Aroma Amore'

AromaAmore’Written bySananda AllsgoodCopyright © 2023 Allsgood Productions Inc., LLCISBN 9798391579229This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Chapters1. Renee Capriteni 2. A Job! 3. The First Day 4. Getting in the Groove 5. Graduation 6. Dinner with Debbie 7. A Promotion 8. Getting An Apartment 9. The Move 10. Eric 11. The Riot 12. Kris 13. Kris’s Meal 14. The Hospital 15. Catalina 16. Confusion 17. Renee 18. Retirement 19. San Diego 20. The Morning After 21. Announcements 22. The Test 23. The Debut 24. Doctor’s Appointment 25. Roberto 26. The Reveal 27. Kiera & Kevin 28. Executive Chef Renee 29. The New Sous Chef 30. Kris’s Parents 31. The Wedding 32. Panic! 33. Dealing With Dummies 34. Kiera’s Wedding 35. Preston 36. Cooper Capriteni Epilogue Chapter 1~ Renee Capriteni ~The silver Toyota rolled into the parking lot, slipping into a slot away from the main guest parking area. Renee Capriteni shut off the car and got out. Renee was at the La Fontaine restaurant for a job interview, her first in the four years since her graduation from culinary school. Because of the economy, jobs were scarce for new chefs. Even the job she was interviewing for was below her talents. It was a prep cook job that she had applied for using the online service, and this was a tough pill to swallow.She had graduated second in her class of 25 after the grueling two-year course. The class had started with 40 students, but through attrition and personal situations, it dwindled down to the 25 who finished.Renee needed a job! She had been relegated to living with her parents, and, while they were very supportive, it was still living at home.She was 24-yeasr-old, 5’ 9”, with brown hair, brown-eyes, and she was strong, physically. She was confident in her profession, but was dealing with many personal situations in her life. She had not only been jobless, but there were other things missing from her life. A relationship for one. Not because men didn’t approach her, but because she wasn’t sure she wanted to date men. In truth, she wasn’t sure who she wanted to date! Since the age of 13, Renee felt different from most girls, never feeling that attraction to boys and being stand-offish with them. She had a couple of girlfriends who she enjoyed paling around with, but they couldn’t provide answers to her questions about who she was.When she was 17, she met Wendy Carlson. Wendy and Renee became best friends and did everything together, as close friends do. They knew each other’s secrets, talked about what they wanted to do with their lives. One day, Renee and Wendy went to the beach together and while at the beach, Wendy had shocked Renee, moving in, kissing her tenderly. Renee had backed away, but only for a moment. The feelings shooting through Renee confused her. Feelings she had never felt before and had no awareness of. With the torment and confusion running rampant through Renee, she ran off, leaving Wendy on the beach. They weren’t far from their homes, so Renee ran back home, into her room and shutting the door. Lying on her bed, she cried, rolling to face the wall, mentally projecting Wendy moving in to kiss her, over and over. She tried to understand the draw to Wendy, and the kiss she was feeling. The kiss still sitting on her lips… and in her mind.The feelings scared her because they weren’t natural, and they went against everything she had been told about how life was supposed to happen! Women were supposed to be involved with men, not women! But if that were true, then why was she feeling like this?!There was a knock on her door, and it opened slightly, Renee’s mom peeking inside.“Renee, are you alright?” she asked.“I don’t know, mom.”“What happened, Renee? Why are you upset?” Irene walked in, moving to Renee’s bed, sitting down next to her, placing her hand on Renee’s side.Fear of her mother finding out what happened ran through Renee, so she decided to keep it quiet.“Nothing, mom. I’ll be okay. Just give me a little time, okay?”“Are you sure, Renee? You know you can talk with me about anything, right?”“Yes, mom. Thanks for checking on me.”Irene got up, walked to the door, and closed it, giving Renee have her privacy, at least for now.Renee spent the rest of the afternoon in her room, and when Wendy came by to see if Renee was okay, her mom told Wendy she was resting.When Renee got up for dinner that night, she still hadn’t resolved the feelings that had turned her upside down, so she put them in the lower recesses of her mind.When Renee saw Wendy again, Wendy was wearing tight blue shorts and a white top tied just below her breasts. She felt her pulse increase at seeing her, but didn’t know why. Renee asked Wendy why she had kissed her.“Because I wanted to see how it would feel, and we’re friends. I didn’t think you would mind. I’m sorry it upset you.”“It’s not normal Wendy. Women shouldn’t be kissing other women,” Renee told her.“Renee, I like you, and we’re friends. Besides, there’re a lot of women who love other women.”Renee looked at Wendy, surprised at this revelation, “There are? How do you know this?”“Renee, there are a lot of stories about that. Can I ask you a question?” Wendy asked.Hesitantly, Renee agreed.“What did you feel when I kissed you?” Wendy asked with a quizzical look.Renee looked at Wendy and those feelings bubbled back up, causing her to blush.“I didn’t understand why you were kissing me! It scared me,” she answered.“What scared you, Renee?”Renee’s vision was blurring now. Tears filling her eyes, and she didn’t understand why she was acting this way.“I don’t know.