I glanced at the building across from our car, and instant surprise cleared my mind. I blinked, as if to convince myself it was a dream, but moments passed and the red glowing letters remained the same. The place Alessandro referred to was Mangiare.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
The Present
“Alessandro, what are we doing here?” I demanded without bothering to hide the extent of my confusion.
“Cara, it's a restaurant,” he pointed out softly. “What do you think we’re doing?”
Realization dawned on me and I assessed my casual outfit. Mangiare wasn't too fancy, but I was still underdressed for the occasion. After all of these years, I wasn't too keen on showing up in a place where I used to work, looking like a hillbilly next to a man who breathed perfection without employing the slightest bit of effort. “Thank you for bringing me here, but can we please do this another time?” I asked in a light voice. “I'm not that hungry and honestly, I'm not in the mood.”
I thought that would be enough to convince him to leave, but Alessandro wouldn't budge.
“I know you must be tired, but it will only take a short while and you don't have to eat if you don't want to. You can just keep me company,” he suggested softly.
“But look at me,” I protested. “I'm dressed like a hillbilly.”
Alessandro burst into a fit of soft laughter. “Cara, you might just be the most stunning hillbilly there is. Your outfit is perfectly fine. Don't worry about it.”
I shook my head. “I don't have a choice, do I?”
He smiled and caressed my cheek. “No, I'm afraid on this one particular occasion you don't get a choice and you also don't get to sulk about it,” he murmured. “Come. I promise there is a good reason why I'm insisting on this.”
Determined to get this over with, I reached for the door handle, but Alessandro's hand closed around my wrist. “Please, allow me.”
I gazed as he stepped outside and scurried to my side. He then opened the door and assisted me out of the car as a true gentleman. His hand leaned on the small of my back and he led me inside the restaurant. I glimpsed at the card on the front door and it read 'closed'. I thought that was strange, but didn’t dwell on it further, because we entered the lobby, and I was struck by the dramatic change of interior. The place still breathed warmth with those inviting shades of yellow and orange, but the tables and the decor were definitely a lot more luxurious than I remembered.
“It looks so different,” I said, and gazed around the empty restaurant. “Where is everyone?”
He shrugged. “I thought we could use some privacy.”
I shot him an incredulous glare. “You booked this entire place for the evening?”
“Not quite, cara,” he muttered as he helped me take off my jacket, “but it was something of that nature.”
I wanted to ask what it was exactly, but we were approached by a young brunette waitress. She grinned and I couldn't help noticing her smile was focused on Alessandro much more than on me. Over the years, I had gotten used to all kinds of silly reactions and outbursts women employed to get Alessandro's attention. Those situations used to secretly amuse me because I comforted myself with the fact those poor girls had no idea about the monster hiding beneath the surface. However, at this particular moment, I wasn't sure how I felt about it.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Damiani,” she greeted warmly, and gestured toward the seating area. “We have your table ready in the back.”
“Grazie,” he said in a courteous tone and arched his eyebrows. “The rest has been taken care of as well?”
“Yes, of course. Everything is ready, Sir, just as you’ve requested,” the waitress confirmed, sounding pleasant.
“Perfect,” Alessandro replied with his usual charm, and directed me toward the dining hall.
Smiling, he escorted me to one of the tables in the back while I absorbed my surroundings. The lights were shaded to the point of creating an effect of half-darkness. White candlelights burned on each and every table even though the restaurant was closed to the general public. Soft piano music played in the background, and I was struck by a thought the entire scenery created a very heated and romantic atmosphere. That conviction only grew when a bouquet of red roses and a box wrapped in gift paper lay on our