Chapter 21
Giorgio
An hour after we left the mansion, I parked the Mercedes in front of the dress store. Raffaelo was going to pop into the shop to say ‘hello’ to Bianca and then take off.
“Good luck with the barista,” he said as we all got out of the car.
“Thanks.”
Adriano pointed at me. “You can have an hour to hit on that chick, then I want you back in the shop.”
“She might not even be working today, boss.”
Raffaelo’s eyebrows shot up as he looked past me. “You said she was blonde?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’m pretty sure she’s working today.”
I turned around, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw Emilia bringing drinks to some customers seated outside.
“That’s her?” Adriano asked, impressed.
“Yup.”
He smacked my chest with the back of his hand. “Good luck. You’re gonna need it.”
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically.
Adriano laughed and said to Raffaelo, “Let’s leave him to his soap opera.”
As they disappeared inside Bianca’s store, I took a deep breath and turned around.
Emilia had already gone back inside, so I followed her into the café.
She was behind the counter when I walked in.
She lifted her eyes to greet me –
And then her expression went the tiniest bit sour.
Not exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for.
“You’re back,” she said in a voice like Oh, great.
“I’m glad you’re so happy to see me,” I joked as I walked up to the bar.
She snorted softly, then looked back down and started cleaning glasses.
“Did you miss me?” I asked.
“I was counting the seconds until your return,” she said in an emotionless voice.
“That’s a lot of seconds.”
“Actually, I stopped after five.”
“I made it that far?!” I said happily. “I’m doing better than I thought!”
Despite her best attempts, the corners of her mouth turned up.
“Aha! Yes!” I crowed, and her smile got the tiniest bit bigger.
I leaned on the bar and said in a low voice, like I was confiding in her, “I’ve been working on my flirting.”
“You need to work on it some more,” she said coolly.
“GLADLY! So, bella – ”
“Oh god,” she groaned as she tilted her head back. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I.”
“Yes, you did. So, did it hurt?”
“Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from heaven.”
She gave me a dead-eyed stare that said, That was TERRIBLE.
“No? Alright, how about this: on a scale of one to ten, you’re a nine – and I’m the one you need.”
“Oh god,” she said, making a face like I’d farted.
“How about this: here I am!” I said, making a flourish with my arms. “What are your other two wishes?”
“Number two: go away. Number three: never come back.”
“Oooooh!” I said, wincing. “I walked into THAT one.”
“Yes, you did.”
“So – ”
“Did you not hear wish number two and three?” she interrupted. “Go away, and never come back?”
I gave her a confused smile and shook my head. “I don’t understand. What have I done to you?”
“What, besides spouting bad pickup lines?” She ticked off her fingers one by one. “Let’s see – there’s bothering me, wasting my time, annoying me – ”
“I’ve done nothing but be friendly and a little flirtatious, yet you act like I’m some terrible person,” I said, though I kept my voice kind and curious. “Seriously, what did I do?”
“I made it clear from the very first time you opened your mouth that I’m not interested – and yet, here you are again.”
“I noticed you didn’t mention the boyfriend this time,” I said with what I hoped was a charming smile. “I’m assuming he doesn’t exist, so why make him up?”
“Because assholes like you won’t take ‘no’ from a woman,” she snapped. “Only from a man, even if he’s imaginary.”
I was surprised at the anger in her voice –
But I was even more surprised by what happened next.
As soon as she said it, her eyes widened and her face filled with fear, like she was terrified of my reaction.
“Hey – hey,” I said softly, lifting my hands to calm her. “Whatever I did, I didn’t mean to. I’m just trying to understand because I like you. I think you’re beautiful – and I think you’re very funny, too.” I paused, then added, “Despite you ripping me a new asshole every time I come to see you.”
The fear left her face, and she had to suppress a smile.
Progress!
At least she wasn’t terrified of me anymore.
“So… what is it?” I asked gently. “What did I do?”
She stared at me for a long time…
Then took a deep breath as though steeling herself.
When she finally spoke, her voice was accusatory: “What do you do for a living?”
…ah.
When I’d told Alessandra and Caterina earlier that I was nervous Emilia knew about my job, I’d been right.
“I’m a driver,” I said neutrally.
“A driver,” she repeated, clearly not believing me.
“And a bodyguard,” I added.
“Oh, a bodyguard,” she said, faking like she was impressed. “For who?”
“My boss.”
“And what does your boss do?”
I groaned inwardly.
Okay, she DEFINITELY knows.
“He’s a businessman.”
“A businessman,” she said, repeating it sarcastically.
“Yes. My boss’s wife is opening the fashion boutique next door.”
“Good for her. What specific business is your boss in?”
I shrugged. “A little of this, a little of that. You know.”
“No, I don’t know, which is why I’m asking. A little of what?”
“Import-export.”
“Oh,” she said brightly, like that cleared it all up. “Does import-export include extortion? Or blackmail? What about breaking people’s legs?”
Shit.
I sighed. “It’s not like that.”
“Then what’s it like?”
“The family I work for – ”
“So you work for a family,” she said, putting an ominous emphasis on ‘family.’
“They’re good people,” I protested.
“Good to you. But maybe not so good to everybody else.”
Before I could say anything else, her voice changed.
“Look… I say this with the utmost respect, because I do not want to make you angry… and I don’t want to piss off your employers… but I don’t want to date somebody in the…”
She glanced around the mostly empty coffee shop, then lowered her voice as though trying to be discreet.
“…in your line of work. I left Milan to get away from that sort of thing, and I just – I can’t do it, okay? You seem like a nice guy, but I can’t. I just – I can’t.”
Now it all made sense.
She’d probably had some sort of run-in with the mafia in Milan.
Maybe someone who worked for the Camerotas, the Cosa Nostra family that ran the city.
From what Adriano had told me, Don Camerota was an asshole. I didn’t see why his foot soldiers would be any different.
I wanted to tell Emilia that she was wrong, that I was nothing like whoever had hurt her –
But I knew better than to push it.
I knew that I wasn’t going to change her mind –
At least not immediately.
I took a second to gather my thoughts about what I was going to say.
Then I gave her a gentle, friendly smile.
“You’ve been very open and honest, and I appreciate that. From what you’ve said, I assume something bad happened back in Milan. I’m sorry about that.
“But I want you to know, I’m different. I’m going to prove to you that I’m different, and I’m going to change your mind.”
Her shoulders slumped like she was both exasperated and in despair, and she stared at me like You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I put out my hands like Hold on! “I promise you this: I will never pressure you, I will never bother you, I will never do anything but be friendly and kind to you. But I have to say, I think you’re amazing, and I want to get to know you better.
And I’m going to prove to you that I’m a better man than you think I am.
All I ask for is a chance. After you’ve given me that chance, if you still don’t want anything to do with me, I’ll respect that.
But at least give me a chance to prove I’m not who you think I am. ”
She glared at me. “Do I have a choice?”
I gave her a half-smile. “I know I’m going to come off as an asshole by evading your question, but I swear I will never be anything but friendly and kind to you.
And if I still can’t change your mind, then I will walk away, and you’ll never see me again…
except maybe in passing on the street. I swear it on the lives of my mother and father. ”
She looked at me like part of her didn’t trust me, although another part of her wanted to believe me.
But at least she didn’t say anything angry or sarcastic.
“I really enjoyed talking to you today,” I said as I backed away from the bar, “and I appreciate you being honest with me. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow. Arrivederci.”
I gave her one last smile, then turned and walked out of the café.