Oh….
“Tonight,” he whispers darkly.
Oh crap. “We have dinner tonight with Carlo and Anna, I just remembered.”
He winces and pulls out of my grip and walks into the bedroom. “Cancel it.”
I jump off the counter and follow him. “Why?”
“Why?” he scoffs. “I wonder?” He puts his suit jacket on and does up his gold cuff links. “I love going out with friends and pretending that I’m not dating my future wife while watching two people who met fucking yesterday fawn all over each other.” He fakes a smile. “It’s my perfect night.”
“Stop going on about that.” I straighten his tie. “I’m having lunch with my mother on Thursday and we’re coming up with a timeline.”
“Timeline?” He repeats dryly.
“Yes, now that she’s got used to the idea of us together, we can make a map forward.”
“Why does our map depend on her?”
“You said we could wait to tell everyone until it was sorted with my family.” My shoulders slump. “I don’t want to feel guilty about this until I’ve at least tried. Please, for me?”
He rolls his eyes. “Your family are fucking annoying, Francesca.”
“I know.” I go up onto my tiptoes and kiss him softly.
“And if your mother doesn’t give me an acceptable…” he holds his fingers up to air quote the words, “—road map—”
I smirk.
“I’m running right through her stop sign with a big fucking Mack truck.”
“Okay,” I agree.
“Okay?” He seems surprised.
“Uh-huh,” I nod. “Thursday I will have a definite date that we can come out of hiding.”
He grabs me roughly on my behind and nips my bottom lip with his teeth. “That’s if you make it through tonight.”
* * *
Anna and I walk into the restaurant just on seven to see Giuliano and Carlo already seated at the table, they got held up at work so have met us here.
I’m wearing a fitted hot-pink dress that hangs off the shoulders with nude sky-high stilettos and clutch. My long dark hair is out and full and I have sultry makeup on with hot-pink lipstick.
“Hello, we have a booking in the name of Smithson,” I say to the waiter.
“Yes, this way.” He turns and walks through the restaurant and we follow, music is being piped through the space and the crowd is trendy and eclectic. The restaurant is huge with a few split levels, the bar is on the top floor, seven steps down is the main restaurant and kitchen and down another seven stairs is the bar area with high tables and stools.
I can see Giuliano and Carlo seated at a table in the back on the middle level and smile broadly.
I missed him today.
As we get closer Giuliano’s eyes drop down to my feet and then back up to my face, he gives me the best come-fuck-me look I have ever seen.
He likes this dress.
An excited thrill runs through me, getting that look from him is the ultimate.
“Hi.” I smile as we get to the table.
“Hello,” he replies calmly.
Anna bends and kisses Carlo. “Hey there, you.”
“Look at you being all hot.” Carlo smiles as he holds her hand out to inspect her closer.
Giuliano’s dark eyes hold mine and a trace of a smile crosses his face and now I see what he means. Having these two being able to show affection so freely is fucking annoying.
“Thanks for coming out with us.” Anna smiles to Giuliano as she pushes in her chair. “I know this can’t be easy for you two to hang out together as friends given your history. Carlo and I appreciate it, don’t we, baby?”
Giuliano stares at her.
“That’s okay,” I blurt out before he can reply. “We’re friends, aren’t we Jules. Happy to hang out with our best friends.”
He raises an eyebrow and sips his drink, choosing to remain silent.
He can’t lie.
I never realized this before, I smile as I pick up my wine and sip it. Another vital piece of information for the intel bank.
“Who’s hungry?” Carlo asks.
Giuliano’s dark eyes hold mine. “Fucking starving.”
I roll my lips to hide my smile as I fake-stare at the open menu.
He doesn’t mean for food.
“What’s everyone having?” I ask to change the subject.
“I’m feeling carnivorous.” Giuliano says casually as he looks over the menu.
“Carnivorous?” Anna frowns.
“I feel like meat,” he replies dryly, still reading. “All the meat.”
I giggle, surprised. What the hell?
Shut up, fool.
They’ll catch on to us, he is the worst fake non-boyfriend in the world. “Meat?” I reply. “Who goes to a restaurant simply for meat?”
“I do.”
I widen my eyes as I pretend to read the menu, okay then.
Guess I’m getting it hard when we get home tonight.
Bring it on, baby.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” Carlo says as he holds his drink up. We all hold our glasses to his.
“To friendship,” he says.
I smile, I love that Anna is with him. Once Jules and I get our situation sorted the four of us are going to have so much fun together. “To friendship.”