“Truth or lie?”
Her gaze meets mine. “Truth. Always the truth.”
“Because you smell annoyingly good and I wanted more, okay? Are you happy now?”
“Absolutely thrilled. Sniff away, you creep.” Her laugh drowns out the car booting up.
Her mood is infectious. I absorb it, allowing her positive energy to pulse through me. I’m growing to enjoy Chloe’s presence as we spend more time together. And honestly, part of me wonders what more I can do to have her stay a bit longer around me.
22
Chloe
I mindlessly sweep the coffee shop’s floor.
What am I supposed to wear this weekend?
What am I supposed to say?
But, wait, how am I supposed to live in the same hotel room with Santiago for days and keep things between us solely platonic?
“Chloe, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”
I jump at the sound of Matteo’s voice. The broom slips from my hands and clatters against the floor. “God. You scared me!”
He chuckles. “I’m sorry. I called your name a few times, but you didn’t hear me.”
Oh. Stop daydreaming on the job.
I turn toward him. He gestures for us to have a seat at one of the empty tables.
Is he going to fire me? He’s never this formal, and after our dinner from hell, things between us have been a bit tense. I try not to hold it against him, but I’m still slightly bitter.
“What’s up?” I keep my tone casual despite the loud thoughts battering my head like a marching band.
“Well, I feel like things haven’t been right between us.”
Wow. This man really is my father. How else could he sense my annoyance?
He continues. “You have been pretty quiet and not like your usual self ever since our dinner the other day.”
Someone give this man an award. He understands women and seeks them out to make things right. This town truly is magical after all.
“Yeah. About that…”
He lifts his hand. “My son and I… We were embarrassing. I realize that now.”
My mouth pops open. Whoa. All right. I can get behind this kind of self-awareness.
“No, you both were just excited.”
“We were both rude, and don’t try to cover it up as something else. Save me my dignity here.”
A laugh slips out of me. “Well…”
“We’ve never been around someone famous, and we acted like fools. You must be used to Santiago since he’s your boyfriend, but for us—it was like meeting our idol for the first time. Santiago Alatorre is one of the greatest, along with his brother-in-law. Your boyfriend is right up there with Michael Schumacher.”
Michael Schumach-who?