Ciao For Now


 
 
 
 Praise for the novels of Kate Bromley
 “Kate Bromley officially wrote the enemies-to-lovers book of my dreams! Ciao For Now was an absolute delight to read from start to finish, but a quick warning: This book will make you hungry for pasta, a vacation in Rome, and a lot of steamy romance.” 
 —Erin La Rosa, author of For Butter or Worse
 “Kate Bromley has discovered the formula for joy. That’s the only explanation for how much Ciao For Now made me laugh, grin ear to ear, and—most importantly—swoon... It’s everything a reader could want. Bromley is a romantic comedy genius and this is her best book yet.” 
 —Ashley Winstead, author of The Boyfriend Candidate
 “Matt is literally my leading man of dreams! A total page-turner of a book, transporting me straight to beautiful Italy and the glamorous world of fashion design. Sizzling with chemistry and with locations to die for (hello, Capri!)—a total five-star read!” 
 —Lorraine Brown, author of The Paris Connection and Sorry I Missed You
 “Bromley’s snappy dialogue and sassy banter never let up in this funny, charming, sexy and all-round fabulous rom-com... Not to be too dramatic—I LOVED it.” 
 —Pernille Hughes, author of Ten Years, on Here for the Drama
 “This tale of love, friendship, and the pursuit of dreams mixes sizzling chemistry with heaps of A+ banter into a read that is sure to charm readers!” 
 —Anna E. Collins, author of Love at First Spite, on Here for the Drama
 “Here for the Drama by Kate Bromley is equal parts heartfelt and hilarious... A true ode to finding your voice, following your dreams, and writing your own happy ending.” 
 —Amy Lea, author of Set on You
 “Bromley’s dialogue is breathtaking in this rom-com gem with witty repartee à la Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy... Bromley does a deft job at keeping the twists and turns of this reunion realistic and utterly romantic.” 
 —USA TODAY on Talk Bookish to Me
 “I fell head over heels for the premise of Kate Bromley’s debut Talk Bookish to Me...the perfect blend of emotional and sexy. Kate Bromley’s witty, heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud writing will slingshot this book to your favorites list, guaranteed.” 
 —EW
 
 
 Kate Bromley writes romantic comedies and contemporary romance. She lives in New York City with her husband, son and her somewhat-excessive collection of romance novels. (It’s not hoarding if it’s books, right?) She was a preschool teacher for several years and now focuses full-time on combining her two great passions—writing swoonworthy love stories and making people laugh. She is also the author of Talk Bookish to Me and Here for the Drama.
 KateBromley.com
 
 
 Ciao For Now
 Kate Bromley
 
 
 
 For my nonna and nonno, who gifted me endless happy memories of sewing, family dinners and dreams of Italy.
 
 
 Contents
 Chapter 1
 Chapter 2
 Chapter 3
 Chapter 4
 Chapter 5
 Chapter 6
 Chapter 7
 Chapter 8
 Chapter 9
 Chapter 10
 Chapter 11
 Chapter 12
 Chapter 13
 Chapter 14
 Chapter 15
 Chapter 16
 Chapter 17
 Chapter 18
 Chapter 19
 Chapter 20
 Chapter 21
 Chapter 22
 Acknowledgments
 
 
 1
 “On a scale of zero to heartbreakingly Italian, where would you say that I land?”
 Turning my eyes from the architectural wonders to my left and right, I glance over at Marco as we roll our overpacked luggage down a cobblestoned street in Rome. It’s midafternoon and the sun is out in full force, casting a heat and a haze over us that would feel stifling back in New York, but here, it feels lighter. Simmering with possibilities. Snippets of Italian and the buzz of scooters reverberate around and through me like a new favorite song, and it’s all so surreal that it takes real effort to respond to my friend instead of drifting off into a highly elaborate Roman Holiday fantasy instead.
 “Are we talking your overall aura or your physical appearance, too?”
 “Whole package,” Marco replies, pulling at the collar of his black T-shirt. “Like we just crossed paths, you see me, you take in my vibe and you think to yourself, ‘Hmm... In my humble tourist opinion, this gentleman is clearly this much Italian.’”
 “I don’t know,” I answer, giving my suitcase a determined yank as the wheel catches on a stone. “Maybe a five?”
 “A five?” he seethes. “Not that I’m trying to sway your decision, but how dare you?”
 I stop walking then, my body needing a break even with all the euphoric adrenaline that’s been pumping through me nonstop since we landed two hours ago. I reach into my tote bag and pull out the bottle of water I bought at the airport and all but guzzle it down before speaking again.
 “You know what? I’m amending my original answer. You’re an eight. A solid eight, which is a highly respectable score that also allows room for growth.”
 Marco reaches out his hand and I pass the water over, giving him the okay to finish it off. He drinks an equally ravenous amount and tosses the empty bottle into a nearby bin. “I’ll accept an eight. At least it’s better than the three-point-seven that you’d pull in.”
 “How am I a three-point-seven when I’m biologically half Italian?”
 “Yeah, I’d challenge Ancestry.com on that one,” he says. “Your name might be Violetta Luciano but your freckles and complete inability to tan reads as more of a Sinead O’Connor.” I chuckle and make use of the hair tie that’s forever on my wrist, pulling my thick auburn hair into a ponytail as Marco goes on, “By the way, do we know what time Holly is getting in?”
 “Not a clue,” I tell him. “I can barely get Holly to acknowledge my existence, let alone keep me abreast of her travel plans.”
 “Same here. Maybe we’ll finally win her over now that we’re interning together, though. I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t love us? We’re delightful.”
 “We’re somewhat