“Thank you, Leo. You look great too.”
And boy does he. Leo is wearing a pair of gray pants with a black button-down shirt. He isn’t wearing a tie, but the top few buttons are undone. He looks good enough to eat.
Oh my! Did I really just think that?
“Thanks,” he says with a smile. His piercing blue eyes stare into me, pinning me to my spot in the kitchen.
I fill my grandmother’s vase with water and arrange the flowers Leo brought inside. Papa gave the vase to me when she died. She brought it with her when she emigrated from Sicily.
“Your place is nice.”
“Thank you. It’s small, only a one-bedroom, one-bath, but it’s enough for me right now.”
My condo is on the south end of Clearwater, not far from Sand Key. It was always my favorite place when I was young. I never thought I’d ever be able to live here. The convent was supposed to be my home for the rest of my life. But I promised myself I wouldn’t think about that tonight.
When I turn around from arranging the flowers, Leo’s looking at me. He makes me so nervous, yet so calm at the same time. I’m not sure how that can be.
“I thought we’d go to a new steakhouse for dinner. That is, unless you’d like to go someplace else.”
“Oh, the one off the causeway? I’ve wanted to try that place. I heard they have a great mango chutney with their grouper dish. I’m a bit of a mango lover.” I laugh.
I swear I see Leo’s eyes turn a shade darker.
“Maybe I should change my name to Mango.”
Leo
Maybe I should change my name to Mango? What the fuck is that? I sound like an idiot when I’m with this woman. Thank God she giggles at my comment and doesn’t end our date right now.
The minute I laid eyes on Sophia tonight, she took my breath away. Her dress shows off her toned arms, and her short but sexy legs.
Sophia stands a good foot shorter than me, but just the right size to wrap her in my arms. My need to protect her is overwhelming. The problem is, I’m probably the one thing she needs protection from.
Not that I’d do anything to hurt her, but our experiences are just so different. I told myself all the way over here to take it a lot slower than I normally do. Shit, I never take it slow. Not with the woman who hang around the team. They don’t want it slow.
“Let me just get a sweater out of my room and I’ll be ready to go.”
The minute Sophia leaves the kitchen, I miss her. I’m not quite sure what it is about her that has made me feeling such an attachment so soon. I like it though.
I wander into her living room, which is right off the kitchen. It’s decorated in a tropical theme. There is a palm tree mural on one wall with decorative pillows covering her sofa.
Moving to a side table, I pick up a photo of Sophia. She must be about nineteen or twenty. Her parents flank her on either side. Sophia’s father has a wide smile, while her mother doesn’t look happy. In fact, she looks sad.
“That’s the day I went into the convent,” Sophia announces when she walks into the room.
“Your mom doesn’t look very happy.”
Sophia laughs. “She didn’t want me to go in. It was my father’s wish, and at the time, I thought it was mine too.”
I can tell she’s thinking about what she wants to say next.
“What is it, Sophia? You can tell me anything.” And I mean it. I know we don’t know each other but I want her to feel comfortable with me.
“Look, Leo, I know you’re probably curious about that time in my life. It’s somewhat difficult to talk about and this dating thing is really new to me. Do you think maybe we can forget about my time in the convent, at least for tonight? I’d like to be just Sophia Varsalona, and not former Sister Mary Anthony.”
I tilt my head and tap my chin, pretending to consider her request.
“Well, seeing as though you are way prettier than any Anthony I know, I guess we can talk about it when, and if, you are ready.”
Sophia giggles. “Thank you, Leo.”
“Are you ready to go get your mango chutney?” I ask as I offer her my arm.
She loops her arm through mine. “I’m starving.”
Sophia
Even though this is my first date, I’m surprised at how comfortable I feel with Leo. Not only is he gorgeous, he’s sweet and calming.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Leo got out and opened the car door. No one has ever done that for me before. I won’t lie, it made me swoon.
Since the restaurant is on the causeway, Leo reserved a table out on the deck. As we approach the table, my breath is taken away.
“Wow, Leo, this is beautiful.”
The table is right over the water and with the sun setting, it makes the view even more spectacular.
We move to the railing and are greeted by a few dolphins about twenty yards out. Watching the marine life is one thing I love about living in Florida.
“It’s a full moon tonight, so if we take our time, we’ll be able to see the moonlight on the water,” he says as he places his hand on my lower back.
I look up at him and the sudden urge to kiss him surprises me. It’s not as if I haven’t kissed a guy before, but it’s been seven years. That’s right…seven freaking years since I felt a man’s lips against mine.
Leo clears his throat and I shake myself from my thoughts. With a smile, he nods to our table. “Let’s sit down and order something to drink.”
The table where we are seated isn’t like anything I’ve ever seen before. It’s a red tufted semi-circle booth. It’s not made of vinyl like most seats in a restaurant. It’s made out of velvet, which only adds to the romantic setting.
“Is this OK?”
“Leo is breathtaking.”
He smiles as he gestures for me to slide into the booth first. Leo follows, settling in next to me. My body is on high-alert with his close proximity.
There’s only one drink menu at our table, so we share and I take the opportunity to press in close to Leo. I can smell him and whatever cologne he is wearing has just become my favorite smell.
“What do you usually like to drink, Sophia?” he asks as he looks down at me. Geez, sitting this close to him, I only come up to his shoulder.
“I’m not really a big drinker, but I do like fruity things.”
Leo is still staring at me. My heart is pounding in both my chest and my ears, which is really weird. If I were a bold woman, I would lean up and kiss him right now. But I’m not, so I don’t.
“I, um, think I’ll order the key lime martini,” I say as I look back to the drink list.
“That sounds good, but I think I’m just going to stick with beer tonight,” he says, close to my ear.
Our conversation is kept light as the waitress brings our drinks a few minutes later.
“So, you know what you want?” Leo asks. I choke a little on my drink.
“Are you OK?” he asks, patting me lightly on my back.
“Yeah, it just went down the wrong way,” I say between coughs. “I think I’m going to get the Delmonico steak.”
Just as Leo decides what he’s having, I hear someone scream for a doctor.
Leo
Sophia takes off out of the booth, like her hair is on fire. I think I heard someone yell for a doctor but it happened so fast, I’m not sure.
Looking around, I see a young woman on the floor, probably around twenty or so. Shit, Sophia is performing chest compressions on her.
Everything seems to happen in slow motion. A waitress is running to Sophia with what looks like a box—an AED, I think.
I hear someone say they’ve called nine-one-one.
I glance up from the scene and see a couple, who appear to be the young woman’s parents. The frantic expressions make my chest hurt.
“Our daughter has Long QT Syndrome. She was due to have an internal defibrillator placed next week. Please help her,” her mother cries.
Once I’m able to move my feet,
I approach Sophia to see if I can help. I kneel down next to her.
“Tell me what to do.”
I marvel at how calm she is.
Sophia continues chest compressions but nods at the box. “Open the AED, please, Leo. It will tell you what to do. Just follow the instructions while I continue.”
The AED gives me instructions about pad placement. Sophia cuts the woman’s shirt open. Once the pads are on the woman, we are told to stay clear and not touch her as the device delivers an electrical shock.
Once the machine completes the shock, Sophia begins chest compressions again. Suddenly, the young woman starts to come around. Her coloring is something I’ve never seen before, but she’s trying to speak.
I sit back on my heels as her parents move in close to talk to her. The woman’s name is Jenna, from what I can tell. Just as Sophia starts to back off, the EMTs arrive.
The crowd moves away as the EMTs work on Jenna. She is coming around and answering questions as best she can. It truly is a miracle.
“Oh my God, thank you so much for saving her!” Jenna’s mother cries as she reaches for Sophia.
Of course, Sophia takes the attention in stride. Me? My nerves are shot, and my appetite is nonexistent.
“I need to talk to the EMTs. Why don’t you wait for me at our table? I won’t be long.”
Still reeling from what just happened, I can only nod.
I’m not sure how much times passes, but I’m startled when Sophia returns to the table. “Hey, Leo, are you alright?”
“Am I alright? Don’t worry about me. Are you OK?” I ask in return.
Sophia lets out a little laugh, “I’m fine, and I think Jenna is going to be all right too. But I think she’ll be getting her internal defibrillator sooner than she thought.”
I really don’t understand how she can be so calm after saving someone’s life. It’s her job, I get that, but she’s out on a date, not working.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks as she sips some water.
“Well, it’s not every day I watch my date save someone’s life, that’s for sure. And I think I just lost my appetite.” I laugh but it’s not funny.
Sophia nods in understanding. “I understand if you want to just take me home.”
Shit, that’s not what I meant.
“That’s the last thing I want right now. I just need to settle my nerves a bit. I’m not sure eating a big steak is what my stomach needs right now.”
Sophia thinks for a minute, then her face lights up with a big smile, one that begins to calm my nerves.
“I have just the thing to relax you.”
Of course, I’m sure Sophia isn’t suggesting what I think she is, but damn if my mind didn’t go there. Even if she was offering sex, I don’t think it would be in the cards after watching someone almost die in front of me.
“What do you think we should do?”
“Well, finish your drink and I’ll show you.”
Sophia
Obviously, my first date hasn’t gone as planned. Poor Leo is pretty freaked out and I get it. It’s difficult to watch someone go through what Jenna went through tonight.
I want to help him relax a little, so I have an idea.
“Why don’t you order another drink for yourself and I’ll go make a quick phone call. I’ll be right back.”
Leo does just that as I make my way out to the lobby.
Being a nurse, I see a lot of bad things, so I need an outlet to calm my nerves…a place that picks my spirits up.
There’s a private no-kill animal shelter that welcomes volunteers to come and snuggle with the animals. The owner actually gave me a key, so I can go in when I get out of work, even if it’s the middle of the night. Of course, I always call to let her know as a courtesy.
My thoughts turn to Jenna. I know the EMTs will be taking her to the hospital where I work. It’s a great place for her to be, with the condition she has. Knowing that will help me go on with my night.
As I walk back to my table, I see a woman chatting with Leo. My stomach flips as several scenarios go through my mind. Is she just a soccer fan or is she someone he knows? Perhaps dated?
I stop in an alcove where I barely hear what they’re saying. It probably isn’t a smart idea but I don’t know what else to do.
Hunching down behind an artificial tree, I hear the woman first.
She asks Leo if he’s coming to dinner on Sunday. He must say yes, because she tells him to come early so they can talk. She leans down and gives him a kiss, and I’m pretty sure she tells him she loves him.
What in the ever-loving hell is going on? He must have a damn girlfriend. Unbelievable.
My heart lurches at the thought. I can’t be with someone who has a girlfriend.
This is why I don’t date. From Brenda’s experiences, it seems as though guys do this a lot. It’s one reason it seemed acceptable to go into the convent.
The beautiful woman walks past me. She’s wearing a black pantsuit, her long blonde hair curled around her shoulders.
I’m not sure how I manage to walk back to my table, but I do. I know I need to get out of this date fast. Not wanting a confrontation, I decide to tell Leo I don’t think this is going to work. I really don’t owe him an explanation.
As I round the corner to the table, he looks up at me and smiles.
“Everything OK?”
No!
“Actually, Leo, I don’t think this is going to work out.”
Leo
I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
Standing, I move closer to her. “What happened between the time you went to make your phone call and now? Is everything all right?”
My hands are on her shoulders now. Whatever happened hasn’t changed the surge of adrenaline I feel when I touch her.
Her face is tilted up and she doesn’t look happy. “Actually, Leo, I just don’t think I’m right for you.”
I put my hand up. “Wait a minute, I thought you and I had some sort of connection. I felt it in the way you looked at me.”
I’m going for broke here because I just don’t get it. She must be running from something.
Sophia lets out a sigh. “Leo, I saw you—or rather, I heard you—with some woman. I heard her tell you she loves you. I know my dating life has been nonexistent, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want to be on a date with someone who has a girlfriend.”
I can’t help it, but I burst out laughing.
“Sophia, please, can we just sit so I can explain what you heard?”
I see her fight with the choice, but finally, she sits down in the booth, albeit reluctantly.
“I know we don’t know each other well and perhaps that fact has caused you to jump to conclusions.”
“Jump to conclusions? Did I not hear that woman ask you to dinner on Sunday and tell you she loves you? Because I have pretty good hearing.”
She’s mad, that’s for sure.
“Sophia, you did hear correctly. But I have to say, that woman better love me…she’s my sister, Jeanette.”
“What?”
“The woman you heard me talking to was my sister. She was here with a group of friends and saw me. We try to have dinner at least once a month, to catch up on what’s going on in our lives.”
Sophia doesn’t react the way I anticipate. She starts to giggle, uncontrollably.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry, Leo. I’m sorry I jumped to the wrong conclusion,” she says, between trying to catch her breath and her giggles.
I laugh at her laugh. “No need to apologize, but tell me why you thought I’d take you out if I had a girlfriend. Do you really think I’m an asshole?”
I probably sound like one now, but I’m a little hurt she’d think I’d do that to her.
Sophia puts her hand on mine. “No, Leo, I don’t think you’re like that. I’m trying my hardest to understand this whole dating thing. I do know that I didn’t like seeing you with another woman.”
Using my oth
er hand, I touch her cheek. “I’d never do that to you. And if I saw you with another guy, I wouldn’t be so nice about it either. So, I guess that means we kind of like each other, huh?”
Sophia gives me the smile I love. “Yeah, I kind of like you.”
“Fine, so let’s evaluate our first date so far. First, you saved a woman’s life, then you thought I was a two-timing asshole. Now what should we do?”
“Well, before I made an ass of myself, I called a friend of mine and arranged some relaxation for us, if you’re still interested.”
Relaxation with Sophia sounds like the best way to end an evening that was anything but.
“Sounds good to me. Let me just pay for our drinks then we can leave.”
Once we’re in the car, I realize she’s probably hungry since we didn’t eat. “Do you want to stop and get something to eat before we relax?”
“I’m alright for now. I’d rather wait until your appetite comes back.” She giggles.
I’m a little embarrassed I still don’t feel like eating, so I’m hoping whatever Sophia has planned will bring it back.
She gives me turn-by-turn directions to where we’re going. We drive for about ten minutes before she tells me we’re a block away.
Finally turning left when she tells me to, we end up at what looks like an animal shelter.
“We’re here, Leo.”
“An animal shelter?” I ask as I put the car in park.
“Yep. When I’m stressed, I come here and cuddle with the animals. They have a way of soothing my soul.”
“But it’s closed.”
Sophia reaches into her bag and pulls out a set of keys. “Like I said, I come here a lot.”
“So, we just go in and cuddle with the dogs and cats?” I ask with a shrug.
“These animals give so much love, Leo. They seem to sense when I need them. Come on in and I’ll show you what I mean.”
Though I try to hide it, I’m pretty skeptical about her brand of stress relief, but I follow her anyway.
A Love Like Nun Other (Game Winner Book 1) Page 4
