She’s grown on me over the past weeks. Not that I didn’t have months with wet dreams and masturbating while thinking of her. Not all men would do that. Some would hit the massage parlors or find a one-night stand, but I haven’t thought of another woman since I caught sight of her outside of the museum.
It was my lucky day to be at the right place at the right time to see her, then to find out she was the daughter of the man who owed us money made it even more fortuitous. A deal had to be made.
I’m counting my lucky stars as they say that I went back for one last look at her and saved her in the garden. I hope this weekend will be lucky for me again. I want her to wear my ring so everyone in the world will know she’s mine.
We’ve moved to where we’re standing with other guests waiting and a handsome gentleman is beside me, grey hair, built, definitely ex-military, I saw him near Dante at the botched wedding.
“Massimo.” I offer my hand.
“Riccardo.”
Okay, not that big on social skills. “You’re with the Micheli family?”
“Yes, always, I knew their father as well.” He has the stance of a soldier and is in terrific shape for a man who is in his mid-forties.
“Oh, really. I heard he was a good man.”
“He was, did you know him?”
“Sadly, no.” It hit me that he would be here today if he was still alive, and because he’s not, there is a sadness in my heart. I would love to have met him. In fact, I might have learned of him earlier if anything were different, maybe if he wasn’t married, or if he was divorced. If Mama had told him about me, my life might have been different.
The music changes and a cute American girl, her maid of honor, holds a small bouquet of red carnations and red roses as she walks down an aisle flanked on both sides by dozens of rose petals.
Next is Juliet, who slips her arm through her father’s. She’s wearing a wedding gown rumored to be made by a fashion designer for her ill-fated wedding in January. The long train is covered with hand sewn beading that matches those on the bodice. It has the vibe of the 1940s, with the A-line shape, fitted, but not tight around the waist, made of white taffeta, the sheen setting off her olive complexion and dark black hair, and dark eyes. Her hair is braided in an intricate updo as she walks proudly into the room.
Her mother has tears in her eyes watching her walk towards the alter, where she joins her maid of honor and her future husband at the mini altar.
The photographer is snapping pictures like crazy and there is a second person taking pictures and many women have their cellphones out for the same reason.
The priest performs the short ceremony, as it’s not a formal Mass, but enough to satisfy the court of law and the Catholic Church, even without a church steeple over us.
After the formality and late into the night the men meet at a table for cognac and cigars. I’m invited.
“I hear you’re doing good work, Massimo.” Dante kicks off the information meeting.
“Thank you.”
“We wanted to see if you knew anything about De Luca, seeing as how you are with his daughter tonight.”
“I can understand your concern.” I pull up a chair and take a freshly poured drink. “I assure you it’s coincidental.”
“I’m sure, otherwise you’d have a hit on you,” Sal chuckles.
“What is the story of that and how she and her father ended up at our reception last month?”
“Luciano was delivering her to me there, it was just an exchange as we met in Rome at a gala, an arranged marriage so to speak. I spoke to the wedding planner, and she said it’s no problem getting them in for that.”
Dante ponders this for a moment. “That fucking wedding planner keeps coming up. She was in the wind before all hell broke loose.”
“I wanted to protect Valentina as that was her father, and I had no clue what was going on and if her life was in jeopardy.” This isn’t a lie, I was concerned.
“And what was Fitore doing there?” Dante looks down his long nose at me as his head is tilted over his right shoulder trying to connect the dots.
Here’s where Grandfather fucked me. He met with them over that fucking black book and now they know who he is, and everyone saw him there. He managed to not be locked in the room with the rest of us.
“That is one I don’t have an answer for. I don’t know why he was there. It might look bad on me now, but he’s my grandfather. He told me afterwards he was getting to know his business associate.”
The men fall silent, minds are thinking. I don’t know if this will help me as the minutes turn into hours and my guards are outside lying low. I can’t panic.