Chapter Six
chapter six
CAIO
I rub my eyes before fixing them back on Stefan’s operational report that arrived in my inbox at 7:00 a.m. this morning.
He was looking after everything while I was in Sorrento for business over the last few weeks, and apparently there’s a lot to catch up on, but my mind is not catching up. My eyes are flicking over every word, but not actually taking any of them in. I close the report, promising to get back to it later. Along with that, Stefan also sent me CVs of applicants for the cleaning job we’ve been advertising for. Looks like I’ll be spending the day scheduling interviews.
I sigh as I open up the file. This is the part of my work that I don’t like so much. It’s more about having to choose all of the people I am going to let down rather than who to hire.
My phone rings from beside me before I’m even a sentence through the first page. Vanessa’s name lights up the screen, and I pick it up.
“Caio!”
“ Ciao, Vanessa .”
“I hear that you’re back in town and you didn’t tell me.” I can imagine her folding her arms as she speaks.
“ Scusa , I’ve barely had a second to breathe since I got back.” I run a hand through my hair at the thought.
“That’s because you work too hard,” she lectures. “Haven’t I told you that you need to take a break?”
“Yeah—”
“I’m serious, Caio. Rest is just as important as work.”
“I know.”
“You ought to do something about it then,” she scolds, but I know her words come from a place of worry.
“Can we talk about something else?” I ask, not really in the mood to delve into something that hits too close to home. This hotel is my place in the world. It’s where I found a home, and a life I’m proud of myself for, but despite that, something feels like it’s missing. Like there’s a small gap waiting to be filled, I just don’t know how to fill it. So I fill it with work. I fill it with going on business trips and poring over job applications, keeping myself busy enough that I don’t have the time to dwell on it.
“How was the event last night?”
This is a better topic. “It was a good night. I think everyone had fun.”
“And you had some good company I hear.” I can hear the smirk she’s wearing in her voice.
“How did you hear about that already?”
“I know everything, bambino mio . Don’t act so surprised.”
My mind flicks to the beautiful girl I had on my arm all of last night. I already want to see her again. See those brown eyes looking up at me. See that genuine smile that flashed across her face when she gave herself over to the music at the end of the night. Part of me thinks that if I didn’t have so much work to catch up on, I would spend the day down in the lobby, waiting to catch a glimpse of her. Knowing the very little I do about her, she’d probably see that as stalker behavior and assume I’m plotting out the best way to make her disappear. I smile as I think of her fierce need for independence that I just want to bowl straight through.
I know I sound crazy. I only met the girl less than twenty-four hours ago, but something about her caught me straight away. I don’t get distracted, not by anything. But here she is, effortlessly occupying my mind.
But I don’t have time to be distracted. Not now anyway.
“Yes, well, I’m surprised you sent your spies instead of coming yourself.” I fiddle with the pen on my desk, rolling it over my fingers.
“They’re not my spies, Caio,” she scolds. “They’re my friends.”
“Oh, okay.” Sure .
“Luca’s brother was here, you remember?”
“I remember.”
“Right, well you wouldn’t have wanted us there, I promise you.”
I chuff a laugh at the stories I’ve heard from Vanessa about the guy over the years. Let’s just say she’s not his biggest fan.
“Okay, well I better get back to work. I’ve got applications to go over. Any chance you want a change of profession?”
She laughs. “Unfortunately not. Take a rest soon, okay?”
“Okay. Ciao, Vanessa .”
I sigh as I place my phone back on my desk and open up the next CV in the list. Maybe a break would be good. I go to grab the edge of my laptop to shut it closed but stop short when I see the face in the corner of the CV. There on my screen are the brown eyes I’ve been itching to see since last night.
I let out an abrupt laugh. Isla applied for the job.
I can’t help myself as I push my laptop open again and settle into my seat, resting one arm on the table as I lean forward to read her CV.
Isla Beckett.
Fine arts graduate. Interesting. I think back to her genuine interest in Nora and her work, and it all makes sense now.
Her CV is professional and has a little spark of her in the words.
Her work history consists of a three-month stint at Beckett Accountants and at what seems to be a dive bar in central New York.
I scroll back to the top of the page and shake my head imagining her applying for this. She should’ve known I would never accept it, and that just makes it even better that she applied in the first place.