Chapter 104 New Matchmaking
Isabella POV
Two week went by and I didn't even hear from him. I tried to stay busy like my mother advice, so I worked on my artwork then went for long runs, went to the grocery store, and actually tried to start cooking. The tracker was still in my ankle, but I didn’t ask him to remove it.
I was afraid it would make a bloody mess and a part of me didn’t mind leaving it in there. I’d ended our relationship, but I guess I wasn’t quite ready to let it go. I have wondered if he had found another woman by now, paid a few prostitutes to entertain him every night so he could forget about me quicker but the thought made me sick to my stomach.
I should go out and start meeting new guys so my heart would heal faster, but I honestly didn’t want anyone else. I didn’t want to go through the process of getting to know someone and then trying to find a connection strong enough so I would have good sex. It happened sometimes, but after being with a man like Dante, I knew I would never find it again.
Everything would be mediocre in comparison.
A few days later, there was a knock on my door and my heart leaped into my throat when I thought of Dante, maybe hedecided to stop by and he wanted to try to persuade me to change my mind because I wanted to change my mind…but I never could.
I looked through the peephole and saw my mother on the other side. The last person I expected. “Mama?” I opened the door and saw her smiling in front of me. “What are you doing here alone?”
“Well, the weather is nice, so I thought we would go shopping. Your father is in town for work, so I decided I would have you entertain me.”
I suspected this was all just an excuse to see me after my little meltdown over the phone. “That sounds great. Just let me grab my bag.”
We went shopping downtown, picking up jewelry, new sweaters, and new shoes. Father paid for all of it, and then we had lunch, she never asked me about Dante or how I was doing. Instead, it seemed like she was trying to
distract me. “Do you have any new paintings for me to bring home?”
“I only have two…”
“Two is better than none. I think we can raise the price a bit. I’m telling you, people loved them. The tourists loved them too because they got to have an original piece from an Irish artist.”
“That’s incredible.”
“You’re very talented, Isabella. I’ve seen people stare at your paintings for several minutes, you make them feel something.”
“I guess so.”
She opened her wallet and took out the checks she’d collected. “They’re all in your name, so cash them whenever you have time.”
I looked through the pile and realized it was almost forty thousand euros. “Wow this is alot”
Mom grinned. “I kinda raised the prices when you left and I’m glad I did. I knew you were worth more.”
I folded them and placed them in my wallet. “Those paintings made me some serious money.”
“They did,” she said in agreement. “Keep it up.”
“I guess I don’t need you guys to pay my rent anymore.”
Mom gave a wave. “Don’t worry about that. You should save it to open that gallery or buy a house, something nice in the countryside.
Unless you like living in the city…”
I wanted to move home, now that Dante was completely gone, I didn’t want to be here anymore but my heart was still broken, so I wasn’t ready to leave yet. “I’ll think about it.”
We finished our pancakes and drinks, and Mom waved down the waiter to bring the check. “Alright…this is going to be a little weird.”
“You want me to pay for lunch?” I asked with a laugh. “No, of course not. I have chop off your hand before I let that happen.” She pulled her phone out of her purse and pulled up a picture.
“I’ll drop this if you want me to, but I thought I would ask. Your father has a good friend in the
restaurant business, apparently, he has a very handsome son…”
I knew exactly where this was going. My mother was setting me up. “He went to university to study business, and now he owns a chain of businesses in town. Your father likes him because he did all of that on his
own and never took a single euro from his father. He’s successful, humble, and from what I hear…very picky about who he dates. He has never introduced a woman to his family.”
“He could be gay.”
Mom chuckled. “From what I gather, he’s definitely not gay. Anyway…”
She set the phone on the table in front of me.
“No pressure, If you don’t like the guy or this is too weird, I’ll drop it and never bring it up again.”
Since we were on the topic, I lifted the phone and looked at the picture. The man had dark hair the way I did, along with brown eyes. He had a chiseled jaw the way I liked, and he was fit. He was definitely handsome…a lot more handsome than I expected. I handed the phone back. “How old is he?”
“He’s a few years younger than your brother, so he’s about five years older than you. That might seem like a lot, but most women prefer older men for a reason…a lot more mature and serious.”
I knew my father was older than my mother, the age gap about the same. “So…?”
“He’s definitely good-looking but I doubt a man like that is looking to be set up.”
“Well, long story short, his father bought one of your paintings and his son saw it and really liked it…and that’s how it came up, he’s seen your picture and said you were a very beautiful woman.”
“Wow…that must have been awkward for Father,” I said with a laugh.
She shrugged. “He’s not oblivious to your appearance, sweetheart. He knows he has a beautiful daughter and he also knows you’re at the age where you’re looking for someone to spend your life with. At least he likes this guy.”
“What’s his name?
“Damian Romano.”
The only man I wanted to be with was the one person I couldn’t have and shouldn’t want to have. It was too soon to go on a date, but I didn’t know what else to do. I had to move on, and the sooner I did that, the easier this would be.
Knowing Dante, he’d probably already started the progress. “He’s a good guy?” I wanted someone clean, someone who didn’t break the law or kill people.
“Of course a perfect gentleman, the strong and silent type and you know he won’t pull any stunts because he wouldn’t cross your father. I don’t think he would even go through with this unless he was genuinely interested in you.”