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“She has a sick child and her husband was in an accident last night, and she stubbornly refused to go because she needed the pay. Massi didn’t have time to reason with her, so he yelled it.” She shrugs lightly.
“What was in the bags?” This is why assumptions are bad. I evaluated the situation incorrectly, and completely misjudged what was happening.
“Massi stayed late last night and cooked meals for her. At least one burden off her plate.”
My mind struggles to reconcile everything. Not only did I misread the situation and misconstrue Massi’s actions, but I’ve just grown a new appreciation for the person he’s become. Shit. I’m so charmed, I might have to quit this job because the emotional turmoil and the attraction is too much.
“You thought he just fired her because he’s an asshole?” Lena reads into the confusion on my face.
I swallow, but I don’t know what to say.
“Well, he acts like an asshole most of the time, but it’s all bark. He’s a fair man.”
“What about that server he fired last week because he was drinking a glass of water before he picked up the order?” I had considered that another management mishap, but what if I was wrong then too?
“That dude was lazy and stealing from the register. I don’t know why Massi does things the way he does, but they usually have a deeper root.” She closes her eyes and lets the sun wash over her face. “I better go before he misses me.” There is a smile lingering on her face as she pushes off the wall and walks in.
I stay outside for another beat, shaking my head and smiling. Then I take a deep breath and hope I can avoid Massi as much as he’s been avoiding me.
And learn quickly that I can’t. As I close the door and turn, Massi steps from his office. It’s just to my left, across from the employee room.
We both stop. The short corridor is dim as it is, but with him blocking the way it seems even darker. I want to pass by him, but there isn’t much space on either side. He stands there, his eyes roaming over me like I’m edible. He is not touching me, but his gaze raises goosebumps on my skin.
Our eyes lock like they did last night and I really want to look away, but it’s impossible. How could I lose command of my sight? Massi, on the other hand, is perfectly capable of directing his eyes. He drops them to my mouth and my lips part.
These involuntary reactions are concerning. I need to leave this space that seems to have shrunk since I entered.
I take a step, lowering my foot gingerly as if the floor is laced with broken glass. If I get any closer to him, my body may explode.
With heat. With need. With desire.
This morning, I rediscovered how much I missed my mom and this city. How much I loved her and the streets of New York. I don’t think my heart can take any more.
I wish to God Massi would just step aside, but he doesn’t. He seems completely immersed in watching me. With the same intensity and dedication he gives his kitchen, he’s devouring me with his eyes.
Or I’m misconstruing again. I don’t know anymore. But I know his scent spreads warmth through my body, and his fierce presence is probably stealing my air because I’m acutely aware of my chest heaving up and down.
I want to turn and run away.
I want to tell him to let me pass.
I want to ask him to stop looking at me like this.
But most of all, I want him to kiss me.
He leans forward and his proximity drives me crazy with more questions. But I don’t want to have questions anymore—I want answers. I want to know how he tastes, how his lips would feel against mine, if his kiss can mend the past and spring hope for the future.
He raises his palm and cups my cheek, just feathering my skin, but I’m sure he’s leaving marks because the touch is scorching. He leans closer and then he blinks and jerks away.
We’re both blinded by the outside light as Phillip saunters in with a cheerful greeting.
ChapterTen
Gina
It’s been six weeks since my father passed and I’ve been stuck in some sort of alternate universe. I’m strangely relieved I’m no longer in LA despite it being my home. Or it used to be. I don’t know anymore. And here? I’m definitely not at home here, but I have this uncomfortable feeling of belonging.
It’s surreal because I don’t belong here. My father is no longer around to drive my need to please him while constantly disappointing him. My mother is drifting away slowly. I haven’t found a place for her in a suitable home yet. We live together and she seems determined to remind me daily what a failure I’ve been. Her mind is lost in the past.
