behind.”
Bianca nodded, grabbed an empty box and tossed it onto the counter for the next pizza. Jeremy annoyed the heck out of her, but he did seem to make Kate happy. She glanced back at Levi.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and kept his head buried in his book, although his eyes kept wandering to the orange flames, dancing in the fire pit.
Turning her attention back to the kitchen, she found Kate watching her with a sympathetic smile. Was she that obvious?
Maybe Levi had a point with all that Romeo talk. Maybe he was harmless. Just a guy with a crush, and she had to admit it was extremely flattering to think he’d go to so much trouble to see her again. But everyone would think she was crazy if she forgave him.
She opened the oven door, and using the huge paddle, scooped a pizza out. In her peripheral vision, Levi walked out of the parlor, pulling his jacket over his head as he strolled into the rain. She set the pizza on the cutting board and leaned against the smooth, warm counter. The restaurant felt empty with him gone.
Peter sat on a barstool, a glass of whiskey in his hand and his elbows propped against the counter. Groups of people gathered around the lounge, chatting and laughing as rock music blared from a corner speaker, an irritating song that had too much screaming for his tastes. He groaned at the music, but also, mostly, at how carefree everyone around him seemed.
An attractive blonde eyed him from across the bar. He gave her a wink and then took a swig from his glass, welcoming the numbing sensation that followed. He’d gone out to forget Bianca, or more specifically to forget the memories of Clara that Bianca always brought and another woman seemed the perfect way to achieve that. So why was he still just sitting there? He swallowed another burning gulp and fiddled with the coaster.
The blonde was a beautiful woman, but her nose flattened at the tip. Bianca’s nose, and Clara’s, came to a cute little point. He inhaled, shutting his eyes and holding his breath a moment before exhaling. The last hundred plus years had been spent living in the moment, focusing on today’s pleasure and forgetting everything else. It was the only way he knew how to get through the never ending procession of time. To avoid thinking about what he’d lost. And it wasn’t working anymore.
Throwing back the last of his whiskey, he stood and walked across the dimly-lit bar to the blonde. She looked away from her friend, smiling as he approached. Her bright blue eyes matched the color of his. They were too bright, too blue.
“ Good evening, ladies.” He gave her his best panty-dropping smile.
“ I was hoping you’d come over and say hello.” She leaned back and her low-cut, black-sequined top stretched across her breasts. Too tight, Bianca never wore clothes like that. Clara most definitely wouldn’t have.
“ I know you were. May I sit with you?” He nodded to the mahogany chair beside her.
She smiled. “Of course. So what’s your name, Hottie?”
This woman was too eager. Normally, he would have gone with it. Ended the night in her bed and then swept her from his mind as soon as he left. Tonight…
“ You know, on second thought, I think I need to be alone.” He turned and walked back to the bar counter before Blondie had a chance to react.
A brief signal to the bartender brought another drink and he swallowed it quickly. He had to see Bianca again. He needed her, completely, and all to himself. He needed her to fill the gaping void she’d reopened.
Slapping a fifty on the counter, he walked out the front door to escape the music and loud voices. Rain splattered, dripping down his forehead. He ran a hand through his hair, pulled the phone from his pocket and dialed Bianca’s number. When she answered, her voice sounded high and sweet, like Clara’s and he flinched.
“ Hi, Bianca. It’s Peter.” Hopefully his voice didn’t sound slurred.
“ Hey, Peter, what’s up?”
Bianca nodded, grabbed an empty box and tossed it onto the counter for the next pizza. Jeremy annoyed the heck out of her, but he did seem to make Kate happy. She glanced back at Levi.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and kept his head buried in his book, although his eyes kept wandering to the orange flames, dancing in the fire pit.
Turning her attention back to the kitchen, she found Kate watching her with a sympathetic smile. Was she that obvious?
Maybe Levi had a point with all that Romeo talk. Maybe he was harmless. Just a guy with a crush, and she had to admit it was extremely flattering to think he’d go to so much trouble to see her again. But everyone would think she was crazy if she forgave him.
She opened the oven door, and using the huge paddle, scooped a pizza out. In her peripheral vision, Levi walked out of the parlor, pulling his jacket over his head as he strolled into the rain. She set the pizza on the cutting board and leaned against the smooth, warm counter. The restaurant felt empty with him gone.
Peter sat on a barstool, a glass of whiskey in his hand and his elbows propped against the counter. Groups of people gathered around the lounge, chatting and laughing as rock music blared from a corner speaker, an irritating song that had too much screaming for his tastes. He groaned at the music, but also, mostly, at how carefree everyone around him seemed.
An attractive blonde eyed him from across the bar. He gave her a wink and then took a swig from his glass, welcoming the numbing sensation that followed. He’d gone out to forget Bianca, or more specifically to forget the memories of Clara that Bianca always brought and another woman seemed the perfect way to achieve that. So why was he still just sitting there? He swallowed another burning gulp and fiddled with the coaster.
The blonde was a beautiful woman, but her nose flattened at the tip. Bianca’s nose, and Clara’s, came to a cute little point. He inhaled, shutting his eyes and holding his breath a moment before exhaling. The last hundred plus years had been spent living in the moment, focusing on today’s pleasure and forgetting everything else. It was the only way he knew how to get through the never ending procession of time. To avoid thinking about what he’d lost. And it wasn’t working anymore.
Throwing back the last of his whiskey, he stood and walked across the dimly-lit bar to the blonde. She looked away from her friend, smiling as he approached. Her bright blue eyes matched the color of his. They were too bright, too blue.
“ Good evening, ladies.” He gave her his best panty-dropping smile.
“ I was hoping you’d come over and say hello.” She leaned back and her low-cut, black-sequined top stretched across her breasts. Too tight, Bianca never wore clothes like that. Clara most definitely wouldn’t have.
“ I know you were. May I sit with you?” He nodded to the mahogany chair beside her.
She smiled. “Of course. So what’s your name, Hottie?”
This woman was too eager. Normally, he would have gone with it. Ended the night in her bed and then swept her from his mind as soon as he left. Tonight…
“ You know, on second thought, I think I need to be alone.” He turned and walked back to the bar counter before Blondie had a chance to react.
A brief signal to the bartender brought another drink and he swallowed it quickly. He had to see Bianca again. He needed her, completely, and all to himself. He needed her to fill the gaping void she’d reopened.
Slapping a fifty on the counter, he walked out the front door to escape the music and loud voices. Rain splattered, dripping down his forehead. He ran a hand through his hair, pulled the phone from his pocket and dialed Bianca’s number. When she answered, her voice sounded high and sweet, like Clara’s and he flinched.
“ Hi, Bianca. It’s Peter.” Hopefully his voice didn’t sound slurred.
“ Hey, Peter, what’s up?”
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