by Cora Brent
I felt like a first-class dipshit. Here was this smart, capable woman who was just trying to do her job, totally innocent of the fact that she worked for a lech who couldn’t stop imagining what her tits would feel like in his mouth.
“Well,” said Jason suddenly, “I’d love to stick around and help you guys mediate this little situation, but I’ve got a meeting to get to. Melanie, it was outstanding meeting you, and I’m hoping for a follow-up. Dominic, you owe me a hair-raising night on the town real soon, so I’ll be returning to collect. Hug the little brother for me, will you? He’s coming next time we go out.”
“See ya, Jay,” I muttered, picking up a nearby hammer for no reason at all. I searched for something meaningful to do with it, feeling Melanie’s eyes on me all the while.
“Well?” she said when Jason was gone.
“Well, what?” I snapped.
I looked up in time to see her smile slip off her face. She crossed her arms, looking openly annoyed. “Well, Mr. Esposito, do you have a status update on when I can expect the office to be furnished?”
I gestured around at the general disarray. “As you can see, we’re not exactly show ready, Ms. Cruz.”
Melanie looked around thoughtfully. I’d been practically working around the clock since she set foot in here over a week ago, but there was still a lot to be done. Plus there were tools and dust and drop cloths all over the place. I didn’t want to worry about her tripping all over stuff in those flimsy heels.
“Fair enough,” she finally said. “But don’t call me Ms. Cruz, or Mrs. Cruz. Call me Melanie.”
I paused, wondering if I’d somehow hit a nerve. Of course I’d never asked her marital status, and Gio wouldn’t have had any reason to mention it either. But I had noticed that she didn’t wear a ring on her finger, and somehow she didn’t have the air of someone who was smugly installed in a serious relationship.
“Sorry, Melanie,” I said pointedly. “I won’t call you Ms. Cruz or Mrs. Cruz. Doesn’t make a difference to me.”
She just stared at me, all wide blue eyes in a heart-shaped face. “No, I don’t suppose it does. But in the interest of developing an amiable working relationship, if there’s something you want to know about me, I’ll tell you.”
I wasn’t sure what kind of game this was, but I was getting tired of playing it, no matter how much fun it was to watch her soft pink lips as she spoke. “All right. I’ll ask. Are you married?”
Something passed over her face, something that looked curiously like pain. “Not lately,” she said quietly.
“All right,” I said, because it was the first thing that came to mind and I was kicking myself for asking her an inappropriate question in the first place. I didn’t want to open the door to some long-winded heart-to-heart chat. Then I would be obliged to pat her shoulder or maybe offer her a friendly hug, and she would sigh into my chest, and then my hand would wander down to—
STOP!!
“Do you want me to leave?” she asked suddenly.
I blinked. “Since there’s no desk for you yet, and we don’t even have Wi-Fi set up, you should probably head back to Espo 1 for the time being.”
She shook her head, a few pieces of hair coming loose from her bun. “That’s not what I mean.”
“What do you mean then?”
“I mean, do you have a problem with the fact that I’m working for you?”
“I don’t know where you got that idea.”
She glared at me and narrowed her eyes. This Melanie definitely had some spunk to her. And if everything Gio said was true, then she was already proving to be a valuable asset. I’d been managing a business long enough to understand the worth of a good employee. Plus Gio had lectured me the other day about being a control freak and trying to take everything on myself at Espo 2. He was right. We needed someone reliable in Melanie’s position, and replacing her right now would be a pain in the ass. No, I didn’t dislike the idea of her working for me. My hang-ups weren’t her problem.
“Listen,” I said, trying to soften my tone, “everything is kind of nuts at the moment, but I will make it a priority to get the office set up for you. You have my word. I’ll have a desk, Wi-Fi, the works. Give me two more days to get it all put together, okay?”
Melanie seemed to relax a little. She nodded and gave me a small smile. “Okay,” she said. Awkward silence ensued. I racked my brain, trying to think of a way to end it without sounding like a dick again.
“Gio told me you had a funny story,” I said. “About how you came to work here.”
The comment seemed to catch her off guard. She shot me a startled look. “I guess it seems funnier now than it did at the time.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Melanie shrugged and waved a manicured hand. “It’s fine. Maybe a little embarrassing. I was actually fired. First time in my life and hopefully the last.” She hesitated. “I accidentally destroyed the expensive nuptials of a semicelebrity.”
I was confused. “How’d you manage to do that from the finance department?”
Melanie looked embarrassed. “Multitasked my way in over my head. I managed to scar an innocent Minnesota family in the process when they witnessed a groomsman getting his knob polished by the bride’s stepmother. Don’t laugh,” she scolded, because I’d started doing exactly that. Then she giggled herself.
“Well,” I said when I was finished being amused, “I can’t say I’m sorry to hear it. Seems like everything worked out for the best because here you are in the Esposito’s family.”
“Yeah,” she said, and I could tell she was pleased by the comment. “I suppose it did work out.”
The conversation kind of stalled again, and Melanie reached for the mammoth purse she’d left on the counter.
“Guess I’ll head back to Espo 1 for the afternoon and take a look at the quarterly sales tax reports,” she said.
“You do that.” I paused, watching her rummage around in her purse. “And by the way, feel free to show up for work in jeans and a T-shirt. We don’t stand on ceremony at Esposito’s. Just putting that out there.”
Melanie glanced down at herself. “Ah, what can I say? I’m a dress-for-success kind of girl. But I’ll try to fit in.”
I couldn’t decide if she was insulted or not, but in any case I figured I should have kept my mouth shut about her clothes. I didn’t want to say anything else that would seem out of sorts, so I waved with the hand that wasn’t holding the hammer. “Sounds good. I’ll see you soon, Melanie.”
She nodded. “Two days, right?”
“Two days,” I confirmed and listened as the click-clack of her heels receded. I resisted the urge to follow her hungrily with my eyes. I’d have to find a way to keep my mind out of the gutter. And I would. I had to, no matter how much of a connection I felt with her. After all, I was the boss, and there were rules—rules that Gio and I had designed for a reason. Romantic entanglements didn’t belong in the workplace.
Melanie Cruz was off-limits, and that was all there was to it.
CHAPTER FIVE
MELANIE
Since I was a little rattled by my latest encounter with the gruff, sexy Dominic Esposito, I decided to brighten my day with a quick stop at Dairy Queen. Yet even ice cream didn’t stop the latest confrontation with my boss from running through my mind.
“Give me two more days,” he’d said in a tone I could best describe as begrudging.
All because I was asking for a place where I could actually work. Why couldn’t he be more like his brother? Gio was a polite and accommodating model of a boss. Gio was awesome.
As for Dominic, I had no idea what went on behind those dark, inscrutable eyes. He was obviously a workaholic, but Gio had hinted that one of Dominic’s flaws was an inability to delegate. I’d already seen his need for control, or rather, to ensure that everything was done the right way—his way. I remembered the way he’d looked at me at our first meeting, like I was an irksome intruder.
Come to think of it, he still looked at me that way sometimes.
And yet my knees still threaten to give out every time he turns in my direction.
Of course our interactions hadn’t been all bad. That was what made him such a mystery. That was why I couldn’t seem to abandon this stubborn crush. Every time I thought I was ready to roll my eyes and move on to thinking about someone more suitable, Dominic had to say something sincere and charming. Like today, when he told me he was glad I’d been fired because it had made me a member of the Esposito’s family. If he was at all perceptive, he had to have noticed me blushing over that comment.
“Quit being a glutton for punishment,” I scolded myself out loud as I finished off my Oreo Blizzard. Too bad I couldn’t follow my own directions. Try as I might, I couldn’t quite quash my fixation on a man who was equal parts inappropriate and cryptic. But I needed to find a different fantasy, preferably one that didn’t involve the man who signed my paychecks. I comforted myself with the idea that Dominic had no idea what was going on inside my head. And in the end, even though he had still chased me away, our latest conversation had felt like something of a breakthrough.
As I peeled myself off the leather car seat and stepped into the oppressive September heat, I wished I’d chosen more comfortable work clothes. Everyone else at Esposito’s dressed casually, and even Dominic had been not-so-subtle about his disapproval over my wardrobe. Maybe it was time to retire the prim and proper look and opt for practicality.
“Shit,” I cursed as I noticed a huge blob of runny ice cream on my black pencil skirt. It looked like I’d been puked on. I tried to rub it out with the palm of my hand, but that only spread it around.
I crept into the restaurant, grateful for the blast of air-conditioning that battled back the extreme heat. Luckily there were customers at the front counter, so I was able to duck into the bathroom before anyone noticed me and my messy skirt.
“Melanie!” cried a delighted voice as I blinked into the bright lights of the ladies’ room.
Tara Esposito was standing at the changing station. She finished fastening a diaper onto her infant daughter and scooped the baby into her arms. Tara gave me a warm smile as baby Leah began chewing on her own hand.
“Please don’t look at me,” I grumbled, switching the faucet on and grabbing a handful of brown paper towels. “I’m a victim of my own repulsive eating habits.”
Tara laughed. “If anyone asks, just say that you were holding Leah and she spit up on you.”
“Thanks for the alibi,” I said, scrubbing vigorously. Unfortunately the paper towels were rather brittle, and pieces of them flaked off on my skirt. I sighed and gave up.
Tara slung a pink diaper bag over her shoulder and walked over to check out the damage. “It doesn’t look that bad,” she said. “But if you want to change, I have a pair of jeans out in the car.”
“Thanks,” I said, “but I think I’ll just endure the aftermath and call it a life lesson.”
Her offer was very sweet, but she was five foot ten and skinny as a catwalk model. In other words, barring a magic trick, there was no way we’d fit into the same pair of pants.
Tara nudged me. “Did you have lunch already?”
“Does an Oreo Blizzard from Dairy Queen count?”
“Not unless you chased it with a cheeseburger.”
“Then no, I haven’t. I took a ride down to Espo 2 to have a chat with Dominic.”
Tara looked amused. “And how did that go?”
“Unproductively.”
She laughed. “Come on, let’s grab a table. If Gio asks, we’re having a crucial strategy session.”
Gio was up front, fiddling with the cash register. He looked up when we emerged from the bathroom, but his wife blew him a kiss and sweetly asked him to please send over a pizza and a few sodas.
“Melanie didn’t get to have lunch yet,” she explained as she prodded me into a chair at a nearby table.
A minute later Gio himself brought a pair of sodas over. The baby smiled and cooed at her father, and as soon as he set the glasses down, he plucked her right out of Tara’s arms.
“Thanks, love,” Tara said as she unwrapped her straw.
Gio smiled at his wife and gave his baby daughter a kiss on her chubby little cheek before turning his attention to me. “Surprised to see you back here already.”
“You are?”
He laughed. “No. But I thought there was a chance you could light a fire under that brother of mine. How are things looking? Dom promised me he’d get those boxes moved out of the office.”
“He lied,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. Gio looked startled, so I tried to be more diplomatic. “I mean, Dominic indicated that he understands the challenges ahead, and while he is committed to getting the office in order, he’s been swamped with the renovation work.”
“Ah,” Gio nodded. “Kicked you out of there, did he?”
“So fast I wondered if I smelled bad.”
“You don’t smell bad,” Tara assured me with a sympathetic pat on the hand. She exchanged a look with her husband.
“Dom is . . . ,” Gio started to say, then trailed off.
“Stubborn and territorial,” Tara finished with a sweet smile.
“Tara,” her husband warned, but I could see he was trying not to laugh.
“Sorry,” she said. “I swear I’m not trying to scare Melanie off.”
Gio checked the time and announced that he had to get going to a meeting with a local organic farmer who was looking to supply the restaurant’s produce for salads and toppings.
Tara held her arms out to take baby Leah. Gio kissed them each on the forehead and asked me to do the daily bank deposit, which I’d already gotten used to.
“I’ll be back in time for the dinner rush,” he said. “In the meantime Aimee and Carl are serving, and Tim, Juan, and Dmitri are in the kitchen. They’ll help you figure out anything that comes up.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
As soon as he stepped out the door, Aimee, a college student who was rather flighty but seemed all right mostly, approached the table holding a pizza.
“Hot out of the oven,” she said, and I grabbed a piece as soon as she set it down. I’d never been a huge pizza fan, but I had to admit I’d changed my mind since I started working at Esposito’s. These guys knew how to do pizza right.
Tara had covered herself with a pretty blue scarf so she could breastfeed Leah discreetly. At our first lunch she’d told me the story of how she met her husband. Back when Esposito’s first opened, Tara had been working at a nearby coffee shop, and one day she wandered down here at lunchtime to see this pizza that everyone was raving about. She said that the moment she laid eyes on Gio she just knew she would fall hopelessly in love with him. I supposed it really did happen that way for certain people. Gio and Tara were so obviously in love they fascinated me. It sounded corny, but I could swear that even the air got happier when the two of them were together in the same room. They were a true love story, like my parents. Knowing that such couples were possible made the rest of us onlookers feel as if we might have a chance to find that kind of love for ourselves.
I was really glad to have Tara in my life, and not just because she’d given me the tip about the job. She stopped by several times a week to see Gio and always took the time to chat with me. We’d had several lunches together, and I even met her downtown at the art museum for a few hours last weekend because there was an exhibit on hoopskirts that she was dying to see.
“So,” said Tara, giving me a rather mischievous grin. “Now that Gio’s gone, you can freely state what you really think of my brother-in-law.”
I nearly choked on my pizza. I didn’t want to bad-mouth my boss, but maybe Tara had some insight to offer. Maybe then I could stop feeling paranoid that Dominic Esposito was searching for a reason to get rid of me. I already liked working here, and my ego was still bruised from one fall from grace this year. I didn’t want to thi
nk about getting fired again.
I leaned in and kept my voice low so none of the other staff would hear. “He seems rather, um, intense.”
“You mean like he’d rather cut his pinkie finger off than accept help from anyone?”
“Something like that.”
“Yeah.” Tara sighed and frowned. “Now, I love Dom like he’s my own brother. He’s devoted to Gio, and he would move the moon for our baby girl, but sometimes it’s like he doesn’t quite get that a wide collection of people inhabit his orbit. I mean, I understand why he’s wary on some level. You know the history, right? What happened with the original family restaurant?”
Gio had mentioned that Esposito’s was modeled after the New York original. The first Esposito’s had long been out of business, and the brothers were looking to recreate their legacy here on the other side of the country. Tara filled in the rest of the details about how Gio and Dom’s grandmother, Donna, moved to the other side of the country.
Tara paused in her story and shifted the nursing wrap, settling a sleepy Leah on her shoulder. “So you see,” she said, “these two men believe they are trying to restore their family’s good name, and they’re awful serious about it, especially Dom. Gio tells me you’re doing a great job. Dominic will come around and see that, once he gives you a chance. And he will. Just don’t get chased off before that happens. Promise me.”
I winked at her. “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere unless forced.”
Tara stuck around until Leah started getting irritable and then she took the baby home for a nap. Before disappearing into the tiny office down the hall, I walked around to talk briefly with each employee. They were a friendly bunch for the most part. My favorite was Carl, the ex-cop, who would happily drone on about his crime-fighting days as he refilled the shakers of parmesan cheese.
“This one night we received a call from a department store, one of those mega stores where they sell everything from motor oil to fresh lobsters. Just before they closed the door for the evening, this guy busts in on a dirt bike and starts riding through the aisles. He wore a blue cape, white underwear, and a cowboy hat.”
