Paradise Found by Mary Campisi

Author:Mary Campisi [Campisi, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 1480286923
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 2001-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Does anyone have any idea how much starch is in this stuff?” Gabrielle Jontue asked, lifting a single strand of angel hair pasta onto her fork.

Adam rolled his eyes. Rosa huffed. Rex snickered and shoveled a forkful into his mouth. Matt ignored her and Sara merely stared.

The beautiful Gabrielle was too involved in her nutrition lesson to notice. Starch, grams of fat, calories, sugars, protein. The words flowed out of her red-lipped mouth like a child reciting a nursery rhyme. Did they know how many grams of fat lurked in their pasta and rolls, just waiting to latch onto some unsuspecting celluloid victim? And butter? An absolute no-no, she'd told them in her most exaggerated French accent. Do not even look at it.

“You have to be very careful about starches,” she continued, twirling a lone strand of pasta on her fork. “They break down into sugars that just kill the body.” She lifted the fork to her mouth and munched on half the strand. “Matt, it would be much healthier to eat pasta made from wheat flour.” She tipped her red head to one side and looked at him. “Haven't we had this discussion before?”

He took a sip of wine before answering. “You've told me all about it. Several times.”

A little huff escaped her lips. “I'm only trying to help you improve your dietary habits.”

“I like my dietary habits,” he said, tearing off a chunk of bread slathered in butter.

“I'll bet you still eat potato chips.”

“With dip.”

“Disgusting.”

“He had three beers the other night,” Adam chimed in.

“Matt?” she practically wailed. “How could you do that to your body? Water. That's what you need. It flushes out the impurities.”

“I like my impurities,” he said flashed a grin around the table, settling on Sara a fraction of a second longer than the rest.

“I don't understand why you insist on making fun of this.” Gabrielle twirled two more strands of pasta around her fork. That left approximately ten on her plate. “If everyone was just a little more observant in their dietary habits, we wouldn't have so many overweight people crowding out the rest of us.” Her green gaze swept the table, landing on Rex's slight paunch.

He smiled at her. “Gabrielle, would you please pass the pasta?”

She glared. “Certainly.”

“And the meatballs? Can't have pasta without meatballs.”

“Of course not.” She edged the platters toward him. “How about some bread? And butter?”

“Sure,” he said, around a mouthful of meatball. “Why not?”

“Why not, indeed?” She raised a well-sculpted brow. Rosa hid a smile and passed the bread and butter.

“One piece will do me,” he said, reaching for a thick hunk of Italian bread. “Gotta save room for Rosa's cheesecake.”

Sara hid her own smile. It was obvious Rex was goading Gabrielle. He seemed to be the only one paying her the slightest amount of attention, even if it was derogatory. Everyone else was ignoring her—especially Matt.

But the woman didn't seem to notice. Her attention was focused on Matt and herself, of course. She was beautiful, almost surreal, with her high hollowed cheekbones and thin straight nose.

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