“Well… sometimes.” She shrugs, turning off her side of the shower and striding past me.
Sometimes?I’m a fucking saint to her. Whatever. If she wants to be with some farm boy, why should I give a fuck about it? She’s just my assistant, and I can find another to replace her. So, I let her dry off, wrap a towel around herself and leave without saying a word as I stand under the hot water, not giving two fucks– could still go for that third, though.
By the timeit’s dinner, I’ve hidden myself away in my room, trying to forget the fact that my deal fell through and attempting to erase the way Ms. Lee looked at poor-boy-Dom today. I’ve never noticed the way she bats her eyes with interest when someone speaks. Or the way she acknowledges everyone like they’ve been friends since birth. It’s not something I could claim as a strength. I grit my teeth and push away the thought for the thirteenth time today and slide out of bed.
As I open the door, I feel a pull on the handle, and it shocks me to see Ms. Lee standing there in the low light of the rest of the penthouse. The sun’s almost set, and the sky is a deep purple; only traces of pink remain, the moon fully visible over the ocean.
“Would you like to get dinner?” She asks with a grin. I see she’s wearing the silk and lace-thin strapped nightgown that I bought but never gave to my ex. Barnes must have found it in my dresser. Seeing it on Jessica makes me think it might have been meant for her somehow.
Why must I think like this?
I breathe a sigh, and she studies my face for a reason.
“Okay. Let’s go out tonight.” I suggest, not wanting to see her in this red number again, or I might lose control.
“Okay.” She perks up and turns towards the bottom of the stairs leading to the loft. I inhale deeply and walk back to the bathroom, searching through the clothes I’ve hung up in the walk-in closet.
My black high-waist Gucci jeans are the vibe for tonight, paired with a mossy Armani button-up. I unbutton a couple of the buttons, splash on some Paco Rabanne— gold bottle, of course— slide on my custom Van Cleef and Arpels black pearl watch and Armani boots.
The finishing touch is my black pearl thick-link chain that Pops got me last Christmas. After I’m content with what I’ve chosen, I head to the lift. My hair is pretty wavy when I’m in Rome. I’ve never been sure why, but the water has done that to it since I was little. I don’t mind it, making styling it effortless.
Ms. Lee meets me a moment later, the look of her making my chest stiff. She’s wearing a Gucci Lamé floral lace dress, almost see-through, in the color nude. With it, she’s got black coat boots from Armani, I believe. They look almost identical to mine, and she blushes when she realizes this.
Her hair is curlier than normal, and I wonder if that’s because of the water. She’s got simple black dangly earrings that show because her hair is tucked behind her ears. The only detectable makeup on her is her bright red lips that I’ve never seen her wear before. I think this is a rare occasion, so I soak it in before feeling annoyed with myself for reveling in her hotness.
“Ready?” She lets out a laugh when I haven’t said a word because I’m too busy being a fucking idiot just gaping at her.
“Yes.” I quickly say, bringing my fist to my mouth and acting like I have an itch, but really I’m just a nervous twat.
Our dinner is pleasant, we discuss politics, and I like her opinions on things. She has many of them. It’s interesting to see her in this light. Outside a business setting, looking fucking incredible— which I would care about if I was attracted to her, but I’m not. Definitely not.
After I pay and tip the waiter well, we head out of the restaurant, and I’m feeling rather tipsy from all the gin I consumed in an effort to stop looking at Ms. Lee’s breasts. Or at least blur my vision enough that it’d be hard to tell what was fabric and skin.
We walk down the street, my security further behind us than usual because I asked them to give us some time alone. It’s hard to feel normal when a bulky guard is always trailing your heels. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for their protection; I just want to forget I need it for a night. We cross the street to a little gelato shop I used to come to with mum. Haven’t brought myself to come here until now, but I’ve got a couple of drinks in and Ms. Lee by my side, so I guess for some reason, that makes the visit tolerable.
We enter, and the shop owner recognizes me.
“Vincenzo!!!” The old man, who I remember as spritely and stocky, presently hobbles over to me, taking my cheeks in both hands and kissing either side.
“Roberto!” I chuckle and do the same.
“And who’s this?” He turns to Jessica, and her blue eyes widen.
“This is Jessica Lee.” I place my hand on the small of her back. Big mistake because it makes me feel good that I can touch her like this. I quickly slide my hand away from her back when I realize how it’s got me thinking.
“Nice to meet you, melculum.” He kisses her hand, and she smiles at me as he does. I nod back.
“What does that mean?” She asked him.
“Melculum means little honey,” I say for him, and he nods.
“Would you like to try my gelato, melculum?” He takes her hand and leads her to the bar before she can say no. I guess it’s assumed what we’re here for, so it’s not rude. Just classic Roman customer service.
I follow them, and he proceeds to let us try every flavor. It’s just as amazing as I remember, and I’m glad that Jessica could come here with me. Now someone else in the world knows just how incredible this spot is. It makes me feel closer to mum, even though I know it makes no sense to toil over those who have passed. Pops would say they should be sad for us, stuck here on earth while they’re living it up in the clouds.
I tip Roberto well, even though we end up being too full to actually get gelato of our own, and we head back out after another round of hugs.
“He was so sweet,” Jess says as we cross the street again and head back for the penthouse.