Chapter 14
Giorgio
Caterina laid out bowls and plates of food on the kitchen island – all Tuscan specialties. Pappa al pomodoro, a hearty bread and tomato soup… frittatas with Italian sausage and fresh vegetables… and pancakes topped with sweet ricotta cheese.
“Oh my god, this is so good,” Raffaelo moaned after the first bite.
“It’s excellent, Signora,” I agreed, giving a chef’s kiss in the air.
Cat beamed. “I’m so glad you like it.”
As Raffaelo and I continued to eat, the women chatted with us.
“So, Giorgio, what’s up with you?” Cat asked.
“Just work,” I said. “Signora Bauer is teaching me to drive.”
“Huh?” Raffaelo said, confused. “You drove me and Adriano here this morning.”
“Not that kind of driving,” I explained. “Evasive driving. Signora Bauer used to work for MI6 in England.”
Raffaelo stared at me. “She was a spy?!”
“Like James Bond,” Alessandra said proudly. She had always liked that her sister-in-law could go toe-to-toe with any of the men in the family.
“Whoa,” Raffaelo said, then shook his head. “There really hasn’t been much work for me lately – I’ve missed out on all the gossip.”
“Speaking of gossip,” Cat said, “you seeing anybody, Giorgio?”
“No,” I said, then hesitated. “Well…”
“Who?” Cat demanded playfully.
“There is this one girl…”
“Who?!”
“She works in a coffee shop next to Bianca’s shop in Florence.”
I normally would have said ‘Signora Rosolini’ instead of ‘Bianca,’ but since there were six Signora Rosolinis, it was a little difficult to be precise without using first names.
“OoooOOOH!” Cat said gleefully. “Tell me everything!”
“Nothing to tell,” I said, then added, “Yet.”
“What’s she look like?”
“She’s blonde.”
“Real or bottle blonde?”
“Real.”
“Is she from the north?”
“Milan,” I confirmed.
“Have you used all your charm on her yet?” Cat teased me.
“I’m trying, but she’s playing hard to get.” I grimaced. “I think she might’ve figured out what I do for a living.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Alessandra and Cat both said at the same time.
“Yeah.”
“You think it’s a dealbreaker?” Cat asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“At least she’s not the kind of girl who would chase after you because of your job,” Alessandra pointed out.
“Yeah,” I said glumly, although at the moment, I probably would have taken that option.
“I bet it’s not a dealbreaker,” Cat reassured me. “It all depends on the guy. I was crazy about Valentino, so it didn’t matter to me what he did. You’re a great guy, so I’m betting she’ll come around. Right, Ale?”
Alessandra looked like a deer caught in headlights. “…uh… yeah.”
Cat gave her a look like, Come ON, you’re supposed to be ENCOURAGING him!
Alessandra forced herself to smile. “Well… I’m obviously not happy about what Dario does for a living, but… you learn to look past it.”
Not exactly words that inspired confidence.
Cat frowned at her. What was THAT?!
Alessandra looked at her back like Leave me alone!
That’s when Raffaelo chimed in with an affected lisp. “I know I learned to love MY boyfriend even though he’s in the mafia.”
Everybody laughed – me most of all.
“Because he’s hot, right?” Cat asked him.
“SO hot,” Raffaelo said with the same lisp.
“See?” Cat said to me. “It all depends on the guy. If she likes you, she’ll get over it.”
“She does like me.” I grinned. “I can tell.”
“Well, as soon as something happens, I wanna hear all about it!” Cat exclaimed.
“So do I!” Alessandra chimed in.
“Me, too!” Raffaelo said with the same lisp, and all of us laughed again.
At that very moment, Adriano walked in with Valentino.
“What’s so funny?” Valentino asked.
“Just talking about Giorgio’s love life,” Cat replied.
“And that’s funny?”
“His love life is hilarious,” Raffaelo said in his regular voice, but deadpan.
“More like nonexistent,” I said.
“That’s not true!” Cat protested. “Something’s gonna happen with that girl in the coffee shop – trust me!”
Adriano gave me a sharp look. “What girl in the coffee shop?”
“It’s nothing, boss,” I reassured him.
Cat made a face like, Oh shit, what did I say?
Adriano narrowed his eyes and repeated, “WHAT girl in the coffee shop?”
I sighed inwardly.
I knew Adriano. He wasn’t going to let it go.
“She works in the café next to your wife’s store,” I said.
Adriano raised one eyebrow.
“Okay, now I’m interested, too,” Valentino said.
“Why?” Cat said, poking her husband in the ribs. “You wish you could be single again?”
“Nope,” he said, grabbing her from behind and encircling her waist with his arms. “Couldn’t be happier to be off the market. But should I be jealous that you’re so interested?”
“No,” she said with a grin as she turned her head and kissed his cheek. “It’s just fun – like a real-life soap opera.”
“Yeah, well, this little ‘real-life soap opera’ better not get in the way of work,” Adriano warned me.
“It won’t, because there is no soap opera,” I reassured him. “We’ve only talked once.”
“That’s it?!” Adriano said, then turned to Cat. “That’s what you’re getting so excited about?! You need to get out more.”
Caterina turned to Val and said, “Hear that, baby? Adriano says you need to take me out more.”
“Oh, I’ll take you someplace,” he said, and started pulling her by the arm out of the kitchen.
“No!” she said with a laugh. “No, I have to – ”
Valentino suddenly scooped her up in his arms like he was carrying a bride.
Caterina shrieked and giggled at the same time. “Put me down!”
“Nope,” he said as he headed for the door. Then he called back to us, “See you guys later.”
“Nooooo!” Caterina howled and laughed as Valentino carried her out of the kitchen.
“I wish my love life was like that,” Raffaelo said, and I laughed.
Adriano looked at me.
“Mine is nothing like that,” I promised.
“It better not be,” he growled, then shifted topics. “Lars and Rachel went back to work training the new foot soldiers. Go hit her up, do the driving simulator for half an hour, then we’re heading back to Florence.” Adriano glanced over at Raffaelo. “You good to hang out for a while?”
Raffaelo gestured at his plate. “If I can keep eating like this, I’ll stay here forever.”
“Well, that’s not an option,” Adriano said, “so have at it while you can.”
Raffaelo gave him a thumbs-up.
“Adriano,” Alessandra said.
“Yes?”
“Giorgio deserves to have a life outside of work.”
Uh-oh…
“He can,” my boss said, “as long as it doesn’t interfere with his work.”
“Well, I specifically want him to be able to pursue this woman he’s interested in – without any interference from you.”
Oh no.
My stomach tightened as I waited for Adriano’s outburst –
But no outburst came. He just looked surprised.
“Is that an order?” he asked with the slightest hint of amusement.
Alessandra grinned. “From your Don’s wife, yes.”
Adriano glared at me, then looked back at his sister-in-law. “You know, it’s a good thing I like you so much – and that you’re going to make me an uncle.”
She laughed. “Thank you.”
He kissed her on the top of her head, then pointed at me as he headed out of the kitchen. “Thirty minutes in the simulator, then we head back to Florence. Apparently so you can work on your love life,” he said sarcastically.
“Okay, boss,” I said as I wiped my mouth with a napkin and stood up.
As soon as he was gone, Alessandra said, “I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”
I smiled. “A little. But I appreciate the help.”
“Think you can help me?” Raffaelo asked her in a joking voice.
“I don’t know,” Alessandra said. “Do you have any prospects?”
“Well, I’ve seeing this woman who works in a sewage treatment plant.”
“What?!” Alessandra exclaimed.
“Yeah,” Raffaelo said very seriously, “but it’s a shitty situation.”
I left Alessandra groaning at Raffaelo’s joke as I walked out of the kitchen.
The clock was ticking…
And I wanted to get back to the coffee shop in Florence as soon as possible.