right away he was talking about Nonna Alda’s.
“I haven’t been to Nonna Alda’s in years!” Jill’s stomach grumbled again. “Oh, the garlic bread. I can’t wait for the garlic bread.”
Andrew laughed. “Your grandparents took you?”
“At least once every visit. I’m surprised I haven’t thought of it since I got back,” Jill said.
Andrew pulled into the parking lot of the small restaurant. Jill felt the hot wave of attraction she had come to expect when Andrew placed his hand on the small of her back to walk her into the restaurant. It began at her back, but spread through her whole body, curling her toes.
“Andrew!” A small woman with grey-streaked black hair tied in a braid opened her arms to hug and kiss Andrew. “Joseph, come. Andrew is here.”
A very robust man came out of the kitchen and Andrew and Jill were quickly engulfed in hugs and kisses. The quartet spent a few minutes catching up before Alda showed Andrew and Jill to a small booth in a corner. The cozy fireplace near the booth cast a gentle glow on the table.
Jill opened the menu and tried to ignore the lingering feeling she was on a date. She reminded herself repeatedly that Andrew was gregarious and charming with all of his friends. She just needed to ignore the feeling that his attention was all for her. Only for her.
This is not a date. This is not a date. This is not a date. Sigh.
Jill’s chant was having little effect on the date-like atmosphere that hung over their table.
“What are you getting?” Jill asked Andrew.
“Definitely the gnocchi. I should probably try something else but I can never resist the gnocchi. What about you? What are you getting?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know. I’m torn between the gnocchi and the lasagna. I don’t know which one I want more,” Jill said and then watched as a grin took over Andrew’s handsome face.
“I have a great idea. Get both. I’ll get two things, too. That way, I’ll be trying something new but still have my gnocchi and you get exactly what you want, too,” Andrew announced.
Andrew looked like he was completely serious.
“I can’t do that!” Jill said. She shook her head. “I can’t eat two meals.”
“Why not? Who says you’r e only allowed to have one entrée? I don’t remember there being any rules. We’ll get appetizers and two entrées each, and we’ll get dessert,” Andrew said as he waved down their waiter.
As Jill looked on laughing, Andrew proceeded to order an enormous amount of food and a bottle of Chianti.
“You’re crazy.” Jill laughed at Andrew.
Andrew raised a shoulder in an easy shrug. “So, we’ll have leftovers. I’ll bring a movie over tomorrow night and we’ll gorge on Italian again.”
Jill’s mind immediately flashed to images of the two of them in her house drinking wine. A great deal of wine. At night. Alone. Her mouth was suddenly dry and her palms began to sweat. How on earth would she resist the pull of Andrew Weston if they were alone? Resisting him was harder and harder, even tonight, with people around them.
At home, with no one to buffer?
Impossible.
***
Andrew watched Jill as the waiter delivered their appetizers. He loved that she didn’t object too much to his unorthodox dinner order. Most women would balk at eating such a large meal but Jill was being a really good sport about it. She didn’t obsess about her waistline or count calories. She laughed and played along and that appealed to Andrew. Everything about Jill appealed to Andrew.
Andrew did notice the small flash of panic in Jill’s eyes when he mentioned coming to her house for dinner the following night. It made Andrew feel triumphant somehow. He’d bet she was as worried as he was about being alone with her. And that thought made him want to be alone with her all the more.
They laughed and talked over a bottle of wine and the endless buffet of food he had ordered. As he enjoyed her company, Andrew realized resisting Jill might be
“I haven’t been to Nonna Alda’s in years!” Jill’s stomach grumbled again. “Oh, the garlic bread. I can’t wait for the garlic bread.”
Andrew laughed. “Your grandparents took you?”
“At least once every visit. I’m surprised I haven’t thought of it since I got back,” Jill said.
Andrew pulled into the parking lot of the small restaurant. Jill felt the hot wave of attraction she had come to expect when Andrew placed his hand on the small of her back to walk her into the restaurant. It began at her back, but spread through her whole body, curling her toes.
“Andrew!” A small woman with grey-streaked black hair tied in a braid opened her arms to hug and kiss Andrew. “Joseph, come. Andrew is here.”
A very robust man came out of the kitchen and Andrew and Jill were quickly engulfed in hugs and kisses. The quartet spent a few minutes catching up before Alda showed Andrew and Jill to a small booth in a corner. The cozy fireplace near the booth cast a gentle glow on the table.
Jill opened the menu and tried to ignore the lingering feeling she was on a date. She reminded herself repeatedly that Andrew was gregarious and charming with all of his friends. She just needed to ignore the feeling that his attention was all for her. Only for her.
This is not a date. This is not a date. This is not a date. Sigh.
Jill’s chant was having little effect on the date-like atmosphere that hung over their table.
“What are you getting?” Jill asked Andrew.
“Definitely the gnocchi. I should probably try something else but I can never resist the gnocchi. What about you? What are you getting?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know. I’m torn between the gnocchi and the lasagna. I don’t know which one I want more,” Jill said and then watched as a grin took over Andrew’s handsome face.
“I have a great idea. Get both. I’ll get two things, too. That way, I’ll be trying something new but still have my gnocchi and you get exactly what you want, too,” Andrew announced.
Andrew looked like he was completely serious.
“I can’t do that!” Jill said. She shook her head. “I can’t eat two meals.”
“Why not? Who says you’r e only allowed to have one entrée? I don’t remember there being any rules. We’ll get appetizers and two entrées each, and we’ll get dessert,” Andrew said as he waved down their waiter.
As Jill looked on laughing, Andrew proceeded to order an enormous amount of food and a bottle of Chianti.
“You’re crazy.” Jill laughed at Andrew.
Andrew raised a shoulder in an easy shrug. “So, we’ll have leftovers. I’ll bring a movie over tomorrow night and we’ll gorge on Italian again.”
Jill’s mind immediately flashed to images of the two of them in her house drinking wine. A great deal of wine. At night. Alone. Her mouth was suddenly dry and her palms began to sweat. How on earth would she resist the pull of Andrew Weston if they were alone? Resisting him was harder and harder, even tonight, with people around them.
At home, with no one to buffer?
Impossible.
***
Andrew watched Jill as the waiter delivered their appetizers. He loved that she didn’t object too much to his unorthodox dinner order. Most women would balk at eating such a large meal but Jill was being a really good sport about it. She didn’t obsess about her waistline or count calories. She laughed and played along and that appealed to Andrew. Everything about Jill appealed to Andrew.
Andrew did notice the small flash of panic in Jill’s eyes when he mentioned coming to her house for dinner the following night. It made Andrew feel triumphant somehow. He’d bet she was as worried as he was about being alone with her. And that thought made him want to be alone with her all the more.
They laughed and talked over a bottle of wine and the endless buffet of food he had ordered. As he enjoyed her company, Andrew realized resisting Jill might be
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