“Well, it’s time we’re off. Enough chitchat. We have to set up the rain shower,” Gladiola says.

“Nine o’clock sharp outside the bakery?” asks Petunia.

“That’s right. We’ll be there,” I say.

The ladies are helping me with an impromptu shower for a movie-worthy kiss in the rain. I wonder if William will try to stop it. I smile at the thought. I bet he’s suspicious about this evening. I’ll never admit it to Will, but I tricked Gavin into meeting me. I claimed I wanted to interview him about his travels for the next library newsletter. When I mentioned dinner at Tybalt’s, he happily agreed—apparently spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread is his favorite meal.

I let out a deep sigh. “I’m ready.”

Tonight, Gavin and I will have dinner, he’ll finally see me as his one true love, and we’ll have a romantic kiss in the rain.

It will be perfect.

9

Will

At twenty minutes after seven I stroll into Tybalt’s Italian restaurant. I wanted to be early, but I had an emergency phone call from the head of the Shanghai office. I hire people I trust to put out fires on their own, so when I get an urgent call, I know I’m needed. It took nearly two hours to remedy the tangle and put the right people in place. I hung up at ten minutes after seven. Then it took me all of ten minutes to shower, throw on a suit, and speed to downtown Romeo. I had to park a few blocks down, it’s busy tonight. At first I walked fast, then I figured, the hell with it, and I sprinted down the sidewalk to Tybalt’s. I slowed to a walk when I neared the restaurant, smoothed back my hair, and adjusted my tie. When I pushed open the heavy wood front door I was only slightly out of breath.

I look around the dimly lit dining room. Tybalt’s is fine Italian dining. It’s been in the same family for four generations. When I was a kid, it served big family-style spreads, huge plates of freshly made pasta and just-out-of-the-oven focaccia sprinkled with parmesan and rosemary. The latest owner went and studied culinary arts in Rome, then Paris, and came back to make Tybalt’s a Michelin-starred family-style Italian restaurant. Like Mr. Frank said, it’s where you go in Romeo when you want romance to happen—engagements, anniversaries, first dates.

“Welcome to Tybalt’s. Do you have a reservation?” The hostess smiles and reaches for a stack of leather-bound menus.