AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Forgive me. I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation.”
Her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand. She still didn’t speak, so he continued.
“I know it’s none of my business, and it’s not my place, but please, Mary Ellen, don’t ever believe that you’re not what a man is looking for. This David? He’s not a man; he must be a complete asshole. If he left you for someone else, he doesn’t know the worth of a woman. You think she was pretty? Believe me, she couldn’t hold a candle to you. You’re beautiful. You think she was sweet? A real man isn’t looking for sweet. A real man is looking for strong, intelligent, witty. A real man is looking for a real woman, and that’s what you are. Don’t you ever believe otherwise, okay?”
Her expression had softened while he spoke. He knew it was a big risk, but he took it. He reached across the table and took hold of her hand. “You won’t grow old alone. Someday someone will come along who’ll want to earn your love. You deserve to be somebody’s first choice. You’ll be some lucky guy’s one and only choice. Don’t you ever doubt that, okay?”
Her eyes filled with tears. He squeezed her hand, and for a second, she squeezed back and nodded. Then she looked up. Molly was coming toward them.
“I have to go.” She snatched up her purse and fled for the door.
“What’s going on?” asked Molly when she reached the table.
Antonio shrugged. There was no way he could explain, nor would he want to. “She had to go. I’ll get her tab.”
Chapter Two
When Mary Ellen reached her apartment, she slammed the door behind her and leaned back against it. Her hands were shaking, and she was out of breath. That last part shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, considering she’d practically run all the way back here. She took a few deep breaths and then pushed away from the door and went through to the bedroom to look at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were shiny. She shrugged. It was good motivation to run more often.
She sat down on the end of the bed and looked herself in the eye. “Why are you so freaked out?” She shrugged again in response. She might not want to say it out loud, but she felt incredibly stupid. It was bad enough to hear that David was now divorced and that her mom thought he might have come to Napa to get back with her—and that she would want to. She shuddered. Is that all her mom thought she was worth? That she should be grateful for a second chance with a man who’d cast her aside without a second thought when he met someone who would be more useful to his career—oh, and who happened to have a tiny waist and huge boobs and giggled a lot? No. She wasn’t going to take herself back down that slippery slope. She’d done the work, she’d gotten over it, she’d fought hard to regain her self-confidence, she wasn’t going down that road again. She knew she deserved better than the way David had treated her.
But Antonio? Antonio Di-freaking-Giovanni? Her secret crush—the guy she’d spent more nights with than any other—not that he knew anything about that. He was her fantasy guy. His was the face she pictured when she … She felt her cheeks flush. But he was an asshole. An arrogant, superficial prick. Or at least, so she’d always thought. Ever since she’d first met him, she’d put him in the same league as David. A good-looking, successful guy—lovely on the outside, but not so lovely on the inside. He was superficial, the kind of person whose beauty was only skin deep.
She was mortified that he’d overheard her talking to her mom. She tried desperately to remember every word she’d said. What insight into her shame had she given him? She wouldn’t want anyone on earth to have overheard that conversation—but him? She shook her head sadly. She’d have to find a new dream guy to fantasize about. There’d be no pleasure to be found in picturing his face now. It’d be too tainted with embarrassment.
She couldn’t reconcile what he’d done—what he’d said—with the man she knew him to be. He was superficial. He was into money and beauty and easy sex. But the guy who’d sat down at her table—and taken hold of her hand, no less—that guy had been someone else entirely. He’d been caring and compassionate. She sighed. And still so damned gorgeous. All those things he’d said? He’d even told her she was beautiful. He’d said she was a real woman. Was he just so good at knowing what a woman needed to hear at any given point in time? Did it come from all those years of talking women into bed? No. She knew that wasn’t it. He’d been so genuine; she’d been able to feel how much he cared. For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to have him care about her for real—not just momentary compassion—but if he cared about her like a boyfriend. She let out a little laugh. No. He might be a much more decent person than she’d ever given him credit for. It now made more sense that both Cameron and Chelsea thought so much of him—he’d probably be an awesome friend—but he didn’t treat the women he got involved with that way. She knew that for a fact because he never kept them around for more than a date or two. And besides, it wasn’t as if he would ever get involved with her. He was a fast mover with the ladies. She’d known him for years now, and he’d never shown a flicker of interest. If he’d found her attractive, she would have had her turn in his bed when she first came to Napa. She didn’t doubt it.
She started at the sound of her phone ringing. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, but it wasn’t in her nature to ignore it. She dug it out of her purse. Chelsea’s name flashed on the display. She smiled. If she had to speak to anyone right now, Chelsea would be the person she chose.
“Hey, girlfriend. What’s up?”
“There’s nothing up with me. Is there something up with you?”
Mary Ellen frowned, feeling defensive all of a sudden. “Why?”
“Because Grant and I just arrived at Molly’s and she asked if I know what’s going on with you.”
“Tell her I’m sorry, I’ll stop by in the morning and settle my bill. She doesn’t need to worry that I did a runner on her.”
“Cut the crap, Mary El. You know full well that’s not what she’s worried about. She said you seemed okay then you took a phone call that looked like bad news and then Antonio said something to you that sent you running out of here. I’m worried. What happened?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine, and I don’t want to talk about it, okay?”
“No, that’s not okay. In fact, that’s so not okay, I’m going to have to come over and get it out of you.”
“No! Didn’t you say you and Grant just got to Molly’s? Aren’t you about to have dinner?”
“We were, but that’s far less important. You usually tell me everything. So, you saying you don’t want to talk about it freaks me out. I know it must be something horrible.”
Mary Ellen blew out a sigh. “How about we have a girly night soon, and I’ll tell you all about it? Right now, I want to have a bubble bath and an early night.”
“Okay.” Chelsea didn’t sound convinced. “Tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night it is. Now get off the phone and go have dinner with your man.”
“Not until you tell me what Antonio did.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
