“Okay, thanks.” With a heavy groan, Andrew stood. “Does he know about Salvatore?”
“Sì. I’m jealous. I’ve wanted to hit that stronzo for years. You beat me to it.”
Andrew needed a touch of humor at the moment, considering in the next few minutes his entire world would be blown apart. Marcello was going to be fired. Gwen was being transferred. And Andrew just laid out New York’s head designer. He wondered if Enrico had ordered in lunch. This flogging would probably take all day.
It took a lot of willpower to not cast one more warning look in Salvatore’s direction. He sat in a chair with what looked like a harem of women tending to him.
Andrew gently knocked on his boss’s open door.
“Ah, Rocky.” Enrico joked, flipping over papers. “Come in.”
Andrew walked right up to the desk with a hand on his heart and apologized in Italian out of respect. “I’m very sorry I hit Salvatore. I will sign whatever apology is necessary to make this right.”
“For a scuffle?” Enrico waved his hand. “Salvatore is very passionate, and he gets under my skin.
No need to apologize to him or file any report. And if he does, I will take care of it.”
Andrew caught his breath. “Why didn’t you tell me he was being moved to Milan?”
“I had planned to discuss it with you today.” Enrico removed his glasses. “He found out on his own. He has little spies all over the world. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”
Andrew’s heart pounded in his chest. “Va bene.”
“Siedeti, siedeti.” Enrico pointed to his guest chair. “And how was Christmas with your family?”
His family...
Before Gwen, if asked that, Andrew would only think of his mother and father. Now his famiglia was Gwen and the baby. He now had a family of his own. Was everything all right with them?
Andrew had no idea, but he nodded anyway.
“Quello è buono. And have you seen this?” Enrico pointed to Marcello’s annual report printed out on his desk.
“Sì. ” He just couldn’t stomach to read it.
“Andrew, I need you to be honest with me.” The way Enrico put his glasses down made his reaction hard to read.
“Of course.”
“Did you write this for Marcello?”
His eyes widened. “No. Not at all. I gave him the report I handed in last year to use as a guide.”
His boss nodded and flipped over a few more sheets.
Before Enrico spoke again, Andrew leaned forward. “I think I’ve gotten through to him. I’ve been monitoring his performance almost daily and he’s coming along. That report is hard to write.”
Andrew pinched the cover. “I can send it back to him to—”
“There is no need.” Enrico closed the report and tapped the top sheet with the stem of his glasses.
“Andrew, I am disappointed in you.”
Andrew hung his head low. He failed. Licking dry lips, he said, “Enrico, I think it’s best if I—”
“I am troubled that you do not take enough credit for yourself.”
“What’s that?”
“Andrew, this report is stellar.” Enrico opened it again.
“Huh?”
“He organized it with a table of contents. And look at this.” Enrico slid his glasses back on and pointed to his monitor. “The sections jump right to the page. He even embedded moving graphics.”
Okay, so he prettied it up. “But what do you think of his projections?”
Enrico took off his glasses again and put them on his desk. “Don’t worry about that. Marcello will be fine. And with Salvatore making beautiful clothes, the brand will market itself.”
Andrew felt the world spin beneath him. It was done. He did it. Well Gwen did it, really.
“Gwen...” he grumbled under his breath.
“Oh yes, Gwendolyn.” Enrico pursed his lips. “Do you think she will be disappointed not to move to Milan?”
Andrew stood and closed the office door. “Enrico, I have a lot to tell you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ndrew Morgan tapped the toe of his left shoe...discreetly, since he wore Mezlans and not Prada.
ATheir shoes never fit his size-thirteen feet very well.
Enrico Petrillo blinked his dark Italian eyes as Andrew explained the events of the past two months.
Hearing the happy baby news, Enrico came to life. “So, you are going to be a father. That is the best news a man can get. And with such a beautiful woman. Amore is a wonderful thing to have in this life.” He took a deep breath and said, “We specialize in love here at Prada, you know. Why else would we design such things of beauty? We want people to fall in love. Vai. Go. Go find your love, your amore, and make things right.”
“I don’t know. She’s pretty upset with me right now,” Andrew said, breathless from Enrico’s words of love and Prada.
“It is just the hormones.” His boss waved a lazy hand. “I could swear my wife wanted to poison me every time she was pregnant.”
“That’s amusing,” Andrew said with a soft laugh.
“Kiss Gwendolyn and make up.” Enrico handed him a manila folder. “These are the details of a last-minute showcase I need you and your amore to work on.”
“Where will it be?” Andrew asked taking the folder and smiled. Mui Mu handbag collection.
Enrico smirked back. “Where do you think? Marcello will never be as good as you and Gwendolyn together.”
“I can’t agree with you more, Enrico.” Andrew propelled out of the guest chair and flew down the corridor.
He barreled through the office with little regard for the bodies in his path. There was so much to do, including telling the neighbor in Milan who’d been taking care of Casper, that he’d be back in a few weeks. The cat was coming back to New York .
Getting inside his office, lost in his excited thoughts Andrew tripped over his feet. “Gwen!”
She spun around and...smiled.
Next to her a woman with warm dark eyes, exactly like his own stared at him. “Ma?”
GWEN STOOD SHOULDER to shoulder with Andrew’s mother. This was going to be fun. She loved how Andrew looked so adorably confused. He raised his hand to scratch his head, exposing a pair of bruised knuckles, softening her stance.
“What happened to your hand?” She rushed to look at his fingers.
“I’ll tell you later.” He closed his hand around hers. “You’ve met my mother?”
“Hello, dear.” Sarah moved in his direction and kissed him on the cheek. She glanced at his hand as well, but with it sitting in Gwen’s comforting grasp, she nodded, seeming pleased.
“When did you get here?” Andrew asked his mother.
“Your father and I have been downstairs for thirty minutes. No one has been able to get ahold of you. He had to get back to the firm.”
“I had an emergency meeting.” Andrew raised his eyes to Gwen.
Sarah clasped her hands together. “It was a good thing we ran into Gwen in the lobby.”
Still looking at her, Andrew asked, “And what are you doing here?”
“I work here...don’t I?”