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Lauren glanced at her watch. It was almost dinnertime, and she needed to leave for her date with Andrew in a few minutes. It was ironic, but he had picked Emilia’s as the meeting place for their first date. Megan said he was proud of his potential purchase and wanted her to see it. But Lauren had decided not to be swayed by his charm.
She smoothed on the finishing touches of her magenta lipstick and puckered her lips. Her curly blonde hair flowed perfectly onto her black short-sleeved, faux-wrap dress, complemented by a pair of silver lace, double drop earrings. Even though she had a secret agenda this evening, she wanted to look her best, hoping to impress Andrew with her beauty and charm so that he would do anything for her. And that included getting him to reconsider the purchase of Emilia’s Restaurant.
But a part of her couldn’t help feeling guilty, ashamed of her secret plan to sway the pursuit of his lifelong dream so that she could live hers. Yet, deep down, she felt an attraction to him, a gentle tugging on the strings of her heart, beckoning her to give him a chance. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she sensed there was more to him than just his hypnotic blue eyes and strong jawline. Maybe it was his respectful manners or the confidence of a man who had a close walk with God.
Lauren sighed. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter now. Besides, she had Justin in her life now. So she dismissed any remaining feelings of guilt and renewed her focus on the task ahead.
Lauren silently prayed as she walked toward the restaurant. Lord, you know the desires of my heart and how vital this restaurant is to me. Please help Andrew find another more desirable restaurant if it be your will.
She took a deep breath and walked into Emilia’s Ristorante.
***
Upon spotting her, Andrew’s jaw dropped. “You look beautiful tonight!” He stood up, reaching out both arms to give Lauren a friendly hug.
Lauren could feel the warmth of his body pressed against hers. For a split second, she leaned into him, finding comfort in the embrace.
This feels natural! So right! He’s the one!
But she silenced the voice in her head and straightened her body. “Thanks. It’s just something I threw together at the last minute,” she half-lied.
“Thanks for meeting me tonight. I apologize if things didn’t go well the other evening.”
Lauren smiled at him. “That’s alright. You can’t help being yourself.”
A somewhat mystified look crossed Andrew’s face, but he smiled back. “Please, have a seat.” He whisked out a chair for her.
Lauren sat down. “Thanks.” Her gaze drifted around the room, admiring the wall-to-wall decorations and knickknacks mimicking various themes of Italian life. It was exactly how she remembered it from her last tour of the restaurant, and one of the reasons she had to buy it. It reminded her of an Italian version of Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” attraction.
The place brimmed with energy as patrons filled the restaurant to near-maximum capacity. Then, finally, a waiter with dark, slicked-back hair wearing a crisp white shirt came and took their drink orders before disappearing back into the kitchen.
“So, what do you think of it? Isn’t it beautiful in here?” Andrew waved his hand toward the walls.
Lauren shrugged her shoulders with a disinterested look. “I’ve seen better. Don’t you find it too cluttered in here? It might be too claustrophobic for some customers.”
“You think so? I think it’s very quaint. It almost makes you feel like you’re dining in Italy.”
“Yeah, if you don’t mind that creepy picture of Mona Lisa staring at you or those nude paintings.” Lauren pinched her brows together as she threw a glance across the room. “Might turn off some Christian customers.”
“Hmm, I guess that never crossed my mind. Are you sure they won’t appreciate it as art?”
Lauren kept a frown on her face as she held up the menu. “And oh my gosh! Look at how thick and heavy this menu is!”
“That’s because they have a large variety of dishes.”
Lauren plopped the menu down on the table. “It’s great if your customers want to browse through an Italian cookbook. Now that’s two strikes against this place. I don’t think this restaurant is what you’re truly looking for.”
“Hmmm . . . That’s a good point.”
Lauren’s eyes widened. “It is?”
“Yeah, I was thinking of reworking the menu and keeping it simple.”
“But you might lose business if the customers don’t like it.”
“Another good point.”
“And you know what?” Lauren lowered her voice as she leaned in toward him, “I also heard some locals say business is starting to die off in this part of town.”
“Really?” A concerned look suddenly crossed Andrew’s face.
Lauren nodded her head. “Yep. That makes this restaurant a bad investment.” A wave of guilt swept over her. It wasn’t in her nature to lie, especially to someone she was attracted to. But she was desperate to keep Emilia’s for herself; at this point, she wasn’t so sure God would bless her with it.
Andrew’s eyes widened. “Wow, thanks for the tip. I may have to reconsider buying this place. Thanks to you, you’ve saved me from walking into a bad investment.”
“I’m sorry if I’m being negative. I really think there may be another restaurant more suitable for you.” Lauren bit her lip. She felt guilty for being selfish.
Andrew sat silent, his face twisted with confusion. Seconds later, a smile returned to his face. “Okay, maybe my idea of owning this restaurant wasn’t such a great idea. I suppose they’ll be better ones that’ll come along. You seem to have great insight. Maybe you could help me evaluate them?”
Lauren forced a smile, trying to sound helpful. “Sure, I’d like to.”
“Besides, that wasn’t the only reason I invited you to dinner.”
The waiter had returned, interrupting their conversation as he served their meals. The sweet, earthy aromas of basil and fresh tomatoes wafted about the table.
“You’re lucky to have a sister like Megan. She speaks highly of you.”
“She does? I wouldn’t believe everything Megan says. She tends to exaggerate.”
“I heard you like to dance.”
“She told you that?”
Andrew grinned. “I like to do my homework.”
Lauren’s face lit up. “I love Latin dancing, especially the Cha-Cha. But it’s hard to find a guy who likes ballroom.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. I love dancing. It’s been a while, but I took ballroom dancing a few years back. Maybe you can help me brush up on my dancing sometime?”
A glimmer of hope sparked inside her but faded as quickly as it came. “I’d love to, but I’ve been swamped lately.”
“Oh, I understand.” Andrew took a sip of his soda before changing the subject. “Tell me, how did you become so passionate about food?”
Lauren finished chewing her salmon before forcing a burp from her lips. “Boy, this fish was delicious,” she exclaimed.
Andrew’s eyes grew wide, but he said nothing, waiting for her response.
“My parents worked hard, and I didn’t see them much. The only time our family spent together was at the dinner table. You could say it was our time to bond with each other. Now we’ve all grown up and moved on with our separate lives, so we’ve lost that close family connection. I thought opening the restaurant would help bring us closer together as a family, just like our childhood days.”
Andrew nodded in understanding. “It’s good that you value family time. Too many families are always on the go and lose out on that connection.”
“What about you? What made you decide to open a restaurant?”
Andrew stared at his plate, twirling his pasta with his fork. “When I was a child, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen helping my mother cook. She taught me a lot about cooking and recipes. Sometimes when she didn’t have the time to cook, she would take me here for dinner. She would always order my favorite dish from here, shrimp Alfredo pasta. Those were some of the happiest moments I can remember growing up.”
“What about your Dad?”
“My dad was never around much.” The smile faded from Andrew’s lips.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“He was always working.” The smile returned to Andrew’s face. “Cooking was a way of spending quality time with my mom. That’s how I got into cooking as a hobby. Now that she’s developed Alzheimer’s, we don’t cook together anymore. So, when I saw Emilia’s come up for sale, I had this crazy idea to buy it. I guess it was my way of bringing back those good feelings when she used to take me here.”
Lauren watched as Andrew remained silent, his eyes gazing at his plate. She could tell he missed spending quality time with his mom and her heart ached for his pain, something she hadn’t felt for a guy in a long time. She tried to suppress the urge to comfort him, but instead, she reached out and clasped his hand between hers, feeling the strength in his fingers.
“It’s not a crazy idea. I can see how that makes this place so special.”
Andrew looked up and smiled. “I’m sorry. I get embarrassed whenever I get emotional in public.”
“You don’t have to feel embarrassed.”
A woman selling flowers stopped by their table, addressing Andrew with a smile. “Would you like to buy the pretty woman a rose?”
The frown faded as Andrew’s face lit up. “I’ll certainly take one for the beautiful lady.”
Lauren blushed at his thoughtfulness.
Andrew paid the woman and handed the rose to Lauren. “This is my way of saying thanks for giving me a second chance.”
She smiled and took a sniff. The fragrant smell rushed into her nose, bringing euphoria to her senses. “That was very sweet of you.”
What are you doing? You’re straying from your mission! Lauren could feel her willpower beginning to crumble.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to spend more time with you,” Andrew looked at Lauren, his voice filled with sincerity.
The smile disappeared from her lips. “I—I . . . don’t know if that would be a good idea.” She tried to escape his gaze, afraid she would succumb to his beckoning eyes. “I mean . . . I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She hesitated as the floodgates holding back her guilt were about to burst. She couldn’t continue with the charade anymore. Andrew seemed genuine and honest, caring deeply about his family and God. How could she continue to betray his trust like this?
“Andrew?”
“Yes, Lauren.”
Don’t do it! What about Justin?
She hesitated. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
