Page 107 of Captivated By You

“You think this… this… orange mess will come out of this shirt? Don’t be ridiculous.”

I ground my molars. Okay, enough already. Sorry, Dad, but time for my Milanese roots to come out to play.

“Oh, bite me, asshole. It’s a fucking shirt, and not even a very nice one. I apologized. You chose to be a douche about it rather than accept my apology. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have far more important shit to do with my day than stand here listening to you.”

I stomped off to work, more than ready to take on Freddo after dealing with Mr. Jerkface. I ducked into the restaurant through the staff entrance and stuffed my bag into my locker, my blood pressure still hovering under “boiling point.” Some people. Honestly. Would it really have killed him to brush it off and agree to send me the cleaning bill, or the cost of a new shirt?

The door opened behind me and I whipped around. “Fuck, Lorenzo, you scared me. Is Freddo in yet?”

“You got away with it.” Lorenzo shoved my chef hat and whites at me. “Get changed and get in the kitchen before he figures out you were late. Again.” Lorenzo grinned, unperturbed when I stuck out my tongue at him.

I fastened the buttons on my whites, tucked my hair into a net and put my hat on, and headed into the kitchen. Lorenzo had laid out my station with the vegetables that needed prepping for the lunch service. I rose up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“You, my friend, are an angel.”

“You’d do the same for me. Us workers gotta stick together.” He nudged me with his elbow. “Right?”

“You’re not wrong.”

I started on the peppers while I told Lorenzo about the altercation with the suit this morning. Like I knew he would, he laughed.

“Poor man. Doused in orange juice and tongue-lashed by a feisty Italian, and all before nine in the morning.”

“Poor man, my ass. Shame I’d drunk half the OJ. He deserved a full drenching.”

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall in his office when he tells his side of the story.”

“Pah. Bet there’s a description of ‘stupid’ in there somewhere, and a ‘bitch’ or two. He looked like the type to talk about women in clichés.”

Lorenzo laughed again. “Wanna tell me why you were late and I had to cover your ass for the third time this month?”

“My alarm didn’t go off.” I grimaced. “Or rather, it might have, but I didn’t hear it.” I peeked up at him through my lashes. “I kinda went out last night.”

“Gia!” Lorenzo shook his head. “After last time, you said you weren’t going to party the night before an early shift anymore.”

“I know.” I groaned. “But Ben called and dangled a sweet little honey-glazed carrot that I couldn’t resist.”

“What kind of a carrot?”

“One you’d love to take a bite out of.” I waggled my eyebrows. “He took me to that new gay club in SoHo.”

“Paradise Lounge?” When I nodded, Lorenzo’s jaw dropped. “You lucky bitch.”

“I know. God, it was amazing. Your eyes would’ve been out on stalks the whole time.Andhe introduced me to his new boyfriend.” I wafted my hand in front of my face. “Damn, he was fiiiine. What I wouldn’t give to be the meat in that delicious sandwich.”

“Wrong equipment, honey.”

“I know.” I pouted. “Why are all gay men gorgeous?”

Lorenzo ran his tongue along the underside of his top teeth and kicked out a hip. “Because we’re God’s gift, sweetie.”

“Y’know, I think gay men are God’s final ‘fuck you’ to women.”

“How so?”

“Well, he gives us periods when we’re too young to deal, the menopause when life’s just getting good, and in between, he throws these stunning gay men at us with a ‘Haha, joke’s on you.’ Ugh. Stupid God.”

“More work, less yapping, Gia.” Freddo breezed through the kitchen on his way to the front of house.

“Sure thing, Freddo.” I gave him my sweetest smile, then flipped him off as he disappeared out of sight.

“One of these days, he’s going to see you do that,” Lorenzo said. “And then it’s…” He slowly drew his forefinger across his throat.

“Nah, I’m too smart for Freddo. And besides, I’ll have my own restaurant by then.”

Lorenzo’s eyes softened. “It’s good to have goals, Gia. And if anyone can do it, you’re the girl.”

“It’s written in the stars, Lorenzo.” I grinned. “One day, I’ll have it all.”