24 Hours in Italy by Romi Moondi

Author:Romi Moondi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group
Published: 2023-07-20T20:36:49+00:00

fourteen

M

Eleven p.m.

Dinner was well underway by the time Mira and Jake showed up.

Shit.

The restaurant wasn’t any of the terrace locations they’d spied in the town square. Instead, it was a second-floor establishment, accessible by a narrow staircase. The main dining area was a sprawling outdoor balcony with a view of the bustling scene below. Though the restaurant was visible from the main piazza, Mira and Jake had missed it, never looking up from the tightly packed row of shops below it.

A waiter led Mira and Jake out to the balcony and straight to a table of familiar faces, most of them busy digging into their appetizers. A mix of foreigners and Italians filled the remaining tables, many of them already enjoying dessert.

“We normally close very soon,” the waiter explained. “But the chef offered to work a little longer for your party.”

Given that Mira was half an hour late, she was relieved to hear that.

Mira spotted Eloise sitting next to Dembe. There were empty seats on either side of them. She hurried over to the chair beside Eloise, repeatedly saying sorry as she sat down.

Eloise took a bite of her arugula and walnut salad, chewing slowly before turning in Mira’s direction.

“Stop saying that,” Eloise said, a notable lack of emotion in her voice.

Mira lowered her head. “But I am sorry.”

“This time it wasn’t your fault.”

“It wasn’t?” She tentatively met Eloise’s eyes.

“Jake screwed it up with his lost phone, or broken phone—whatever—and I kind of screwed it up when I didn’t even bother to check my phone once we got here to see if you had messaged.”

“It’s been a hectic day for you. And I’m sure my antics haven’t helped.”

“It’s okay.” Eloise sighed. “I think I’ve had too much to drink.” She loaded her fork with more salad and stuffed it into her mouth.

Mira’s shoulders loosened as the tension melted away. She hadn’t ruined a friendship with her love triangle dramas (or clumsy foot) after all. And Eloise hadn’t even blamed her for letting her drink too much. Still, she grabbed the carafe of water and refilled Eloise’s glass.

Eloise gestured to her plate. “Do you want the waiter to bring you a salad?”

Mira was still quite full from the cannelloni. But Eloise didn’t need to know that. “Let’s keep this dinner moving along. I can try the next course.”

Eloise raised an eyebrow. “Are you in a rush?”

“No, but I thought you guys were.”

“I don’t remember saying anything about being in a rush.”

“Wasn’t Dembe saying something about needing his beauty sleep?”

“Oh, right.” She seemed annoyed. “Sleep is important, but there’s one more special thing on the agenda before the evening ends.”

“Can’t wait.” Mira noticed that Jake was still sitting in the chair next to Dembe; maybe Dembe had convinced him to stay. Still, things would be wrapping up soon. She thought about what that would mean, Lorenzo’s ominous words echoing in her head.

Had she chosen all these complications to wind up alone?

It felt too soon to be giving up on Jake, especially after the intensely passionate moment they’d shared in the street.

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