Her Best Friend's Brother (16 page)

who would have thought he’d say yes? Girl—he must have it bad for you! You totaly downplayed that accent!”

“Cal waiting Mel! Gotta go!”

It was him.

Libby was glad Gio was coming. He had hired a new manager for the restaurant, and classes at the culinary institute were finished for the term. He had laughed at her surprise that he was planning a visit.

“Betta! We talked about this. I said I wanted to see America, and I do. I want to see you. I have cleared my schedule, and I can stay at least a month.” Libby wondered what
at least
meant.

Gio arrived a few days later, on a Friday morning.

She met him at the airport, and true to her memories—he was devastatingly beautiful. Also true to her memories being with him had a surreal quality. They actualy ran into each other’s arms in the airport. Wel they walked quickly towards each other, but Gio did scoop Libby off her feet for a kiss worthy of any sappy romantic movie. It was a little embarrassing actualy, because people were staring.

“Have you missed me Betta?”

“Of course, Gio!” And she had. It wasn’t Gio’s fault that she hadn’t had time to dwel on how much she missed him.

“Is something the matter?”

“No. No. It’s just—you know – the airport—

people are looking at us…”

“Ah. Do you think Gregory Peck would not have kissed Audrey Hepburn in an airport?”

“Gregory Peck was the American.” Libby corrected him. As if pointing out that dissimilarity discounted his point. They had watched Roman Holiday together many times last year. In the movie the hero was American, and the damsel was European.

“Sorry about…” Libby waved her arm out the glass door indicating where it was cloudy and wet outside.

Libby hated that it was raining. Some time the night before a steady drizzle had soaked the ground and coaxed a bunch of worms out of hiding. Normaly rain didn’t bother Libby but she felt badly that Gio’s first day in America would be so dismal.

He was laughing at her. Libby had almost forgotten how often Gio laughed at her. Also that she found this habit slightly annoying.

“The sun should be out the rest of the week.” Libby added defensively.

“Ah—Mia Betta. Apologizing for the weather?”

“Ah—Mia Betta. Apologizing for the weather?” He was stil chuckling softly as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I have missed you.”

Libby decided to forgive him for laughing at her.

Gio wanted to get checked in at the hotel, and rest after the flight. Libby felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t invited him to stay at Stuart’s. Her mom was away teaching a pastry workshop and Stuart had driven up to spend the weekend with her. She felt weird enough staying there alone, but alone with Gio? It would be a bad idea. So they made plans for Libby to pick him up after lunch and she would show him the bakery. Mel and John were also coming in tonight. They would be staying with her parents for two weeks while they saw to the final details of the wedding. Mel desperately wanted to be at the airport when Libby picked Gio up, but she had been molified by a promise that they could al meet up later that evening for drinks at a local bar.

Gio loved the bakery. Libby’s mom loved Gio. So that went wel, she supposed. Next they drove around the town. They saw Libby’s old high school and the park where she and Mel had played as kids. Libby didn’t know why she felt strange showing Gio this part of her life. He certainly didn’t seem bored. He was ful of questions about her childhood, and then about what she had been doing since she returned from Italy, about her catering business.

And then he was ful of advice on new locations for when she was ready to try opening her own shop. Libby wasn’t al together sure she enjoyed having reality elbowing its way into her European adventure.

Later that night when they met up with Mel and John Libby relaxed a little. She liked the bar. It wasn’t any of the ritzy clubs Gio had taken her to, but it wasn’t a dive either. Libby had been here a few times over the last few weeks, and she liked it. The band was always good enough for dancing, but not too loud and the drinks were reasonably priced. Libby thought things were going pretty wel. Gio seemed to get along wel with her friends—even John.

“Right! The European adventure!” John exclaimed with his usual lack of tact when Libby introduced him, as he reached across the table to shake Gio’s hand.

Gio merely arched an eyebrow in Libby’s direction before grasping John’s hand. “I guess that would be me.”

“Ignore him, Gio… everyone else does.” Libby had muttered.

Congratulations are in order?” He changed the subject easily by nodding to where Mel was sitting next to John. “And my best wishes to the bride” it was the perfect tactic. Mel was off a mile a minute about the wedding, and how she had always wanted to be married on the beach. If Mel wasn’t already charmed by him at that point then she was completely won over when he ordered a round of champagne to “toast to her happiness”.

“He is just yummy Lib.” Mel was touching up her lip gloss in the ladies room. “And a great dancer. I do love a man that can dance.” Gio had obligingly twirled Mel around the dance floor when John proclaimed himself much to sober to make a fool of himself. Not that John didn’t dance; he was just more of a shuffler whereas Gio had spent the early part of the evening spinning and dipping Libby with practiced expertise.

“Yeah. He’s terrific.” Libby agreed.

Mel twitched a look at her in the mirror. “You aren’t mad that I invited him right?”

“No. Of course not. I am glad he’s here.” Libby protested

“Okay, good. Because I can tel he adores you.” Mel turned around snapping her hand bag shut. “Tony is going to drop by.” She mentioned not so offhandedly.

This was a pretty big surprise. Libby hadn’t seen Tony since Wednesday when they went out for ice cream.

That was when Libby told him that Gio was coming into town, and Tony had been acting sorta weird ever since.

She’d gone back and forth between hoping it was jealousy, and being irritated since he had long ago forfeited his right to be jealous. Tony had made it very clear what type of relationship he would be interested in—and Libby wasn’t interested.

“Good. That’s good he can meet Gio.”

Back at the table John was fervently trying to convince Gio of basebal’s superiority over al other sports.

Libby recognized the quirk of a smile on Gio’s face, and Libby recognized the quirk of a smile on Gio’s face, and knew he was more amused than anything else by John.

Maybe, she thought, Americans were funnier than she had realized.

When Tony walked through the door Mel waved widely over her head to get his attention. “Gee, I’m so glad a found you, sis, in this sea of people” Tony teased as he surveyed the half empty room.

“Ha-ha very funny.” She swatted him, and puled out a chair next to her for him to sit down. Tony ignored her and puled out the chair on the other side of Libby.

For some reason this introduction was more awkward. Actualy Libby knew the reason, but she pushed it aside and tried to act normal. The funny thing about acting normal is that you have to be a realy good actor.

“The chef.” Tony acknowledged as he nodded deeply.

“The writer.” Gio’s voice was gruff.

“That’s right. My third novel just made the best seler list.” Tony was clearly going for a practiced, bored tone of voice, but his excitement won out.

The table erupted in conversation. Mel and Libby threw their arms around Tony in a three person hug, and John hooted his congratulations. Grinning and laughing, Tony was saying how he had known it was a possibility, but he’d just gotten the cal from his agent that morning and it was low on the list, but
on the list
was al that mattered.

With a flick of his hand to the waitress Gio ordered another round of celebratory champagne. Later John would end up drinking Tony’s untouched glass.

“Mia Betta. You have very talented friends.”

“I do indeed.” Libby was too ful of pride for Tony to take notice of Gio’s change in demeanor.

“What did you cal her?” Mel gushed from her end of the table.

“It’s my name in Italian.” Libby shrugged blushing.

“Gio says everything sounds nicer in Italian.”

“It isn’t
only
her name.” Tony muttered so low that Libby was able to pretend she hadn’t heard him.

The moment was quickly swept away as Mel demanded an impromptu Italian lesson. Gio politely supplied her with translations of any and al phrases she could think of. “He’s right! Everything does sound nicer!” Her eyes suddenly got wider. “John! Let’s do our vows in Italian! It would be so romantic.”

“Anything you say babe, but it might be nice if our families were able to understand what we’re saying. Hel—

I’d kind of like to understand it myself. Plus I already learned the English ones.” Mel’s face fel a little.

“I’m sure your ceremony wil be lovely just as you have planned.” Gio said somewhat absently.

“You’re right of course.” Mel cheered up “Isn’t this just like old times, Libby? Us hanging out on a Friday night? I feel like we ought to be singing
Under the Sea.
”

“Let’s not, and say we didn’t, hmm?” Libby glanced around the bar and wondering how much her friend had had to drink.

“Of course not, sily. It is too bad though that my parents don’t have a guest room anymore. We could have parents don’t have a guest room anymore. We could have had a sleep over, and you wouldn’t have to go to Stuart’s alone.” Mel pointed her eyes in Gio’s direction in a not so discreet fashion.

Libby thought she preferred sleeping alone in Stuart’s house to being a part of a sleep over that included John. “I’l be alright.”

“I have a suite at the hotel.” Gio murmured in a low voice. “With a lovely pulout couch in the sitting room.” He added when he saw what must have been sheer panic on her face.

“I have a guest room.” Tony al but shouted. He calmed down a little. “You could stay in my guest room Libby.”

“Don’t be ridiculous big brother.” Mel said icily

“You don’t even have furniture.” This brought a raised eye brown from Gio.

“I have furniture.” Tony defended himself. “I just haven’t picked anything out for the living room yet.” He turned to Libby. “My guest room is your guest room, Lib.

And you haven’t seen my new house yet. Stay the whole weekend if you want—it wil be just like old times.” Tony shot a pointed look at Gio.

“Umm. Yeah, maybe. I realy didn’t want to stay at Stuart’s. And” she turned toward Gio. “I’d hate to crowd you.”

Standing up, Libby announced her intention to use the ladies room. “Order me something to drink if I miss the waitress, okay?” She caled over her shoulder to no one in particular.

She did miss the waitress. Which was no surprise since the bouncy blond woman had been back to check on their table every five minutes anytime Gio was seated.

When he was on the dance floor John had taken to walking to the bar for their drinks—it was quicker that way. Of course, the waitress started with Gio—two glasses of the house white and she barely glanced at the others as they ordered. Tony asked for a glass of water, and a cherry coke extra cherry. When Libby sat back down she found a glass of wine and tumbler of soda in front of her chair. Tony wanted to punch the air and do a victory dance when she reached for the cherry coke. His elation lasted only a moment.

moment.

“Balare?” Gio murmured, covering Libby’s hand with his own. They shared a private smile and headed for the dance floor.

“Did you know Betta; I have a friend who owns a restaurant in New York?” Gio held Libby close moving slowly in time with the music, but mostly concentrating on her face.

“Oh? Did you want to take a trip to New York while you’re here? We should you know. It is prettier in the fal, but summer is good to.”

“Perhaps.” Gio studied Libby in a way that made her want to fidget. As if he was trying to come to a decision. “My friend, Elaine, she lives in New York now, but spends her winters at home in Italy. I have been thinking lately that I could adjust my schedule in a similar way. Perhaps six months here, and the fal and winter in Rome?”

Libby stared at him a little dumbfounded. “You want to spend six months out of every year in New York?” Gio took a deep breath. “No. I was thinking perhaps of North Carolina. I thought you would enjoy wintering in Rome.”

Realization dawned on Libby. Gio wanted them to be together. Here and in Rome. Certainly she would say something—just as soon as she remembered how to breathe.

“Ah, Mia Betta. I never had a chance did I?” Libby was stil too busy forcing air in and out of her lungs to manage an inteligent reply. “Hmm?”

“Against big brother over there, I never realy stood a chance did I?”

“What? No, of course you did—do! Of course you do. It’s just that is a big change for you to make, and I’m not sure… I do want to be with you, Gio.”

“No, Betta. I think you want to want to be with me.” Gio kissed her lightly and leaned his forehead against hers. “We could have been fabulous together, you know?” Libby sighed. “I just think we might need some time…”

“I thought so too. I knew someone here stil had a hold on you, but I admit that I had hoped the distance and time would have proven insurmountable—for him. It is alright. I see the way you look at each other, and I want you to be happy.”

“Tony. He doesn’t see me that way.” Libby admitted quietly.

“I think then, that he is an imbecile.” This made Libby laugh. “Do you remember meeting my Nona?”

“Of course.” The previous Fal Libby had been unable to shake homesickness. Rome was lovely, but no one celebrated thanksgiving. Gio brought her to his grandmother’s house. Where Nona had cooked a ful Thanksgiving dinner. Of course she served baked ziti and bruschetta along with her turkey, but Libby was realy an it’s-the-thought-that-counts kind of person.

“Did you know she was only married to my grandfather for 16 months before he was kiled?”

“How awful.”

“Don’t let her here you say that.” Gio smirked a little. “Nona figures she knew more love in those 16 months than some people ever know in al their lives. She says she is lucky. And she never remarried— she says some loves are forever.”