The Italian Director Next Door (CASTELLANO SERIES #1)

4

As it turns out, this wasn't just another mother daughter lunch like I thought it would be. There was a man whom I've never seen before seated next to her at a table that was far away from the rest of the customers. I breathed in and sighed quietly, hoping that this wasn't going to be any more awkward than how imagined it to be.

The waitress directed me to my table and my mother gave me a little wave, then gently nudging her partner and he looked up from his menu. As I approached the table, both of them smiled at me and George stood up, offering a handshake in the process. I was rather taken aback because the last man than my mother was with didn't even bother to acknowledge my presence at all.

"Hello Elizabeth, I have heard so much about you from your mother."

"And I've just heard about you only this morning." I smiled, taking his hand in mine. "Please, do take your seat." I said and sat down, leaving my tote at the back of my seat. "I've taken the liberty to order for you since I know you don't have much time for lunch." Mom smiled at me. "George picked your dish."

I looked at him for an answer and he laughed nervously. "Is grilled seabass alright with you?" he asked and I thought of the tuna last night that made my stomach churn. "That's fine, I actually had a heavy breakfast so I don't think I'll have much of it."

Lie, you only had a cup of coffee this morning.

George started the ball rolling when he asked me about my line or work (as if he didn't already know since my mom probably held nothing from him, I'm not surprised if she actually told him about her email password even). Through this conversation, I've learnt that well, for starters, he was a man of charisma with the way he spoke and carried himself. He mentioned that he had a son a little over two years older than I was and when I realized that two complete strangers were about to be step siblings—which is so weird considering the fact that I was the only child of my parents' failed marriage and I've not interacted with any other family members of mine except my own mother who's love life was far more interesting than my own.

When my parents split, they took their separate ways with my dad moving out shortly. From then on, it was weekdays at moms, weekends at dads until mom was hounded by paps all the time and hence that's why I had decide to move out of her place, far away from the both of them and I hardly ever visited, with the fear of getting photographed. But then one day, I got the news that dad had decided to move to another state when he gotten wind of his ex-wife's second marriage again.

Poor dad.

After a while of poking around at my half eaten seabass dish, I casually looked around the restaurant and my eyes stopped on a brunette who had just arrived. She wore a perfect bob with extremely straight, glossy hair with a dress as short as my ex's orgasm. Ugh that poor bastard. Anyway, she was a stranger hard to miss considering her dress sparkled on every corner. She tapped away at her phone screen with perfectly manicured fingers when she sat down and I watched her tilt her wine glass as the waiter dished out the red liquid for her.

George and my mother was laughing about something and I had completely lost interest in continuing our conversation when the brunette had stepped in. I continued to take a few occasional glances at the woman. She signalled the waiter away when he attempted to take her order and I guessed she was waiting for someone. Whoever she was waiting for, I'm guessing would be just as good looking as her.

Not too long after, a tall, broad shouldered man clad in black suit and tie was being ushered into the restaurant. From his back, he looked like someone with a pretty face although I couldn't make out his face clearly since he was focused on his phone screen. I leaned back against the back rest of my seat, tilting my chair on its legs just a little bit as I watched him walk past the empty tables and stopped at the one where the Brunette was seated at. He looked up finally, placing his phone face down on the table. He looked around casually when the waiter was adjusting the napkin on his lap and after one glace, I quickly turned my head back round.