Chapter 6 Hunter #2
“English is my native language, and I worked as a hostess in London for—a while.” I’m not keen on getting into the nitty gritty of my work history with a stranger, so I leave it at that.
“Do you work here?” I look from the extremely attractive man who’s close to my age, maybe a few years older, back to the woman I met when I arrived.
“I do. Villa Viola is a family business. I’ve been working here since I was a kid.”
Okay. That makes sense. Now that he mentions it, I can see the resemblance between the two of them.
“And she’s your…?” I leave the question open-ended. If I guess she’s his grandmother, only to discover she’s his mother or his aunt, then I can kiss my hopes of landing this job goodbye, I’m sure.
“Mamaia—Kitty—is my grandmother. I see she’s already put you to work,” the man teases. Then, approaching and extending a massive, tatted hand, he says, “I’m Sione.”
“My name’s Hunter.” I shake his hand while desperately clinging to the broom for support.
When he releases me, he turns to Kitty and speaks to her in a language that’s not English.
“Is that Italian?” I hedge.
His eyes flit to me, then back to his grandma, who’s now replying in quick, clipped sentences that aren’t as melodic as the phrases I’ve grown accustomed to hearing over the last few weeks.
“Romanian,” he answers when she finally stops talking.
“Kitty and my grandpa, Otmar, were born in Romania. They immigrated here in their twenties and started working at Villa Viola shortly after. The previous owners adored them, and when they retired, they sold the business to them. They’ve owned it for almost four decades now. ”
I nod and smile, eager to take in any little nuggets of wisdom or history that might help me secure this job.
“So is there an application I should fill out? And could you ask your grandmother when she thinks interviews will occur?”
He speaks to his grandmother in Romanian, and when she responds, carrying on for several minutes, he crosses his arms over his chest and chuckles.
I wait with bated breath, resisting the urge to ask him to translate.
Finally, she’s silent, yet neither addresses me. They watch one another for a handful of heartbeats, their expressions unreadable.
“So?” I eventually hedge.
Sione grins, the expression emanating the same kind of warmth I felt when his grandmother greeted me.
“She asked if your English is any good, and I assured her it is. She wants to know if you can start today, and if you’ll need accommodation.
There’s a villa dedicated to staff. Each employee has a private room and en suite bathroom.
She’s also hounding me about using the good purple sheets on your bed instead of the regular white ones we use for everyone else.
” He arches an amused brow. “She must really like you.”
“Wait, so I’m hired? Just like that?” I protest.
Why, exactly, I’m protesting, I have no idea. This seems too easy. Things never work out like this for me.
Shrugging, Sione runs one hand through his dark, wavy hair. I’m absolutely transfixed by the movement. Scratch that—I’m mesmerized by his very presence. He’s got cheekbones to die for and the most gorgeous eyelashes I’ve ever seen.
“She said she already interviewed you.”
I press my lips together, fighting a smile. That was easy. Too easy? Whatever. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, or however the saying goes.
The moment I stepped into the lobby, a comforting sensation enveloped me. I feel safe here. Respected. Not to mention amused by Kitty and her antics. Sione puts off good vibes, and if I can calm my libido for a hot second, I could see the two of us striking up a friendship.
Most importantly, I haven’t thought about Spence or London or my past since walking into Villa Viola. That’s a major improvement. For the last few weeks, I’ve been battling a never-ending barrage of intrusive thoughts. It’s not often I can quiet the guilty memories that plague my mind.
I may not deserve this clean slate, but I need it.
Pulling me from my thoughts, Sione asks, “If I help you bring your things over from the hostel, can you start today?”
“Yes,” I reply without hesitation, my heart leaping in my chest.
He grins. “Right on. I have two more villas to turn over. Why don’t you head out and get packed up? I’ll meet up with you in a few hours.”
With a nod at Sione, I turn to Kitty. “Thank you. I’m a hard worker, I promise. I won’t let you down.”
She smiles slyly in response, and once again, when her eyes lock on me, I’m enveloped in the warmest, most comforting sensation.
It’s as if she’s embracing me, even though she’s several feet across the room.
I swear the woman is magic. Just being in her presence is a balm I didn’t know I was craving.
“Let me give you my number,” Sione holds out a hand, and when I set my phone in his palm, he punches in his number, saves it, and winks. “You’ll find me under ‘The One and Only’ since it rhymes with Cee-oh-nay.”
My face heats at the twinkle in his eye and the half smile he gives me. As if I could possibly forget a single detail about this man.
“Thank you both,” I gush again. “I’ll pack quickly. See you later.”