Hers To Love (complete) Cover By @army_ss841

Chapter 4 (edited)

(A picture of Cafe' Italia)

Ari's dad always taught her to be aware of her surroundings.  She was quite able to do this inconspicuously and no one was the wiser.  

She had noticed Paulo and the other gentlemen in the Escalade.  She just figured it was to her advantage to act like she had not seen them.  Mmmm...this espresso was delicious!  The zeppole were good too.  Ari decided that she would have to add this to her "gotta try to make this" recipe book.   

She was messing with her camera when she heard the cafe door open as her new friend from earlier was exiting.  He told the owner Mario thank you, inquired about his wife, said good bye and then threw a lop sided grin her way.  Very interesting Ari thought.  

She focused her attention to look around for a new subject when she spotted the elderly couple from earlier.  The woman had her soft wrinkled hand laying on top of his, atop the table, and just as Ari raised her camera to snap that moment, the man gently put his hand to her face and brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.  Click, click, click, in quick succession.  Ari had captured that moment.  It was the beauty of art in motion.  

If you ever wanted a firm grasp on what true beauty was, it was in that moment, that picture.  It made her tear up as she hastily wiped the stray tear from her face.  As it happens, their table was right beside the men from the Escalade.  

Ari walked over to them, squatted down and began to introduce herself.  You can find out a lot about people if you just take the time and ask a few questions.  His name was John and her name was Edith.  They had been married for 62 years and they had lived in New York all of their lives.  He was a WWII veteran and she was a housewife.  They had three children, 2 boys and a girl, and 6 grandchildren.  

Arienne graciously thanked them for their time and talking with her.  She handed them her card, and explained that she would have the photos ready by tomorrow.  They both laughed out loud, and Edith blushed a little.  It was totally cute.  She hadn't even been aware that their pictures had been taken.  Those kind of people make the best subjects.  

Ari was very thankful for that little cafe and the opportunities that had come out of being there today.  She noticed out of the corner of her eye, the Escalade men, were deep in discussion.  One of them really caught her eye.  He was impressively handsome. No he was hot damn it!  Really hot!  

'Concentrate' she muttered to herself.  He had some really expensive Ray Bans on, so you couldn't see his eyes but that didn't keep her from staring at his mouth.  Those delicious lips...what she wouldn't give to feel those on her right now!  What the hell?  She steeled herself and put her concentration back on her subject.  

He was leaning back in his chair, with his left ankle thrown over his right knee, right hand up gesticulating and she snapped the photo.  The other men seemed very intent on what he was saying but she couldn't seem to care about what they were doing.  

She wanted this man, well she wanted to know this man, as a subject.  'Uh huh' her inner lioness purred, 'you just want to know him as a subject'.  Ari wanted to scream inwardly at her but she would definitely look like she had lost her marbles and was a few tools short of a toolbox.  

One of the men, he had his back to her, must have said something funny because they all started laughing and it was in the moment, a space in time, that Ari saw this man, truly saw him.  She hurriedly clicked shot after shot because she didn't want to miss that smile.  

She felt like calling it a day and heading back to her apartment with her treasures.  As she started to stand, the Hulk from earlier came over and stood in front of her.  

"Hello Paulo" Ari said brightly.  He leaned down very close to her face and said the words that would change everything.  

"My boss would like to meet you."  Damn it!  She was busted!  He must have seen her taking pictures and there was some law she didn't know about against it.  Ari silently swore as she checked to see if there were any emergency exits, there weren't.  

Sighing slightly, she gathered her things and walked over to the table with the trouble maker.  Ari stood there for what felt like forever, waiting for him to stop talking and acknowledge that she was there.  

Paulo made the introductions.  "Boss" he began, "this is Arienne but-her-friends-call-her-Ari.  Ari, this is my boss, Mr. Luca Constanti."  

Luca Constanti?  Her mind began to race.  Where had she heard that name before?  Oh yes!  She figured it out quickly enough.  He's been all over the society section in the newspaper as the new sole proprietor of Santini's.

He nodded towards where Paulo had been sitting and Ari took that as her que to sit down.  Sticking out her hand, she began to speak. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Constanti".  

He looked at her hand for what seemed like forever; almost an embarrassing amount of time and Ari was considering withdrawing it, to save face, when he grabbed it, finally.  

She swallowed very hard when their skin touched.  He took his shades off so she could finally see his eyes.  Oh my God his eyes!  For a moment she felt like she was swimming in them. 

"Please" he said smoothly. "My father is Mr. Constanti.  Please call me Luca".