Page 10 of Hello Trouble

DELLA

With all the hubbub of the list, nothing changed over the week.

I went to work. I had dinner with my parents.

And on Friday night, I washed the sticky bread dough off my hands and then picked up my phone to see who the new text was from.

I was going another round with my sourdough.

The last loaf I attempted was a flop, but I hoped this one would turn out better.

Liv: Bad news or good news first?

I took the phone to my couch and sat down.

Della: Bad news? (Need something to look forward to!)

Liv: Ethan and Joshua need to be crossed off the list.

I frowned.

Liv: Ethan has a drinking problem. Joshua’s a dead-beat dad.

Della: That’s half the list!

Liv: Which is where my good news comes in... Matteo is picking you up for dinner in an hour.

My jaw dropped—both at the late notice and the name.

Matteo was one of the better-looking guys on the list we made.

He worked as a realtor in Cottonwood Falls and was always dressed and groomed nicely for client meetings.

Meanwhile, my pajama set was already speckled with flour, and my hair was twisted into a tight bun atop my head.

Della: I ALREADY TOOK OFF MY DAY CLOTHES.

Liv: Put ‘em back on, babe!

Della: My hair is in a bun. My curls will NEVER BEHAVE.

Liv: Straighten it! No excuses. I’m keeping you in town even if I have to whore you out to every single guy in a fifty-mile radius.

I rolled my eyes at my friend. When she set her mind to something, she almost always got her way.

Liv: What are you waiting around for? GO GET READY!

Della: How did you know?

Liv: I’ve known you forever. Just go and have a good time. See what comes out of it. And then call me and tell me EVERYTHING.

I let out a sigh. Of course Liv was right. I needed to stop making excuses and start getting ready. But there was also a small voice in the back of my head saying that if Matteo really wanted to date me, he would have at least asked me out by now.

Either way, he’d be here soon, according to Liv. So I covered up my sourdough to rise and then went to my bedroom to get ready. I decided to keep my hair up in a bun and dressed in leggings and a flowy floral top.

I was putting on a fresh layer of lip gloss when the doorbell rang and sang a cutesy song I fell in love with at the hardware store. With a small smile, I capped the lip gloss, grabbed my phone and purse, and went to the door.

Matteo stood on my porch in a pair of dark wash jeans, a light-blue button-down with the sleeves rolled. His olive skin and dark eyes were so yummy to me, especially since all my skin ever did was burn.

“Hey, Della,” he said warmly.

“Hi there.” In that moment, it hit me that I wasn’t good at dating. My last serious relationship had been a few years ago and not a lot had come my way since then. “Would you like to come in, get some water or something?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said with an easy smile that crinkled his eyes at the corners.

My heart fluttered nervously. Was he just being nice, or was I doing the right thing? While I went to get a glass from the cabinet, Matteo paced my living room. “I love this wallpaper,” he said.

“Thanks,” I replied over my shoulder as I filled the glass designed with etched flowers. “My dad helped me put it up.”

“Is it permanent?” he asked.

“Peel and stick. In case I changed my mind,” I said.

“Smart.” He took the glass from me and drank a few sips. “Have you done lots of other work on the place?”

I nodded. “Want to see?”

“Definitely.” He grinned. “It’s always nice to get a feel for a place if you’ll be coming by more regularly.”

That had a smile on my lips. He thought he’d be coming by more often—that must mean I’d done something right.

Or he’s presumptuous, but I preferred to look on the brighter side of life.

So I gave him the grand tour of my pride and joy.

All three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was colorful and quirky and entirely me .

“It’s obvious you’ve taken a lot of pride in it,” he commented as we went outside to his car waiting in the driveway.

“It’s been a labor of love.” I told him about painting it pink the prior summer with my dad and some of my friends. It had been a fun project, and we made a whole event of it with free-flowing lemonade and a watermelon feast.

I got into the passenger seat of his SUV. It was impeccably cared for, clean on the inside, and it smelled like his cologne. I could get used to riding around in this.

“I thought we could go to Woody’s,” he suggested. “They have a chicken fried steak special tonight.”

“Sure,” I said, secretly thrilled. It had to be promising that he was taking me to the most frequented place in town. He wasn’t embarrassed to be seen with me or worried about rumors that were sure to follow a public outing together.

When we got to Woody’s, the date seemed to go really well. We talked about his background—he told me about going to college for sales and how many deals he’d been able to close as a realtor since moving back to Cottonwood Falls. It sounded like he’d had an incredible run working in real estate.

I was thinking he could be a really viable option for a partner, one that had been right under my nose, until he said, “A house like yours is going to take a specific kind of buyer, but I think we can get it sold faster if you’re willing to take down some of the wallpaper and touch up the paint behind it. ”

I blinked. “What?”

“I know you love the house, but buyers like to see a home as more of a blank slate so they can make it their own.”

My head was spinning. “Sorry, I’m confused... I don’t want to sell my house. I’ll rent it when the time comes.”

His eyebrows drew together. “But Liv said I should take you out to dinner since you were moving soon and she didn’t want me to miss my chance with you.

..” Then realization hit his features. “Oh... Della, I’m sorry.

I like you, but I don’t really see you like that.

You showed me around your house, and I thought?—”

I held up a hand. “That’s okay, Matteo. Sorry for the miscommunication.”

He gestured down at the meal, clearly flustered. “I’ll cover this.”

“Oh no,” I said. “I’ll get it... for your professional advice.” My cheeks were freaking on fire. “In fact, you should go. I’ve already taken up so much of your time.”

“I don’t mind driving you home,” he said.

“That won’t be necessary,” I replied. “I think I’ll stay for a milkshake,” I added, just to get him out the door sooner. I had to keep at least a shred of my dignity.

“Okay...” He stood up and stayed by the table for a moment, opening and closing his mouth like he was about to say something, but I chirped, “Bye, Matteo!”

He gave me an awkward wave and left the restaurant.

And I got out my phone to text Liv.

Della: Matteo thought he was selling my house.

Liv: *shocked emoji* What??

Della: I am so embarrassed. *monkey covering eyes emoji* I’ll be wearing a paper bag over my head until my last day of work.

Liv: Don’t give up! Bennett’s still on the list!

Della: I think I’ve had enough embarrassment for a decade. Now to find a paper bag...

Liv sent me a text with a link to order paper bags in bulk.

Della: You’re such a dear.

Liv: Sorry, Dell. I really thought I was clear with him.

Della: Swing and a miss. Ttyl.

I tucked my phone back in my purse and got up for the long walk home. Too bad I couldn’t call the tow truck for a ride home due to broken pride.