“It’s not important,” I reply dismissively, refusing to play along. He might be tracing the call and I need to keep this short.
“I want to see her. Send me a picture as proof of life.” There is a pause, then he asks, “Does she know about me?”
“She knows the people who raised her aren’t her biological parents, but I didn’t tell her about you. Why tell her, when you have so many enemies? Why break her heart?”
He makes a groaning sound. I can’t tell if it’s regret over her, or the fact that my words hit home.
“For that small favor, I thank you, but don’t take this as a sign of weakness. The score is not even by any means. I can put a hit out on her just as easily as I can on you,” he raspy voice comes across as the threat it’s meant to be.
“Ciao.” I hang up. It’s a way to retain power as I control the pace, the time, the meet. I can tell he still thinks I’m too young to be the head of the Micheli family, but I ran the streets as a kid before I went away to school. Just because I was in England getting an MBA from Oxford doesn’t mean my street crew and my family were ever far from my thoughts.
Who does he think designed the skimmers that scan the credit card numbers of unsuspecting tourists as they walk around thinking their wallets are safe in their ridiculous fanny packs? At Oxford, I made international contacts and those contacts have paid off. I also learned that money breeds influence, and that more money, means more influence.
“She’s his,” I tell Riccardo matter-of-factly.
“Fuck, that’s brilliant,” he says with a grin as he takes a long drag on his vape pen.
I leave him to watch the door as I go back into the store to pay the cashier. The four of us hit the streets and I’m ready for a hotel. This shopping shit is exhausting. I don’t know how women have the energy for it.
But first, I hand my phone to Riccardo, instructing him to take a picture of me and Juliet. Even though we are still nowhere near a resolution with her father, I made progress today and that justifies a celebration.
“Come, let’s check into the hotel and get some rest before dinner.” I quickly add, “The shops will be closing soon.” When Juliet’s face falls, you’d think I just took away her new Jimmy Choos.
“One tiny gelato?” she pleads, looking at me ever so sweetly, batting her lashes as she makes fun of herself for pulling out all the stops to influence me and knowing she’s not the type to do such a thing. She must really want this gelato as her eyes implore me to indulge her in one last treat today. Even though I’m a monster with everyone but my family and Riccardo, I acquiesce.
“One. Then we must go.” We walk towards the gelateria.
This woman loves her gelato, and she asks the shopkeeper for two scoops, one lemon and one raspberry. This combination seems disgusting to me, mixing both tart and sweet flavors, but she appears thrilled.
She carefully uses the tiny spoon to scoop a bit of each flavor and offers me a taste. With her arm extended towards me, I notice it’s darker than this morning and realize she’s getting a tan from the little time we’ve been outside.
“I’ll throw up if I eat that,” I protest as I turn my face away from her.
“You’ll love it, trust me, it will change your world,” she coaxes me, and I can’t refuse her charm and sense of adventure, something I lost years ago. For once, I choose to live vicariously through her.
“Okay, one.” I bend my head towards her hand, close enough to breathe her in, welcoming her clean scent like a cool breeze after a summer rain. I wonder what her lips taste like, and I want to know what it feels like to lick between her legs and give her the most incredible orgasm of her life.
The gelato is cold, but not cold enough to keep my cock from filling out my dress pants. I need a cold shower before I take her in the next available dressing room and give her a taste of what I’ve got but the carnal idea is so appealing.
She slides the spoon into my mouth as she holds it steady. I take the gelato into my hot mouth and we exchange lustfully dangerous looks before we both retreat, like shy teenagers.
She offers me another taste, and again and the thrill of being so intimate with her, as if we’ve lovers makes me wrap my lips around the tiny spoon and our eyes lock. Hers flicker with sexual attraction before darting away, denying me the satisfaction of knowing if she’s lusting for me too.
“Hate to break this up, but we need to move,” Riccardo says as our Rolls Royce Cullinan pulls up with Flavio behind the wheel. The purchases are loaded into the back and I sit next to Juliet, moving closer to make sure she’s not trying to lull me into a false sense of security.
I curse her jeans for covering up her sexy legs and I would lean in closer if not for the damn seatbelt. Good thing it’s only a short ride to our five-star hotel because it’s the only thing keeping my cock from going off.
Flavio drops us off at the marble and glass entrance and the bellman takes our purchases and all our overnight bags.
Juliet, clearly in awe of the plush reception area, has all the wonder of a child in an adult body. The lobby is quieter than normal. I take hold of her elbow, guiding her away from the check-in desk and heading straight to a private elevator.
“Where are we going? Am I meeting my father?”
“No.”
She wants more information, but this isn’t the place.
“When? I want to meet him.”