“What is your role here, Mr. Delaney – contractor?” I ask him.
“Yes, that’s right.” His tone gives me the heebie-jeebies. “What is your role here, Mrs. Milano – eye candy?”
“That’s enough, Dax.” Franco speaks up and shoots a look at him. I can tell from his face that the ‘don’t fuck with me’ look runs in the family.
Enzo tells me, “Ava, go to the car please. I’ll be there in a minute.” He doesn’t look at me as he speaks, but I know from his tone that I should just do as he says.
I walk back to the car, get in, and look back. Enzo pokes a finger in Dax’s chest, and the man raises his hands in the air. My heart swells with pride that my husband is defending me. Grabbing the blueprints, he stomps back to our car and gets in.
“That idiot,” he says, scowling. “Who does he think he is, talking to you like that? Flirting with my wife right in front of me? I should have punched him in the face.”
“Don’t worry about it, Enzo. He’s obviously a loser. I’m sure he doesn’t have much success with the ladies.”
“First of all, it’s about respect, for both of us. He also happens to be one of the biggest womanizing jerks in this town – worse than I was. So, his tactics, crude as they may be, are effective.”
I smile. “Not on me. I am immune to anyone else’s charms, crude as they may be.”
He laughs. “I wasn’t worried about him wooing you. I know you have better taste than that, my love.”
“Why do you work with him if he’s such a disrespectful chump?”
Enzo sighs. “He’s the best. Every project he takes is on time and under budget. He’s tough, but fair on his workers, and he gets the job done. His character is irrelevant, as long as he stays away from my wife.”
“I’d like to avoid him too. Honestly, he gives me the creeps.”
“Unfortunately, you’ll see more of him,” Enzo admits, “especially when we start working on the interior. I’m sure you’ll handle him just fine, but I’ll crack his head if he touches you.”
“I’ll crack it first,” I reply, grinning. “Now let’s talk about something nicer.”
“Excellent idea. Personally, I’d like to go home and finish my workday from there. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven, my prince.”
****
I pull myself out of bed and find a nice dress to put on. I’m excited to meet up with Francesca today and start talking about the new hotel downtown.
Walking back into the living room, I notice Enzo is talking on the phone. He smiles when he sees me and points to the kitchen. I walk in there to find that he prepared the coffee for me. I can’t help but wonder how long he’s been awake. I pour my coffee and then go wait on the couch. As I sit, I take in my surroundings. It’s such a beautiful house and so majestic. In my mind I can visualize how I want this room to look. I want old-world, romantic charm with books everywhere, and tapestries and mirrors on the walls. When people walk in, I don’t want them to want to leave.
“What are you thinking, amore?”
I look up to see Enzo, off his call and fastening his cufflinks.
“I was envisioning how I want this room to look. I think I’m ready to get started on it.”
“Good. I’m glad. I can’t wait to see what you have in mind for us.” He stands me up and wraps his arms around my waist. “This house is way too big for one person. I’m happy you’re in it. I don’t think I could like it here without you.”
“I’m happy here too,” I reply.
I know Enzo wants a baby, even though I’m not ready, but I think he would be happy to know I’m at least thinking about it. I am thirty, after all - not exactly a spring chicken anymore.
“Babe, I know you want to start a family soon,” I tell him. “I do, too. I just need some time to adjust to my new life and settle into a rhythm. It will happen soon.”
He kisses me. “That makes me very happy to hear. I won’t rush you, I promise. We should go now.”
“Okay,” I say.
“I was about to wake you before my call,” he says as slips into his suit jacket.
“You should have. Just once I’d like to wake up and find you lying next to me. Do you think our sleeping patterns will ever sync up.”
“Hard to say, but it wouldn’t be too difficult for me to make sure I’m there when you open your eyes.” He takes my wrist and pulls me gently towards him. “You look stunning this morning, amore.”
I grin. “So do you, tesoro. Shall we go?”
“Yes, Checca is waiting.”
We head over to Girasole, the place we will work until we can set up an office at the new location. I sit happily in my seat, soaking in the attractive landscape of the surrounding desert. Enzo pulls into the valet area and comes around to open my door and helps me out. As we walk towards the office, a very unpleasant feeling washes over me. The last time I was here was the best and worst day of my life. The crazy woman, formerly known as The Bitch, tried to kill me. I can’t shake the negative feelings associated with that day.
“Enzo, I think we need to have a party here.”
“A party? What kind of party?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. How about one on your birthday?”
“My birthday is months away. Did you forget it already?”
“No. Yes. But just for a second,” I admit. “It’s April eleventh, right?”
“Correct.”
I think. “How about a Christmas party then?”
As we continue walking, he replies, “We’ll be in Italy for Christmas.”
“We just got back. We’ve been there twice in a matter of months.”
He looks wounded. “You don’t like Italy?”
“Don’t be silly. I love Italy. But that’s a lot of traveling, isn’t it?”
“I used to go once every couple of months before I met you.”
“Okay, not Christmas then, so how about New Year’s Eve?” I suggest.
“We’ll go to Vegas for New Year’s Eve.”
I cross my arms as we enter his office. “I want a party,” I pout.
“For what, amore?”
“I want this place to be about happy things – the more the better.”
Enzo stops suddenly and pulls me into his arms. “It’s not a happy place for you because of what happened?”
“I’m trying. A lot of happy things happened here, but Anna–”
“Don’t say her name anymore.” His voice turns cold. “I won’t let her ruin that day for us. We can have a party here every day if it helps.”
I rest my head against his chest for a moment before he opens the door to the office. I lift my eyes to meet his.
“I can’t bear your unhappiness. What can I do?” he asks.
“You are doing everything you can,” I reply. “It will just take time for me to get over what happened here. I thought I was okay until we got here today. Let’s go in and try to get some work done.”
He opens the door and Francesca greets us with a huge smile as soon as she sees us and rushes towards us. “Yes, welcome back. I am so happy to see you both.” She quickly plants kisses on both mine and Enzo’s cheeks. “How was Italy?”
I adore the way she says Italy. It sounds like, ‘eataly’ when she says it. Francesca is a much needed joy right now. “It was wonderful, Checca. Quiet and serene. I’d say it was the best possible place to spend a honeymoon.”
“Yes, it was perfect,” Enzo says as he reaches out to stroke my cheek.
Francesca giggles. “I love so much to see my brother in love like this.”
Enzo grins. “You two must have work to do and so do I. I’ll see you soon, amore.” He holds my gaze for a moment and kisses my cheek before heading over to his desk in the large workspace.
Francesca and I settle in at the large wood desk in the center of the room, her drawings and sketches strewn about. She leans and whispers to me, “Yes, Ava, how are you since the wedding? We didn’t have a chance to talk
after what happened with Anna.”
Until today, I thought I was doing well with it. It’s just hit me all of a sudden how horrible it was. “I’m handling it. We had a great time in Italy and we don’t really talk about it. By the way, unless you want to see Enzo blow his lid, I wouldn’t say that woman’s name around him again.”
“Who? Anna?”
I nod. “It’s a rule.”
“Yes, a good rule.” Francesca lightly touches my arm. “So now what?”
“Now we start building our life together. My friend, Cassie, and her boyfriend are moving here in a couple of weeks. Plus I’m going to be working with you again, and I talked Enzo into getting a puppy. All regular things,” I announce, smiling.
“And the baby? When is there going to be baby?” She grins at me.
“Not you too, Checca,” I sigh. “Can I be married for a month before I get pregnant, please?”
“Yes, of course. I’m just… hopeful.”
“You’ll get your babies, I promise. What about you? What’s going on with you?” I ask.
Francesca stands, and lays out several tiles and paint swatches. “Yes, my life is good.”
The two of us get to work on matching the tiles and paint. Checca has a lot of ideas for the rooms of the downtown hotel. The lobby will be purple and white, just like Enzo wanted, and we plan to put ornate chandeliers in there too. The decor will be a unique blend of high-end luxury and modern trendiness.
Francesca turns to me. “Yes, Ava, I was thinking this one for the floors and walls of the rooms.” She shows me a very pale travertine tile and a light cream paint swatch. They both appear almost white, with just a slight hint of color. “Then we can add pops of color around the room with pillows, drapery, and art. What do you think?”
I nod. “I like it, a nice, neutral base. What colors are we using in the rooms?”
“I was thinking we go with the purple and white theme. This way, as you say, we can switch it easily if we want to,” Francesca replies.
“What about orange as an accent, along with the purple?” I suggest.
“Ooh, yes! I love this idea. What are you thinking, pillows?”
“Sure, pillows, and maybe a throw at the bottom of the beds. Maybe some in the art, things like that.”
“I would not have thought of orange. Enzo says I play it safe too much.” Laughter explodes from her throat. “I think he is right sometimes, no?”
“I don’t know, Girasole is beautiful,” I point out. “Sometimes safe is elegant and breathtaking.”
She smiles. “Yes, but bold and quirky is nice too. I like it.”
“What do you think about going over the top for the bathrooms? I love a luxurious bathroom.”
“Over the top – what does this mean?” Francesca asks.
“Well, the lobby will have chandeliers, so why not smaller ones for the bathrooms, maybe over the bathtubs?”
Francesca taps her bottom lip with her pencil; her adorable habit when she’s thinking. Then she lights up. “Yes, let’s draw it.” She grabs a sketch of the bathroom and quickly draws a small chandelier over the large, soaking tub, before lifting the paper to show me. “Like this?”
I nod my head. “Do you like it, Checca?”
“Yes. We are going for luxury and want people to spend time in their rooms. It’s a good addition.” She grins. “Yes, I think it is good for you to handle the bathrooms. You design them, but I have final approval, no?”
Seriously? She wants to me take on my own project already?
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet,” I say, shyly. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“No. It’s good. You will learn this way and I will help you, of course. Don’t worry. Plus there is so much to do that we need to do it this way.”
I realize that Francesca has made up her mind. So that’s that.
Enzo approaches us. “Amore, I just received a call and I need to go downtown to get some permits. I should only be a couple of hours or so, then I’ll be back to pick you up.”
“Okay, I’ll be fine here with Checca.”
He kisses my cheek and then he’s off. Francesca and I work for a few hours, sharing ideas and discussing her plans. The casino will take up a large section of the bottom floor, and the hotel will offer shows and clubs. I know that Enzo is doing his best to lure some high-end chefs to open restaurants inside, too. I’ve decided that I’m going to call the place Little Vegas since it doesn’t have an official name yet.
Francesca’s phone rings and the theme from The Godfather starts to play. She answers, “Ciao, Enzo.”
I laugh hysterically.
She looks up at me and giggles. “Everything is good, brother. Okay, yes, it’s no problem. What time? Va bene. Ciao.”
“Yes, you like my ringtone for him? He is the godfather, no?” she says, laughing.
I try to stop giggling. “Yes, very fitting. When is he coming back?”
“He asked me to drive you home. He spent longer downtown than he thought, so he said it would save time.”
“That works for me,” I reply. “What else do we need to do today?”
“Ah, I have something for you,” Francesca says, handing me a large brown box, wrapped with a red bow. I have no idea why I am getting a gift.
“Yes, please, Ava, open it.”
I pull off the bow and peek inside. A large, red leather tote bag is inside. It’s gorgeous and reminds me very much of the one Francesca carries.
“It’s beautiful,” I tell her. “Thank you.” I’m touched.
“Look inside,” she says, smiling.
I open the bag to find a design book and a blue, leather, spiral notebook.
Ah, the tools of her trade.
“Yes, Ava, in this book are some ideas that I’ve been thinking about for the hotel lounge,” Francesca explains. “I want you to look through them and pick at least three that you like. Then we’ll talk. You should start carrying this notebook too – for the ideas, no?”
“Yes, thank you. Really.”
I give her a big hug and then we head out to her car. Suddenly I’m reminded of the breakneck speed at which the woman drives and I buckle up, bracing myself for the trip.
She looks over at me and laughs. “Yes, you are scared, Ava?”
“No,” I answer, and then more honestly, “Okay, a little.”
“No need. I’m very safe, just fast.”
Francesca puts the car in gear and I swear my heart skips two beats. We speed down the road towards my house. Once we hit the side streets, she really lets loose as there is little or no traffic in her way. I have to admit to myself that even though it’s a little scary, it’s also a lot of fun. The only time she slows down is to let the gates to my house open. Then she races up the drive and whips the car around, so that my side is facing the front door.
“See. Safe,” she announces with a smile.
“Yes, thanks, Checca. See you soon.” Kissing her cheek, I step out of the car and walk into the house.
“Babe..?” I call out as I stride through the large foyer.
“In here.” Enzo’s voice is coming from the living room.
I walk in and what I see causes me to stop in my tracks, stunned. Vases full of sunflowers and other flowers decorate the room and a big tray of scrumptious-looking cupcakes sits on the coffee table. But, best of all, my husband is standing in front of me, holding the most adorable chocolate Labrador puppy that I’ve ever seen in my life. The dog is sound asleep, wearing a large blue ribbon around his neck.
Enzo’s face lights up with his breathtaking smile. “Ciao, amore.”
“Oh my…” I gasp. “How did you..?” I shake my head.
“All of your favorite things – myself included.”
I run across the room and Enzo hands me the sleeping puppy, which yawns and whimpers just a little in the transition.
“He’s so cute,” I say softly. “Where did you get him?”
“I have my resources. Yo
u’re happy then?”
“Immensely.” I can’t stop grinning.
“Good. Then I’ve done my job. Now come sit and eat a cupcake. I got them from an award-winning bakery, so I hope you like them.”
I glance around the room and realize that Enzo has already bought a dog bed, food and water bowls, and some toys. How sweet. I suddenly feel a strong desire to make this man a father. “Thank you,” I say instead.
“You wanted a puppy. I got you a puppy. Just another expression of my love for you,” Enzo explains.
I sit on the couch and cuddle my sweet pup. “I’m very clear about your love for me. I’ve never doubted it, from the moment you told me.”
Enzo sits next to me and gently pets the puppy’s head, and I lean over to kiss his cheek. “I love you too. You know that,” I tell him.
“That is more than obvious. Now, let’s eat some cupcakes. We need to fatten you up, signora.”
I laugh. “Only if you feed them to me. It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure, signore.”
He raises his eyebrows. “As you wish,” he says, picking up the nearest cupcake and peeling the wrapper back for me. I sink my teeth into a sweet, creamy filling.
“Mmm…”
Enzo leans over and licks some of the cream off my lips, sending a surge of desire running through my body. “Yes, mmm,” he says, grinning at me. “What should we name our pup?”
I already know the answer. “Maximus Decimus Meridius, after the main character in Gladiator,” I reply.
Enzo bursts into laughter and wipes his eyes. “Can we call him something shorter?”
“We can call him Maximus.” I rub the puppy’s belly and chuckle.
4 CHAPTER FOUR
I pace the living room, nervously waiting for the phone to ring. The last time Cassie called, she and Chris were lost, and heading towards New Mexico. Enzo managed to get them back on track, but it has been hours. They encountered a lot of bad weather on the way here, and I won’t relax until they pull into our driveway. Cassie hasn’t answered her phone lately, so I assume the battery died or she is out of range. Stubbornly, she wouldn’t let us pay for a moving company.
Turn Towards the Sun Book Two: After the Rain Page 6
