Page 158 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

“Great, thanks.”

Cara fiddled with her bag as she waited for her order. She kept glancing down at her watch to check the time, but her solitude didn’t last long.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

Looking over her shoulder, a pair of striking blue eyes met her gaze. The man was handsome enough, with a disarming smile and a sports coat slung over his arm. He leaned against the counter right behind Cara.

“Are you talking to me?” Cara asked.

The man nodded. “Sure am. It’s a friendly thing to do, when the only other option is standing around waiting and talking to yourself.”

Cara managed a laugh. “That’s true. And no, I’m not waiting for someone.”

“You kept looking at your watch. I just assumed.”

“I’m late,” Cara explained, “and getting later by the second.”

“I’m Nathan,” the guy said.

Cara spun around to take the hand he offered, noting his short-trimmed nails and smooth skin. He looked to be in his early thirties, if that. “Cara.”

“Well, Cara, I’m glad you’re not waiting for someone. At least no one is standing up a beautiful woman.”

She arched a brow. “Are you working toward something?”

Nathan shrugged. “Would it get me anywhere if I was?”

“I’m not on the market for dating, sorry.”

He glanced down at her hand, still firmly held in his. “No ring.”

“None on yours, either.”

“To be fair, a lot of surgeons take their rings off when they’re on a shift. I just got off mine, though. But no, there isn’t a ring.”

Cara smiled. “A doctor.”

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“Your hands give it away.”

Nathan chuckled. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“Miss, your order is ready.”

Cara dropped Nathan’s hand with a shrug and turned to grab her waiting goods. “Thank you for the conversation, but I really am late.”

“No problem.” He flashed her a smile. “Have a good day, Cara.”

“You, too.”

Cara had only taken a couple of steps toward the door, when a familiar figure passed by the café’s windows outside the business. She recognized the man for two reasons—one, he shared similar features to his brother, and for two, she had seen his face on the news over and over again several months earlier.

Domenic Guzzi.

Gian’s younger brother.

For a second, Cara simply stood there, watching Domenic pass by the café without as much as a look inside. She didn’t even know if the guy would recognize her, but it didn’t much matter. He didn’t matter, really. It was just the fact that Cara almost expected to see Gian, too.

How long could they be in the same city without running into one another? And she really hated how a part of her wanted that run in, too.

Move on, she told herself.

Before she could think better of it, Cara turned on her heel to approach Nathan again. It didn’t have to mean anything, but a date was a date, and it meant she wasn’t wallowing on a man who had severely fucked her over in the emotions department.

“Did you forget something?” Nathan asked when Cara approached him. He already had his order in hand, and looked like he was ready to head out, as well.

She held out her phone, the screen unlocked and ready to input a new contact. “Plug your number in—no guarantees, though.”

He glanced down at her phone before taking it from her. “No promises here, either.”

Cara could work with that.