Her mother asked, “Has he made a commitment to you or any promises for a future together?”
Emilia stood up taller. “Our relationship is in the early stages.”
“Has he declared any feelings for you?” her mother asked.
She shook her head. He seemed to be interested in a physical relationship only. She had been so weak to fall into his arms without questioning him about Anita Green.
Facing her parents, she said, “I’m sorry this has worked out this way. But you should both go home and not worry about this. I have to finish a few clips with Isabel and then I’ll fly back tonight with the sales team.”
Silence descended over them as her parents stared at one another. Her father moved first, saying, “We should go. Lia is right. Staying will not help anything.”
Her parents hugged her and left. As the door clicked shut, she contemplated if she should wait for Alex.
After sitting on the sofa for half an hour, she went in search of her necklace and other items. Holding the expensive necklace in her hand, she returned to her suite and knocked on the door. Liv let her in and she tried to shield her embarrassment as she greeted two members of the sales team in the shared sitting area. She placed the necklace back in the jewelry case and handed it to Liv.
Making a few excuses, she went to her suite for a shower. She took her time washing her hair and straightening it. She chose to wear a black pencil skirt with a white silk blouse and four-inch slingbacks. Emilia carefully applied makeup to hide the dark smudges under her eyes. She had several filmed interviews scheduled today.
She was grateful it was the last day of the trade show and that they all planned to head back to California this evening.
Walking back into the sitting room, she found Liv by herself going over the schedule.
Perching on the arm of the sofa, she asked, “Have you heard from Isabel?”
Liv glanced up from her tablet. “Yes, she came looking for you about an hour ago. She said she had enough material to work with and was anxious to head back to Boston.”
She knew Isabel was eager to return to Marc, but she would miss her steady presence. She had meant to give earrings or a pendant to Isabel so she would need to send it via courier. Having her here in Las Vegas was hugely helpful.
“Have you seen the Sun Times? Everything is so complicated.”
Liv paled slightly. “I’m afraid I’m the one who guided your parents to Alex’s suite. They refused to take no for an answer.”
Emilia smoothed down her skirt. “It was fine. They are on their way home, but to say that they were disappointed is an understatement.”
Liv gave her an encouraging look. “Let’s head to the show. I’ve lined up several interviews for you and there isn’t much time.”
In the elevator and the car service on the way over, they rehearsed different techniques for evading personal questions that could be thrown at her. Liv reminded her to stay calm and smile and that each interview would be filmed in a media area.
She turned to Liv. “I forgot to put a necklace on.” Her hand touched her bare neck.
Liv was checking her tablet as they walked into the show. “I returned the one from last night to the hotel safe, but you can get one from the display case.”
The carpeted aisles were already overflowing with attendees. She scanned the crowd for Alex, but she didn’t see him anywhere.
The booth was hectic, but she was able to get a sales person to open the case so she could select a trillion cut pendant. Liv helped her put it on as the sales person moved a few pieces around the case to compensate for losing the main focal point.
Her mind was racing with thoughts of Alex as she tried to focus on what she would say in the interviews. She and Liv walked toward the press area as people stopped to greet her or comment on the launch. She was surprised by how many industry people took notice of her.
Stepping into the media section, Emilia was greeted and guided to an interview area. An assistant placed a microphone on her and reminded her where to look during the interview and gave her a few tips. The first interview was with a man from the gem society and he mainly asked her about techniques used back at the shop. He didn’t ask any personal questions. After a few minutes, Emilia relaxed and answered each question thoughtfully.
She watched as another jeweler was interviewed; then Liv directed her to an industry trade magazine. The woman interviewing her was slightly hard-edged and Emilia looked for Liv. But her assistant had moved away to discuss the next interview.
Emilia sat down in the chair. Someone applied more makeup and a microphone was placed on her. The interview started with positive feedback on her launch, but soon the woman asked several personal questions.
A gleam had come into the woman’s eyes as she said, “So you are denying any personal involvement with Alex Armati?”
Emilia felt exposed. “We have a good working relationship and I have a tremendous amount of respect for his business acumen.”
She berated herself for the odd comment but tried to appear unflustered.
The woman tapped her long manicured nails on the clipboard sitting in her lap. “So it’s his ability with numbers that interests you, not his hot body?”
She wanted to escape the interview. “As I’ve said, he is brilliant in business.”
After a few more questions, it became clear that the woman was only interested in gossip and was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable. Emilia took off the microphone and handed it to the assistant.
There was a stilted silence that came over the interaction. Liv asked, “Is something wrong?”
Emilia pulled Liv aside. “She is asking completely inappropriate questions. The interview is supposed to be about the launch.”
Liv said, “Alex caught part of the interview. I think he may have been waiting for you.”
Emilia stilled as her mind tried to make sense of the series of events. “I need to talk to him.”
Liv shook her head. “You need to go back and finish the interview. You can’t just walk away. After that you have one more scheduled interview; then you can call it a day.”
Emilia stepped out into the corridor and didn’t see Alex anywhere.
Following Liv back into the booth, she apologized to the interviewer and sat back down. The assistant put the microphone on her and the woman glanced at her with scorn.
Emilia could see Liv hovering close to the set and she decided to try and turn the interview around. She acknowledged that she enjoyed working with Alex Armati and answered a few questions about him before moving the conversation to the design launch.
As the interview concluded, she allowed herself to be guided to another set and went through the same process again. This time the questions focused on Berceto and she found herself relaxing. After ten minutes or so, the interview concluded and the man shook her hand.
Digging her phone out of her bag, she sent a text to Alex asking if they could meet in her hotel suite. She explained to Liv that she needed a few hours to sort things out with Alex and headed back to the hotel.
She let herself into her hotel suite and crossed the room to put her bag down. She decided to order a variety of appetizers from room service. She hadn’t eaten anything all day except a cup of coffee at the show and she felt light-headed. But she doubted that she would be able to eat anything until she saw Alex.
Alex knocked on her door and watched as she opened it and stepped back to let him in. She was dressed in a slim- fitting skirt that showed her lean body to perfection. He had a flashback to their night together and could picture her lying naked in his arms. She made him feel as if she only wanted him. Instead of allowing himself to enjoy the vivid image, he banished it from his mind. She was playing games. In private, she was hot and engaging, but in public she pretended he didn’t exist.
“I caught part of your interview.” He stepped into her hotel suite and closed the door.
“Liv mentioned that you were there.”
A knock on t
he door stopped him from saying more. He let the hotel staff in to set up a table for room service.
She met his gaze. “Have you eaten anything today? I ordered half the menu.”
She twisted her ring around her finger. He reminded himself that she wasn’t able to commit to a full relationship.
“I had a business lunch at an exclusive steak house an hour or two ago.” He glanced at his watch. “My next meeting is in a few minutes.”
“We need to talk.” She was pacing and stopped to look at him. “Why weren’t you there this morning when I woke up?”
“I had an early meeting.” He didn’t want to be drawn into an emotional debate with her. It would only end with his declaring his feelings for her and her wanting to keep their relationship private.
“My parents came to your suite with a copy of today’s Las Vegas Sun newspaper.”
“You should have returned to your suite last night.” He was amazed that she didn’t.
“Do you have anything to say about the gossip surrounding you and Anita Green?” Her voice rose as she accused him.
“No.” What could he possibly say? There was no truth to the gossip. Anita Green was a practiced socialite, interested in attention and connections. At the moment, she was interested in him, but that would soon pass.
“So you slept with me while keeping her in the background?”
“I think you mean had sex. But you want that kept private, right?”
Her voice was quiet and soft, as she said, “Yes.”
He made himself turn away from her. He wanted more from her than a private relationship. But given her limitations, it wasn’t possible. Even though she would deny it, she was afraid of the media and what would be printed about them. Her ideal man was probably one without any notoriety or public image.
“Did you give the interview to the press?”
“No. The article is full of conjecture. But we have been seen together in public enough that they were able to piece together enough photographs and pseudo truths to print an article.”
She yelled, “They named you as the man in the revealing photographs.”
Looking back at her, he said, “Emilia, I am the man in the photographs. Why does the truth scare you?”
“How could they have possibly known that? Only my immediate family knew about it. Now it will just serve to re-energize the entire story.”
“So we are back to this issue. You don’t want the truth about the past to be told?”
She shook her head. He let himself out of the suite without another word. Walking to the elevator, he nodded at an employee as he pushed the button.
He loved her, which was crazy. She felt nothing for him. He would have revealed his love for her if he had stayed any longer. He had wanted to take her in his arms, but it would solve nothing. She wanted to hide behind closed doors. She had no interest in his feelings for her. He needed to escape and return to living.
For too long, he held a torch for Emilia Berceto. He had thought their physical attraction would allow her to take down some of her boundaries and begin to trust him, but instead she was just re-enforcing her fears about trust and exposure. The entire concept of investing into a nearly bankrupt jewelry empire was rash and irresponsible on his part. It had been a bad business decision motivated only by his feelings for her. He deserved to lose millions on the mistake. It would be his punishment.
Alex went about canceling his schedule and flying back early. He would send his private jet back for the Berceto team but begin to dismantle his relationship with them. He needed to reclaim his life and to stop pining away after a woman who had no lasting interest in him.
Chapter 13
Emilia hit end on the speakerphone set up in the conference room and glanced around the table. She and her team were organizing the move of Berceto to the new location. Alex had called in for the meeting but had seemed distracted. Liv was going over the schedule and everyone was addressing their particular concerns.
Her thoughts returned to Alex. He had been in Argentina on business since the show. She had hoped to be able to see him in person. He participated in conference calls and emails but had been avoiding any direct contact with her.
She excused herself from the meeting and headed to her small office. Her heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces and she wondered how long she could continue. She had barely slept or eaten since the show and it was beginning to take a toll on her. She had very little energy and could barely force herself to think about Berceto.
She opened her laptop and forced herself to check email. She heard a knock on the door a short while later.
Her grandfather pushed the door open and popped his head in.
He smiled at her. “So this is where you have been hiding.”
“Nonno, this is a surprise.” Emilia stood up and gave her grandfather a kiss on each cheek.
“This is more of a closet than an office.” He glanced around the tight, cramped space.
“I know, but we are in the process of moving and I spend most of my time on the shop floor anyway.”
“Do you want to see what is happening on the floor?” Emilia had been sharing the sales figures each night at dinner and the entire family was relieved that sales had more than quadrupled. The heightened publicity and new designs had sparked life back into the company.
“I heard you convinced Liv to move to California.” He came and sat on the corner of her desk.
Emilia smiled at her grandfather. She knew she should be happy about the turn of events, but for some reason she felt empty and exhausted.
“Now you must go and convince the man of your dreams that you love him.”
Looking at her grandfather, she slowly shook her head. “He doesn’t feel the same way about me.”
“How could you possibly know that unless you go and reveal your love for him?”
“I’ve tried, Nonno. He is not taking my calls and he has been in Argentina since the show.”
“My guess is that he is licking his wounds in private. He has been in love with you for years. Go and make him listen.”
She thought about her grandfather’s comments. She didn’t know what to think. At first, she thought Alex didn’t care for her but when they were in Las Vegas, he seemed so warm and encouraging. But then Anita Green seemed to think that he belonged to her. She didn’t know what she should do. Should she risk everything and go after him or wait for him to return?
“It’s too risky. What if he rejects me?”
“You’ll survive, but by not expressing your feelings, you are not really living. You are becoming a shell of a person. You are skinny and miserable.”
She looked at her grandfather. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
He stood up. “Someone needs to. You need to go and live your life. Don’t be so afraid, Emilia.”
He left the office quietly, and she sat and thought about her future.
The main receptionist buzzed her and told her a courier was waiting in the lobby for her.
Rushing downstairs, she hoped it was something from Alex. She saw the courier in the lobby and approached him.
The courier had an armed guard service with him and asked to see her identification before handing over a black transport case and an envelope.
After signing for the jewelry and paperwork, Emilia went over to the receptionist and had her call security. Looking in each box, she realized it was the heirloom jewelry she had given to Alex to sell. Why was he returning it to her?
She went through the process with security of returning the jewelry to the vault.
Taking the sealed envelope back to her condo, she poured herself a glass of wine before opening the envelope.
After reading all of the documents, it hit her that Alex was severing all ties with Berceto. He was taking an enormous loss to do it. He had signed over all of his shares to her for a dollar. Why was he doing this? He was a sharp, successful businessman. Why would he give away millions
to cut ties with Berceto just when the company was beginning to make a comeback? Was this some over-the-top way to make amends to her for throwing her to the wolves all of those years ago? But it didn’t make sense. He had tried to reach out to her when he realized what had happened, but she was the one who refused all contact. Her head had begun to throb.
She let herself out her back door and crossed the street, walking down to the ocean. It was a dark night with only a glimpse of the moon. The farther she walked, the more secluded the beach became. As she listened to the waves crashing against the shore, she let images of Alex flash through her mind.
Falling to the sand, tears flowed down her cheeks. She had resisted him at each turn, but the truth was she craved him. More than anything. How could she possibly explain that to him? Would he even listen?
Liv drove her to the airport the next morning. They briefly discussed a few business matters before lapsing into silence.
“I’m sorry to dump all of this on you. I just need to see him.”
“It’s fine. Your father has promised to oversee the move. Don’t worry about the company. You need to think about yourself and your future.”
Liv pulled up to departures and Emilia hugged her before climbing out of the car. She put her modest overnight bag over her shoulder and held on to her ticket and passport.
“Wish me luck.”
“I don’t think you will need it.”
Emilia smiled as she closed the car door and turned to walk into the terminal. She hoped Liv was right, but something told her she would need a ton of luck.
Emilia had been to Argentina with her grandfather years before. The bustling airport in Buenos Aires seemed familiar and she found her next flight to the Salta province.
She had pleaded with Alex’s secretary to give her the address of his secluded ranch in the Salta province in Argentina. Arriving at the small airport, she was tired and feeling less hopeful. She called the number of the private car service that his secretary had given her and the man switched from Spanish to English when he heard her voice.
The man met her at the airport and guided her to an older Land Rover. She understood from their stilted conversation that it would take less than an hour. Looking out the window, she understood why someone would visit. It was remote yet beautiful. She could see the mountains in the distance and knew that there were mines close by. Maybe that was what drew Alex here.
The Exiled Jeweler: a contemporary romance novel (The Rosa Legacy Book 2) Page 15
