A few minutes later, Steven came back out. “It was Carlos, of course,” he said. “I wish that kid would leave me alone.”
“What’s the trouble now?” she asked.
“Oh, more of the same. His girlfriend, if that’s what she still is, didn’t call him all day and he spent the Fourth alone, waiting on her.”
“That’s sort of sad,” Serena said. “I feel sorry for him.”
“I feel bad for him too, but I’m sick of dealing with the whole thing. It’s not like I’m his therapist. I’m not getting paid to listen to his pitiful stories.”
Serena laughed. “No, you aren’t getting paid. But he obviously thinks of you as his friend and values your advice.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Except he never takes my advice.”
“Right,” she said.
Steven brought his laptop to the table while they were eating. “I thought we could look at some places we might want to go this week,” he said. “Or we can just get in the car and go wherever you want without a plan.”
“Let’s look at the possibilities,” she said, before putting a juicy bite of grilled steak into her mouth.
“I’d definitely like to go to Antonio’s,” she said after she swallowed. “That’s where Jimmy and Olive were going before they decided to stick with us.”
“Antonio’s it is,” he said, closing the laptop.
And they did go to Antonio’s the next night. It was a nice place, but the food wasn’t as good as Rossetti’s. Serena got shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta and Steven got spaghetti and meatballs. They ate off of each other’s plates, sampling the food.
“This is pretty good,” Serena said.
“Yeah, but not as good as the diner’s.”
“I guess you’ve got to have the special Nonna love to make it spectacular,” she said laughing.
Over the next few days, Steven and Serena did whatever they wanted, whatever struck them. One day, they spent on the beach with a cooler of beer and baloney sandwiches with chips. They slathered each other with sunscreen and floated in the warm salty sea on doughnut floats. In and out they went with the tide, moving further and further down the beach before walking back to where they left their towels and starting all over again.
Another day they spent on the boat fishing. They caught several fish that Steven cleaned and Serena cooked for supper that night. Every day was a different day, and before she knew it, Sunday evening had arrived. Serena planned to leave Monday morning.
“This is the best vacation I’ve ever had,” Steven said. “I guess you’d call it a staycation, since we stayed around here the whole time.”
“I guess we’re lucky to live in a vacation area so we can have it all the time,” she said. “I like it better in the off season, though, when it’s not so crowded.”
They made love that night, as they had every night, but both knew the vacation was coming to an end. Time to get back to reality and the daily grind.
“I hate you’re leaving tomorrow,” Steven said. “I’ve gotten used to you being around.”
“I hate it, too,” Serena said rubbing his leg with her foot. “But I’ve got to get back to Nonna and Rossetti’s. They need me.”
“I’m gonna miss you being here,” Steven said the next morning at Serena’s car.
“I’ll see you tonight,” she said with a laugh. “Right? You are coming to Rossetti’s tonight, aren’t you?”
“Of course,” he said. “See you tonight.” He closed her car door and she drove away from the beach and toward Luna Bay.
Steven came to Rossetti’s on Monday night and almost every night for the month of July. On Saturdays, Serena stayed with him at his house. Carlos called him a lot, and it was beginning to get on Serena’s nerves. Shouldn’t Carlos have resolved his problems by that time? Steven always walked out of the room when he took the calls.
In early August, when they were lying in bed, Steven said, “I miss you being here all the time like you were. I wish you could be here all the time.”
“Well, I live with Nonna and work at Rossetti’s, so I don’t know how that could be possible,” she said. “As it is, I haven’t been paying enough attention to Nonna. I need to do something about that.”
Steven didn’t say anything for a moment. “Are you going to live with Nonna for the rest of your life?” he asked.
“I guess not. But right now it seems the thing to do.”
“What if you got married?” he asked.
“Then I’d have to do something different,” she said, looking over at him. Was he going to ask her to marry him? She wasn’t expecting that, but she realized she did want that.
“I guess you would,” he said. “Have to do something different.” There would be no proposal that day and Serena was a little disappointed. She was in love with Steven, and if he asked her to marry him, she would say yes. She would scream yes. She never wanted to be without him.
But he didn’t ask her to marry him that day or any day after that. Serena started expecting it. Why else would he bring it up, her living forever with her grandmother, his missing her being with him all the time? Why else? She hated that it was in her mind, when it hadn’t been before. She hated that she was expecting it and that it never came.
The humid July days inched forward. One morning while Serena and Nonna were at the breakfast table drinking coffee, Nonna said, “Serena, I’ve got something to ask you and I want you to try to have an open mind.”
“What is it, Nonna,” she said. She couldn’t imagine what her grandmother wanted to say. Was it about Rossetti’s? Probably. Serena had not been giving the diner the attention it deserved lately. Her mind had been filled with thoughts of Steven.
“You know Mark is leaving, right?”
“Yes. Sandy told me the other night. I’ve got to find someone to replace him.”
“Well, I’ve got someone, if you approve,” Nonna said.
“Who?”
“Jeff.”
Serena choked down the coffee that was in her mouth. “Jeff? He lives in Atlanta. He’s a lawyer!”
“I know that. But he doesn’t want to be a lawyer anymore. He’s already given them his notice.” Serena vaguely remembered Jeff talking about his dissatisfaction with his law firm.
“Why would he want to be a bartender? We need someone with experience.”
“He’s got experience. He told me he was a bartender through college and law school. He’s got experience.”
Serena thought about it. There was no real reason why Jeff couldn’t work at Rossetti’s. She was in love with Steven and Jeff wasn’t any kind of threat to that. Plus, Jeff had been so kind to her when her mother died. And he’s been so nice to Nonna all this time. Why not let Jeff come and be a bartender, if that’s what he thought he needed to do while he figured his life out?
“He said he wouldn’t do it if you don’t want him to,” Nonna said.
“So you’ve already discussed it with him?”
“Yes. He told me he was leaving his law firm anyway and didn’t know what he was going to be doing. So I discussed it with him. I asked him if he would consider it. I’d like him to come here.”
Nonna looked at her with expectation. Serena could see how much her grandmother wanted Jeff to come to Rossetti’s. Not to mention, Nonna owned Rossetti’s and could do what she wanted! Serena always had to keep that in mind. She didn’t want another incident with Nonna.
“Okay, Nonna,” she finally said. “I’m good with it. I hope he likes it as much as he thinks he will. It’s not an easy job.”
“Well, of course he already knows that, cara. He’s done it before.”
“Of course,” Serena said. “He’s done it before. When will he get here?”
“Next week. I want to go and call him right now.”
Nonna left the table and took her cell phone up the stairs to her bedroom. Serena sat at the kitchen table sipping her coffee and wondering how she was going to explain Jeff at Rossetti’s to Steven. Sh
e didn’t feel she had any choice in the matter. Nonna wanted it, and Serena could not deny her grandmother. Things were beginning to feel complicated again. But why should they? She wasn’t involved with Jeff anymore. She was in love with Steven and nothing could change that.
“Thanks, cara,” Nonna said as she opened the door to leave for Rossetti’s a few minutes later. “This means a lot to me.”
“It’s okay, Nonna. I like Jeff too. He is a friend, after all.”
After Nonna left, Serena wondered where Jeff would be staying. Surely not with them. Surely Nonna wouldn’t have offered Jeff a place to stay. She didn’t want to sit around worrying about that all day, so she called Nonna.
“Where is Jeff going to be staying?” she asked when Nonna answered.
“Don’t worry,” Nonna said. “He said he’s going to find a place to stay. I was sort of thinking he could stay on the second floor of Rossetti’s. We aren’t doing anything with it. Maybe he could fix it up or something. Give him free rent if he fixes it up.”
That actually didn’t sound like a bad idea to Serena. It might be good to have someone living on the property, especially if he was willing to put in some work.
“Let’s talk about that, Nonna,” she said. “I think there might be some possibilities there.” She had wanted to fix the upper floor up. Visions of private parties danced through her head. This could be a good thing.
Later, Serena went to Rossetti’s for the dinner shift. Afterward, she stayed behind, sitting at the bar waiting on Steven. He came in around ten, as he usually did, and sat down on a barstool next to her. Sandy brought him a draft.
After talking for a few minutes, Serena told Steven about Jeff. She told him that Nonna really wanted him to come and that really it was fine. Rossetti’s needed an experienced bartender.
Steven didn’t look pleased at the news.
“Didn’t you say you dated him?” he asked.
“Yes, but I said that it was occasional and not serious.”
Steven drank a long draw of his draft and set the mug on the bar. He looked at Serena.
“I don’t really have a say in this. It’s not my business. If you and Nonna think it’s workable, who am I to say it’s not? I know you need to replace Mark.”
As if on cue, Mark walked over then to take Steven’s mug and replace it with a fresh draft. Serena looked at Steven and he laughed. Joe was playing the piano and singing a Frank Sinatra classic, “Strangers in the Night.” She and Steven danced for a while, then left the restaurant for Steven’s house. It had become a comfortable routine for Serena.
Chapter Nine
Jeff arrived the next week and moved into the top floor of Rossetti’s. Serena went up there with him to show him all of the rooms. It was dusty in the unused space, but there was a bed in one of the bedrooms and a working bathroom. The long-ago elegance of the house was evident in the moldings on the baseboard and at the edge of the ceiling, which was about ten feet high. The floors were wide-plank hardwood that probably would need to be refinished if they ever decided to use the space for the restaurant. Serena had bought new bed sheets and pillows and a nice comforter for the bed. She had dusted and waxed the furniture in the bedroom and cleaned the bathroom, where she added new towels.
“I’m afraid I was only able to get this one room into some sort of livable shape,” she told Jeff. “I figured this is where you would spend most of your time.”
“This is good,” Jeff said. “Better than I expected. Thanks for letting me stay up here. I know it’s not exactly free. I’ll do a good job on the renovations.”
“I’m sure you will,” Serena said, turning away from the bathroom marble counter to look at Jeff.
And then he surprised her. “Are you happy, Serena?” he asked.
Serena didn’t want Jeff asking her questions like that, about her personal life. She needed their relationship to be strictly business.
“Yes, I’m happy,” she said decisively, hoping that would be the end of it.
“Good,” Jeff said. Serena started toward the bedroom door. “I’ll be down at the bar tonight,” Jeff said. “Will you be there?”
“I’ll be there,” she said. “Steven will probably come in, too. He usually does.”
“Okay,” Jeff said. “I look forward to seeing you later. Thanks for everything.”
“You’re welcome,” she said walking through the door and into the wide hallway. “See you later.”
Things at Rossetti’s had settled into the new Rossetti’s with its new entrées and Facebook and website. After all of that, Serena had not pushed for anything further. She knew she needed to. She had an entrée that she wanted to add, pasta prima vera, but she had not done that. She had been distracted and engrossed with Steven. But that night, Serena thought about the future of Rossetti’s, considering the next steps.
Jeff came down from upstairs, which led into the main dining hall, around eight. Serena was still in the kitchen overseeing the cooks and making sure everything was running smoothly. Jeff went behind the bar with Sandy.
Around ten, when the dining part of the day was over and the food was put up, Serena went around to the bar and sat down. Jeff came over and asked her what she wanted to drink. It was so weird to see him there, behind the bar.
“I’ll have a sidecar,” she said, testing Jeff’s knowledge.
“Coming right up,” he said, turning to the wall of liquor and pulling down a bottle of cognac and orange liqueur. He cut a lemon and added the liquor and lemon juice to a shaker with ice. He shook the shaker for a moment, then strained the mixture into a martini glass. He put a slice of lemon on the edge of the glass and set the drink down on the bar in front of Serena. She took a sip.
“This is delicious,” she said. “Really good.”
“Thanks. I’ll bet you didn’t think I knew what a sidecar is,” he said, smiling at her.
“You’re right. I didn’t. I’m impressed.”
The door opened and Steven walked in. He walked over to the bar and sat down next to Serena. He nodded at Jeff, who was still standing there.
“I’ll have a draft,” he said.
“Coming right up,” Jeff said, moving away to get a chilled mug from the ice drawer and pulling the tap on the draft. He set it down in front of Steven, then moved away to the other end of the bar. It was a Saturday night and the regular crowd was starting to come in. Angela, a tall bar waitress that had been there for a few months, waited the tables taking drink orders. The band started to play. It was a typical Saturday night, Serena’s favorite night because she would be going home with Steven.
Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw that Steven was keeping his eye on Jeff. Out of the other corner of her eye, she saw that Angela was spending time at the end of the bar, talking to Jeff between drink orders. Angela had finished her master’s degree in literature recently. She didn’t know what she was going to do with that degree when she finished and was thinking of getting a Ph.D., but she wanted to work for a while. Angela was tall and gorgeous, with long straight blond hair and blue eyes. She made good money on tips.
After a couple of drinks, Serena and Steven left Rossetti’s and went to Steven’s house. The night was warm from the day’s sun. It was a low tide and the waves lapped at the shore, more distant than at a high tide.
“Let’s take a walk on the beach,” Steven said when they were inside and Serena had put her overnight bag on the bed. “It’s a nice night.”
She removed her sandals and together they walked down the stairs and onto the beach. The moon reflected off of the water. They walked in the water at the edge, the waves moving over and over their feet rhythmically. Sand ran through Serena’s toes as the water went back out to sea, returning again and again. Steven held her hand and they walked a long way down before turning back.
When they did get back and got into bed, Steven said, “I’ve got to go to Tampa in a couple of days. Corporate stuff. This annual meeting thing they do. I’ll be gone for a fe
w days.”
“Oh,” she said. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” he said. He kissed her, then made love to her with a ferocity that was new. It was exciting, but in the back of her mind, Serena wondered what had brought it on. Steven seemed almost desperate.
Chapter Ten
By the end of his first week at Rossetti’s, Jeff was a hit. He not only made the ordered drinks, he made them with a flourish. He made a show out of mixing drinks and shaking cocktails. He put the shaker behind his back; he threw it in the air and caught it before opening the top and pouring the icy liquid into glasses. Young women had started hanging out at the bar to watch him. They laughed and giggled when he caught the drink. They couldn’t keep their eyes off of him. Serena had to admit it. Jeff looked sexy behind the bar making drinks. He could have his pick of these young women, but he seemed to have eyes only for Angela. She waited patiently at the end of the bar while he made drinks, an amused smile playing around her lips.
Since Steven was out of town, Serena stayed at the bar until closing time. She was watching Jeff, and she was just as fascinated as the women who hung around the bar. Every now and then, Jeff would look her way and give her a wink or a laugh. She laughed back. She couldn’t help herself. She wondered what Steven would think about that.
But he wasn’t there, and Serena allowed herself to do what she wanted. It felt good.
At the end of the evening, Serena noticed that Angela would sit down at the bar and Jeff would bring her a drink. That was acceptable for the staff, once Rossetti’s was closed. She watched Jeff lean his arms on the bar as he talked to Angela, who laughed regularly at whatever Jeff was saying to her. Serena could leave whenever she chose, but she stayed until the bar was completely closed, to see what Jeff was doing.
When the bar did close down, Angela waited and Jeff came out. He took her arm and they walked up the staircase to the second floor. Where Jeff’s room was. Where Jeff’s bed was. Serena felt a pang of jealousy. She knew that was ridiculous and she tried to shove the feelings away. But the jealous feelings were there anyway, no matter what she did. She didn’t think about the dates she had with Jeff in Atlanta. They were unremarkable and seemed now in retrospect to be only about nightlife and sex. She thought instead about how Jeff had come unexpectedly to her mother’s funeral. How tender Jeff had been with her. And then the second visit he made to Luna Bay. She had needed him then, needed to feel the comfort of his body, and he had given it to her under the trees, in the moonlight.
Serena's Choice - Coastal Romance Series Page 9
