Angela M. Rosati

Wanted: Husband Angela M. Rosati

Claudia is annoyed that her mother's friends want to know why Claudia's still unmarried. To an Italian American family, an unmarried marriageable daughter is like a horrible disease. To appease her parents, Claudia inserts an ad in the personal columns, thinking no one will answer. She and her friend, Rachel, go to Barnes & Noble to buy books. While there, Claudia causes books to fall from the top shelf onto the head of a young man checking out the books on the bottom shelf. He believes she did it deliberately, though she apologizes. From that moment, they hate each other. In the meantime, Gooma (Southern Italian dialect for Godmother) secretly plans with Claudia's mother to introduce Claudia to her grandson, Steve. At Gooma Nancy's suggestion, Steve and Claudia are paired at the wedding of Gooma Nancy's granddaughter. Claudia and Steve are angered; they hate each other. But, they are always looking at each other. The night before the wedding, the wedding party is at bridegroom's home. Claudia leaves early and hears footsteps on the walk behind her. She turns; it's Steve. He grabs her and kisses her. She's flustered and stutters. He kisses her again and says, "I love you. And you love me." She asks him how he knows she loves him. "You're always running away from me." They fall in love. Weeks later, on the same night, each in their own homes, hear their meeting was all planned. They blame each other. Claudia drives to Steve house and tells him she hates him and never wants to see him again. He tells her he hates her, too. She accepts a date from a fellow employee and when he tries to kiss her in the parking lot, she runs from him into the path of a car. She's not seriously injured, but doesn't respond. No one knows why; the doctor suspects low glucose. One night, close to midnight, Steve sneaks to her hospital room and talks to her, hoping she'll respond. "Claudia, we fell in love despite the scheming." Her eyes open. "Yes, we love each other. Come close.