flattering. With thick, curly black hair that touched his ears and eyes as blue as the sky on a sunny day, there was no denying Gio was incredibly handsome.
His good looks aside, he was also one of the kindest men she had ever met. She often found her favorite chocolate bar on her desk if she was having a bad day, or lunch waiting if he thought she had worked through it.
Luna knocked lightly as she walked into Aria’s office. She pushed the door open, her eyes following her boss’ line of sight.
“Caught Gio looking at you again, huh?” she asked, smirking and holding out a folder toward Aria.
Swiveling her head toward her assistant, Aria cleared her throat and reached for the folder.She knew where this conversation would take them if she engaged, so she pretended not to have heard.
Luna Comarari was efficient and loyal but incredibly nosy. If her employees were like family, Luna was the equivalent of the obnoxious cousin, always digging into everyone’s business.
“I heard he’s trying to get the nerve up to finally ask you out,” Luna teased as Aria blushed pink.
“I’ve told you about listening to office gossip,” Aria answered, a slight warning to her tone.
Sighing heavily, Luna pleaded her case.
“Listen, the man is gorgeous and has been pining for you since he got the job. His eyes lit up the day you interviewed him. It was the perfect meet cute. Promise me you’ll at least try to be open to the possibility if he ever asks. I know you’ve turned down all the other men who have asked you out because you’re afraid of putting yourself out there, but Gio is a great guy. And he’s safe.”
Aria winced at Luna’s words.
She had turned down the other offers for dates because the thought of going out with a stranger brought with it so much anxiety and guilt.
But Luna was right about one thing. She and Gio had become friends in the year since he took the art director position. They shared a love of exotic food, and both were always up for a new taste adventure. But besides going to lunch occasionally, they’d never been on anything resembling a date. Aria always made it clear in her words and actions that they were firmly entrenched in the ‘friend zone’.
“You never know. He might turn out to be your Mr. Darcy,” she said in a sing-song way.
Regretting having ever mentioned her obsession with the movie, Aria answered, “I have a lot of work to do and so do you.”
