The Heart Wants What It Wants

Chapter 10

Diana felt different as she grabbed her bag and hopped out of the Porsche to stay with George for the weekend. She’d been there so many times but it felt different that day. It was…

It looked the same as usual. There was the security, which cleared her, there was the garden that was handled by professionals and was still blooming, even if it was a bit late in the year. There was the house itself, a two-level modern structure that had intimidated her the first few times she’d gone there, but now she knew that she could belong there, too.

She believed that she could be a part of his life.

She walked up, let herself in – he always left the door open for her now when she was expected, it wasn’t like anybody who wasn’t expected could get through the security and get that far, anyway – and called out.

“George?”

“In the kitchen!”

Diana walked through the living room – beautiful, but a bit too stark, the lines a little too clean – and through to the kitchen, which had been designed for a serious cook.

And right at that moment, it looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Diana balked a little.

“Hey, why don’t you open the wine and try it?”

He had a kitchen towel over his shoulder, an apron around him, and was surrounded by complete and utter chaos, and yet he looked perfectly in control and incredibly handsome. He still took her breath away when she saw him.

“Oh. Umm… Where is the wine?”

“It’s chilling in the bucket – ah, I see what you mean. Under that stack of kitchen towels.”

Diana moved them carefully and found the wine, grabbed two wine glasses when she was sure she wasn’t in the way, and retreated a safe distance to open the bottle and pour a couple of glasses.

“I see why you don’t cook often.”

“I think of it as artistic expression,” he told her, his eyes twinkling, and Diana laughed.

“Sure, if you say so. It smells amazing, though. What are you making?”

“A real ragu Napolitano, to be had with penne, a salad, and tiramisu for dessert.”

“You’re making dessert?”

“Sure, why not?”

“I’m just surprised. I didn’t know you could do this.”

He was chopping, blending, stirring – doing about ten things at a time.

“Can I help?”

“Sit back and enjoy the wine. Let me take care of you.”

He did like doing that. He did like taking care of her. So she sat back, as instructed, and was surprised as the chaos became controlled, and the smells became far more intense.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he said as he started plating up, and she was shocked to find that the chaos had subsided and he was wiping down counters.

She was a couple of glasses of wine in, but she could recognize magic when she saw it.

They sat at the small table where he liked to eat, beside the window, and she sighed with pleasure when she tasted it.

“It’s amazing. It’s really amazing. I love it.”

“It is, isn’t it? Even if I do say so myself.”

She chuckled, and loved how normal it seemed to be there with him, as if she belonged, too.

“Wait a while for dessert? I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

“Yes, one you’ve been very, very patient about. Come with me.”

He took her hand and led her to the side door that she knew led to the garage, where he had quite a few cars.

But one of them was…

“Surprise.”

“This is… This is my car!”

“It is.”

“You made it… It looks so shiny and new!”

“I can promise you that it will not break down again, not unless you completely neglect it all over again. Please don’t completely neglect it all over again, Thomas nearly killed himself trying to keep enough of your car to make it your car. He upgraded the engine considerably, did a lot of rewiring, changed the seats with the broken springs, changed the seat covers, gave it that paint job you see – same color, fresh paint – and, well, he did everything he possibly could.”

“It looks amazing!”

“Why don’t you get in and try it out? Go for a spin? Take me for a spin?”

“Yes!” cried Diana and grabbed the keys he held out, got in. He’d also gotten in when she turned to him sheepishly and shook her head.

“I can’t. I had too much wine. I don’t want to get a ticket in my shiny new old car. Oh, this is the best gift you’ve given me. This is wonderful. I love everything about this,” she told him, and turning to him, she threw her arms around him and kissed him.