Alessandro's Prize

by Helen Bianchin

  ‘Bella,’ he complimented gently as he cupped her shoulders and bestowed a fleeting kiss to her cheek.

  ‘Thank you,’ Lily acknowledged, and felt the familiar tightening deep inside at his smile. ‘I’m flattered I won out over the numerous names you have in your little black book.’

  Alessandro curved an arm around her waist. ‘Remind me some time to tell you why.’

  His subtle cologne teased her senses as he ushered her to the waiting car and saw her seated before he slipped in behind the wheel.

  Traffic was heavy, and it took time to park and enter the Piazza della Scala and join the evening patrons seeking what many would consider to be the ultimate opera experience.

  It was impossible not to feel a sense of awe, knowing how long the venue had stood, its history, the famous composers whose works had been sung by equally famous sopranos, contraltos and baritones over time. The costumes, the background scenery. The drama, the voices as the characters’ stories were revealed to the accompaniment of glorious music.

  Beautiful, enthralling, exquisite…were the descriptive words that came to mind, and she said so during a break between acts.

  For the duration, she had forgotten it was Alessandro who sat at her side, for in truth she lost sight of everything except what was happening on stage.

  ‘You are enjoying the evening.’

  It was a statement, not a query, and her eyes shone with pleasure as she met his own. ‘How could I not?’ she answered simply.

  He caught hold of her hand and threaded her fingers through his own. ‘Bene.’

  Lily told herself the holding hands thing was just a friendly gesture, and tried to deny it felt…nice. A hint of strength in the warmth of his clasp, a sense of protectiveness, and for a while she made no attempt to disengage her hand. Only to have his fingers tighten a little when she did.

  There was a sense of disappointment when the final act reached its conclusion and the lights came on, the inevitable crush of people as they lined up at the exits, and eventually the cool evening air as they reached the piazza.

  ‘There is a pleasant restaurant not far from here,’ Alessandro indicated the direction. ‘Are you hungry?’

  ‘Yes,’ Lily said at once. ‘Ravenous.’

  His husky laughter curled round her nerve-ends and tugged a little. ‘Then we shall eat.’

  There was a sense of intimacy in the way his arm curved along the back of her waist, and she wanted to deny that she liked the feel of it resting there a little too much.

  Even in stiletto heels, her eyes were barely level with his black bow tie, and if she were to lean in against him, her head would fit into the curve of his shoulder.

  Just for an instant she was strongly tempted to move closer, except that would provide a message she wasn’t ready to deliver.

  The restaurant Alessandro chose was well patronized, and the greeting he received from the maître d’ was little less than obsequious as they were led to a quiet curved booth in one corner.

  ‘Bottled water, Pellegrino,’ Lily indicated when Alessandro suggested wine, and she ordered an entrée of risotto with sautéed mushrooms sprinkled with fresh parsley.

  A light meal perfect for this late hour, although Alessandro selected a main course, and waived the wine.

  There was a sense of…what? Friendship? More than that, Lily admitted. More than mere duty to the niece of a woman he held in such high regard. Slowly, steadily, he was invading her mind, stirring emotions she’d prefer were left dormant.

  Yet there was something elusive simmering between them, a sense of inevitability…almost as if she were being gently led along a preordained path.

  Leading where?

  She didn’t want to be caught up, body and soul. His, irrevocably, but for how long? A few weeks, months maybe? Then what? A gentle distancing? A return to mere friendship? Acknowledging him on social occasions. Worse, so much worse would be seeing him with another woman and feeling totally torn apart.

  ‘You’re thinking too much.’

  Lily lifted solemn eyes to meet his own, and offered, ‘It’s a female thing.’

  ‘Questions,’ he posed quietly, ‘to which you seek answers?’

  He was far too perceptive, and she wasn’t comfortable with it. ‘I already know the answers.’

  ‘I’m sure you imagine you do.’

  There was an inference apparent she was reluctant to explore.

  ‘It’s been a lovely evening. Thank you for inviting me to join you.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ With that he signalled the waiter, paid the bill, adding a generous tip, and cast her a musing look. ‘Shall we leave?’

  They walked to where he’d parked the car, and as soon as they became mobile he activated the CD player.

  Verdi emitted from the speakers, and Lily leant back against the headrest and closed her eyes, lost to the music and a host of powerful images.

  It was almost a disappointment when the car drew to a halt outside her apartment.

  Alessandro released his seat belt, then her own and reached for her, ceasing whatever she had been about to say with the simple expediency of covering her mouth with his own.

  No words, just action, as he teased and tasted the sweetness within, encouraging her response until she wound her arms around his neck and held on. Only to still as his hand slid to cup her breast.

  The soft brush of his thumb over the sensitive peak brought a faint groan low in her throat as sensation arrowed deep inside.

  For a moment she remained immobile, then sanity prevailed and she struggled to be free of him. Surprise and relief meshing together as he slowly eased back.

  His eyes were almost black, their expression impossible to define as she instinctively used the flat of her hands against his chest to effect some leverage.

  ‘I…must go.’ Dear heaven. She collected her evening purse and reached blindly for the door-clasp. ‘Thanks,’ she managed as she opened the door and slid out as Alessandro offered, ‘Dormire bene.’

  Sleep well.

  As if she could manage that easily after losing herself in the intoxicating magic he managed to bestow. Without a word she carefully closed the car door, then she walked, when she was tempted to run, to the entrance, punched in the security code, and moved into the lobby the instant the external door released.

  It was just a kiss, she assured as she rode the lift to the third floor.

  A very good kiss, Lily reflected when she was safely ensconced in her apartment.

  OK, amazing, she admitted as she lay awake coveting sleep.

  What would it be like to…?

  Don’t even go there.

  It’s not going to happen.

  ‘What is it with this guy on table five?’

  Lily looked up from plating an order and met Hannah’s exasperated expression. ‘Something wrong?’

  ‘He’s sent back his starter with a complaint about the prawns. Says they’re overcooked.’

  Giovanni had prepared the prawns himself, and they were perfect. ‘I’ll plate up another starter.’ And she deftly did so, placing it ready for Hannah to serve.

  Back it came, and this time Hannah rolled her eyes. ‘A touch too much dressing on the salad.’

  Lily cast a disbelieving glance. ‘You have to be joking?’

  ‘Uh-huh. He has something going on, I swear.’

  ‘OK. This time serve the dressing separately so he can add it himself.’

  Five minutes later Hannah returned and lifted her thumb in a positive gesture as she collected another order. Hallelujah.

  Lily really shouldn’t have celebrated quite so soon, and the fussy customer, as he was now referred to, returned his second course, this time with the complaint there was an abundance of sauce on the fettuccini.

  Lily bit back an expressive oath, and set up another plate. Only to have it returned minutes later with the words, ‘Not enough sauce.’

  A fresh plate went out, this time with the sauce in a separate bowl.r />
  Hannah returned it with a thunderous expression, and Lily threw up her hands with a strongly muttered ‘What now?’

  ‘Tomato base a fraction too acidic.’ Hannah executed an expressive eye-roll.

  Given it was Giovanni’s much-lauded recipe which no one ever faulted, it was obvious the customer was no longer picky, but out to cause trouble.

  ‘If you thought things couldn’t get worse…think again. Alessandro del Marco has just entered the restaurant.’

  ‘To dine?’

  ‘He’s talking with Giorgio.’

  Why did she get the feeling the rest of the evening was going to take a downward spiral?

  ‘Request the guy at table five makes a different selection.’

  Hannah breathed in deeply, then exhaled. ‘I’ll suggest the marinara. If he objects to that, I may accidentally on purpose ensure the contents of the plate end up on his lap.’

  ‘Oh, please,’ Lily vented very quietly. ‘Allow me the pleasure.’

  Minutes later Hannah returned. ‘He’ll accept fettuccini marinara.’

  Lily shot her a look that indicated more than mere words could convey. ‘Will he, indeed?’ She set it up, and spooned the portion of marinara sauce into a bowl. ‘Return that to Mr Fussy, with the chef’s compliments. And smile nicely.’

  ‘If I must.’ Hannah offered a questionable gesture. ‘OK, play nice. Got it.’

  Lily did her best not to laugh as Hannah sailed out of the kitchen.

  Faux humour that soon died when Hannah returned with the plate and bowl in hand. ‘I swear…’ Lily trailed with barely suppressed anger.

  ‘Hold it, sweetie. He wants to see the chef.’

  Lily straightened. ‘Does he now?’ She took a fresh plate, added pasta, marinara sauce, and tilted her head.

  ‘You’re not going to…’ Hannah began in hushed disbelief as Lily began walking towards the kitchen door.

  Lily looked back over one shoulder. ‘Watch me. Table five, you said?’

  Smile, she bade silently. Play nice.

  And she did, she even chanced a quick glance towards the table Alessandro occupied, until she saw precisely who occupied table five.

  James.

  Playing nice went out of the window, or door, in this instance.

  ‘Buona sera,’ Lily offered with such chilling politeness it was a wonder the contents of his glass didn’t instantly freeze. ‘I understand you have a complaint about your meal.’

  He directed her a superior look. ‘Yes. I returned the starter several times, and I’m not at all happy with the fettuccini.’

  ‘I understand, sir. The waitress has relayed your comments.’ She extended the plate with its perfectly presented pasta. ‘A fresh batch of marinara sauce has been especially prepared for you. With the compliments of the management.’ She placed the plate onto the table just a little too close to the edge, and as she removed her hand her fingers accidentally tilted the plate’s rim, causing the contents to slide onto his lap.

  ‘Oh, my goodness,’ Lily exclaimed with feigned distress. ‘I am so sorry.’ She whipped a spare napkin from the table and collected a spoon. ‘Please, let me clean this up.’

  ‘Get away from me!’ James roared, and cursed beneath his breath.

  ‘My sincere apologies,’ she offered politely.

  ‘Maître d’!’

  Giorgio, the sweetheart, took the situation in at a glance, and immediately expressed his concern. ‘An unfortunate accident, sir. You will, of course, be compensated for the dry-cleaning.’

  ‘It was deliberate. She deserves to be fired!’

  ‘I suggest you leave,’ a familiar voice drawled with dangerous calm, and Lily watched James’s features pale as he recognized who stood before him.

  ‘You!’ He began to bluster… ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  Alessandro arched an expressive eyebrow. ‘You have the choice of leaving quietly of your own free will, or being forcibly ejected. You have one minute to choose.’

  ‘You have no right—’

  Alessandro’s expression hardened into an ironlike mask. ‘You’re upsetting the clientele in a restaurant I own. You want me to call the police and have them charge you? Twenty-five seconds…’

  James didn’t move.

  Lily unconsciously held her breath as the seconds counted down.

  As they reached zero, Alessandro spun James round, caught hold of both his hands, and forcibly marched James from the restaurant.

  It was over before it really began, and with a quiet word from Giorgio Lily and Hannah returned to the kitchen.

  ‘In a word…wow,’ Hannah voiced with a degree of awe.

  And then, some, Lily added silently as she checked the next order and began plating up.

  Five minutes later the kitchen door swung open and Alessandro entered the kitchen and crossed to Lily’s side.

  ‘Your shift is over…as of now.’

  She looked at him carefully. ‘No, it’s not.’

  ‘I say it is.’ He reached for the ties at her waist and released them, then he removed the cap from her hair. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘I have an obligation—’

  ‘One I’ve dispensed with.’

  ‘Are you firing me?’

  ‘No.’

  Well, then. At least she was still employed. ‘I’ll collect my bag.’

  ‘We’ll take my car,’ Alessandro indicated as they emerged from the restaurant. ‘I doubt you’ve eaten, and neither have I.’

  Traffic was constant at this time of night, and Lily didn’t take particular note of their direction until he slid to a halt outside his apartment building.

  ‘Why have you brought me here?’

  ‘You’d prefer a restaurant filled with people?’

  Not really.

  ‘We’ll fix a meal, share a glass of wine…’

  ‘And then you’ll take me home.’

  ‘If that’s what you want.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said simply.

  There was a sense of camaraderie as they shared the kitchen. Lily took eggs, cheese, tomatoes, herbs and whipped up two savoury omelettes while Alessandro prepared a salad.

  Simple fare, which they ate at the kitchen table, together with crunchy bread rolls and a glass of white wine.

  He’d discarded his jacket, removed his tie, loosened the top buttons on his shirt and turned back the sleeves.

  He was something else, she mused. Relaxed and vastly different from the man who’d called James’s bluff and orchestrated a forcible ejection more than an hour ago.

  ‘I don’t see any grazes or bruises,’ she offered lightly as she met his quizzical expression.

  ‘I no longer need to use my fists to enforce a point.’

  ‘I’m sure there were occasions when you didn’t have any choice.’

  ‘It’s an old story.’

  ‘And one you don’t want to share with me.’

  Alessandro sank back in his chair. ‘They were years I’m not particularly proud of.’

  ‘You survived,’ Lily said quietly.

  ‘By questionable means.’

  ‘Were you responsible for killing anyone?’

  ‘Not by my own hand.’ He’d witnessed two of his friends bleed out before an ambulance arrived too late to save either one of them.

  ‘How old were you?’

  ‘Ten and a half years.’ The half meant something back then.

  ‘You were with foster parents?’

  ‘The third lot. There were others. At age thirteen I chose to fend for myself. On the streets, living hand to mouth, bedding down wherever I could.’

  ‘What age were you when Giuseppe and Sophia took you into their home?’

  ‘Fifteen, almost sixteen.’

  ‘And the years between thirteen and almost sixteen?’

  ‘Curiosity, Lily?’

  ‘Interest,’ she corrected, holding his gaze.

  ‘I had a knack with electronics. Gadgets, computers, I could fix them, a
nd it began to pay off.’

  ‘And somehow you caught Giuseppe’s notice.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Her heart ached for the boy he’d been. Aware the bare facts he’d relayed were only the tip of the iceberg.

  Nothing of the fear that must have been his constant companion. The need to be fleet of foot and hand; to be able to fight hard to protect himself and what few belongings he owned.

  No child deserved that.

  ‘I doubt you want my sympathy,’ she ventured at last. ‘So I won’t offer it. Instead, I’ll say how much I admire you for turning your life around and succeeding against incredible odds.’

  There were emotions too close to the surface, and she needed a distraction to control them.

  ‘Dishes,’ she announced as she got to her feet. ‘Then you get to take me home.’

  ‘Leave them.’

  Lily collected plates, flatware and carried them to the counter, rinsed and stacked the dishwasher, then she dealt with the skillet. ‘Done.’

  She turned to face him, and saw that he stood close by.

  ‘You could stay.’

  No, she really couldn’t. ‘Please don’t ask that of me.’

  She dried her hands and crossed to where she’d left her bag. ‘I’ll call a taxi.’

  ‘A taxi isn’t an option,’ Alessandro said as he collected his keys.

  There wasn’t a thing she could think of to say as they purred through the streets in Alessandro’s car, and she reached for the door-clasp the instant he brought the car to a halt adjacent her apartment building.

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘I’ll see you safely indoors.’

  ‘I’ll be fine.’

  But Lily knew her emotions were too close to the surface, haunted by images of the lost child he’d been and what he must have suffered.

  The lobby was empty, and she crossed to the lift, inserted her key and prayed for it to arrive before tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

  ‘You don’t need to come up with me.’

  He didn’t say a word as he followed her in, pressed the designated button for her floor and emerged with her when the lift slid to a halt.

  ‘Give me your keys.’

  He took them from her hand and unlocked the door.

  Lily blinked rapidly as one tear broke free and rolled slowly down to rest at the corner of her mouth.