8 #4
“Hi, pleased to meet you. Kuch tells me you just started this week.” Nina extended her hand for Dani to shake as she smiled warmly.
“Hi, yes.”
“Oh, you’ll love it here. The Ferrettis are great people.”
“Yeah, they are. How long have you worked for them?” agreed Dani.
“Eight years.”
Dani’s eyes widened. “Wow.”
“Yes, Jerome’s great and the kids are angels,” Nina said with a wide smile.
Dani waited for a comment about Liz but it never came, so she took the drinks to the table. Gia, thankfully, helped her. She felt decidedly flustered as the Ferretti family members that she hadn’t met stared up at her. She wanted to make a good impression.
“Let me introduce you to Liz, Dani. She’s Jerome’s wife.” Gia smiled at Dani.
Dani extended her hand to Liz. “Pleased to meet you Mrs Ferretti. Sorry about earlier.” Liz extended her pale hand to Dani and weakly smiled at her whilst giving a slight nod.
Then releasing her hand quickly, she diverted her attention back to her phone.
Dani flushed a little at the obvious brush off.
Great, she’d obviously offended her, thought Dani, but before she could say any more, her thoughts were interrupted by Cosimo, who had risen from his seat.
“Hello, Dani. I’m Cosimo. I hear you are newest member here.” He had his hand extended and Dani shook it, pleased to be distracted. He smiled kindly at her and Dani began to feel less awkward.
“Pleased to meet you. Yes, I’ve been here just a couple of days.”
“Hello. I’m Arsenio, the younger good-looking brother.”
Cosimo smirked and shook his head, mildly exasperated. Dani turned to where the voice came from. Arsenio was standing behind her, his eyes twinkling mischievously. He extended his hand and Dani reached for it. “Hello, pleased to meet you.”
Arsenio lifted her hand to his mouth and kiss it, causing Dani to redden, and she heard a huff from Cosimo.
“Don’t scare off the new staff, Seni,” Cosimo chastised in good humour.
Arsenio released her hand and winked at her. “I don’t think she scares that easily, do you?”
Dani stifled a grin. “No, I don’t.” Then she backed away from the table and went to her station.
Jerome was sitting next to Liz in an attempt to show his family that they were fine, but it was obvious from their body language that they were anything but. Liz was facing away from him and Jerome was sitting with his arms crossed with a tight smile on his face.
Gia ordered food for everyone and before long they were all eating. Nina sat at the bar and ate while she chatted comfortably with Kuch. He’d stayed on this afternoon too, along with Pino and Richard. The restaurant remained busy and thankfully Dani wasn’t only focused on the Ferretti table.
“Aren’t you hungry?” asked Gia as she looked at Liz’s untouched food.
“It’s a little too rich for me,” Liz replied coolly.
“Shall I ask Capo to make you something else?” Gia pressed.
“No really, I’m fine.” Liz picked up her mineral water and sipped it.
Her phone vibrated and she looked at who was calling, “Excuse me, I need to take this.” She rose from the table and to Dani’s surprise, Jerome, Cosimo and Arsenio also rose from their seats as she got up.
Liz smiled tightly at them and headed to the back of the restaurant to take her call.
“Is she ill?” asked Gia.
Jerome shook his head. “No, she’s just watching her weight. She’s talking to her agent about a job and…”
Gia took a deep breath and interrupted, her agitation obvious. “She’s far too thin and surely she’s too old to start modelling again.”
“Mama please,” Jerome mumbled. “She really wants this, so don’t make it harder for me.” He clenched his teeth as he spoke and Gia sat back in her chair. Jerome’s eyes kept focusing on Liz as she talked. She laughed softly to whoever was on the other end of the phone.
Jerome was trying hard not to show his increasing agitation.
This was supposed to be their family time together and she had spent the best part of it either texting or talking on the phone.
His mood had not gone undetected by Cosimo and he did his best to keep the conversation flowing at the table so that neither Gia nor Arsenio would notice.
Dani cleared their table and Gia asked her to get some chocolate and amaretto cake for the children, and espressos for the rest of them.
Liz paced up and down and then finished her phone call.
She walked back to the table and sat down.
Jerome turned to look at her as she settled in her seat, indicating he wanted to know who the phone call was from.
“It was Graham, my agent. He’s trying to get me to do a show in Manchester,” she explained, she looked smugly at Jerome and he took in a deep breath.
“Well that’s great news,” he answered softly and Liz smiled at him. He leaned in and kissed her quickly on the cheek and her eyes darted to him. “When will you know?”
“By next week. The show will be just after New year.” Liz sat back in her chair and for the first time since she’d arrived, she genuinely smiled.