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Authors: Heather Thurmeier
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around her body. “I can still feel your warmth in it. It’s like a towel, fresh out of the dryer.”
An image of Maia, naked, wrapped in a warm towel, filled his mind. He shook his head, dislodging the image. That wouldn’t help him get through dinner without saying something stupid.
Besides which, the image of beauty walking with him right now was more than enough for him to focus on. And she did look beautiful. No, stunning.
He’d thought she’d looked good in the sundress before, but nothing compared to how she looked in his jacket. It was so huge on her, he could probably fit two her into it and it fell passed her waist to mid-thigh. He didn’t think of himself as built or especially tall, but by how his jacket hung on her, he must be.
“For two,” he said to the hostess as they walked into the small, hole-in-the-wall style restaurant. The hostess stood behind a tiny podium, studying a seating chart. Behind her, a couple of coat racks, filled beyond capacity, clung to the wall with some well-placed security straps. Good thing.
“This way, Zander,” she said, grabbing two menus from somewhere in the podium and walking off into the main dining area of the restaurant.
They followed her, weaving through the tables as they went. The restaurant was as crowded as it usually was this time of day. With only a dozen or so tables in the whole place, seats were always at a premium. As it was, only one table sat empty, hidden in the corner in the most out of reach spot. The hostess asked the table beside them to move for a moment while she slid the table out for Maia to slip into her seat.
Maia apologized profusely to the couple who’d had their dinner interrupted, but they waived her off quickly dismissing the inconvenience. Almost everyone who ate here was a regular and was also willing to put up with minor disruptions if it meant they could eat the food.
“Well, that’s a first.” Maia settled herself into her seat and peered across the table at him.
He couldn’t help but enjoy seeing her in his coat. Maybe he wanted to see her in his bed too.
“What’s a first? Moving tables?”
“Yes. Why is that normal for you?”
“Here it is. Unless I come at off-times, I usually have to get up at least once during my meal to move for another table to be seated. But we should be good at this table, since we’re against the wall.”
“And you keep coming back? Why don’t you find a bigger restaurant? There’s only about ten million Italian places in this city.”
Sure, there were plenty of other Italian places in the city, but did any of them have the charm of this place? Did any of them have marinara sauce that tasted like it had been simmered on Nonna’s stovetop all day because it probably had?
“I did warn you the décor was a little less than desired, but I assure you, the food is worth the seating arrangement.”
Maia simply nodded as she turned her attention to the menu. “I’m sure you’re right.”
Zander set his menu on the table, unlooked at. Campagna Rustico prided itself on home-cooked, rustic Italian meals inspired by the old world. The dishes offered hadn’t changed in all the years Zander had been eating here. And every time he finished his meal, he thanked them for not changing with the times. Some things were perfect the way they were without getting a new twist.
“You’re not looking at your menu.” Maia peered at him over the top of hers. “You already know what you’re getting?”
“Absolutely. The same thing I always get. Fried mozzarella with marinara to start and then the Saltimbocca alla Romana for dinner with a side of cheesy baked polenta.” He laughed at the amount of food he ordered. Somehow it didn’t sound so bad when he was here alone, but here in front of Maia, it sounded like a feast. “Needless to say, they have to move all the tables and roll me out of here when I’m finished. And I always have lunch the next day to take home with me.”
She laughed.
An image of Maia, naked, wrapped in a warm towel, filled his mind. He shook his head, dislodging the image. That wouldn’t help him get through dinner without saying something stupid.
Besides which, the image of beauty walking with him right now was more than enough for him to focus on. And she did look beautiful. No, stunning.
He’d thought she’d looked good in the sundress before, but nothing compared to how she looked in his jacket. It was so huge on her, he could probably fit two her into it and it fell passed her waist to mid-thigh. He didn’t think of himself as built or especially tall, but by how his jacket hung on her, he must be.
“For two,” he said to the hostess as they walked into the small, hole-in-the-wall style restaurant. The hostess stood behind a tiny podium, studying a seating chart. Behind her, a couple of coat racks, filled beyond capacity, clung to the wall with some well-placed security straps. Good thing.
“This way, Zander,” she said, grabbing two menus from somewhere in the podium and walking off into the main dining area of the restaurant.
They followed her, weaving through the tables as they went. The restaurant was as crowded as it usually was this time of day. With only a dozen or so tables in the whole place, seats were always at a premium. As it was, only one table sat empty, hidden in the corner in the most out of reach spot. The hostess asked the table beside them to move for a moment while she slid the table out for Maia to slip into her seat.
Maia apologized profusely to the couple who’d had their dinner interrupted, but they waived her off quickly dismissing the inconvenience. Almost everyone who ate here was a regular and was also willing to put up with minor disruptions if it meant they could eat the food.
“Well, that’s a first.” Maia settled herself into her seat and peered across the table at him.
He couldn’t help but enjoy seeing her in his coat. Maybe he wanted to see her in his bed too.
“What’s a first? Moving tables?”
“Yes. Why is that normal for you?”
“Here it is. Unless I come at off-times, I usually have to get up at least once during my meal to move for another table to be seated. But we should be good at this table, since we’re against the wall.”
“And you keep coming back? Why don’t you find a bigger restaurant? There’s only about ten million Italian places in this city.”
Sure, there were plenty of other Italian places in the city, but did any of them have the charm of this place? Did any of them have marinara sauce that tasted like it had been simmered on Nonna’s stovetop all day because it probably had?
“I did warn you the décor was a little less than desired, but I assure you, the food is worth the seating arrangement.”
Maia simply nodded as she turned her attention to the menu. “I’m sure you’re right.”
Zander set his menu on the table, unlooked at. Campagna Rustico prided itself on home-cooked, rustic Italian meals inspired by the old world. The dishes offered hadn’t changed in all the years Zander had been eating here. And every time he finished his meal, he thanked them for not changing with the times. Some things were perfect the way they were without getting a new twist.
“You’re not looking at your menu.” Maia peered at him over the top of hers. “You already know what you’re getting?”
“Absolutely. The same thing I always get. Fried mozzarella with marinara to start and then the Saltimbocca alla Romana for dinner with a side of cheesy baked polenta.” He laughed at the amount of food he ordered. Somehow it didn’t sound so bad when he was here alone, but here in front of Maia, it sounded like a feast. “Needless to say, they have to move all the tables and roll me out of here when I’m finished. And I always have lunch the next day to take home with me.”
She laughed.
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