Chapter One,

Invitation

An amused smile dimpled the cheeks of the soft beauty behind the counter as she patiently waited for the young group of boys to count their cash. They nervously fumbled their hands, dropping change and picking it up every other second, and then tossed her an embarrassed, apologetic gaze.

"S-sorry, Yuly," one of the boys stammered.

Yuly chuckled softly. This group of boys was a regular sight, often seeking her book recommendations while sneakily prying into her personal life—whether she was single, how old she was. Things the young boys had no need to know. She shook her head slightly, pushing strands of her long, ebony curls from her face.

She was used to the occurrence. Yuliana was, and always had been, a beautiful woman. With her small, heart-shaped face and dark doe eyes that slightly slanted upward, she was a beauty. Her beauty was only enhanced by the soft, natural makeup she wore to conceal her slight imperfections, rose blush tinting her cheeks and mascara coating her lashes. As always, a minty, tinted pink gloss finished her look, offsetting her pouty lips.

Her soft, sensual beauty, combined with the curves she naturally possessed, drew the attention of many now and in college. Then, she had been self-conscious of her figure, wishing she were thinner, like her sister. Now, she embraced it. It was a sharp contrast to what she had done when she was younger, wearing oversized shirts to hide her ample breasts and wrapping jackets around her waist to hide the way her full hips swayed when she walked.

She remembered eliciting similar reactions from boys when she worked in her college library. It made her uncomfortable everywhere she went.

But now, she found their reactions more amusing than anything. It was harmless. And if it got the young boys to read, instead of scroll through social media, she would let it slide.

With a nervous smile, the tallest boy among them passed her their money. His eyes were nervous, yet bright, as they watched her put the change in the register. She handed them their bags with a bright smile. "See you later, boys."

The boys smiled and turned on their way, promises to return soon falling from their lips. She didn't doubt it. After all, they were among her more consistent visitors.

Yuly sighed, stretching loosely as her eyes scanned the empty bookstore. It was a calm Saturday evening, and the store would later be filled with her regulars. College students who were swamped with work and wanted to relax often sat upstairs, at the tables beside the espresso machines. They would purchase a book to read during their breaks or come and chat with her about their weeks.

Elderly women would later come for a book club meeting in one of the reserved rooms in the back. She had a busy day ahead of her, and this break would be one of few. For that, she was grateful. There were many bookstores in New York, far better than hers and much larger. But for some reason, her beautiful vintage-style bookstore, Yuly's Corner, had accumulated quite the following.

The melodious chime of the door interrupted her thoughts, and her smile brightened as she recognized her neighbor—the owner of the Italian restaurant next to her bookstore and a resident of the multiplex on top of their stores. Nonna, she'd taken to calling the old Italian woman. The elderly woman was a vision of eternal youth, her long white hair purposely curled, flowing down to her waist. She wore a polka dot dress with a classic design, reminiscent of the black and white movies Yuly had watched with her grandmother as a child. Nonna's painted red lips curved into a smile as she glanced at the young woman.

"Do you have a book for me today, passerotta? But ah—no more soldiers." The woman scrunched her nose, her Italian accent coating her every word. "They are all the same. Rude, unfaithful, impatient. They call this a romance? No, no, no."

"You do realize that you specifically asked for those books, right? You had a list," Yuly laughed, rolling her eyes as she retrieved the pile of steamy romances she had prepared for the woman during the week. She thought the older woman would tire of her selection of erotic veteran stories, sooner rather than later. As she said, they were all the same, copying and pasting the same plots into different books.

"No. No. I couldn't have wished that upon myself, let alone my enemy." The elderly woman shook her head, " No, I want something...sweet. Like my Leonardo, rest his soul."

Nonna's husband Leonardo died two years ago. Since then, the elderly woman became addicted to romance novels and spending her time with the beautiful young woman in her quiet bookstore. She even began charity work, volunteering to read to local hospital patients and working in homeless shelters—anything to take her mind off the loneliness of returning to an empty home.

"Speaking of sweet, you must come to dinner tonight. I'm cooking your favorites—tiramisu, chicken tetrazzini...You must come, you must."

From the sparkle in the woman's eyes, it wasn't hard to tell that it was simply another one of the older woman's tricks. Without a doubt, Nonna was luring her with the promise of orgasmic food and fine aged wine, only to drop a surprise date with yet another nephew or cousin. She didn't have time for that. But...Yuly bit her lip, thinking of the TV dinners that waited in her freezer.

It couldn't hurt, right?

"I'll come," Yuly relented, unable to resist Nonna's food. What that woman could do in the kitchen should be illegal. "But only if you cancel whatever date you planned behind my back."

"What? A date?" Nonna feigned surprise, eyes widening as if she was insulted by the mere idea of it. "I would never."

"I'm serious, Nonna."

"Fine, fine." The woman sighed under her breath. "But my Gray, he is so sweet. And the way he cooks—he would have your heart and your stomach with only a bite."

Gray. Yuly paused, remembering the woman brought a man back from the hospital she volunteered at. John Doe, the nurses dubbed him. But Nonna called him Gray. A man with eyes so light they looked like clouds against a bright blue sky. The amnesiac.

She only saw him from afar, catching quick glimpses of him as he worked in Nonna's restaurant. He had been here for a while, but the two had yet to speak or be formally introduced.

"Sure he is." She placed the books in a bag and set them on the counter. "Just like Massimo, Vicente, and Gio. But I'm simply not ready to start dating yet."

The older woman sighed. She handed Yuly her card with soft eyes, full of pity.

"You always look so lonely, Yuliana. It's time for you to put yourself out there again. You are too young to spend the rest of your life with nothing but books."

Yuly did not want to think about dating again, especially when her last relationship ended so terribly five years ago.

James Taylor had been her first and only boyfriend, her college sweetheart. He had been her everything—her first kiss, her first date, her first intimate encounter. From the moment they met during their freshman year, they had been inseparable. For four years, they had loved each other, and Yuly had naively believed their love would last forever. But that illusion was shattered when she discovered him in her bed with the person she least expected.

Her twin sister, Jamilah.

She pushed those painful memories aside, handing Nonna her card. Taking a seat, she avoided meeting the older woman's gaze, fearing that she might succumb to her pleas. Instead, she reached for the stack of mail on the shelf behind the counter.

"It's not that, it's just..." She flipped through the pile, struggling to form the words. "I just...I don't want to end up disappointed, again, Nonna. I don't think I could take it."

Giving someone your whole heart, your entire being, only for them to say they don't want it? Even the thought of it terrified her. And the fact that James had done exactly that, on top of rejecting her for a woman who looked exactly like her...it broke something inside of her. Something that never truly healed.

It took her a long time to get to where she was, to be the woman she was today.

And she didn't want to go through that again.

Thankfully, the elderly woman remained silent. All that was left was the soft music playing in the background. Yuly focused on the pile of mail before her. It was full of bills, as usual, and mail from the elementary school children she read to. She continued mindlessly, before tossing them on the counter. She would read them later, after the store closed.

"Is that a wedding invitation?"

Yuly furrowed her brow, examining the envelope. It exuded an air of elegance, its cream-colored surface meticulously chosen. Lavish calligraphy adorned it, stating six simple words:

You're invited to our engagement party.

Engagement party? She frowned, wondering just who the fancy envelope had come from. And moments later, she had her answer. She handed the envelope to Nonna, unable to believe the words she was reading, let alone speak them.

It was from Jamilah and James.

And they were getting married.