That fight he had with Riley said a lot. He hit his cousin because he said something about me. Something Josh didn’t like. it must have been pretty bad for him to act that way and then threaten him.
I didn’t know what was said but when I realized the fight was about me something unlocked inside me that really believed I belonged to him. The way he looked at me and held my hand is something I’ll remember. No matter what.
Rachel reaches across the table and taps the top of my hand. A smile fills her face.
“Open mind, Giselle. It means there’s no harm hoping for stuff with a guy you clearly like. The openness of your mind allows you to think of all possibilities. It means if one thing doesn’t happen then something else might. Since Josh seems like he’s really into you I doubt that you’ll be disappointed either way.”
It’s times like these that I’m grateful for my friendship with her. Jia nods, agreeing with that. Me too.
I started to change when I embraced the possibility of an open mind.
Rachel’s about to continue but stops when she lifts her head and looks over my shoulder. A little breath falls from her lips, then the widest smile spreads over her face.
I follow her gaze and see Dante coming through the door of the coffeehouse.
And damn, the man looks even better than the last time we saw him.
He has that sexy, tough guy presence, like someone like Hugh Jackman, but Dante Lombroso is Italian and is an Italian stallion in every essence of the word. His dark hair is cut into a neat faux hawk and he has the kind of face to turn heads. We aren’t the only ones looking at him. That man will get to a hundred and still be gorgeous. Even then I wouldn’t blame Rachel for her obsession with him and I don’t blame her now as she practically flies over to him. Her movement was one fluid motion. Realization it was him then flight to his arms.
Jia and I look at each other. Jia sips her coffee, blushing. She never blushes, ever. I just keep quiet and look back to the two. Rachel with her dad’s best friend.
I look and I try to do that thing Josh does. Watch. Observe.
Observe, and try to see if I can see more to the way Dante looks at Rachel than he always has.
They’re only paces away from us so I can hear them talking.
“My God, look at you,” he says fussing over her. I do not miss the twinkle in his eyes as he takes Rachel’s shoulders. “You look fantastic, Princesca.”
He’s looking at her like they haven’t seen each other in years, but it was just roughly over ten months ago. Just before Kirk and I broke up.
Princesca… I love the endearment. I have always loved it and as for Rachel, it really makes her head swell.
“Thank you, so do you,” Rachel replies. “When did you get back? I thought you were coming back next month.”
“Oh… I had some stuff to look into. Best to come home early.” He nods. “I’m just here for the week.”
“Oh, will I get to see you again?” Rachel asks and I feel sorry for her. she was crushed when he moved away.
“Of course, I’m not going to come home and not see my favorite girl. Let’s do dinner. You and me. And we can get ice cream.”
The dinner part of that suggestion was nice. I almost thought it was on the right track, but ice cream. She always told me he’d take her for ice cream at the kiddie parlor just like he did when she was five.
“Sure, okay. That sounds great,” Rachel answers and I’m crushed for her when a woman with platinum blonde hair walks in looking like she just stepped off the runway and stops at Dante’s side.
I feel even worse when Dante’s face lights up when he sees her. He releases Rachel and slips his arm around the woman who gives Rachel a stiff smile.
That’s when I stop observing.
“Rachel this is Maria, my fiancée. I’m so glad you got to meet her,” Dante says.
I stop listening then and turn back to Jia. I don’t need to watch anymore. Jia looks the same as me , crestfallen. She shakes her head too and bites the inside of her lip.
Moments later when Rachel returns to us her skin looks pale and her eyes too wide, like they’re tired from trying to give the façade of her looking excited.
She sits and stares openly ahead of us. It’s my hand on her elbow that brings her out of the trance.
“What’s wrong with me? I’m so crazy,” she says, and I feel worse when a tear runs down her cheek. Jia reaches for her other hand.