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He hoped she meant that because the last thing he wanted to do was put distance between them. “Buona sera, Princess.”
* * *
Thursday evening Fausta’s pulse was racing as she left her last patient and walked down the corridor toward the nursing station. But the doctor wasn’t there waiting for her and her heart plummeted to her feet. She couldn’t believe how disappointed she was as she approached the charge nurse. How could she care about him this fast? What was wrong with her?
“Do you still have the stuffed dog I left here when I came on duty?”
“No. Dr. Barsotti took it and said he would meet you in the cafeteria.”
After struggling to recover, she thanked the nurse and left for the cloakroom. Once she’d hung up her lab coat and pulled out the laptop from her locker, she was so eager to see him, she could hardly catch her breath.
A chuckle escaped her lips when she saw him seated in a stone colored summer suit at the same table as yesterday drinking coffee. What a gorgeous man! He’d propped the dog on its backside in the chair next to him, like he was a diner too. Her eyes met the deep blue of the doctor’s and they both laughed. He had an imp inside him that played havoc with her emotions.
“You were amazing to find this terrier for Tommaso, Princess. He looks like the dog painted on the book cover.”
“I think he does too.” She left her computer on the other chair. “I’ll be right back. What are they serving tonight?”
“I hear it’s chicken and rice, but I think we should give it a miss.” He took a deep breath. “If I asked if you’d consider having dinner with me elsewhere, what would you say?”
She cocked her head, causing that golden mesh to swish against her shoulders. “Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Asking me out to dinner?”
His adrenaline surged. “Yes.” Why not. This would probably be the only chance in his whole life to spend an evening away from the hospital with this stunning princess. Naturally she would have to be free of any commitments in order to accept.
“I’d love it” came the response, which astonished him again. She really wasn’t involved with someone? Earlier she’d told him there was no one, but he had to be sure.
“Are you honestly telling me there’s no prince in your future?”
“Nico—it’s true I’m under constant pressure to marry a prince on my parents’ short list, especially now that both of my sister
s are married.” He knew it! “And of course, there’s continual speculation about my marrying a prince in the media. There will always be gossip. But in all honesty, I swear to you there’s no prince in my life and there never will be!” she said with such emotion, he knew she’d meant it.
Before he could say anything else, she blurted, “What about a woman in yours? How come you’re not going home to someone important this evening?”
“I date on occasion, but so far there’s been no one special.”
She smiled. “I’m going to take you at your word. Thank you for being truthful with me. Now that we have that settled, where shall we go? I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”
“How about Babbo’s?”
Her heart leaped. He’d just invited her on a date. “I’d love it.”
“Then let’s go.”
As she reached for her laptop, he picked up the dog and they left the hospital.
Fausta couldn’t believe he’d asked her out and was literally floating as they walked the short distance to the trattoria. For a while she could be the commoner she’d always wanted to be, going out to dinner with a fabulous man who wanted to be with her.
This was the normal life she’d always wanted! The way the women stared at him during their walk, she knew they’d give anything to be in her place.
When they reached Babbo’s, Nico found them a booth and they both ordered lasagna. After they began eating, she asked, “How was your day?”
“Busy. A fifty-year-old male patient of mine had his gall bladder removed this morning. His surgeon didn’t want to release him until tomorrow. Though he should do well, I need to know if there are any complications before I go home.”
“Where would our world be without doctors like you? I know my father relies on his. We’re all indebted to him.”
