40 #2
“Okay. Listen up.” He called his staff to attention.
They all stopped what they were doing and turned to him.
“It’s going to be pretty crazy in here tonight.
There’ll be the regulars in but there’ll also be new customers, so everyone needs to be alert.
It will be a fun night but we still need to be professional.
I’ll be on hand along with Jerome if there are any problems. Finish up and I’ll see you all downstairs in fifteen minutes. ”
Jerome was holed up in his office sitting at his desk.
He’d stayed out of everyone’s way purposely to avoid Dani.
He looked at his watch. It was seven fifteen.
In an hour, the first of the customers would arrive and he’d be able to thankfully lose himself in his work.
Playing his role and wearing his mask for the sake of appearances.
He’d gotten very good at that over the years.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes, then with a heavy heart dialled his home number.
“Liz.” His voice was soft even though he was anxious.
“Yes, Jerome.” Her reply was clipped and Jerome clenched his jaw.
“I was hoping you’d changed your mind.”
“Well I haven’t. I’m not coming down there. What, to sit on my own while you flit around each table playing the perfect host? It’s boring. I’d rather stay in.”
“At least come down for the last hour. The kids will be asleep. We can see the New Year in together,” he coaxed. He wanted his children to be with him and Gia was desperate to see them too, but he knew Liz would never agree. It would mean she’d have to look after them.
“I’ll see,” she answered sharply and Jerome inhaled deeply.
“Okay. Bye, then.”
“Bye.”
He replaced the receiver and sat back closing his eyes.
Things were going from bad to worse and he was finding it difficult to stay home at all these days.
He’d tried, really tried but Liz’s recent behaviour since coming back from her mother’s, was trying his already limited patience.
He’d started going home only when he knew his children were there, otherwise he avoided it.
He couldn’t face a confrontation, not now anyway, but he knew it was coming.
Jerome heard the familiar footsteps of Gia coming down the corridor and he braced himself for a scolding. She wasn’t going to be happy that his family weren’t here tonight.
Gia pushed open the door and breezed in. She was dressed in a very conservative blue suit with a light blue blouse tied with a big bow and pearls around her neck. Very un-Gia. Her badge had Margaret Thatcher on it. Jerome smiled at her.
“Not sure I like that look on you, Mama.” He grinned and she rolled her eyes.
“I know. I loved this woman but her dress sense was too dowdy for me. What time are Liz and the children coming down? I thought they’d be here with us by now.” She checked her watch.
“They’re not coming down,” Jerome answered quietly as he eyed his mother.
“What? Why?” she had edged closer to the desk, clearly agitated.
“Liz might come down later,” added Jerome avoiding the question.
Gia huffed and waited for him to elaborate, staring at him, her displeasure apparent.
“Just leave it Mama. I don’t want to get into it. Not now.” He rubbed his face.
“Into what exactly? Tonight is about family. Arsenio is coming down and so is Cosimo, he’s even bringing James.
We should all be altogether.” She put her hand on her hip and glared.
Jerome sat silently, the last thing he wanted to do was get into a conversation about his crumbling marriage and his unfaithful wife.
“Look, it’s difficult with the children Mama…” Jerome tried to explain but Gia interrupted as he knew she would.
“Difficult! Difficult? Those children are angels. They hardly spend time with us because of her!“ she mumbled a prayer in Italian under her breath and Jerome clenched his eyes shut momentarily. “I brought up three boys on my own and ran a business and she finds it hard to bring two perfect children to the family restaurant to spend time with their Nonna and uncles! She has a cleaner, a nanny, she wants for nothing. You indulge her in every way. I don’t know what’s going on Jerome but you’d better sort it out.
I’ve a good mind to call her myself.“ Jerome’s eyes darted up to hers and she could tell by his expression that it would only make things worse.
“A fine family we are!” her voice growing louder. “I have one son who is a renowned playboy and by the looks of it, is never going to settle down.”
“Mama please,” Jerome said, knowing how this speech was going to go.
Gia ignored him and flung her arms in the air. “Another son who’s gay, so I’ve no chance of any grandchildren from him. And another son whose wife makes our lives a living hell, holding my grandchildren to ransom in some sick mind game to punish us all!”
“Mama. Not now.” Jerome stood up as his voice rose and he glared at her.
“All I ever wanted was one good daughter-in-law and I get the ice maiden and the wicked witch of the west all rolled into one!” Gia shouted angrily.
Dani had just entered the corridor to collect the party poppers and streamers from the storeroom and stopped, hearing the heated exchange. Crap, Gia was really angry! Dani cringed at the descriptive rundown of her family noting her specific venomous tone when she spoke about Liz.
“Mama, enough!” Jerome shouted back. “I really don’t need your lecture now, not tonight!” his voice sounded exasperated and annoyed, he was trying hard to restrain his temper.
“It’s never a good time,” she continued and then added something in Italian which Dani couldn’t make out apart from puttana, which made Jerome bang his fist on the table.
“Enough, Mama!” he bellowed.
His reaction made Gia stop her tirade in Italian. There was an eerie silence, then Dani heard Jerome apologise for his forcefulness. The room seemed to go quiet and Dani quickly collected the items she’d come up for. She exited the storeroom and bumped straight into a flustered Gia.
“Scusa,“ she said softly as she looked over Dani. It took her a few seconds to realise who it was. “Oh Dani, it’s you. I can’t get used to you in that blonde wig. You look fabulous.” Her agitation was fading.
“Thank you, Gia. So do you.” Dani smiled at her sympathetically.
“Grazie. You look so different,“ she remarked as she reached up and fingered Dani’s wig.
“Well they are supposed to have more fun.“ Dani grinned, trying to lighten her mood.
“Yes, they are.” Gia chuckled at the thought. “You can tell me at the end of the night if it’s true.”
Dani laughed pleased Gia’s previous annoyance seemed to have lifted. “I will.”
By eight o’clock the restaurant was ready and all the staff were at their posts.
Dani was working in the raised part of the restaurant with Pino and Richard who were dressed as Charlie Chaplin and Pele.
The curtain had been pulled back for this evening, allowing the guests in this area to be part of the whole restaurant.
The guests in their section were regulars and all of them were the elite, spending huge amounts of money throughout the year.
Dani had got to know them all over the past weeks.
Jerome entered the restaurant looking tense as he walked over to the bar.
His mood lightened as he saw Kuch dressed as Elvis and Nicole as Grace Kelly.
Kuch instantly poured him a shot of whisky and placed it in front of him.
Peter came over to join him patting his back as he sat down and Kuch poured Peter the same.
They clinked glasses and knocked back their drinks.
Jerome took a deep breath and turned to survey the restaurant.
He smirked, shaking his head taking in his staff dressed up in costumes of Clint Eastwood, Mussolini, Ghandi, Cleopatra along with the rest of his bizarrely dressed staff working in the restaurant.
Peter got up and moved to the front desk where Gia was checking something, Jerome continued to scan the restaurant, his eyes searching for Dani.
He turned towards the private area and his gaze found her placing the party poppers in the centre of the table.
He narrowed his eyes at her. She looked so different but she was still incredible and he found himself staring.
Dani looked up and her eyes locked onto his.
He gave her a puzzled smile, which she returned, his forehead furrowing.
Unable to stop himself, he strode up to where she was working.
Dani straightened up seeing him approach.
“I nearly didn’t recognise you.” He looked down at her and Dani inhaled sharply knocked off balance by the depth of his gaze.
She blinked up at him and he shook his head in disbelief.
“You look…” amazing, sexy as hell, gorgeous…
So many adjectives he wanted to use. Jerome sucked on his top teeth.
In the end he settled for: “You look really good.”
“Thanks,” breathed Dani.
“Crap, David’s early,” Pino interrupted as he came over to where Jerome and Dani were standing. Jerome dragged his eyes away from Dani and looked over to the front door.
David was kissing his hello to Gia, then entered the bar area with his wife and another couple. They perched themselves at the bar and ordered their drinks.
“I’d better go down,” sighed Jerome and he turned to glance back at Dani raising his eyebrows apologetically, then he leisurely moved towards them.
“He’s such a prick,” Pino muttered. “I hate serving him.”
“I’ll serve him if you like,” suggested Dani. She was still slightly disturbed by his behaviour at Sky, but she could handle him.
“Would you?” Pino looked relieved.
“Sure,” Dani replied.