Page 29 of The Fall Affair

“Si. And if she comes around, Sophia never had a blue-eyed cat living in her bedroom.”

I walked into the house laughing. My grandmother was definitely good at her game.

A few hours later, Matteo was still upstairs working when there was a knock at the door.

When I answered, Tomasso smiled and held up his hand with his fingers pinched together, Italian style. “Ciao, sei sempre più bella ogni volta che ti vedo.”

I opened the screen door. “I’m not sure what that means, but it sounded really nice when you said it.”

He flashed a dimpled smile. “It means you get more beautiful every time I see you.”

Boy, this kid laid it on thick. Yet he owned it, so somehow it worked for him. “That’s very sweet. Does that line work on girls your own age?”

He took my hand. “Age is only a number.”

“And what number might you be? Eighteen?”

He held up a finger. “Nineteen.”

Oof. That hurt. “Are you looking for your boss?”

“I’m looking for my soulmate. And I t’ink I find her.”

I chuckled. “Corny but adorable. What can I do for you, Tomasso?”

“Accompany me to dinner, for starters?”

I took my hands back. “I’m taking a break from dating.”

He covered over his heart. “I’m devastated.”

“You’ll bounce back. Young people are resilient.”

“I not give up easily.” He winked. “Is da boss upstairs?”

“He is.”

“May I?”

I stepped aside. “Of course.”

Tomasso went up to the second floor and came down a few minutes later. “Until next time, bella.”

“Have a good evening, Tomasso.”

After he left, I went to check on how things were going up in the bathroom and brought Matteo another glass of tea. Sadly, his shirt was now on.

“Are you hungry?” I extended the drink to him. “You’ve been working up here all day.”

“I could eat.”

“I’m a little rusty with my cooking, but I picked up some groceries on my way home from the lawyer to make my grandmother’s risotto alla Milanese. I’ve been craving it since I walked in. She always made it the night I arrived, so apparently, I’m trained like Pavlov’s dog now.”

“Do you know her recipe?”

I grinned. “I do.”

He shook his head. “I asked her for it once, and she told me to eat dirt.”