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The more Violet heard about Franco, the more she liked him.This is a man I could fall in love with.
Just then, Franco and Violet locked eyes again. When he looked away, she saw his face darken with annoyance.Is he annoyed with me?But then she put the thought aside and realized he was annoyed at everyone in the room around him.
He did not want to be there. She could sense it, though she could not understand why. This entire evening was in honor of him. What possible reason could he have for not wanting to be there?
Violet’s attention was dragged away from Franco when their main course was served. The speeches were also over, and Franco walked away from the front of the restaurant.
Violet did her best to focus on her food … roasted lamb shank and vegetables. But suddenly, the chair next to hers was pulled out. And when she looked up, there was Franco.
Her fated mate had sat down next to her.
“Hi.” He stuck his hand out. “I’m Franco.”
She took his hand slowly. Her skin was on fire. She nearly jumped when their skin met for the first time.
“I’m Violet.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Violet.”
FOUR
VIOLET
Sweat ran down her back. She wiggled in her chair, chewing on her lip. She was uncomfortable, and she was sure it was showing. She had no one to talk to. And it looked odd when she was the only person at the table not talking when everyone else was.
Gerri was speaking to an older couple discussing how their life was. She seemed to know a lot of people as she was chatting with everyone. Every person at the table had talked to her at one point.
Violet shouldn’t have been surprised. This was Gerri’s job. She was supposed to know people and talk to them. She didn’t expect her to just sit and be with her the entire night.
But she also didn’t expect that Franco would say so little to her. He wasn’t ignoring her exactly, but he wasn’t urging a conversation with her either, and it was making her uncomfortable.
“So, you think you have a high chance of winning the race?” Laura, if she remembered her name correctly, asked Franco.
Franco nodded, looking confident. “I do. I have the determination.”
Violet bit her lower lip, looping and unlooping her fingers together.
“Confident?” Laura asked, raising an eyebrow. Laura wasn’t flirting. She was middle-aged, so it was just the way she held herself. But Violet was still jealous. This gal could talk Franco up while she had no idea what to say.
“I’m confident because I practice,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m confident in my skills.”
“Do you practice every day?” Violet asked, pulling both of their eyes toward her. Violet chewed on her cheek once more.
He racked his eyes down her and back up. She felt like he was examining her, and she straightened her back. She swallowed, suddenly more nervous than before.
“I try to. Can’t stay the fastest if you don’t always push yourself.” He gave her a wide grin, and her stomach flipped. She could certainly get lost in that smile.
He looked back at Laura, who waved a hand. “How fast does your car go?”
She looked away from them and looked toward Gerri. She was laughing at the couple. Wanda and Phill. She’d heard so much about them already.
Wanda was from one pack, and Phill was from another. They were never supposed to be together. They had that Romeo and Juliet love, but neither died in the end.
Gerri was soaking up their story. They spoke about their children, and then they talked about their grandchildren.
“I think I have pictures,” Wanda said, pulling at her purse. “You think you could match up our grandson? He has been having a heck of a time finding a woman.”
Gerri seemed to beam at those words. “Of course.”
