27
Lucky
“I’m a very lucky man,” Adam mumbled. Chloe wafted the steaming coffee under his nose.
“Yes you bloody are,” she grinned, sitting down on the bed.
He prised open his eyes and watched her put down the coffee cup, then he lunged at her. She squealed as he pinned her down, throwing the quilt off himself. Her petite figure no match for his large frame. Growling, he nuzzled her neck as she squirmed under him.
“How’s Ollie,” he asked in between kisses.
“His temperature is normal and he seems to have got through the worst,” she breathed. He continued to kiss her across her slightly exposed chest.
“Where is he?”
“He’s sleeping with Rosie in his bed. I brought in the monitor.”
Adam stopped and looked at her.
“Is that a good idea? Won’t she get it too now?”
“She hasn’t left his side from yesterday. She keeps kissing his throat to make it better. We keep telling her not to but she gets upset. So, I think it’s a done deal regardless.” Chloe shrugged, resigning herself to the fact that Rosie would probably get laryngitis too.
“Wonderful.” Adam shook his head.
“Yep. Let’s hope Sophie got away with it. She’s kept her distance. How was last night? I didn’t hear you come in, I was so tired I zonked out at around twelve thirty.”
“We got in around two. It was really good, but I missed you.” He released her pinned down arms and held her face gently, then kissed her softly. She smiled up at him, then they sat up and Chloe got under the covers, snuggling into his firm chest.
“Did you?”
“Of course I did. Everyone was asking about you.” He hugged her tightly as she looked up at him. “They kept giving Dani weird looks.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I think they thought she was my mistress or something. I spent all night explaining who she was and why you weren’t there,” he chuckled.
“Poor Dani. She said she had a good time when I saw her this morning, even if she did feel a little uncomfortable. And she looked gorgeous in that slinky dress. I bet everyone was looking at her,” giggled Chloe, knowing Dani would have felt a little awkward at such a swanky event.
“I hope she really did have a good time. She’s had a rough few weeks. ”
“Oh, I think she did. She was quite the centre of attention.” Adam furrowed his brow as an unwelcome thought came into his head.
Chloe caught his expression and shuffled up to get a better look at him. “What?”
Adam pursed his lips. “The Ferrettis had a table last night.”
“As in, her boss?”
“Yeah. Jerome’s brother, Arsenio, the lawyer, his firm always has a couple of tables and they were all there. Cosimo and Jerome too.”
“All of them?”
Adam nodded slowly. “She ended up dancing with him.”
“Well he’s a renowned playboy, you said. I’m not surprised to hear he was interested in Dani.”
“No, I meant Jerome. She was asked to dance by Arsenio, then Jerome cut in and basically sent him packing. He wasn’t happy at all.”
“Well didn’t he ask her to dance again afterwards?” Chloe sat up and crossed her legs trying to work out why Adam looked so pensive.
“I didn’t mean Arsenio wasn’t happy, which incidentally he wasn’t. I meant Jerome wasn’t happy. Apparently they don’t like the staff dating the family because it can get awkward.”
Chloe raised her eyebrows and nodded. “I suppose that makes sense. It could get messy if they break-up and he does have an appalling reputation.”
“Mm,” Adam mused. He turned a little and picked up the coffee Chloe had left on the bed side table and took a welcome sip.
Chloe watched him realising there was something else about last night that he’d omitted.
After being together for over thirteen years nothing much slipped by her where Adam was concerned.
“What is it Adam? Did anything happen?”
Adam put down his cup and paused for a moment.
“I think he likes Dani.”
“Well, he’ll have to sort that out with Jerome…”
Adam interrupted her, grinning at her continuing misinterpretations. “I mean Jerome. I think Jerome likes Dani.”
Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise. “Jerome? Well everyone likes Dani and she’s doing well at the restaurant too…”
“No Chloe, I mean he really likes her.“ Adam gave her a ‘now do you get what I mean look’.
“Oh.” Chloe bit her lip and cringed slightly at her misunderstanding. “He’s married though.”
“Yeah.” Adam took a deep breath and pursed his lips. “That could get a bit awkward.”
“He’s not the first married man to fall for Dani, Adam. She’s sensible.” It was true, Dani had never been short of admirers, single or attached, even when she’d been living with Jez she was always being hit on.
“That’s not what’s worrying me. What worries me is that Dani really likes Jerome too.”
Chloe’s face dropped. She knew that Adam never made assumptions. When he said something, he was as close as he could be to being one hundred percent sure.
“Seriously?”
Adam nodded.
“Fuck!”
“Yeah. They’ll be doing that too, soon. It’s just a matter of time,” he muttered.
“Adam!”
“What? It’s obvious. They’re with each other every day.
I thought he seemed a bit too interested in her when she sold her car and then at your birthday dinner, when he sent her those desserts.
But last night confirmed it.” They sat for a moment in silence.
“He sent her desserts again last night too.”
“Are you going to say anything to Dani? Shall I say anything to her?”
“No. It may blow over. He’s married and I know that might not stop him, but I think it’ll stop Dani.”
“Yes. I think you’re right.”
Adam sighed hoping for Dani’s sake that they were right.
“Well let’s not get worried about something that hasn’t happened.” He looked at the clock. It was ten thirty. He’d taken the morning off knowing he’d be in no fit state to work after last night.
“Has Dani already left for work?”
Chloe nodded.
“And the kids are asleep?”
“Just dropped off about fifteen minutes ago.” Chloe grinned.
“Excellent.” He grabbed her gently by the arm and pulled her closer to him. “So I have you all to myself for an hour.”
Chloe squirmed as he pinned her back down again on the bed and slowly started kissing her neck.
JEROME BLEW OUT THE smoke from his cigarette and watched it disappear into the cold morning air.
The sun was trying hard to filter its watery rays over the city but was failing miserably.
Jerome shivered as he stood on the small balcony of his office taking a final deep drag, then flicking the cigarette into the river.
He really should stop smoking, he thought.
If Seni, Cosimo and his mother had managed it over the last few years he should at least try.
Even Liz had stopped and what kind of example was he giving to his kids?
Who was he kidding? With everything he was going through he was in no frame of mind to quit.
He was permanently on edge, constantly over thinking everything.
He opened the balcony door and walked back through into the warmth of his office closing out the icy December wind.
Jerome checked his watch. It was just past nine o’clock.
He stepped through to his bathroom and turned on the shower.
He stripped out of his gym clothes and stepped under the steady stream of warm water.
His thoughts drifted back to last night as he rubbed his thick hair and worked up a lather of shampoo.
He felt bad for Liz. He knew she’d had her heart set on the fashion show but every time things didn’t work out for her he always got the brunt of it.
She knew last night was a big event. Jerome rinsed out the shampoo and vigorously soaped the sweat off his body.
He knew why he was feeling unsettled. He couldn’t be sure if Liz had used the fashion show’s cancellation as an excuse to stay home away from him.
Or worse get in touch with or see Jonathan.
However much the evidence showed she wasn’t seeing him, Jerome just couldn’t trust her.
She was behaving erratically. Her mood swings and behaviour were decidedly more bizarre.
Liz was hiding something but he wasn’t sure what.
Jerome turned off the water and grabbed a towel.
Drying himself off, he shook his head. It had come to this, a permanent state of uncertainty.
This wasn’t him. This wasn’t what he wanted, or how he envisaged his life.
Whatever happened he had to sit with Liz and sort it out, for good.
He was in a permanent state of limbo; his sense of duty battling with his feelings of hurt and betrayal.
He was using work as his crutch and Dani as a distraction, anything to avoid facing his problems at home.
He quickly dressed, exited his office and passed by Peter’s door.
He hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door.
The office was empty. He glanced over to the monitors and observed Peter sitting at the bar talking on the phone.
His eyes wandered over to the parking area where he watched Dani pull up.
Bang on time, nine thirty every morning.
He smiled to himself as he thought about last night and then scowled.
He’d overstepped the mark again. He knew he was playing with fire.
The trouble was he enjoyed being with her, talking and joking around.
She was so easy to be with. He sighed. Who was he kidding?
He knew it was more than that, a lot more than that.
It was bad enough when they were working together, but last night had been extremely difficult.
He was desperate to spend more time with her, but with Adam being there it would have been awkward, not to mention Cosimo and Arsenio.
He’d kept away from her after their dance but his attention was never far away.