“Complacent?” she repeated, appalled.
“You have no drive, mami. You still haven’t gotten your certification, and then you take a job doing private parties for some rich dude—for what?”
“To make money, you moron. It takes time to get certified, and I’ve been working. Hard. But it takes money, too, and you know my hours were cut at the restaurant.”
Pedro sucked his teeth and waved a dismissive hand. “You think I’m stupid, don’t you? There’s something going on between you and that guy, and whether you admit it or not is irrelevant to me. You’ve been withdrawn from our relationship for a long time, and it’s gotten worse since you started working for him.”
“You are such a jerk.”
“Yeah, whatever. I’m not trying to hear any of this right now. I’m busy.”
“We are done!” Sonia yelled at his back.
“No kidding.” He didn’t even bother to turn around.
“Give me my keys.”
He stopped and took a deep breath. Waited, as if he was counting to ten, and then turned around. “You want your keys?” He jerked her keys off his bundle and tossed them at her.
They fell onto the grass.
“You’re such a jerk!” Sonia easily found the silver keys and snatched them from between the blades of grass. “You’ll be sorry!”
Pedro and his date paused at the door of his apartment building, and he looked back at her.
Humiliated, Sonia grabbed her shoes and half ran across the street barefoot. Pebbles dug into the soles of her feet as she stomped across the yard, but she ignored the pain and raced up the stairs to her apartment.
“To think I was trying to be a good girlfriend,” she muttered, slamming the door when she got inside.
Shaking, she stormed into her bedroom and yanked up the window, letting in the warm night air. Pedro, perhaps suspecting what she was up to, came tearing out the door of his building.
“Don’t do it!” he hollered, his voice echoing in the empty street.
“Fuck. You. Papi,” she hollered back.
She jerked open the drawer in her dresser that contained all of his belongings, grabbed an armful of shirts and underwear, and tossed them through the window.
“Bitch!” she heard him yell.
“I got your bitch,” Sonia muttered to herself.
She hauled another armful of clothes against her chest and tossed them out, too. The articles of clothing rained down on Pedro’s bent head as he scurried to pick up the first set.
“Does this make you feel better? You feel good now?” he yelled up at her.
“Yes!”
“You know what, I was trying to spare your feelings earlier. You’re a beautiful woman, but you can’t fuck. You are bad in bed. That’s why I’ve been fucking Mandy and Kristin at Azul for months now.”
Mandy and Kristin were waitresses at Azul. Low blow.
“Hey!” The neighbor below her poked his head out the window. “Do the two of you mind having this argument during reasonable hours? Some of us are trying to get some sleep!”
Sonia didn’t respond, but Pedro yelled at the man in Spanish.
While they argued, she tackled the closet next, yanking the few items that belonged to him off the hangers and picking up his two pairs of shoes from the floor. She tossed everything through the window. When she looked down, the neighbor had disappeared, but the redhead had joined Pedro in gathering up his belongings.
His electric razor, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant, and toothbrush were next, flung hard and fast. The toothbrush bounced off the top of a car in the street, and the razor tangled in a tree limb by the cord.
Pedro yelled in Spanish and shook a threatening fist up at her.
“You can have him,” Sonia screamed so loud at the other woman that her throat hurt. She slammed the window hard, and for a split second panicked when she thought it would shatter. That would be just her luck.
Shaking, this time not from anger but frustration, she dropped to the floor beside the bed. Relationships were not her strength. She couldn’t get them right. Men had been disappointing her all her life, starting with her own father.
She’d known her relationship with Pedro was finished, but to have it end this way was crushing. She felt dismissed and unimportant.
Sonia pressed her face to her bent knees.
She’d lost so much in the past few days. Her side gig. Her man. Most importantly, her optimism.
She felt like she had nothing left.
Esteban heard movement behind him and swiveled in the chair to see Abena enter the office with his lunch on a tray, a light meal of lobster bisque and a mixed green salad. She set the food and a glass of water with half a lemon on the table at one end of the office.
Tucking the tray under her arm, she tilted her head to the side and frowned, looking at him with concern. “You haven’t been yourself today.”
“You’re imagining things.” Esteban stood and walked over to the table.
Abena pressed her lips together into a thoughtful pout. “That I doubt. By the way, the Miami Herald called. They want to do a story on you and your contributions to the food bank.”
“No.”
Abena sighed. “Mr. Galiano—”
“Abena, you know how I feel about that kind of press, so why even ask? If the paper wants to do a story on food donations, there are plenty of other restaurant owners they can interview.”
“But they want to do a story on you, the mysterious owner of Patagonia, Nonna, and many other restaurants.”
“My food and service speak for itself.”
“They’re interested in you, the person. Even more so because you refuse to do press.”
“And I refuse to do press because I want to keep my private life private.”
“But your philanthropic work—”
“Is none of their business. I don’t do any of it for publicity. The answer is no.”
Esteban didn’t want to add to the twenty percent of food waste contributed by full-service restaurants nationwide, so for years his establishments donated the extra food to feeding programs. Volunteers came by several times a week to collect the extra food, which was neatly packed and labeled by designated staff. This project was important because it gave him a chance to give back, and it offered personal satisfaction.
Before he was adopted, Esteban had an intimate relationship with hunger in an orphanage that was understaffed and underfunded. As such, he’d been so unprepared for the abundance and variety of choices at his new home that he’d hidden food under his bed for weeks before his father discovered the stash and gently assured him there would always be plenty to eat.
As much as he could, Esteban wanted to ensure no other children suffered the same anxiety.
Realizing she was fighting a losing battle, Abena sighed heavily again. “All right, I’ll leave you alone, but I did take the liberty of canceling your two o’clock appointment and scheduling a massage at the spa. I suspect you need it. Abel will pick you up at one forty.”
That idea sounded excellent. Already the tension eased out of his shoulders. Esteban shook his head. “How do you manage to always anticipate my needs?”
“Isn’t that what a good assistant does?” Abena asked.
“You’re more than an assistant, and you know that.”
“Does that mean I get a bigger office?”
He allowed a smile. Her office was right next door and second in size only to his. “You can have anything you want; just don’t leave me. We’re supposed to grow old together.”
She laughed, her dark features lighting up with amusement. “I won’t leave you, but not because you give me a bigger office.” She paused on the way to the door. “Maybe I like working for you.”
“And you like the salary I pay you.”
Abena shook her head. “You’re too cynical, Mr. Galiano. It’s not always about money, you know. By the way, that situation has been handled. The funds were deposited into Andrea’s acco
unt this morning, as you instructed.” She knew better than to ask any questions and left, closing the door quietly behind her.
Esteban pushed up from the chair and walked over to the window. Two floors below, cars passed by while tourists and residents moved along the sidewalk at a leisurely pace.
Abena might be right, he was cynical, but she was wrong on the other point. It was always about money. Money made the world go around. With it, one could buy anything—the necessities of life, justice, respect, and even the opportunity to prove the unworthiness of one’s competition.
Now that phase one of his plan was complete, time for phase two.
Esteban picked up the phone and called Adam at Premium Staffing.
“Hello, Esteban. How can I help you?”
“I need you to find a job for an assistant pastry chef.”
Quiet.
“You mean you want me to fill an assistant pastry chef position in one of your restaurants?”
“No. As a matter of fact, I want you to stay far away from my restaurants and find this person a position with some other establishment. Preferably on the West Coast. I’ll pay the placement fees. I want him out of Miami.”
“What’s his name?”
“Pedro Loisseau. I’ll send over his résumé in a few minutes, and Adam, I need this taken care of swiftly. I’ll pay for expedited service.”
“How good does he look on paper?” Adam asked.
“Pretty good.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem, then.”
“Can you have this done by the time I get back from Argentina next month?”
“I’ll make it happen.”
Adam’s response was exactly what Esteban wanted to hear.
He hung up, feeling even more tension leave his body. He hadn’t reached out to Sonia since the night of that heated kiss at his house, but he wasn’t interested in any other woman.
He still felt her soft body and shapely curves, and hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. Quite simply, he wanted Sonia Kennedy. And he was going to have her.
Chapter 14
Sonia stared at the ringing phone. It was Esteban, and she hadn’t seen or heard from him in weeks.
After the third ring, she answered and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello, Esteban.”
“Hello, Sonia. How are you?”
“Fine. You?”
“Surprised you answered.”
“I have no reason not to answer. You’re the one who kicked me out of your house.”
She walked over to the window and looked down into the yard, waiting for him to respond. She didn’t know why he’d called, but she’d let him lead the conversation.
Her gaze followed the man who lived in the apartment below as he walked down the street.
“As you well know, I had my reasons,” Esteban finally said. “How is your boyfriend?”
“Excellent. He got a job in Southern California as a pastry chef at a farm-to-table restaurant. But you already know that because you arranged for him to be gone.”
Quiet.
“What makes you say that?”
“He never signed up with Premium Staffing, and that job in California came out of nowhere. He flew out yesterday, and today you’re calling me. It’s not that hard to put two and two together.”
Pedro had called to tell her the news, his voice pitched higher in excitement. Up until that point, he’d been begging for her forgiveness and promised to change—a complete one-eighty from his behavior the night they split. When she told him to stop calling, he resorted to following her to work. He seemed truly sorry, saying the woman was a one-night stand, someone who’d approached him at a bar.
Despite his contrition, and no matter how much he begged, she couldn’t forget the insults he’d hurled at her, and couldn’t look at him the same way after he admitted cheating with their coworkers in addition to spending the night with the redhead.
At least the pain didn’t last forever. It had been replaced by disappointment, and she didn’t love or want Pedro back in her life, no matter how hard he tried.
She’d answered the phone that day with every intention of telling him off, but then he’d excitedly shared the news about the job offer he’d received after a telephone interview. She didn’t know why he’d called to tell her about the position. She’d congratulated him and cut the conversation short, but not before he promised to call her from California. He said she could move out there with him and it would be a chance for them to start fresh. She told him not to bother, and when she hung up, she knew she’d never hear from him again.
“You wasted your time. He and I had already broken up.”
“What caused your breakup?”
“He cheated on me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m not surprised. He was no good for you. I told you that. Don’t waste your love or time on people who don’t matter.”
“Thanks so much for your wonderful advice. What do you want?”
“I want to see you.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t get you out of my mind.”
The intimate tone of his voice sent shivers scurrying over her nipples. He did things to her body without even trying.
His voice dropped lower. “This isn’t a job offer, Sonia. I’ll be back in the country this weekend and have a party and the reopening of Nonna, my Italian restaurant, to attend. I want you to be my guest.”
“Sounds very tempting.”
“Then yield to temptation.”
The soft command had her crossing her legs and biting her lip. “There’s no one else you’d rather take? No girlfriend?” she asked.
“If I had a girlfriend, I would take her, but I don’t have a girlfriend and you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Maybe I’m pining for my boyfriend.”
“You’re not. You’re pining for me.”
He sounded so sure of himself that she wanted to slap him through the phone.
“All you want is for me to attend those events with you?”
“I want you naked in my bed. I want to spread you wide, lick every inch of your skin, and do everything imaginable to you. But for now, I’ll settle for attendance at those events.”
Sonia swallowed past her bone-dry throat. “The things you say…” she said shakily.
“I prefer to speak the truth. I’ll cover the cost of your clothes and accessories and anything else you need. So, can I count on you?” He sounded distracted, as if something else were pulling at his attention now. Either that, or he’d grown tired of her holding out.
She was free, so why not? Pedro was gone, and it couldn’t hurt, could it, to enjoy herself a little—indulge in the excess Esteban offered? “I’ll be available.”
“Perfecto.”
Esteban picked her up in the Maybach, and she felt woefully underdressed in jeans and a loose-fitting blouse, but the hungry way his gaze traveled over her body as she slid into the vehicle made her feel as if she were dressed in haute couture. He’d told her to have her hair done and bring along any other necessities she’d need, which she kept in the large purse at her side.
As usual, he looked impeccable in a suit, this one navy blue with white stripes and a colorful pocket square. A neatly groomed five o’clock shadow covered his chin and jaw. He reached for her hand and kissed the palm, sending tingles throughout her body, before instructing Abel to head out.
“The boutique I’m taking you to is in the Design District, near Nonna. It’s not open for a few more days, but I know the owner from another shop she opened in another part of town. She’s agreed to meet us there.” He still hadn’t released her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her knuckles.
“If the shop is closed…”
“Trust me. She doesn’t mind.” His head turned in her direction, but the expression in his eyes was hidden from her in the dark car. “Let me do this.”
He took out his phone and made a call. He spoke in Spanish for a few minutes, l
aughing at one point. She was enthralled by his laugh—it was so rare for her to see. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and his head tilted back slightly as he spoke to the person on the other end.
When they arrived at the Miami Design District, a high-end shopping mecca known for its art galleries, antique dealers, and haute couture boutiques, they passed by Nonna and turned down another street. Abel cruised to a stop in front of a store named Bella Boutique.
They only waited a few minutes before a stylishly dressed Latina woman with long, dark hair arrived to open the door. They exited the car and approached her.
“Hola, Esteban,” she said, tilting up her lips to kiss the air beside his cheek.
“Hola, Linn. This is Sonia.” He placed a hand at the small of her back. “She needs two outfits—one for Nonna’s opening tonight and the other for a party afterward. I told her you can help.”
Linn eyed Sonia with a smile, her gaze traveling up and down the length of her body. “I think I can find something you’ll like,” she said, the remark directed more at Esteban than Sonia, which made Sonia wonder if she’d dressed his dates before.
Inside Bella, they were greeted by stark white walls surrounding one-of-a-kind dresses and other clothes. Esteban remained at the front of the store, seated on a white leather couch, while Sonia and Linn browsed for the perfect outfit. The store’s selections were geared toward women who were confident and didn’t have reservations about showing skin. Backless dresses, pants with wide legs and long slits, and sheer materials dominated the selections.
They chose several items, and with help from Linn, Sonia tried each outfit, the first of which was a burnished gold dress with spaghetti straps. Although she liked it, in the end she settled on an orange sleeveless dress with a plunging neckline for the party at the Blue Top Hotel, and a carmine-colored strapless dress with an open bodice and a thigh-high split for dinner at Nonna. The dark red looked great against her light complexion and showed off her figure. Linn brought her a pair of gold strappy sandals and a gold clutch that worked for both outfits.
More Than a Mistress (Latin Men Book 5) Page 9
