Chapter 30
Giorgio
Bianca came through for me. Adriano reassigned me to Don Rosolini’s mansion.
“Didn’t work out with the barista, huh?” he asked.
“No.”
“Sorry, man,” he said as he slapped my shoulder.
And amazingly, that was all he said about it.
For eight hours a day, I pulled guard duty at the Rosolini estate. I also put in a couple of hours helping Lars train the new foot soldiers. When the simulator was available, I grabbed some driving time.
On the surface, it was a huge step down from my position as Adriano’s right-hand man –
But it was an enormous relief.
And it felt like I was back home.
After all, I’d lived at the mansion for eight months before Adriano had me move to Florence.
I was back amongst good people and familiar faces. Not to mention Caterina’s incredible cooking.
I brought a small suitcase from Florence and moved into a room in the servant quarters, along with the new guys in training.
It helped not to be by myself. It would have been a lot worse if I’d been in my empty apartment, drinking alone and binging Netflix.
Even though it was good to be back, I still felt depressed as hell.
I could forget about Emilia for a little while… sometimes even an hour at a time…
But when I was standing around doing nothing on guard duty, or staring into the darkness when I went to bed…
All I could think about was her.
The women I’d dated in the past, before I joined the Rosolinis – breaking up with them had been nothing like this.
Adriano really was right –
I’d been hit with the thunderbolt, and bad.
Four days later, I was just getting back into a rhythm at the mansion when Adriano called me from Florence.
“I need you at Bianca’s shop this afternoon.”
My stomach sank. “Does it have to be me, boss?”
“Yes, it does. Two of the other guys are sick, and I don’t want them hacking up a lung on everybody in the store.”
“But – ”
“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, are you still mooning over that goddamn chick?”
There was the Adriano I’d been expecting all along.
“No, I’m fine,” I lied.
“Good, then grab a car from the garage and get over there, pronto!”
He hung up before I could say anything else.
I sighed, told the mansion’s head foot soldier I had to return to Florence, and went back to my room to pack.
I got into Florence just after 5 PM.
As I parked the car, I glanced over at the café and felt heartsick –
But I tore my eyes away and walked into Bianca’s shop.
In my absence, it had been transformed into a makeshift photography studio. Several sheets of colored cloth hung from the ceiling: mint green, blue satin, smoky grey. Half a dozen lights on tall stands – the kind a TikTok influencer might buy on – stood around the room, though they were shut off.
But Bianca wasn’t there. Neither was Adriano or any foot soldiers.
The only people in the shop were a couple of part-time workers she’d hired to get the place ready. They were arranging clothes on the racks.
“Where’s Signora Rosolini?” I asked.
“They’re all next door at the café,” one of the women replied, then went back to hanging up clothes.
My stomach twisted in knots.
Oh SHIT.
What the hell is she doing over THERE?
Then I realized something odd the worker had said:
…THEY’RE all next door.
“Who’s next door?” I asked in confusion.
“All of them,” the woman said without looking back at me.
What the fuck?
Rather than stand around getting half-answers, I turned and headed for the street.
I really did not want to go over to the café…
But it’s not like I could say ‘no.’
I could just imagine Adriano’s reaction:
You fought beside us on San Michele! You faced down the Turk and Mezzasalma! What the fuck is WRONG with you?!
But even though I’d done all those things, my heart was still hammering in my chest as I walked over to the café –
And heard the sound of feminine laughter.
I stopped at the door, peeked my head in –
And couldn’t believe what I saw.
Bianca, Lucia, and Mei-ling were all sitting at a table indoors –
Talking with Emilia.
She was sitting with them, drinking coffee and chatting like old friends.
She wasn’t wearing her customary apron and black pants, either, but a blouse and skirt that looked incredible on her.
What, were they hanging out together now?!
My heart soared when I saw her –
But my stomach twisted in knots, too.
I realized exactly what this was:
A SET-UP.
Bianca had gone and done something behind my back!
Or Lucia – she was exactly the type to do it –
“Hey,” a familiar voice said to my left.
I looked over to see Vincenzo at a table in the corner. He was sitting alone with an empty cup of coffee on a saucer.
“What the fuck is going on?” I whispered frantically.
He frowned, like What the hell are you talking about? –
But before he could answer, another familiar voice shouted across the café.
“Gorgeous George!” Lucia shouted. “It’s about damn time! Get your ass over here!”
Oh SHIT.
I grimaced, then walked slowly towards the table.
I glanced at Emilia, expecting her to be panicked or unhappy –
But when our eyes met, she blushed and cast her eyes down at the floor.
But she was smiling.
Not much –
But it wasn’t a frown.
“Signoras,” I said when I reached the table.
“And a signorina,” Lucia said, pointing at Emilia. “Don’t forget the signorina.”
I gave her a half-smile. “Ciao, Emilia.”
“Ciao, Giorgio,” she said bashfully, only meeting my eyes for a brief second before lowering them again.
But then I saw something that took my breath away:
She was wearing the gold necklace I’d given her.
It peeked out from the open collar of her blouse.
What the fuck was going on?!
I asked that very thing –
Only a lot more politely.
“Um… what’s going on?” I asked.
“We finished our photo shoot!” Lucia said.
“It was like I was back in fashion school!” Bianca said happily. “Lucia’s amazing with her iPhone, and everyone modeled my dresses.”
I looked at Emilia. “You, too?”
“Yes,” she said shyly.
“It was awesome!” Lucia said, hopping up from the table with her phone. “Look!”
She scrolled through photos on her screen.
There were hundreds of images of all the women – some taken outdoors in the sunlit streets of Florence, others obviously shot in the makeshift photography studio.
They all wore different dresses designed by Bianca –
Including Emilia.
My eyes widened as I stared at her in a variety of outfits.
There was a short white dress with blue borders along the hem, sleeves, and neckline…
A long, flowing, mint green dress that bared her arms, perfect for the beach…
And a black dress with a plunging neckline and a slit up all the way up her thigh.
MADONN.
If I’d thought she was gorgeous in an apron and black pants, well – I hadn’t seen anything.
“You like?” Lucia asked teasingly.
“Uh… yes,” I said, my mouth dry. “Very much.”
Then I looked over at Bianca. “I mean – beautiful dresses, Signora.”
All the women laughed as though at some private joke I didn’t understand.
“What are you doing in here, though?” I asked.
“Just chilling a bit,” Lucia said.
“We bonded over the last couple of days,” Bianca explained, “so now we’re hanging out.”
I looked over at Mei-ling and asked in English, “You can understand what they’re saying?”
She smiled and answered in stilted Italian with a heavy British accent. “I’ve been studying online. And Roberto has been practicing with me in the evenings.”
“Not bad,” I answered in Italian, impressed.
“Thank you.”
“Well,” I said, not wanting to stop looking at Emilia, but also wanting to keep my promise, “I can go back and wait for you in the dress shop – ”
“No can do, Gorgeous George,” Lucia said. “Emilia needs a big, strong man to walk her home.”
“What?!” I asked, slightly panicked. “Um, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea – ”
“It’s fine,” Emilia said as she stood up.
I stared at her. “You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Emilia smiled impishly. “They vouched for you.”
I looked over at Lucia, who gave me an exaggerated wink.
Oh god.
“But Adriano – ” I protested.
“Vincenzo is staying,” Bianca said as she pointed over at my fellow foot soldier.
“But – ”
“You can come back to the shop after you get Emilia home safe.”
“…okay…”
“Bye, everyone!” Emilia said as she waved.
“Bye!” Bianca, Lucia, and Mei-ling said in a chorus.
As Emilia turned away, Lucia stuck out her tongue to the side and gave me a fuck yeah! look that wouldn’t have been out of place on Miley Cyrus – or the Sex Pistols.
Then she grabbed an imaginary person’s hips with both hands –
And started air-humping like she was a guy having sex doggy style.
OH MY GOD.
Bianca mouthed LUCIA! and slapped her arm. Mei-ling covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh.
I turned around and hustled out of the café with Emilia before she could look back.