by Brandy Bruce
Even if this new Romano’s had not been celebrating its grand opening, Mandy had no doubt that the line in front of the restaurant would be significant. The Romano’s name alone would draw big numbers. She pushed her way through the crowd of people in the small waiting area and reached the hostess station.
“Table for one, please. Mandy Seymour. I have a reservation.”
“Of course, Ms. Seymour. Right this way.” The hostess gave Mandy a warm smile and motioned for Mandy to follow her.
Mandy wondered if the hostess knew she was a food critic. She hoped not. She preferred to experience a restaurant’s staff and menu without the feeling that people were trying to impress her. As she followed the hostess through the restaurant, Mandy couldn’t help looking around to see if the mysterious Leo was anywhere to be found.
You’re here to work, Mandy. Stay focused.
“Here we are. Will this do, Ms. Seymour?”
Mandy nodded absentmindedly, frustrated that the dim lighting made it nearly impossible to scan the room for Leo.
“Um, there may be someone who asks for me. I’m not sure. Probably not.” Mandy pursed her lips together to force herself to stop rambling.
“His name?” the hostess asked.
“Leo.”
“Leo?” the woman echoed, her eyebrows rising. Mandy nodded, a bit confused by the woman’s reaction.
“All right. Your server’s name is Angelina. She’ll be right with you.”
Mandy slid into the booth before her, breathing in the scent of parmesan and fresh bread. She ran her finger over the white linen table cloth. The smooth sound of the violin could be heard throughout the restaurant, along with a low buzz of steady chatter.
The feeling of the place was so different from its sister restaurant. In fact, the stark contrast shocked Mandy. She took in the surroundings and listened to the music and came to the conclusion that she liked, even preferred, the quiet, sophisticated atmosphere. The colors of both the walls and the artwork—black and cream and white—were muted and soothing, much different from the colorful golden and deep purple hues found in the Franklin restaurant. The dim lighting made the room feel romantic. A large dining area was flanked by smaller sections, each with its own fireplace. Mandy herself sat in the quiet corner of a small section with a perfect view of a glowing fire.
Once the server had left to bring her a glass of water, Mandy pulled out a notepad and made a few notations about the restaurant’s atmosphere and decor. She was studying the menu closely when Angelina returned.
“Have you decided, Ms. Seymour?”
“I’d like to know what you recommend,” Mandy said.
“I’d start with the traditional Italian wedding soup. Then, if you like seafood, I’d suggest the Romano Lobster Magnifico.”
“That sounds perfect. Thank you.”
She’d grown used to dining alone. It was, after all, a large part of her job. But still, in a restaurant as intimate and romantic as this new Romano’s, Mandy wished, not for the first time, that she wasn’t alone. The waitress delivered her soup quickly—Mandy made a notation. She tasted the soup and found it to be quite satisfactory, if not outstanding. Angelina’s recommendation for the main course, however, Mandy soon decided was her new favorite dish. She savored every bite of the succulent lobster and thick, tart cream sauce over linguine.
“So what do you think?”
Mandy’s head jerked up, a stray strand of linguine hanging from her lips. She quickly wiped her mouth, her cheeks flaming. There stood Leo.
“You’re a little late,” she replied. He sat across from her without invitation. Mandy wanted to be annoyed, but the truth was that the sight of him made her heart leap—and her heart was so out of practice that she was okay with a little leaping.
“I know. Forgive me. I had to work late. And I’m afraid I can’t stay long, but I did hope to see you. How was your meal? Wait, don’t let me interrupt you. Please finish.” He leaned back, his dark eyes fixed on her. He nodded toward the pad and pen on the table. “I see you’re taking notes.”
Mandy felt more than a little awkward, eating alone in front of this gorgeous stranger. She took a sip of water to buy a moment to collect her thoughts.
“Well, I definitely recommend the Romano Lobster Magnifico. It’s incredible. And it’s new. I’ve never seen it on the menu at the Romano’s on Franklin. I’m thinking of ordering a second plate of it to take home with me.”
Leo laughed. “Really? That good, huh? I’ll have to try it sometime. Have you ordered dessert yet?”
Mandy smiled at the sound of his deep, warm, easy laugh.
“No, but I was thinking of—”
“Let me, Mandy. If I only have time for dessert, I want to make sure it’s a worthy choice.”
Mandy held both hands up. “By all means, you can make the worthy choice.”
Angelina showed up as if on cue.
“We’ll have the cherry cassata torte. And two cappuccinos.” Leo looked at Mandy as though waiting for her to confirm his choice. She nodded.
“Yes, sir. I’ll have that right out for you.”
“How did you know that was on the menu?” Mandy asked as Angelina left them.
“The menu is posted outside. Didn’t you see it?” Leo helped himself to a wedge of bread from the basket between them. “So, you’re a food critic.” he said.
“Yes, for Denver Lifestyle magazine. But I won’t tell you what I’m going to write about this restaurant. You’ll have to read it along with everyone else.”
Leo grinned. “I can promise you I will. But you did say that the meal was incredible.”
“I did. And it was. But the verdict is still out on dessert. And I have to tell you—I’m definitely a dessert person.”
“I would never have guessed,” Leo responded.
“Oh, I am. In fact, I’m just a little heartbroken that I’m leaving without Romano’s tiramisu. It’s a favorite of mine.”
“Yes. It’s a favorite of mine, too.”
Angelina returned with their coffees, one torte and two large spoons, placing the dessert between the two of them. Mandy stirred her cappuccino, wondering if sharing a dessert with a man she knew nothing about would be considered scandalous.
What am I thinking? I don’t even know his last name! Of course this is scandalous! Wait till I tell Ashley.
“Taste this, Mandy. I think you’ll like it.”
Mandy took a small bite of the creamy torte and paused for a moment, the dessert nearly melting in her mouth.
“Oh, wow,” she murmured. She looked up at Leo, who was watching her closely, his dark hair falling across his forehead.
“Well?” he asked. She smiled.
“What do you think ‘wow’ means, Leo? It’s fantastic. You’d better hurry up or there won’t be any left for you.”
He picked up his spoon and took a generous bite, then glanced at his watch. “It was a worthy choice then.”
Mandy didn’t answer. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the next bite.
“I wish I could stay longer, Mandy. But I’m afraid I have to go. I really am sorry. Would you allow me to make it up to you another time?”
“You have to go? Back to work at nearly nine o’clock? Where do you work?” Mandy asked, biting her lip to stop the battery of questions flying out of her mouth. Leo looked down at his watch.
“I do have to get back to work. I usually...work evenings. I can tell you all about it the next time we see each other. But I’m running late now.”
Mandy stared at him for a moment. “I know nothing about you, Leo.”
He nodded. “I know. And I’d like to change that. How about breakfast tomorrow morning?”
“I go to church on Sundays,” Mandy responded.
“So do I. We
can meet before worship services. Is eight o’clock too early?”
You don’t know this guy! Remember those “raving lunatic” thoughts? Then again, would a raving lunatic have such good taste in dessert?
Mandy looked him straight in the eye, searching for signs of madness. After a moment, she said, “Breakfast tomorrow morning. And if I leave it without knowing more about you, that will be the last meal we ever eat together.”
Leo placed his hand over his heart as though he were wounded. “Well, it looks like I have this one chance to prove myself. Now, tomorrow morning—”
“You can meet me at Myra’s Coffee House in Park Meadows. This time, it’s my worthy choice.”
The surprised but pleased look on Leo’s face was almost better than dessert. Then, to Mandy’s disappointment, his cell phone rang and he left in a rush. A few moments later Angelina returned, placing a plastic bag with two Styrofoam boxes on the table.
“What’s this? I’m ready for the check, Angelina.”
“Oh, no, Ms. Seymour. Your friend has paid for your meal. He also said that you’d like another plate of the Lobster Magnifico to go, along with a serving of the tiramisu. Here you are. I hope you have a lovely evening. It’s been my pleasure to serve you.”
Mandy looked at the plastic bag in shock, then back at Angelina. She tucked her notepad in her purse and thought of her review. “Wait, Angelina. Could you tell me the name of the head chef?”
Angelina froze in her step and looked at Mandy slowly. “The chef? Well, there were some changes regarding that this evening. I’m not sure if he’ll be here on a permanent basis, so maybe I shouldn’t—”
“That doesn’t matter to me. It’s just that the meal was excellent, so I’d like his name.”
“He has Mr. Romano’s full confidence. Most of the menu items will reflect our sister restaurant. There will be new items, of course. Like the one you had tonight.”
Mandy’s patience vanished. “Angelina, I’m a food critic for Denver Lifestyle magazine and website. I need the chef’s name for my review.”
Angelina sighed in resignation. “Leonardo Romano. You just had dessert with him.”
Chapter 3
Mandy dunked her tea bag twice in her mug before dropping it in the sink and reaching for the sugar bowl. She tucked her cell phone in between her shoulder and her ear.
“I told you, Ashley, he lied to me.”
“Which part was a lie?”
“Ashley!” Mandy’s spoon clinked in her mug and hot tea splashed out on her hand.
“Calm down. You’re still going to breakfast in the morning with him, right?”
Mandy made her way from the kitchen to the living room and sank into her favorite comfy chair. As usual, the Food Network was muted on the television. Mandy’s love of cupcake competitions bordered on obsession. She watched as a woman decorated a Halloween-themed cupcake with tangerine-flavored icing and spiders made of licorice.
“Mannnnndy? Are you listening to me? Are you goin’ or not?”
Mandy had no idea how Ashley managed to make her name stretch out to four syllables. She licked a drop of peppermint-vanilla tea from her finger before answering. “I’m going. But just to let him know that his little charade is up. Since the moment I told him I was a food critic, he’s been manipulating me. Making me think he’d meet me at the restaurant because he was interested in me rather than because he works there. Making me think he’d chosen the dessert from the outside menu rather than because he invented the menu. Making me think that he was just a regular guy instead of the head chef of the restaurant I was reviewing!”
“I can see how you’d be upset,” Ashley’s calm tone grated on Mandy’s nerves.
“Of course I’m upset!”
“You realize that he might actually be interested in you, Mandy. He’s a good-looking, successful chef who goes to church. I really think you need to keep an open mind here.”
Mandy didn’t answer. An uninvited picture of Leo’s handsome face and captivating smile crossed her mind. She remembered the wonderful sound of his deep laugh and the way he watched her as she tried the cherry cassata torte. Despite her best efforts, her heart fluttered at the thought.
“What about the review?”
“What?” Mandy asked.
“The review! The one you’re writing up about his restaurant.” Ashley’s thick accent made up sound more like uh-up. “What are you gonna say?”
Mandy stirred her tea. “I don’t know yet.”
“The food was good, wasn’t it?”
“It was delicious.” Mandy sighed.
“Then you have to write a positive review.”
“Ashley, let’s talk about something else.”
“Honey, you haven’t been this worked up since skinny jeans came back—and we all know that was not a pretty sight.”
“Skinny jeans are not a pretty sight! Especially on my thighs. I think they should be outlawed.”
“Now let’s not get started on that again. Find me as soon as you get to church and we’ll talk about it.”
“All right.”
“And while you’re there, do try to remember it’s Sunday and you’re a sweet Christian woman who’s full of forgiveness.”
Mandy chuckled in spite of herself. “You’d better pray for me.”
“Believe you me, honey, don’t I know it.”
* * *
“So she was angry?” Leo echoed as he leaned against the countertop. His shoulders ached and his feet were killing him. It had been a busy night, which was good for the restaurant but for Leo—his exhaustion was reaching new levels. Angelina, one of Leo’s first cousins, laughed as she began filling salt shakers.
“Of course she was! She probably thinks you were just trying to get a good review from her.”
Leo squeezed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, hoping the headache that was taking over would pass soon.
“So tomorrow, be prepared. She’s not going to like you.” Angelina chuckled.
“I should have told her, I guess,” Leo massaged the back of his neck. The restaurant had closed nearly an hour before but the noise level hadn’t diminished. The wait staff had turned up the stereo as they cleaned. The sound of the music joined with the whirring of dishwashers running and people talking.
“It was a great opening night for us, Leo,” Angelina said. “There were people all the way down the sidewalk, waiting even though it was freezing outside. Your father is proud of you, you know.”
Leo nodded. He knew his father was proud of him. But at what cost? Exhaustion, stress, even fear—the emotions that came with the restaurant were heavy, and there were moments when Leo couldn’t remember if he’d ever even wanted it for himself.
Just nine hours later, Leo pulled into the small parking lot of Myra’s Coffee House and squinted up at the sign. Morning had come too early. The twinge in his neck reminded him of the small amount of restless sleep he’d managed to get after he finally got home. Leo looked forward to a cup of hot coffee and hoped Miss Mandy Seymour would accept his apology and they could have a nice breakfast together. He just wasn’t up for an argument this early.
Leo stood out front for a moment, surprised by the realization that the coffee shop was actually an old, renovated house that had been turned into a business. So many of the buildings in the Park Meadows area were new; the fact that this house looked aged made it all the more appealing.
When he walked through the door, a bell chimed and he watched as Mandy Seymour whirled around to face him. The look on her face made Leo doubt whether they were going to have a nice breakfast together. But he held out hope.
“Good morning, Mandy. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Hello, Leonardo Romano.”
She had drawn out his last na
me as a pointed reminder that he’d kept that bit of information from her.
“Can I get a cup of coffee before I try to explain?” Leo asked. Mandy tilted her head, seemingly thinking over his request. It crossed Leo’s mind that even as she stood there, obviously annoyed with him, she looked beautiful. Her brown hair was swept to the side in a thick braid and her light brown eyes studied him.
“Fine. I’ll go ahead and order, as well.”
“Fine. But I’d like to pay for both of us, if you don’t mind. It’s the least I can do,” Leo offered.
“No. I’ll get my own.”
“Fine!” Her refusal to let him pay for breakfast frustrated him and Leo fought to push back his anger.
Is it really such a big deal? Angelina was right. This girl doesn’t like me at all.
After ordering a cup of coffee and a ham-and-cheese croissant, Mandy stepped back and waited for Leo. He had an inkling that Mandy knew what was best on the menu so he ordered the same. Once they’d received their orders, he followed her to a table for two in the back corner of the shop.
After one bite of the croissant, Leo knew he’d made the right choice.
“This is delicious!” he exclaimed. The buttery, flaky croissant was stuffed with sharp, melted cheddar cheese and smoked ham. His anger subsided as he enjoyed the warm croissant. Across the table, Mandy nodded.
“I know.”
Leo wiped his mouth and took a sip of his coffee, pleased by the strength of the house blend.
“Before you explain—or attempt to—” Mandy said, “first I want to thank you for dinner last night. But I’d like to pay you back.”
Leo’s frustration had been waning, but with that comment, it came back in full force.
“No.”
“No?” Mandy looked taken aback.
“No. It was something I wanted to do. Just accept it as a gift and let it go.”
