I licked my dry mouth and glanced at Wyatt for some kind of answer.
He finally spoke up. “Lines between right and wrong? Wait, will she be in any danger?”
“Ha!” He chuckled lightly. “No, of course not, and I live here in Florence. We will not be going far, and you can call and meet up with her at any time. You have my word she’ll never be in any kind of danger.” He addressed Wyatt with such confidence that I believed him.
“Look,” he rested his arm on the car roof, “I’ve run my intentions by your boss already. Sometimes you will be required to spend the night, and other times you’ll be driven home. Georgio has been emailed the locations that I will be showing you, and you have been cleared from work for the next month if you choose to accept my offer. Though it could be longer if you wish to dive in deeper.”
“A month?” I nearly choked on my words.
“I’m due back in the States for my sister’s wedding,” Wyatt reminded me. “I won’t be here to help you over the next while.” He looked more than a little unsure.
I took a deep breath, and when Mariano sensed my nerves, he checked his watch.
“I figured your boss ran the details by you already. Here, take my number. Think it over, but I’d like an answer by tonight as I’m very busy.”
“Wait.” I stopped him when he was about to get into the car. “I’m still not sure why you want your story to be told. And why by me?”
“I read your article a few times. I’m intrigued by you, Miss Giovanna. So, for the same reason you wanted to tell your story, it’s why I want to as well.” The driver closed the door, and we were separated by a mirrored window. I stared down at the matte black card he handed me. It had gold lettering, and when you tilted it in the light, a strange logo appeared.
“Well, that certainly was not what I was expecting.” Wyatt ran a hand through his hair. “This probably will skyrocket your career, and honestly, I would love for you to get the hell out from under Georgio’s hold.”
“Mm,” I thought out loud, “I can’t believe he didn’t fill me in on those rather important details. He was probably worried I’d say no.”
“He’s a jerk, but I think you should do it.”
“I think so, too. Hey,” I turned to him, “us, Wyatt, we need to get out of this together. I might be doing the interview, but I expect you to help me with this so both of our names are in print.”
“You really are a good person, Sienna.”
“So are you.” I waved a hand to stop the cab that was heading our way. “We should get back.”
Later that evening, I paced the living room floor, most likely driving the tenants below crazy. His card was in one hand and my phone with the written text to Mariano in the other. A bottle of my favorite wine sat ready to be opened for a celebratory evening, but I was scared to hit send. I couldn’t help but wonder who I’d meet and what places I’d see. Not to mention the story that would come out of this. I would be the first person ever to get to do an exclusive on Ricco Oil. It was no secret that every reporter and journalist would give their left arm to get the true story on this company. One day, they just appeared, sank their roots into Florence, and were now a multi-billion-euro company. The company had propped up the economy big time, and word was that anyone who worked there seemed happy. I knew this was going to be the experience of a lifetime, and Wyatt was right about me going for it. The article would open doors that I probably didn’t even know were there.
“Send the damn text already.” Wyatt tossed himself on the couch then started to pour the wine. The sunflower on the label had a shiny gold outline that caught the light as he poured it. It was the reason I’d picked up the bottle in the first place a few years ago.
“Sienna,” he waved the glass around, “stop stalling.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes, took a breath, and hit send. “Oh, sweet Lord, please tell me I made the right call.”
A moment later, my phone rang, and I saw it was him.
“Hi.”
“Hi, Sienna. I’m happy to hear that you’ve decided to write my story. I think you’ll really enjoy yourself, and at any point you’re not, I will have my driver take you home. I want this to be fun as well as work.”
My nerves settled, and I felt my shoulders sag with relief. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good. Do me a favor and please pack a bag and bring something fancy. We never know when we might need to stay in hotels, so please always be prepared.”
“I can do that.”
“Wonderful. Text me your address, and I’ll be at your place early, about eight.”
“Will do. See you then.” I tossed my phone aside and swung around to look at Wyatt. “And so, it begins.” I took the glass from him and tapped mine to his.
At ten to eight, I stepped out on the curb with my bag packed to the brim. I only hoped I was ready for any situation that might be thrown at me. One of the many things I had learned while trying to survive on my own was to always be prepared for the unexpected. And of course, a bottle of Mace for good measure.
“He dresses wellandis punctual.” Wyatt pulled down his sunglasses as the sexy car from last night pulled up in front of us. The front passenger hopped out and opened the door for me while he slipped the bag from my hand.