Page 22

Leon carried this darkness as well. He had suffered tremendous losses himself. His deep espresso eyes revealed the same sadness, shadows, and sorrow that I had come to know so well. If there was ever a man who could truly understand me and be attuned to my needs, it had to be someone like Leon.
An intense desire to be near him surged within me, almost overwhelming in its urgency. With a wide smilelighting up my face, I turned the card over again and dialed his cell number.
“Hello, Cali,” he answered immediately, his voice warm and welcoming.
I furrowed my brow, perplexed. “What?” I said. “How did you know it was me?”
My private number was tightly secured, and I knew it wouldn’t appear on his caller ID.
“I just had a feeling,” he replied. In my mind, I could vividly picture him grinning and giving a casual shrug, and the image made my smile stretch wider. “Did you get the flowers?”
“I just did,” I confessed, still a bit in awe. “They’re magical.”
“Fantastic!” he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm.
“Thank you, Leon,” I said, a wave of shyness washing over me. “That was very thoughtful of you. Your note was lovely too.”
“I’m glad you like them,” he said. “I wanted you to know that I was thinking about you.”
My heart soared at his directness.
“You were on my mind too,” I admitted, the truth spilling out.
Since our lunch, he had been a constant presence in my thoughts, which was quite remarkable and unexpected, given that I never imagined being genuinely interested in a man again.
Then, I asked, “You know what else I’ve thought about?”
“What?” he responded, eager to hear.
“That lamb moussaka you teased me with.”
“Someday,” he finally said, leaving the promise lingering in the air.
“Someday,” I echoed, our voices mingling.
A gentle silence enveloped us, and I knew we were both wearing matching smiles. The sensation that filled the quiet was so delicate, so light and feathery, like a ray of sunshine dancing across my skin.
I think it may have been happiness. Pure, pristine happiness…
“Would you like to come over for dinner Saturday night?” I blurted out, the words tumbling from my lips before I could overthink them.
As soon as the words slipped from my mouth, I wished I could reel them back in.
My mind raced, questioning whether I should take the initiative and invite a man out. But then, I dismissed that notion with a roll of my eyes. That was such an outdated mindset.
After all, he was practically waiting for me to make the first move, even though we were still getting acquainted. Asking him over for dinner wasn’t such a big deal.
“Are you asking me out on a date?”
“Yes.”
“Where would you like to go?”
“I’m inviting you to my sister’s estate. Laya and Niko have shown remarkable kindness and hospitality by allowing me to stay here,” I explained.
“I’ve heard it’s certainly big enough,” Leon quipped.
“It certainly is. I have my own wing. It’s quite impressive, and the vineyards are exceptional,” I replied. “They’re among the best in the region.”