Skinny Cappuccino by Alicia M Kaye

Author:Alicia M Kaye [Kaye, Alicia M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: chick lit, romance, laugh-out-loud, happily ever after, comedy, clean romance, rom com, feel good books, feel good romance, London romance, British chick lit, British love stories, easy read for adults, holiday read, funny romance, girl next door, best friend romance
Publisher: Alicia M Kaye
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

And momentarily I forgive Sophie, because all I can think about is Artie and how he surveys me with a puzzled expression.

CHAPTER 16

Antonio’s is the perfect venue for a celebration; laughter echo’s over the lively Italian opera classics, as customers share plates of pizza with dripping mozzarella. The oven-baked aroma fills my nostrils and my mouth salivates with anticipation. All the tables are crammed with no extra seating capacity in sight—no one would have known that the restaurant was broken into a few nights ago.

The booth our family usually occupies has the capacity for six. Now seven of us squeeze close: Phoebe, Jack, Sophie, Kelly, Brett, Artie, and me.

There are four of us sitting on one side. I’m shoulder-to-shoulder with Brett, so cramped that I can smell wine on his breath as he speaks. Phoebe’s on my other side and she huddles next to Jack. Opposite our row sits Artie in the middle of the two girls, Kelly and Sophie. Both girls seem pressed against him even though their bench seat has more space. Sophie’s hand rests familiarly on Artie’s forearm as she peers at the menu. She probably won’t eat anything, she’ll just move a few things around her plate. With the flutter of her eyelashes, she asks him for menu advice. I’m not impressed at how engaged he is for she’s quite the conversationalist. Sophie describes her swimming escapades at the nearby Highbury Aquatic Centre. “I go down there nearly once a week,” she puffs out her chest proudly. She moves off the topic of her boyfriend and swimming coach, Matthew, and starts pumping Artie for information.

Kelly, too, leans into the menu, her cheek almost pressed against Artie’s as she battles for his attention. Although Artie sits directly opposite me, he barely meets my gaze and a flitter of concern stabs at our moment in the coffee shop earlier.

By now there are five empty bottles, one of the most expensive champagne’s on the menu. Brett insists upon the selection because he’s paying. Every time a new bottle is ordered the whole table cheers. “To Sophie,” Kelly says. “For a job well done.”

“To Sophie,” the table says in unison and Kelly’s topping up everyone’s glasses with the bottle. For some reason, I feel slightly uncomfortable with this toast. Artie should be acknowledged, but that doesn’t really matter, I suppose, as long as we’re all celebrating and making the most of it.

I raise my glass high. “And to Artie, for the introduction,” I insist, but my words are lost in the clinking. His intense blue-eyed gaze locks with mine. We both stare at each other momentarily, and I’m immediately curious to know what he’s thinking behind his strong gaze. Is he angry with me for giving him a peck on the cheek? Anxiously, I focus on the liquid in my glass and sip. Nothing actually happened; I repeat that phrase over and over again. Why can’t I stop thinking about this man? He probably had no intention of kissing me, he only asked me to dinner because that’s what we arranged a few moments earlier.

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