Chapter 9

MADDIE

I quickly leave Rocco’s office, not looking back until I’m out the front door and in a cab. Just as I get into my apartment, my phone goes off. I pull it from my purse and read a text from Rocco.

Meet me for a drink.

A drink? Should I? Isn’t this against company policy? He texts me again.

I’d really like to see you.

I smile at the idea.

Maybe continue our conversation before we were interrupted. Don’t feel bad about what happened. I will deal with Nancy.

I hesitate, but only for a moment. I want to meet him, but I’m not ready. I need time to let this Nancy thing play out and dissolve. I close my phone and turn off the ringer before piling myself into bed.

* * *

I get into the restaurant early to get started on the menu for the day. I like the quiet but it is short lived when I hear the front door open. I look at the clock and assume I will see or hear Joanne very soon. When Rocco walks into the kitchen, my heart speeds up and I look at the clock again.

“What brings you in so early?” I ask.

“Joanne has some personal business to attend to. I told her I would come in to be sure everything goes well.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Nothing to worry about.”

When he leans against the counter and watches me, my stomach begins to form a knot and an uneasy feeling creeps in.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” I say a little too quickly. “Everything is great.” I turn away from him to grab a pie tin, pretending not to see it right away so I can get my bearings about me. Why is he making me so nervous?

“I texted you last night.”

“I know, Rocco. I’m sorry I didn’t respond. I didn’t get them until this morning. I was so tired from what happened yesterday, I fell asleep as soon as I got home.”

“Maybe tonight?”

“Um, maybe.” I try to keep my voice upbeat but the way he is looking at me, I’m sure he can sense I am trying to put him off.

“Listen, Maddie. I don’t want to play games with you. I think I know what you wanted to tell me,” he says.

My heart speeds up another notch and I find myself fidgeting with the ingredients, not really knowing what I’m tossing together.

“I just want to let you know that I feel…”

“Good morning!” A bright and cheery Nancy bounces into the kitchen, interrupting Rocco’s confession at precisely the right time. She leans over the counter in front of Rocco as if he isn’t there and looks at me. “Can we talk, Maddie? Please?” She looks so sincere and almost lost.

I grab the opportunity, glancing at Rocco before I wipe my hands on my apron and I give all my attention to Nancy. Rocco turns away and walks out of the kitchen and my heart drops.

I’m not interested in what she has to say any longer. My main goal is to keep Rocco from confessing something I’m not ready to hear and I accomplished that. Now I feel crummy and want to make it right with him. My eyes trail after him as he disappears from sight and all I’m left with is Nancy.

“Listen,” Nancy continues.

“I want to sincerely apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I was jealous and I shouldn’t have been.”

“You’re sorry?”

“From the bottom of my heart.”

“For destroying my desserts?”

“Oh, no. For trying to get you into trouble with Joanne and Rocco. I didn’t destroy your desserts.”

“I know you did, Nancy.”

“I assure you, Maddie.” She is so convincing and sweet that I want to vomit. “If I knew who did that to you, I would have said something, but it wasn’t me. I will admit to trying to make you look bad in front of Rocco, only because I thought I liked him. But I can clearly see how you two feel about each other and I know when to back off.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I stop putting my pie filling together as I try to figure out what her angle is.

“Not at all. I want you to know that he is yours. I can see you are shy around him, but I think you should go for it. Rocco is a great catch,” she says, looking back at the door with enamor all over her face.

I do not believe her little act, but maybe she is right.

“So, why the change of heart?”

“I see the way he looks at you and I just wish I had that again.”

“Again?”

She nods with a solemn look in her eyes. “I was so in love once. He was my everything. When I lived back in Franklin, Minnesota, we ruled the town together.”

My heart begins to hurt for her as she unravels her love story gone wrong.

“What happened?”

“We were together for two years and he dumped me for Tanya Messinger.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too. Small town like that, you can’t get away from it. That’s why I moved out here. I thought it was time to work on my acting career.”

“How long have you been in New York?”

“Long enough to know that it doesn’t happen overnight, or within a few months, or possibly never.”

Maybe I am a little hard on Nancy. I begin to sympathize with her. It can’t be easy changing your whole life because of a breakup.

“Can we get together after work, Nancy? Maybe we can come up with a plan.”

“I’d like that,” she says, smiling.

I smile back, praying I am making the right decision.

My shift ends a few hours before Nancy’s does so I take the courage I have worked up through the day and I find myself looking for Rocco’s name on the list of buttons on his apartment building. I push the buzzer next to his name and I have to fight myself to stay put long enough to justify why I’m there.

“Hello?” I hear his voice over the speaker.

I open my mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. This is wrong. What am I doing? I back away from the speaker and scurry down the stairs to the street.

“Maddie?” His voice is much clearer.

I freeze and close my eyes. My heart pounds through my chest and my mouth dries up. When I turn around, Rocco is standing in the doorway, his face smiling at me. I slowly walk back to him with my hands balled up together.