AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I let out a little laugh in response to his. ‘Alright. Thank you.’ I flashed a warm smile.
He carried the stack of crepes over to the main bench, then grabbed out two plates and placed them down. ‘So, three for you?’ he asked.
‘Perfect.’ I nodded.
He carefully separated them, then placed pre-cut cubes of butter onto each crepe and topped them with freshly squeezed lemon juice and sprinkles of sugar. ‘Okay, there’s plenty more if you get hungry again later.’ He gave me a little wink.
Does he mean anything by that?I blushed a little, cursing my overactive imagination, and watched as he finished filling them with lemon juice and sugar, smiling at the precision of his crepe folding.
‘Do you mind grabbing the cutlery and opening the gate for me, please?’ he asked as he carried both plates out onto the terrace.
I swooped up the fancy silver flatware, stacked both coffees on one another, balancing them under my chin for support, and opened the gate. We walked down three wooden steps and turned right onto a small deck with a white umbrella over a round table and cane chairs. He put my plate down first, then his, and pulled out a chair for me.
‘Why, thank you,’ I said as I sat down in the padded chair and placed the coffees and cutlery beside each plate. The stone tabletop was warm from the sunshine against my arms. I leant back, breathed in the fresh air, and felt my muscles relax.
‘Bon appetit,’he said in his best French accent as he grinned at me.
‘Okay, French boy,’ I joked, grabbing my knife and fork.
‘Italian, actually,’ he corrected and winked.
As I sliced into the crepe, my stomach rumbled at the sight of it.Oh, my goodness,yummm, I thought as I took a bite of the light, fluffy, very thin pancake. The combination of the crunchy sugar, the zesty lemon, and the creamy butter danced on my tastebuds. It was so good, I had to close my eyes to truly appreciate the artistry. Patrick seemed to master the technique of simple flavours.
I licked the sugar off my lips and opened my eyes. I noticed Patrick was already onto his last crepe. It was surprising to see such a well-proportioned male eat so fast.
‘Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful combination,’ I said. ‘It was delicious, and I’m officially converted.’
‘No problem,luce del sole,’ he said, this time in a Spanish accent.
‘You and your accents.’ I laughed and rolled my eyes. ‘You must have travelled a lot, I assume?’
‘You could say that. And you?’ He raised his brows as he waited for my response.
‘I’ve never been overseas, but funnily, I’ve always wanted to visit Italy.’ My cheeks blushed but, thankfully, my neck didn’t.
‘It’s a scenic country.’
‘I bet.’
I liked how playful he was being. We were at a stage where our friendship was becoming more comfortable.And he keeps calling me sunshine – that’s sweet. What could I call him? Hmm. Fabio sounds too cliché. Maybe I’ll just call him Pat.
‘So, Pat, thanks again for this wonderful meal,’ I said as I placed the last bite of my crepe into my mouth.
His face twisted a little, and he half-smiled. ‘I hate the name Pat. Stephanie used to call me that.’ He looked out over the rippling water.
Crap!Trust me to say something that ruins our perfect morning by reminding him of his ex.
‘I’m sorry.’ I frowned and looked down at my sugar-speckled plate.
‘Oh, no need to worry about it.’ He waved his hand in reassurance. ‘I don’t want to think of her. I just hate that nickname.’ He shone a bright smile at me, making me feel better instantly. ‘Feel free to call me Patrizio, like my mama does.’
‘Patrizio, it is then.’ I smiled with relief. ‘Do you have a middle name?’
His face lit up as if he was about to tell me something he was very proud of. ‘Joseph.’ He smiled and looked lost in thought. Moments later, he said, ‘It was my papa’s name.’
My heart melted at the fact Patrick’s father’s memory lived on in his middle name. ‘Oh, that’s so sweet. My middle name is Jean, which was my mum’s mother’s name.’
He flashed a warm smile. ‘It suits you. Naomi Jean. I like that.’ His expression changed from thoughtful to playful again. ‘So, tell me,luce del sole, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?’
