They Never Saved Me A Seat So I Built My Own Table Chapter 05
At 7:10 that night, Matteo called Alessia.
It went straight to voicemail.
He frowned and set his phone on the table.
“She’s doing this again.”
The four-person meal already covered the table.
But there were five chairs around it.
The one closest to the aisle had been added by the server at the last minute.
Bruno glanced at the time, his voice sharp with irritation.
“Ten more minutes. If she’s not here by then, forget it.”
Bianca bit her straw and asked softly, “Do you think she’s mad about the festival tickets?”
Nico shook his head.
“She’s not the type to keep making a scene over something like that.”
But none of them touched their food.
Because every time they had eaten together, Alessia had always been the one to serve the food, pour the drinks, and remember who was allergic to peanuts and who hated cilantro.
When the server brought dessert, he asked casually, “The reservation is under Alessia Marino. Is she not here yet?”
All four of them froze.
Matteo immediately opened his email. Only then did he realize Alessia had booked this restaurant herself two weeks ago.
Even the four-person set menu they were eating had been something Bianca had called to change afterward.
By eight o’clock, Alessia still hadn’t shown up.
Bruno finally pushed back his chair, stood up, and headed for the door.
“I’m going to check her dorm.”
The dorm manager told him Alessia had checked out that afternoon with her luggage.
“She’s gone for good. Cleared everything out.”
Standing on the sidewalk, Bruno’s expression darkened.
He called the rental agent immediately.
The agent confirmed the apartment application had been canceled. There was no lease.