eyebrows. “But
anyway, I’m a gardener and I’ve been working my way around all of
these houses,” he turns to motion to the rest of the street with
his hand. “Now it’s your turn. How can I help you?”
I raise
my eyebrows. “I don’t think I’m in need of your services, Mr.
Matteo,” I say. “But thank you anyway.” I begin to shut the door,
but he wedges his foot between the door and the frame to stop it
from fully closing.
“ Are you sure?” He turns with his arms folded to look around
my front garden. “Your garden could use some care, but I am sure
you have much more important things to attend to. Why not let me
take care of it?”
“ My garden is not one of my top priorities right
now.”
A
crooked smile appears on his face. “Well, good. In that case, I can
tend to it for you. I don’t charge much.” I open my mouth to
protest once more, but he cuts me off before any sound comes out.
“If it is references you want, I am sure that your kind neighbours
would be happy to vouch for me. I am very good at my
job.”
I shake
my head, but I can’t hide my smile. “Did you harass them as much as
you’re harassing me?”
He
throws his head back, laughing. “They did not require any
harassing. They gave me a chance to show them what I am capable of.
I hope you will do the same.”
I pause
for a moment to look at him properly for the first time. Despite
shutting him down so many times, his smile has not faltered, and
his blue eyes are glimmering with confidence and
determination.
“ All right, I’ll give you a chance. But you’d better be good,”
I say, grinning.
He
laughs again, this time louder. “Of course, of course, miss…” he
trails off, cocking his head as he looks at me.
“ Kelly,” I say.
“ Miss Kelly, thank you. I will be over tomorrow?”
“ Sure,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Tomorrow it
is.”
“ Thank you,” he says once more, taking my hand and shaking it.
His handshake is just as I expected: firm, warm, and perhaps a
little too enthusiastic. “Until tomorrow.”
“ Until tomorrow,” I repeat, smiling. I shut the door as he
turns to walk away, and then jog to the kitchen window so I can
keep watching him. He swings his hips as he walks back down the
garden, keeping the shovel balanced on his left shoulder. I keep
watching him until he disappears around the corner at the bottom of
the street.
Chapter
2
I awake later than usual the next morning. David has still
not returned, but the birds are still singing and the sun is still
shining, so I decide not to let it phase me too much. Besides, I’m used to it now, right?
I complete my usual morning routine, pull on a sundress and a
pair of flip flops, and waltz into the kitchen. I’m just about to
begin making breakfast, when I notice something — no, wait, someone — moving in the
front garden. I only have to stand gaping at the window for a few
seconds before he stands up and looks at me. Ah, of course, the Italian gardener. I almost forgot about him. What was
his name again?
He waves at me before bending back down to carry on with his
work. How long has he been here
for? He seems to be sweating pretty badly,
so it must have been a while already.
I unlock
the front door and walk outside. “Would you like anything to eat?
Some coffee, perhaps?”
“ Coffee would be good,” he says, stopping to look up at me.
“Did you sleep well?”
“ Very well, thank you,” I say. For some reason I feel myself
blushing slightly, but thankfully his attention has returned to his
work. “I can do breakfast too, if you’d like? You must have been
here pretty early.”
“ Just a couple of hours,” he says, standing up again and
wiping his forehead. “I wake up early. I like to be in the garden.
But breakfast would be good. If it’s not too much trouble, of
course.”
“ No trouble at all,” I smile. “Scrambled eggs?”
He nods, and I turn and head back into the kitchen to prepare
them.
I
anyway, I’m a gardener and I’ve been working my way around all of
these houses,” he turns to motion to the rest of the street with
his hand. “Now it’s your turn. How can I help you?”
I raise
my eyebrows. “I don’t think I’m in need of your services, Mr.
Matteo,” I say. “But thank you anyway.” I begin to shut the door,
but he wedges his foot between the door and the frame to stop it
from fully closing.
“ Are you sure?” He turns with his arms folded to look around
my front garden. “Your garden could use some care, but I am sure
you have much more important things to attend to. Why not let me
take care of it?”
“ My garden is not one of my top priorities right
now.”
A
crooked smile appears on his face. “Well, good. In that case, I can
tend to it for you. I don’t charge much.” I open my mouth to
protest once more, but he cuts me off before any sound comes out.
“If it is references you want, I am sure that your kind neighbours
would be happy to vouch for me. I am very good at my
job.”
I shake
my head, but I can’t hide my smile. “Did you harass them as much as
you’re harassing me?”
He
throws his head back, laughing. “They did not require any
harassing. They gave me a chance to show them what I am capable of.
I hope you will do the same.”
I pause
for a moment to look at him properly for the first time. Despite
shutting him down so many times, his smile has not faltered, and
his blue eyes are glimmering with confidence and
determination.
“ All right, I’ll give you a chance. But you’d better be good,”
I say, grinning.
He
laughs again, this time louder. “Of course, of course, miss…” he
trails off, cocking his head as he looks at me.
“ Kelly,” I say.
“ Miss Kelly, thank you. I will be over tomorrow?”
“ Sure,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Tomorrow it
is.”
“ Thank you,” he says once more, taking my hand and shaking it.
His handshake is just as I expected: firm, warm, and perhaps a
little too enthusiastic. “Until tomorrow.”
“ Until tomorrow,” I repeat, smiling. I shut the door as he
turns to walk away, and then jog to the kitchen window so I can
keep watching him. He swings his hips as he walks back down the
garden, keeping the shovel balanced on his left shoulder. I keep
watching him until he disappears around the corner at the bottom of
the street.
Chapter
2
I awake later than usual the next morning. David has still
not returned, but the birds are still singing and the sun is still
shining, so I decide not to let it phase me too much. Besides, I’m used to it now, right?
I complete my usual morning routine, pull on a sundress and a
pair of flip flops, and waltz into the kitchen. I’m just about to
begin making breakfast, when I notice something — no, wait, someone — moving in the
front garden. I only have to stand gaping at the window for a few
seconds before he stands up and looks at me. Ah, of course, the Italian gardener. I almost forgot about him. What was
his name again?
He waves at me before bending back down to carry on with his
work. How long has he been here
for? He seems to be sweating pretty badly,
so it must have been a while already.
I unlock
the front door and walk outside. “Would you like anything to eat?
Some coffee, perhaps?”
“ Coffee would be good,” he says, stopping to look up at me.
“Did you sleep well?”
“ Very well, thank you,” I say. For some reason I feel myself
blushing slightly, but thankfully his attention has returned to his
work. “I can do breakfast too, if you’d like? You must have been
here pretty early.”
“ Just a couple of hours,” he says, standing up again and
wiping his forehead. “I wake up early. I like to be in the garden.
But breakfast would be good. If it’s not too much trouble, of
course.”
“ No trouble at all,” I smile. “Scrambled eggs?”
He nods, and I turn and head back into the kitchen to prepare
them.
I
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