21 #2
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be…” Jerome frowned worried he’d neglected Sky on their busiest night.
Paul sensing Jerome’s anxiety interrupted. “Don’t worry boss, Gino and I have everything under control. You’ve enough on your plate. I’ll get Gino to send you the figures for tonight and I’ll fill you in on anything else. Take a night off.”
“Thanks Paul. I think I just might.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sure, bye.”
Jerome put his phone away and looked up at Dani who was watching him. For some inexplicable reason he felt he needed to explain the phone call to her.
“Head of security at Sky.”
“Trouble?”
“No. He was just worried. I’m normally there by now.”
“Oh I see. That’s nice of him. You’re lucky to have such good staff.”
Jerome narrowed his eyes at her and a ghost of a smile skirted around his sculptured mouth. “Yes I am,” he replied. He paused allowing his comment to sink in and what it implied, then continued. “He’s a friend too. It’s important to have people you can trust around you in this industry.”
Dani nodded her agreement. “Is that why you employ a lot of your family? Because you trust them?”
Jerome chuckled at her observation. “Yes, one of the reasons.”
Dani’s eyes widened for a moment. Images of the Godfather and Mafia came unbidden into her mind and her face dropped a little.
She swallowed, her mouth drying up all of a sudden.
Was she working for some Italian mobster family?
They had everything they needed, an accountancy firm, a lawyer.
She shook her head trying to dispel her unwelcome thoughts. Jerome cocked his head to one side.
“Mama told you about our family?”
“Er, yes, but to be honest I couldn’t keep up. It was just too much to take in.”
Jerome grinned at her, “Yes, we’ve a very big family. Your family is small I take it?”
“Just me and Chloe, our parents died a few years ago. Adam has no brothers or sisters, only his father. So we’re pretty small in comparison to yours.”
“And yet you chose to live in London, far away from them?” the question was out before he could stop himself. Dani’s eyes dropped and Jerome instantly felt bad.
“It was a bad decision on my part,” she replied quietly.
Jerome bobbed down to catch her gaze and she jerked her eyes to meet his. “We’ve all made mistakes, Dani.”
Dani took in a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, just that some are bigger than others.” Jerome blinked softly at her itching to ask more.
To find out what had driven her back up to her family, two hundred miles away from her previous job and home.
In the few minutes they’d spent together Jerome felt their relationship had already shifted slightly, exactly what he’d feared.
Dani seemed more at ease around him and he in turn felt less guarded and a lot more comfortable.
Maybe too comfortable. The last thing he needed was to complicate his life but there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that he liked being around her.
He liked it a lot and he knew he had no right to feel that way.
Lost in his troubled thoughts Jerome had almost forgotten there was a party of six sitting behind him until Dani’s attention was drawn to the table.
“Time to go.”
Jerome furrowed his brow for a moment confused at Dani’s comment.
“They’ve just asked for the bill,” explained Dani.
“Oh.” Jerome turned in his seat towards the table, unnerved by how disappointed he felt that their time alone was ending.
Dani quickly prepared the bill and handed it over to them.
Jerome pushed to his feet and paced over to wish them a good night and take care of the payment while Dani cleared the table.
Jerome locked up the front door behind them as Dani took everything into the kitchen, then she ran downstairs to put on her coat and get her bag.
By the time she was back up Jerome had switched off all the lights and was waiting for her in the vestibule by the back door.
“Here, they left this for you.” In his hand was a twenty pound note.
“Oh, thanks.” Dani took the note and shoved it in her bag.
“Thanks for tonight.” Jerome leaned over and opened the back door. “For staying and helping out with the reservations.”
Dani walked out of the door into the cold night air. “No problem. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Actually I won’t be here. Peter’s just text me saying he’ll be back tomorrow.” He turned to set the alarm and locked the back door.
“Oh.” She couldn’t hide her disappointment. “I mean, it’s good that he’s better,” she added quickly. They’d reached her car and Dani fumbled for the fob to unlock it.
“Yes it is.” He turned to face her. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night at Sky?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Good. Well good night, Dani. Drive safely.” He stepped backwards and headed for his car.
“I will. Good night.” Dani slipped into her car and started the engine. Her stomach sank. She’d have to wait twenty-four hours to see him again.
JEROME WAS SITTING IN his home office waiting for his computer to open.
After two days of being at La Casa he decided to stay home today.
He’d already gone for a run and then made breakfast for the kids, allowing Liz a lie in.
Nina had Sunday off and would be back around seven so he was determined to have some quality family time.
He pressed the email icon and waited for his emails to filter through while he sipped his espresso.
It was just past ten and Jerome found it hard not to think about what was happening at La Casa.
He knew Peter was there and that everything would run like clockwork, but after being there constantly for the last forty-eight hours he realised how much he missed it and the buzz.
Scott’s report flashed up on the screen and Jerome apprehensively clicked to open it.
He quickly read it. Liz had been home until eleven and then she had gone shopping to IKEA for an hour.
Her appointment with the hairdresser at Level One had meant Nina and the children had met her outside La Casa for lunch, then she left alone and headed to the agency.
She spent two and a half hours there, returning home around six thirty. Jerome noted she stayed home all night.
Again nothing unusual. He tapped his desk unsure of what he was expecting.
It was only the second day, he thought. Then frowned to himself.
Why on earth did he want to find something?
Wasn’t this what he’d hoped for? Liz to have finished her affair and to be committed to him and their family?
He leaned back on his chair, then clicked to Gino’s report from last night.
He needed to concentrate on something else, anything other than the unsettling feelings he couldn’t quite understand.
ARSENIO OPENED UP HIS laptop that sat on his kitchen table, and immediately moved his curser over the email icon and clicked it open. He took a sip from his espresso and tapped his fingertips impatiently on the glass. He’d heard nothing from Jerome and was now eager to see what Scott had to report.
The emails began to filter through and Arsenio quickly opened up Friday’s report and read it. He sat back on his chair unsure of what he was expecting, but he was most definitely disappointed. Nothing unusual.
He scrolled down to Saturday’s report and opened it up, again reading its contents. He frowned at the screen. Again nothing unusual.
Arsenio drained his coffee and set down his cup on the saucer a little too hard.
Damn it. He was sure there’d be something.
He was willing to bet his business Liz was still seeing that pumped up asshole.
She was either very clever at hiding it or he was totally wrong.
And he was rarely wrong. Over the two days she’d done nothing other than see her agent, spend time at home and do a little shopping.
Granted he was surprised she’d lowered her standards to shop at IKEA, it was far too functional and wasn’t ‘designer’. Not Liz’s style at all.
Arsenio scraped back his chair and picked up his empty cup and saucer, taking it over to the coffee machine for a refill.
Well it was early days. He just hoped she’d slip up soon so that Jerome would finally kick her to the curb.
He popped another coffee pod into the machine and turned the knob.
He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.
Even if they caught her red handed, straddled over Jonathan, it wasn’t enough.
Jerome wanted full custody of his children and Arsenio knew that infidelity wasn’t going to secure him that.
Until he could, Arsenio knew Jerome would sacrifice himself, staying in his lie of a marriage for the sake of Kara and Alessandro.
And for the first time Arsenio couldn’t blame him.
AS WAS EXPECTED, SUNDAY at La Casa d’Italia was hectic.
Peter took full control again to Gia’s relief, easing the pressure off her.
Peter disliked being away from La Casa, it was very much part of his life, it was the family he’d never managed to have.
Gia sat with him going over everything that had happened just before she went to her apartment for a rest after the lunchtime rush.
Dani stayed on in the afternoon with Richard and Augustino but served behind the bar rather than in the restaurant. Peter sat on one of the bar stools sipping his coffee, glad for the break.
“I never had chance to thank you for stepping in, Dani. Gia told me you helped out a lot while I was away.”
“It was a pleasure, I’m happy to help out. I didn’t do that much.” Dani shrugged.
“Gia also told me you’ve volunteered to teach her how to use a few programs on the computer.” He arched his eyebrow at her.
“Yes, I used it all the time when I was in London.”
“Well that’d be a great help, we’ve tended to keep things more… “ He twisted his mouth as he tried to find the right word.
“Traditional?” suggested Dani.
Peter chuckled at her delicate choice of words. “Yes… traditional works. Gia’s a little intimidated by technology.”