Where Dreams Continue

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Oh my God!”

Raquel looked up from her second caramel to see Vic’s assistant halted in mid-stride mere steps from her bench. She had to blink. Not wearing a chef’s coat and slacks, he was almost unrecognizable. He wore an old pair of cut-off shorts that revealed powerful legs, a t-shirt that clung to his frame, and a towel around his neck. He was a very handsome man in his chef’s suit. But out of it? Wow!

She primarily sold women’s clothes, but Perrin occasionally did menswear and Raquel knew enough about the male physique to see that he had a swimmer’s build. Not as a mere occasional workout; he obviously swam a lot to earn such conditioning.

“Madonna Lady,” he breathed it out on a gasp of disbelief.

“That’s not my name.”

“So, what is your name?” he growled in frustration.

“Raquel Wells. And if you make one single joke about Raquel Welch and fur bikinis, you’re a dead man.” She’d heard that way too many times. That was one of the reasons she liked Steven Tu, he hadn’t gone there once in their month of dating, without prompting. The man presently standing by “her” bench she knew she had to warn off, a fact confirmed by his smile though he asked a different question.

“Why didn’t you tell my your name before?”

“You didn’t ask.”

He stared down at his flip-flops and then up at the leaves of the overhanging maple tree before shaking his head sadly and laughing.

“You’re right, I didn’t.”

And as simple as that Steven Tu was crossed off her list. This hadn’t been much of a joke, but the man had laughed at it nonetheless. Steven had not even less of a sense of humor than she’d first thought. They’d been compatible enough on other fronts—both business people, both very forthright—for it to be a possibility. But the chocolatier’s simple laugh had disproven that it was enough.

“May I join you?” he waved to the empty end of the bench.

Manners were appreciated, even from a man she could never be interested in, so she nodded her assent. “And what is your name?”

“Oh, I’m not nearly so easy.”

“I could ask Vic.” She wasn’t easy either, but she wasn’t above being sneaky.

“You could. My cousin is a complete and total pushover around beautiful women.”

“Whereas you are…”

“…much further into the complete i***t category. You can call me Tony.”

“But that’s not your name?”

His shrug was eloquent.

Now it was her turn to laugh. There was a scream of five-year old giggles that rippled over from the nearby beach. She took the last bite of the caramel that had been melting in her fingers. “That’s so good. How do you do that?” She licked her fingers clean.

“Family secret. I could tell you, but then…” he shrugged negligently.

“You’d have to kill me.”

He nodded, “Sadly true. That or marry you. Then you’d be family. What do you say, is that secret worth being married to me for ever and ever?”

Not a chance. “Maybe I’ll marry Victor instead. That way I’d be family and you’d have to tell me.” Tony didn’t look even a little like a for ever-and-ever sort of guy.

“It’s Vicenzo. And if you marry Vic, then I’d definitely have to kill him,” again the deep snarl sounded though it was belied by an easy smile. “I know fratricide is frowned upon, but you can’t really get in trouble for killing a first cousin, can you? I mean if he goes off and marries the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, he deserves what he gets.”

“He does.” She felt another laugh bubbling up inside her. He was quick, this chocolatier perhaps named Tony. And charming. Raquel generally enjoyed her power over men. But she was looking for someone who: 1) saw past her beauty and, 2) had more to offer than charm. She’d estimate a poor rate of return on a bet that Tony could manage either one.

She rose lightly to her feet, “I really must go. I have a date.”

“A date?” Tony slapped a hand to his chest, slouched in the bench and groaned. “Is it serious? Can you be cured?”

“Yes. No. And yes.” She was actually going to go and break her date with Steven, no point in wasting more time there when she knew it wasn’t going to work out in the long term.

Tony started to look hopeful, but kept his hand on his heart as if in precaution.

“But not for you, my bucko.”

He collapsed onto the bench as if dead and she laughed.

Then she turned for home. With Steven crossed off her list, it was time to call Gary Thomas. Perrin’s husband worked at Emerald City Opera and had introduced her to the new head of accounting there. A single father with a cute five-year-old girl. She’d met them both at Opera events and they were so charming together. In addition to their shared business backgrounds, Gary was clearly a sweet man with a big heart. Instant family could be both efficient and lovingly secure.