Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
Ryan would have been surprised by the fierce determination that coursed through his whole body as he descended the attic stairs with his mum, Art, and Graeme right behind him, and as the four of them strode through the halls of Hawthorne House like some sort of heist team from a Hollywood blockbuster, but the conversation he, Art, and Graeme had had up in the attic had changed things within him, as awkward as it’d been.
“I’m not going to let Giorgio get away with this,” he said to no one in particular.
“Get away with what, dear?” his mum asked. “I wouldn’t mind a concrete reason to dislike the man.”
Ryan glanced at her as they all turned a corner, then headed to the main staircase that led down into the lobby. “There are plenty of reasons to hate Giorgio,” he said.
There wasn’t time to explain more. Giorgio was there, admiring one of the old vases that some former Countess of Felcourt had collected centuries ago and which now sat on a small plinth in one of the windows.
He was dressed impeccably, of course, and the way the sunlight caught his silver hair made it shine and almost look like a halo.
Giorgio Esposito was anything but angelic, though.
“Giorgio, what are you doing here?” Ryan asked bluntly, still filled with the confidence Graeme and Art gave him just by being there, a few steps behind him as he stopped several feet away from Giorgio. Let the bastard come to him instead of making him walk all the way over to pay homage to him.
Giorgio glanced up from admiring the vase with a benign smile that almost but not quite made up for the malice in his eyes. “Ryan. So good to see you. What a magnificent home you have.”
“It’s my family’s home,” Ryan said crossing his arms and staring daggers at his former boss. “I don’t recall you being invited.”
“He wasn’t invited,” his mum added, giving the man the evil eye.
Giorgio chuckled and stepped away from the vase, taking his time as he approached.
He glanced at both Graeme and Art, who had moved into position on either side of Ryan, like they were guards flanking him.
It was almost comical. Actually, Art had crossed his arms and was frowning exactly like Ryan, but with just a hint of humor in his eyes, like he was standing that way on purpose.
That tiny detail made Ryan relax a bit more, of all things. Maybe he didn’t have to take the situation with Giorgio as seriously as he assumed he did. Maybe the things that he truly wanted in life were standing right behind him.
“I was in London, talking with some of our colleagues, and they told me I simply must make a trip to Hawthorne House to see what has become of the place,” Giorgio said, stopping a few feet away from Ryan and his posse.
It was impossible to tell from Giorgio’s voice and manner if he thought good things had been done to Hawthorne House or bad.
The man had a spectacular mansion on Lake Cuomo, not to mention a penthouse flat in Milan.
The chaotic, community feeling of Hawthorne House might have felt too pedestrian to him.
Ryan didn’t care what the man thought. He wasn’t there to see the house anyhow.
“Did you have a successful meeting with Gloria the other day?” he asked, raising one eyebrow, like he knew whatever he’d been at Gloria’s place for was underhanded.
“It was quite productive,” Giorgio said, sliding his hands into his pockets and looking like he was perfectly at ease. Ryan could tell he was far from comfortable, though.
“Gloria is a good friend and has been for a while,” Ryan said. “Her team is working on my collection as we speak.” Although they should have been working on much more, if only his ideas would flow.
“I am certain she will finish everything you put into her hands with professionalism and precision,” Giorgio said, his smile predatory. If Ryan didn’t know any better, he would say the man was up to something. Indeed, he continued with, “I wonder if I could speak to you alone.”
“I’ll put together tea for you,” Janice said, sounding like she might poison it, too. “Shall I bring it up to your flat?”
“No,” Ryan said, thinking fast. “We’ll sit down in the break room. And you don’t have to make tea for us, Mum. Just make sure we aren’t disturbed.”
“Very well,” Janice said. She was excited, Ryan could tell. His mum loved a good bit of intrigue.
Ryan stayed focused on Giorgio, gesturing toward the office. “After you,” he said.
Giorgio smiled, but he didn’t look as certain as he had moments before. Ryan turned toward the office and fell into step with him.
Behind them, Art said, “Erm, should we come or go away?”
He needed his men there with him. They knew most of the story of him and Giorgio. If there was one thing the craziness around them had taught him, it was that he was stronger with Art and Graeme by his side.
“Come and join us,” he said, gesturing for them.
A minute later, the four of them were in the break room with the door closed. Graeme had gone straight to the counter to make tea, and Art had flopped into one of the larger chairs and spread, as if he were the one who had called the meeting and would be in charge of it.
“Have a seat.” Ryan gestured to the other big chair, offering it to Giorgio. “And tell me whatever underhanded reason you have for coming here today to disturb my peace.”
Giorgio sat easily, then instantly tensed at Ryan’s words. He looked furious for a moment, sending a frown Graeme’s way, then put on his usual charming smile as he focused on Ryan again.
“Tesoro,” Giorgio said, trying to be overfamiliar, like he’d always been in Milan. “What is all this anger for? I am here to offer an olive branch and to give you an opportunity to achieve your dreams.”
Ryan’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding,” he said. But he had to admit he was curious.
Graeme came over with a mug of tea for Giorgio and murmured, “I don’t know if you like milk or sugar, so I just put a little bit of each in.”
“Grazie,” Giorgio said with a flat look. As soon as Graeme turned around to head back to the counter, he put the mug on the side table and didn’t look at it again. “I am perfectly serious,” he went on, as if he and Ryan were the only ones in the room. “I want you back, caro.”
“I believe I told you not to call me pet names, like you do with your other minions,” Ryan said, crossing his arms again. He hadn’t taken a seat, and he had no intention of doing so. He wanted all the advantages his height would give him with Giorgio. He would need them.
Giorgio shrugged like Ryan’s rebuff didn’t matter, but his shoulders were bunched and the charm had gone out of his expression. It was replaced with the ruthlessness that had helped him to reach the heights of the fashion world.
“There is no need to be rude,” he said, slipping into his business tone. “I am here to offer you a place in my house once more, a senior position.”
“And why would I accept any position with you when I left specifically to start my own line?” Ryan asked.
Giorgio huffed a laugh. “And how is that working for you, eh?”
Ryan’s crossed arms suddenly felt more like he was hugging himself. “I have a spot in London Fashion Week.”
Giorgio smiled, like that was cute. “Good for you. And after that? Do you have sponsorships? Celebrities vying to wear your designs? Do you have deals with retailers or plans to open a shop somewhere in London?”
Ryan felt sick. The feeling was eased slightly when Graeme appeared at his side, offering him a mug of tea made just the way he liked it.
He took it with a grateful and affectionate smile, sipped it, and for a moment, concentrated on the milky sweetness of the tea and the support in his lover’s eyes.
“Those things will come,” he said, putting the mug down once he’d given himself a moment. “I’m certain of it.”
Giorgio chuckled. “So confident and sure of yourself. That’s why I want you to come back to Milan to be my lead designer.”
It was a massive, juicy carrot, but Ryan wasn’t tempted. “Why?” he asked. “Are you out of ideas yourself? Or are you just feeling lonely?”
Art started laughing, then clapped a hand over his mouth and shifted in his chair like he was trying to make himself smaller.
Giorgio glanced at him, seeming to notice him for the first time.
That was all he did, though. He didn’t acknowledge or speak to either Art or Graeme.
“I will only make this offer once,” he said, turning deadly serious as he stared at Ryan.
“You come back to me or you have no career at all. The choice is yours.”
“I have more choices than that,” Ryan said.
“No, you do not,” Giorgio said with a confidence that chilled Ryan. “What will it be, mio caro?”
The pet name wasn’t an accident. Giorgio was trying to put him in his place.
He might have fallen for it last year, too.
Any sort of senior position at a fashion house as well-established as Giorgio’s was a dream job for any designer.
But it was obvious the position came with all the strings attached.
If Ryan said yes now, Giorgio would own his balls for the rest of his career.
What he gave, he could take away in a heartbeat. He’d already done it once.
“It’s a no from me, Giorgio,” he said with confidence to match his former boss’s. “I won’t be coming back to work for you. Not now and not ever.”
“I see,” Giorgio said tightly. He slapped his hands on the arm of his chair and pushed himself to stand. “Then that is that.”
“That is that,” Ryan agreed.
“I will see myself out,” Giorgio said, striding for the door. He reached into his jacket’s inside pocket and took out his cell phone as he did, almost like he wanted Ryan to see the action.
They all waited about ten seconds after Giorgio had left before simultaneously letting out their breath.
“That man is a nightmare,” Art said, jumping out of his chair and racing to give Ryan a huge hug. “He’s like some sort of gay movie villain.”