The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate Page A

her, Nonna, will you? Holly said, her gaze on Antonio, who sat on his perch, staring out at the inky night sky and the twinkling stars.

Six
    The next morning, as Holly checked the Bolognese sauce simmering on the stove and kept an eye on the timer for the tagliatelle, one of her favorite pastas, she realized no one had come in during the three weeks since she’d been making all the takeout foods, with wide eyes and a sly smile and asking, “What was in that sauce?” She had no idea what accounted for the amorous quality of Camilla’s food, but then again, Camilla herself was the magical ingredient.
    The Bolognese sauce had called for a wish, just a plain old wish, nothing fancy, and Holly’s thoughts turned back to Juliet with her grieving eyes and gray clothes. “I wish Juliet peace,” was what went into the sauce along with finely chopped pancetta.
    Someone rang the doorbell twenty times in a row. Holly figured it was Mia (who else would?) and there she was, her expression frantic, shivering in the morning chill in just a thin light blue hoodie and jeans.
    “Mia, honey, what’s—”
    Mia burst into tears, and Holly ushered her in, closing thedoor with her foot. She led her into the kitchen and sat her down in the breakfast nook, quickly making her hot chocolate, which did seem to have magical properties, at least as far as Mia was concerned.
    “He’s going to propose to that moron,” Mia wailed, flinging her head down on her arms. She lifted up her head and covered her face with her hands. “I can’t believe it. How could be? He knows how I feel about her.” Tears streamed down Mia’s face, and Holly hurried over and sat down beside her.
    “How do you know?” Holly asked, reaching out to tuck Mia’s hair behind her ears and out of her face.
    “Five minutes ago I was going into the kitchen to get some cereal, and I passed his bedroom, and he was standing by the window, with his back to me, holding an engagement ring. He was just staring at it, like he was rehearsing his proposal.” She burst into tears again and flung her head back down.
    Holly stroked Mia’s hair and got up to pour the hot chocolate into a mug, which she brought back to the table.
    Mia lifted her head again. “You can help me!” She picked up the mug, wrapping her hands around it. “You could come over tonight and back me up. Like, I’ll say, ‘Dad, you can’t marry that fake moron who doesn’t even like me,’ and when he says, ‘Honey, of course she likes you,’ you can say, ‘No, really she doesn’t, she made that clear when she was totally relieved there was no room for her in the class.’ And then he’ll say, ‘Come on, that’s crazy, she came in to take that course and there was no room.’ And then he’ll go into a half-hour discussion on what it means to project, which is his new word. And then you cantell him to lose the psychobabble and the bobblehead, that I’m right. ” Tears filled Mia’s eyes and Holly knew she’d have to tread carefully.
    “Honey, it’s not my place to interfere in your dad’s life. I don’t even know him, really.”
    “His life? It’s my life. And you know me . I’m your apprentice. Please, Holly?”
    “Mia—”
    She looked at Holly with those teary, blueberry-colored eyes. “All he ever says is that he’d never do anything bad for me. But he’s blinded by Jodie without an e ’s big boobs and miniscule skirts and high heels. There’s no way she loves him. And she hates me.”
    “I’m sure she doesn’t hate you, Mia.”
    She stood up, her lips tight. “You sound just like him.”
    Holly’s shoulders slumped. She was out of her element here.
    “Just come for dinner tonight, Holly. You don’t have to say anything if it doesn’t feel right or whatever. But should you suddenly feel like saying something, you can.”
    “And I’m there because … ?”
    Mia bit her lip, then her eyes lit up. “Because I’m your apprentice, and since you saw how little I know about