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He went to the door and pushed it open enough to give him a view of the bar at the end of the hallway where Freya waited. Satisfied with what he saw, he reported back to Amara. “Just her friend. The loud one.”
Amara deflated. “Oh well, at least she has friends. Orafriend.”
Flicking a hand towel at them, I scowled. “Hey, that’s not nice. When would I have time to make friends?”
Or date. But my dating life had always been sad. And now I wasn’t interested in anyone but one impossibly handsome and damaged mafia prince.
Whose sister was my best friend.
What am I doing?
After the incident that involved a sex swing, I thought my dating life had gotten as low as it ever would. But this was worse. Because I had the hots for my best friend’s brother and didn’t intend to tell her. At least nothing had happened yet, and nothing ever would.
I put lasagna and enough cannoli to feed at least ten people in a dish. Vlad looked over my shoulder, studying me a little too closely. “You having more people over tonight?”
I placed a lid on the plastic container and elbowed him out of the way. “It’s for both of us.”
“Now, I know you can eat, but it would be physically impossible for you to finish all that.”
Grabbing my coat, I made sure I was zipped up all the way to brave the cold wind. “Maybe I want leftovers for tomorrow. Now, if you’re done with your interrogation, I’m going home.”
Amara studied me. She knew I either cooked or pushed food on people if I felt upset or guilty. It had always been my tell since I was a little kid.
She squeezed my shoulder on the way past. “I’m here when you’re ready.”
I smiled at her, knowing I’d have to talk to someone eventually or my confusing feelings would swallow me whole. “I know.”
Freya and I took a taxi back to my little studio apartment, giggling in the back, acting like teenagers.I miss having her close.
I used to live in an apartment above my parents’ garage, and this was the first time I’d rented a place on my own. It was as exciting as it was scary.
But I’d slowly made the space my own. You’d think it wouldn’t take that long to furnish and decorate such a small space, but I’d only brought my bed, my favorite armchair, and kitchen utensils from Ferguson. I still hadn’t purchased a couch or table. Since I was only there to sleep, I didn’t need much. And I’d been so busy I hadn’t had time to go furniture shopping.
“Love what you’ve done with the place.” Freya’s voice dripped with sarcasm when she walked into my apartment. She spun around, taking in the fully stocked kitchen and empty living room.
I set the food and wine we’d grabbed on the way on the counter. I should get a few barstools. At least then I’d have a place to eat dinner with someone else. There just hadn’t been a need before tonight. It was sad to admit, but she was the first person to have dinner here with me.
Amara and Vlad had come over before, but they never stayed long, and it was usually a work-related visit.
“I’ve been busy.”
Freya took the lid off the container that held the lasagna. “You could have asked your mom to do it for you.”
I knew Mom would have been ecstatic to help, but I wanted to do this on my own. I was a grown woman. I could buy my own furniture.
I poured us both a glass of wine, while Freya opened my kitchen cupboards in search of plates. “I’ll get around to it eventually. For now, we can sit on the bed, or I have a picnic blanket we can spread out on the floor,” I explained, pointing to the counter. “The plates are above the toaster.”
After heaping food on two plates, she handed me mine in exchange for her wineglass. We settled on the floor. Freya moaned after her first bite, and I resisted the urge to do the same.
Damn, Vlad’s good.
“This is the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten,” she gushed between bites.
“Don’t let Mom hear you say that.”
Her cheeks reddened. “Swear on your nonna’s grave that you’ll never tell her I said that.”
I chuckled, knowing she loved my mom and was horrified to hurt her feelings. “She’s had Vlad’s lasagna. And every other dish we serve at the restaurant. She wouldn’t be offended if she heard you because she agrees. And every time she visits, she tries to get the recipe out of Vlad.”
