Once His Wife

Chubby-cheeked Secret

People will tell you most of the story... and I've learned that the part they neglect to tell you is often the most important part. People hide the truth because they're afraid.

- Nicholas Sparks, Safe Haven

Chassie George

The homey aroma of pasta and lasagna filled my nostrils when I made my way to Italia del gusto. The restaurant have that Italian style to it but it does have the modernized twist, too. Instead of the red and white checkered table cloths, there's the elegance and warmth of Italian linen blend embroidered beige.

From the modern glass and crystal ceiling lights to the dark wooden floor, you can tell how authentic and comforting this place is. At the center, is a grand chandelier...mid-century murano glass revival.

Don't forget the luxurious wine list and the main courses that Italia del gusto offers. I sighed in satisfaction. The huge glass doors are reprieving us from the hectic world outside.

To put a unique style to it, a dim lighted mini stage perches to the end, facing the customers dining in. Julia is singing Ti amo by Umberto Tozzi. It's an old Italian love song but she sings it with her own style, giving a contemporary vibe to it.

Her voice wraps the place in mellifluence. I've always admired her voice. It's sweet and warm to the ears. When she does voice runs, it sounds like a beautiful spiral in the air. I'm Not playing the humble. Julia's a really good singer.

She gave me a wink when she caught sight of me. Carlo is playing the guitar. He really play it so smoothly. I'm widely impressed each time he does the fingerstyle.

How did I know all that? Well, I work with them in Italy for Italia del gusto. It branched out here in L. A. so there goes my comeback. Yes. I lied about having a four long year vacation in Asia.

"Chassie, you're back so soon. Where are your groceries? Suppongo che lei ha avuto difficoltà." A guy in chef whites interrupted my thoughts. He is six feet tall and has that fair skin which rarely gets tanned.

"Francesco." I met his forest green eyes. He's an italian and he's the assistant chef of Andrei Parkinson - the owner of Italia del gusto.

He smiled at me.

"I did run into trouble. Where are you going?"

"Ho appena lasciato qualcosa di importante torna nella mia auto." (I just left something important back in my car.)

I do understand Italian but I'm just really not fluent with it. I mispronounce something and sometimes mess up some Italian songs.

"Oh. Where's Andrei?"

"His office." He answered. "I gotta go now. The kitchen will be needing me soon."

I nodded, feeling some gazes from the customers.

I went passed the dining room and entered the door that says 'Employees only'. I strolled towards Andrei's office.

Moments later, I'm already talking to Andrei.

"I told you. You should do the grocery shopping tomorrow." He reprimanded, pacing back and forth.

"I have to do it today. It's my day off."

Andrei and I have been friends since high school. We came across each other when me and my family went to Via Tornabuoni, Florence, Italy for my sweet sixteen. Andrei was visiting a friend...Francesco Piero.

It was the most boring vacation I had because I'm really not that fond of old things and antiques. But Mom and Kathie enjoyed so much because dad gave them a shopping spree to Gucci, Burberry and, Tiffany and Co. I can still remember the huge grins on their faces.

"What did you tell your sister?" He crosses his arms over his chest and slumped back to his leather seat. "Oh, my gosh. My beautiful face is getting wrinkles." Andrei fans his face with his hands.

Yep. You heard it right. She's a woman in a guy's body. You know what I mean.

My eyes rounded just as I realized something.

"What is it?" Andrei gave me flummoxed look.

I blinked and swallowed a huge gulp. "It's not much to worry about."

"I know that look on your face. That means you did something crazy." Andrei widened his eyes on me.

I played with my index fingers. "I think I told Kathie I came back here in L.A. with a boyfriend?" I questioned more than stated.

"What?" His voice raised in shock. "Good heavens! Who will be your boyfriend?"

I shrugged, struggling to make my brain cells work.

"Andrei, hai ragione. I nostri clienti qui sono più calde che mai!" (Andrei, you're right. Our customers here are hotter than ever!) A squealing Francesco barged in.

Uhuh. He's a woman, too.

His wide grin faded when he saw the troubled look on our faces. "What's wrong?"

"Chassie here run into her sister and told her she came back with a boyfriend." Andrei answered giving me a sideway glare.

I smiled a guilty one.

Francesco or France - we call him that if nobody else is around, squeals like a school girl. "Really? I didn't know about that. Who's the unlucky guy?"

"That would be you, France," Andrei answers with a smirk.

France laughed so hard as though it was the most ridiculous joke he ever heard. But when he realized it wasn't, his laughter faded into an awkward cough. "Che cosa? Questo è un grande n!" (What? That's a big no!)

"You're making it sound like it's the worst nightmare." I narrowed my eyes on him. Kathie once met Andrei. She knows he's gay. So he can't help me.

France rolls his eyes and slumped on the seat in front of Andrei's desk across me. "Non riesco a essere il tuo ragazzo. Lo sono una donna bellissima!" (I can't be your boyfriend. I am a beautiful woman!)

"Hey...I pretend to be your girlfriend whenever your parents invite you to dinner back in Italy." I furrowed my brows at him. It's true. I did it thrice for him and once for Andrei. He was getting bullied because our schoolmates thinks he's the only girlfriend-less guy in their class. Talk about peer pressure.

France sighed defeatedly. "Okay, fine. But no taking advantage."

I snorted. "As if..."

We've become friends because we have one thing in common: we all have secrets we didn't have the guts to tell.

I once had a best friend though. She's Scarlett Haines. We were partners in crime back in high school, like ditching classes and skipping any school activities. I miss her. I lost contact with her since I left L. A. four years ago.

I pluck another sigh, realizing just now that France is holding a magazine.

"Wait. Is that the important thing you said you forgot in your car?" I asked, pointing at the magazine he was pressing against his chest.

He tucked some imaginary long blonde locks behind his ear. "Yes." France raised up his chin. "Why?"

I didn't reply.

"I told you. She's going to be speechless." Andrei giggles.

My eyes landed on the cover of the magazine.

"You didn't tell me your ex-husband is an Adonis!" France squealed, wagging it in the air.

Andrei laughed.

"Just look at him." He laid the magazine to my lap.

A pair of familiar blue eyes stared back at my hazel ones. I felt my heart leaped. He's featured as the hottest bachelor of the month.

His face has always been how I remembered it... Or at least that's what I thought until France shove this glossy pieces of paper piled to one another about a half inch thick. I think there was a much simpler way to call it - magazine. Yup. I like to make things hard for myself.

My finger unawarely trace his face. He looks so much pulchitudinous...if that's humanly possible. Whenever I stare at his face, it makes me wonder whether it's the angels who chiseled his face to perfection or was it Pygmalion himself.

I never forget how he does magic to me.

♡♡♡

"Nathan, are you done yet?" I asked for the nth time.

He's so engrossed with his laptop on the kitchen table. His favorite chocolate chip cookies are on a glass bowl, waiting to be emptied.

I leaned on the door frame, painting every inches of him in my mind.

His jet black hair is disheveled in a ravishing way. His blue eyes concealed behind his dark rimmed glasses.

I cleared my throat. "Hello? Is my husband in?" I put my hands between the corners of my mouth for exaggeration.

That finally caught his attention.

Nathan lifted his eyes to me, a small smile lingered on his lips. "I'm sorry."

I strolled towards him. "What are you doing?"

He rubs the back of his ear as he frowns on the screen of his laptop. "I need to finish my presentation."

I flopped down on the seat beside him and rested my head on his shoulder. "Do you need to get it done now? Can we watch a movie first?"

"I'm sorry, baby. I need to." He put an arm around my waist.

My heart sunk. "Okay," I mumbled, trying not to sound sulky.

Nathan took a deep sigh. His hold on me tightens which made me scoot my eyes up to his own.

"What do you wanna watch?"

My brows knitted together in confusion.

He just smiled at me and kissed the pucker between my brows. "I can get back to this later." He closes his laptop, giving me a sexy wink. "What do you wanna watch? Fifty Shades Darker-ouch." He winced when I elbowed him. "That felt like a 'no' to me." Nathan mumbles, rubbing the side of his stomach.

"I want to watch The Good Dinosaur."

"Again?"

I giggled at how he sounds so bummed out. "Come on." I lifted myself up from the chair and dragged him with me to our bedroom upstairs.

The movie was just starting but Nathan is already quiet beside me.

He's sleeping. I minimized the volume of the flat screen T.V. mounted against the wall just across our bed.

I'm hoping it's not from boredom. He's just been working his butt off this passed few weeks so maybe it's from exhaustion. I'm so amazed at how he can tolerate his uncles and aunts barking orders and making a big deal out of every teeny tiny mistake he makes as a novice in running the Forester realty.

"Nathan?"

He's out. We're both leaning on the headboard so I just adjusted his body to help him lie straight on his back on the bed.

Poor thing. I ushered his head on the pillow. Guilt gnawed my conscience. I shouldn't have suggested we watch a movie first. I turned to my side, propping my elbow so I can watch him sleep.

I sighed. I wish I can help. But at the age of eighteen and a fresh high school graduate, I want to go to Juilliard School in New York. I'm not into Business Management.

However, I still have the whole summer to decide. Lucky for me. Because Nathan's summer is not relaxing at all. Instead of having a break from college for a while, he gets pressured trying to be the perfect CEO instead.

Nathan groans in his sleep, breaking me out of my thoughts. He shifted so we're now face to face - both lying on our sides. My heart fluttered when he put his arm over my waist and tug me closer to him.

Aw. My poor beloved husband.

A grin tugged the corners of my lips. I trace his jaw with my fingers and took off his glasses which was drooping from the bridge of his nose. Slowly, I planted a kiss between his brows. I cupped his cheek to give another kiss on the tip of his nose. Then my lips hovered over his as I take my time.

Suddenly, my eyes rounded in shock. He just smack on my lips, taking me by surprise. "Holy crap." My mouth gape as I stared at a smirking Nathan. "I thought you're sleeping."

"I was." He shrugs.

I throw daggers at him but didn't had the chance to say something because he pulled me by the nape and claimed my lips passionately.

Fire crackers popped inside me.

♡♡♡

"Chassie? Come back to us." Andrei snaps his fingers in front of my face. He was leaning over his desk to do so.

I blinked.

"Oh, good. She's back." France played along, a smirk plastered across his face. "Give me that. I'm not yet done gawking at him."

He snatched the magazine from my hands.

"It's your day off, Chassie. What are you doing here?" Andrei questions.

"Kathie insisted to drive me home. We all know I can't so I just told her to drop me here. Anyway, I gotta go."

"I'll drive you home. It's our house after all. France, take charge." Andrei winks.

We all live in the same house...the three of us to be specific. It's a huge advantage for me knowing I don't have to pay the rent.

I sighed as excitement overcome me. I can't wait to go home. Not like I never went home before.

"Okay. Be sure to be back at six p.m., Andrei. Customers wouldn't wait for you." France replied.

Twenty minutes later, Andrei parks his gray mustang to the drive way. I raced to the doorstep, grinning to myself.

I opened the door with my spare key. I heard footsteps coming towards me.

"Mommy!"

My heart took a long cheerful jump from earth to mars.

My baby.