I roll my eyes. “Is it over?”
She nods, her eyes welling with tears again. “How could I possibly have a long-term future with someone who cheated on me. He called someone and went and met her and had sex, and then came back to me professing his love. How could I ever trust him again?”
I pick up her glass of wine and pass it to her. “Especially since his admission wasn’t even honest.”
“Precisely,” she mutters dryly as she clinks her glass with mine.
“I broke up with Marcel.”
“Shit.” She winces. “I knew that was coming.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, you weren’t in the least bit excited about being engaged.”
“God.” I exhale heavily. “I should’ve been.”
“I know, he’s fucking beautiful.”
“What the hell is wrong with me?’
She shrugs sadly.
We sit and stare into space for a while, both lost in our own depressing thoughts.
“Maybe it’s time we move home to Italy,” she says.
“Maybe.” I think for a moment. “Thank God we’ve got this weekend to look forward to.”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Ibiza,” I mouth.
“Oh.” Her eyes widen. “I forgot all about that.”
“You know what you should do this weekend?” I tell her.
“What?”
“You should fuck the hottest Spanish guy of all time.”
She smirks.
“And his friend,” I add as I clink my glass with hers. “And his other friend, for that matter. Come Monday, you won’t even remember that stupid Frank he will be three lovers behind you.” I sip my wine. “And…apparently Spanish guys have big dicks.”
She giggles and pulls me in for a hug. “What would I do without you, Chesk?”
“You’ll never have to find out.”
“Do you come here often?” I smile over at Dominic.
“Yes, this is one of my favorite restaurants in Milan. Don’t tell me you haven’t been?”
“I told you I hadn’t.” I shrug, “Let’s see if it’s all it’s cracked up to be.”
He widens his eyes with a cheeky smile. “Trust me, it is.”
All morning at work Dominic raved on how this restaurant is the bomb. Finally, I caved in and we have come here for a quick lunch.
“Can I take your order?” the waitress asks.
Dominic opens the drinks menu. “Let’s get some wine.”
“We’re working,” I remind him.
“Oh hush, one glass won’t hurt.”
I smile as I peruse the drink menu. “I’ll have a glass of the St Henri Shiraz please.”
“Hmm, that’s sounds good, I’ll have the same.”
“Are you ready to order your meal?” she asks.
“Yes, I’ll have the salad and the grilled snapper please.” I smile as I hand her back my menu.
“I’ll have the linguini.”
The waitress smiles and disappears.
Dominic’s attention comes to me. “So tell me all about you?”
I shrug. “Not much to tell.”
This is weird, this casual lunch feels decidedly date-like.
“Single, married, widowed?” he jokes.
I laugh. “Not widowed…but taken,” I lie, well kind of a lie but most definitely not on the market.
“Ah, who is the lucky guy?”
“Maybe he’s not so lucky.”
“Your drinks,” the waitress says as she places the two glasses of wine down in front of us.
“Thank you,” I say, I take a sip. “Hmm, that’s delicious.”
Dominic leans on his hand with a sexy smile. “Tell me everything.”
“Umm.” I frown, I wish it were that easy, how long have you got? I just broke up with a beautiful man because I’m lusting over a bad man that I shouldn’t and now I am going straight to hell because we kissed and I spent all week masturbating while watching him fuck two other women on Pornhub.
Fuck…that sounds so bad…who are you kidding, it is fucking bad.
The worst.
What the hell is wrong with me? This situation is majorly fucked up.
“Umm.” I pause. “I don’t know, I live in Paris and….” I glance up and my face falls.
Giuliano is here, he’s with two men and they look as though they have just finished and are walking out of the restaurant, he glances over and stops on the spot when he sees me. His eyes hold mine, his tongue darts out and swipes across his bottom lip as if angered, and without hesitation, he walks over. “Hello.”
“Giuliano, hi,” I splutter.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Mind if I sit down,” he says, but before I can answer he has already sat down in the spare seat. He sits back and crosses his legs, he stares blankly across the table at Dominic.
Arrogance personified.
“Who are you?” Giuliano asks him.
“This is Dominic,” I reply nervously. “We work….”
He puts his hand up cutting me off, his eyes still fixed on poor Dominic. “I asked him a question. Let him answer it.”
“Ah….” A trace of a frown crosses Dominic’s face, he’s completely intimidated.
Giuliano has a credit card between his pointer and thumb, with the bottom of the card resting on the table, he slides his fingers down the length of it and then turns the card and does it again as he waits for an answer.
“I’m Dominic Russo.”
Giuliano’s eyes hold his. “Business card?”
“I don’t have one on me.”
“Odd…you don’t have a business card in your wallet?”
Dominic smiles as if accepting the challenge. “This is a lunch date, not a job interview. What is your name?”
My eyes widen and I pick up my drink and chug it down.
Fuck.
“Giuliano Ferrara.” His eyes hold Dominic’s. “Lunch date, hey?”
I fake a laugh. “Haha, hardly, we’re working. This is just lunch. No date. Lunch, food.”
Oh help.
I start to look around for the nearest exit, this is going to end badly, and by end badly I mean Dominic is about to get killed.
Literally.
“So…you work with Francesca?”
“Yes.”
“What do you do?”
“Giulio….” I try to interrupt the interrogation.
His cold eyes flick up to me in a shut the fuck up look.
Oh crap. I take another gulp of wine.
I look over to try to get the waitress’s attention.
Bring tequila, bitch.
Stat.
All of it.
“I’m the CEO of the hotel chain that Francesca is refurbing.”
“Who owns that company?” Giuliano fires back.
“Mrs. Benedict.”
I frown, huh? I thought Mr. Carballo owned it, oh…he must be just a manager or something.
“I’m sorry.” Dominic frowns. “Who are you, and why are you being so rude?”
Giuliano slides his fingers down the credit card as his cold eyes hold Dominic’s.