friends. She'd moved to Broslin from Jersey to be closer to her boyfriend. She planned on staying, while for Kate this stop, like the others, was temporary.
She smiled her thanks. “You’re an angel.” They could share the pie with a cup of coffee later. Traffic ebbed and flowed, giving them time now and then to rest their feet.
Eddie Gannon, the town handyman slash snow plow operator was sitting at the counter with his giant mug that Eileen was refilling for him. He rented the small apartment above the diner, and because he plowed the diner’s parking lot first when it snowed, he got free refills. He waved at Kate.
“ Hey, Eddie.”
Antonio had come in, she noticed, sitting in his usual spot in the corner. He drew the eye for sure, wearing a flawless Italian suit and designer leather shoes.
He let his gaze travel over her lazily, a slow smile stretching his sexy lips. Antonio didn’t do anything in a hurry. He ate his pie and drank his coffee as if eating was an art form. The waitresses speculated plenty about the kind of things the man could do with those slow, lazy hands of his.
“ Ciao, Bella,” he greeted her in a faint Italian accent, repeating it in English, in a huskier tone. “Hello, Beautiful.”
Kate smiled back. She couldn’t not. He was a traveling businessman, stopping by the diner every couple of days. He always sat at one of her tables. He was so hot he could have sold things on TV that weren’t butter.
“ New haircut? You look extra special beautiful today.” The man was a hopeless flirt. He sold high-end European chocolates to specialty stores on the East Coast and brought samples for the waitresses sometimes.
“ Thanks. The usual?”
“ Why the rush?” He put on a hurt expression. “Come sit with me. A man’s heart needs the balm of the company of a beautiful woman. Why do we live if we can’t have even that?”
“ I’m supposed to be working here.”
“ Nobody seems to be in need.”
She glanced around. A few customers had left in the last couple of minutes. The ones eating seemed content. Since nobody was waiting for her, she sat.
The boss wouldn’t mind. She liked it when the employees were friends with the customers. Eileen wanted people to feel at home at the diner.
Antonio’s chiseled face lit up. He reached down for a package at his feet then settled it on the table between them. The picture on the box showed a fancy hot chocolate machine. “It’s yours. A gift.”
Wow. She might have stared googly-eyed for a second before she gathered herself. “ I can’t take this. It’s too much. Thank you for thinking of me, though.” But, oh God, she wanted it. Saliva gathered in her mouth just thinking about what she could do with a machine like this—double truffle chocolate mocha, for starters.
“ We are friends, no?” He tilted his head, his fashionably cut thick black hair framing his handsome face.
“ Yes.”
“ Friends can give friends gifts.”
“ It’s too expensive.”
“ It didn’t cost me anything. I have two dozen from the company to hand out as promotional gifts.”
Honest to God, her heart beat faster. Still, wouldn’t accepting a kitchen appliance imply something? He was hot. She was lonely. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted more between them than the casual friendship they shared at the moment. Making real connections or putting down roots wasn’t a good idea. She’d be moving on in a few weeks.
He flashed a rakish smile. “ If you had this, you could invite me over for some hot chocolate.”
She closed her eyes for a second. “I don’t even know where I’ll be living tomorrow this time.”
“ Trouble?” He leaned forward, instantly solicitous, taking her hand.
She pulled it away after a second. “Don’t even ask. Landlord wants the house back.”
He offered his help, and they talked for another minute before a young couple walked in, and she had to rush off to seat them.
She smiled her thanks. “You’re an angel.” They could share the pie with a cup of coffee later. Traffic ebbed and flowed, giving them time now and then to rest their feet.
Eddie Gannon, the town handyman slash snow plow operator was sitting at the counter with his giant mug that Eileen was refilling for him. He rented the small apartment above the diner, and because he plowed the diner’s parking lot first when it snowed, he got free refills. He waved at Kate.
“ Hey, Eddie.”
Antonio had come in, she noticed, sitting in his usual spot in the corner. He drew the eye for sure, wearing a flawless Italian suit and designer leather shoes.
He let his gaze travel over her lazily, a slow smile stretching his sexy lips. Antonio didn’t do anything in a hurry. He ate his pie and drank his coffee as if eating was an art form. The waitresses speculated plenty about the kind of things the man could do with those slow, lazy hands of his.
“ Ciao, Bella,” he greeted her in a faint Italian accent, repeating it in English, in a huskier tone. “Hello, Beautiful.”
Kate smiled back. She couldn’t not. He was a traveling businessman, stopping by the diner every couple of days. He always sat at one of her tables. He was so hot he could have sold things on TV that weren’t butter.
“ New haircut? You look extra special beautiful today.” The man was a hopeless flirt. He sold high-end European chocolates to specialty stores on the East Coast and brought samples for the waitresses sometimes.
“ Thanks. The usual?”
“ Why the rush?” He put on a hurt expression. “Come sit with me. A man’s heart needs the balm of the company of a beautiful woman. Why do we live if we can’t have even that?”
“ I’m supposed to be working here.”
“ Nobody seems to be in need.”
She glanced around. A few customers had left in the last couple of minutes. The ones eating seemed content. Since nobody was waiting for her, she sat.
The boss wouldn’t mind. She liked it when the employees were friends with the customers. Eileen wanted people to feel at home at the diner.
Antonio’s chiseled face lit up. He reached down for a package at his feet then settled it on the table between them. The picture on the box showed a fancy hot chocolate machine. “It’s yours. A gift.”
Wow. She might have stared googly-eyed for a second before she gathered herself. “ I can’t take this. It’s too much. Thank you for thinking of me, though.” But, oh God, she wanted it. Saliva gathered in her mouth just thinking about what she could do with a machine like this—double truffle chocolate mocha, for starters.
“ We are friends, no?” He tilted his head, his fashionably cut thick black hair framing his handsome face.
“ Yes.”
“ Friends can give friends gifts.”
“ It’s too expensive.”
“ It didn’t cost me anything. I have two dozen from the company to hand out as promotional gifts.”
Honest to God, her heart beat faster. Still, wouldn’t accepting a kitchen appliance imply something? He was hot. She was lonely. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted more between them than the casual friendship they shared at the moment. Making real connections or putting down roots wasn’t a good idea. She’d be moving on in a few weeks.
He flashed a rakish smile. “ If you had this, you could invite me over for some hot chocolate.”
She closed her eyes for a second. “I don’t even know where I’ll be living tomorrow this time.”
“ Trouble?” He leaned forward, instantly solicitous, taking her hand.
She pulled it away after a second. “Don’t even ask. Landlord wants the house back.”
He offered his help, and they talked for another minute before a young couple walked in, and she had to rush off to seat them.
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