Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“I bet. What’s it like living the glamorous life?”
“Meh, that’s boring. Tell me about you.”
“Me? There’s nothing to tell. I work, I occasionally hang out with friends…that’s it.” He hip-bumped me and took over chopping the veggies and lettuce. Then he wiped off the board and put it away.
“What do you do for fun?”
Lorenzo’s expression went blank for a moment. He lowered his head as he sidled by me to set the salad bowl on the table. “The bread should be ready. Would you mind cutting it for me?”
“I’m an expert bread cutter,” I bragged. “No problem.”
He used an oven mitt to retrieve the bread from the oven and deposited it on the newly cleaned board. “Here’s the knife. Give it a minute before you—”
“Holy fucking hell!” I snatched my hand away, waving it as if it had caught on fire. Racing to the sink, I ran cold water over my throbbing palm and hopped on one foot, yelping a few times for comedic purposes. It worked. Lorenzo snickered beside me.
“You saw it come out of the oven. Let me see your hand.” He held my wrist as he examined my palm. “You’ll live. Sit down and help yourself to the salad. I’ll bring the soup in a sec.”
I obeyed, thanking him as he slid a bowl of soup in front of me. He moved around the kitchen, setting butter, salt and pepper, wine, and a basket of warm crusty bread on the table till it was nearly overflowing with food and dishes. He fiddled with his cell as he took a seat, and a moment later, a moody RÜFÜS DU SOL tune drifted from the portable speaker next to his red SMEG toaster.
“I like this song.”
Lorenzo smiled. “Me too. Can I get you anything else?”
“No, this is…perfect.”
And it was. A beautiful man, good wine, good food, a relaxed and pretty atmosphere, chill, ambient music. I was the closest to content I’d been in a long time.
“Thanks. It’s nice. Now remember, the soup is hot,” he warned.
“Yeah, yeah.” I blew on a bite of meatball for an obnoxious amount of time and hid my grin when he kicked my shin. “Mm, it’s excellent. I mean…wow.”
“Thank you.”
I spooned up another bite and furrowed my brow. “Hey, you never answered my question earlier.”
“Which was?”
“What do you do for fun?”
He made a funny face. “I read and I probably watch too much TV, but…that’s it. My life is pretty quiet. Nothing like yours.”
“Mine is excruciatingly quiet at the moment. I wish I had a hobby that didn’t involve interacting with people. I should take up rock-climbing or bungee jumping.” I sighed, only half kidding.
“I thought Baxter already did those things,” he teased.
“Oh, for sure. He also plays piano and guitar, speaks eight languages fluently, and never breaks a sweat.” I shot a faux-serious look his way. “I hate to break this to you, but I’m not that talented.”
Lorenzo pursed his lips together. “You don’t play an instrument?”
“Nope. I tried the drums, but I hurt my own ears. I tried piano too, but there are so many keys, it gets confusing, ya know?” I waited for his laughter to subside, adding, “And I’m only fluent in English. I do know a few catchphrases and crucial swear words in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Arabic, but I have to be careful ’cause I tend to mix them up. I accidentally told a cameraman I liked eating rocks in Russian when we filmed in Moscow a few years ago. He left a bag of rocks with a fork and knife in my trailer the next day as a joke.”
Lorenzo burst out laughing. It was bright and beautiful, like a melodic bell or a gentle breeze whistling through the canyon. It was honest and unfettered, revealing colorful pieces of a puzzle. And yeah, he was a puzzle to me.
Suddenly, I wanted to learn everything I could about him.
“That’s hysterical.” He set his spoon in his bowl and dragged a crust of bread through the broth. “You’ve traveled all over the world, haven’t you? Must be amazing.”
I nodded. “I’ve been places I never knew existed, and I’ve met some incredible people. I love my job. How about you?”
“I love my job too.”
I tore a piece of bread off and tossed it at him, eliciting the expected WTF growl. “No, I meant…have you traveled much? And do you speak another language besides smartass?”
He threw the bread at my chest and pumped his fist in victory. “Hey, you started it.”
“And I will end it,” I quipped in a robotic tone.
Lorenzo cracked up again. “You’re kinda funny.”
“Thanks. Now stop being so fucking mysterious, and answer a few of my genius questions.”
“All right. Hablo español con fluidez, and I’ve done a little traveling. Mostly trips to Hawaii, Cancun, San Francisco, local mountains…nothing crazy. Oh, I went to Miami a couple of years ago with my ex, but I’ve never been to Europe or Asia or Australia. Someday…”