by Jo Leigh
The door swung back open before he’d gone two steps.
“Wait a minute,” she said. “Does that mean you really think I could have won?”
Luca groaned and hurried to the elevator. What the hell was he going to do with that woman?
Not what he wanted to do, that was for sure.
* * *
THE BREAK ROOM off the kitchen didn’t have many available tables, but April was so grateful to get off her feet she wouldn’t have cared if she’d had to sit on the floor.
She’d been on the move since the minute she’d arrived at the Top-of-the-Rock, a gorgeous sky-high space at Rockefeller Center, where she was serving cocktails for a silent charity auction. There were over a hundred people there, all of them rich as hell and, so far, well behaved.
“Can you believe this place?” Grace, another cocktail server, sat down next to her. “All I want to do is look at the view.”
April took advantage of the cheese and fruit platter left out for the staff and grabbed a couple of cubes of Gouda. “It’s stunning. Have you worked at this venue before?”
Her new friend was a gorgeous blonde. She was wearing the same skin-tight black dress as April, and the required six-inch heels that made her tower over nearly everyone. “Last year, for another silent auction. The pay was great, but I barely had a chance to sit down.”
April didn’t dare remove her shoes for fear of not being able to put them on again. She’d be sore as could be tomorrow, which was scary because she’d booked a far less elegant event where she’d be run ragged. “If I never had to wear heels again, that would be fine with me.”
“I know,” Grace said. “At least it’s halfway over. I think I might’ve seen you at the agency before.”
“I’m just doing this so I can save enough money to get an apartment, but this city is insane.”
“Huh.” Grace smiled at her and plucked a slice of apple off the plate. “Where are you looking?”
“I’ve pretty much given up finding anything in Manhattan proper. Now I’m checking out Brooklyn, Queens, and I’ve got an appointment across the bridge in New Jersey the day after tomorrow. At least I know now not to believe everything I read. My God, some of them were terrifying.”
“I know what you mean,” she said. “I dreaded every viewing when I moved here from Wyoming.”
“Did you live on a ranch?”
“Nope. In Jackson Hole.”
“I lived in a rural area outside St. Louis with just enough animals to be a pain in the butt.”
“So do you like it here in the city?”
April nodded. “I do. It’s an adjustment, though. I’m overstaying my welcome where I’m at now, so I’ve got to make a move. Fast.”
“Not to get your hopes up too high, but I might have a space available at my place in a week.”
April perked up, crossing her metaphorical fingers. “Really?”
“I’ll warn you, it’s a long commute. The place is nice, but it’s a one-bedroom, so that means you’d be sleeping on a pullout couch. The kitchen’s not bad, though, and the area is safe.”
“When you say long commute...”
Grace’s perfect nose scrunched up. “I work at the Seagram’s building, and the train takes almost two hours each way. On the plus side, it’s pretty much my only time to chill. I read or sleep.”
“You feel comfortable enough to sleep?”
“Not all the time, no. But I made sure to introduce myself to the regulars who go out to Perth Amboy. We watch out for each other.”
A quick glance at her watch told April it was time to go back to work. “I’d like to get your number before I leave tonight. Maybe we can talk?”
“Sure, but again, it’s not for sure. My current roommate is almost certain she’s got a job in California, but it’s not a done deal.”
Tell you what, maybe we could get a drink next week, when I know more. I get off work at 6:00 p.m. We can find a place that’s convenient for both of us.”
Wincing as she stood up, April ran a hand through her hair and refreshed her lipstick before she had to grab her tray loaded with glasses of the best champagne she’d ever tasted. They were each allowed a tiny sample and then instructed never to have another sip. The auction was for works of art that ran into the millions, all to benefit a program that funded a major Alzheimer’s research facility.
Thankfully, she was used to dealing with the upper crust, who weren’t afraid to ask her to do favors for them. One woman wanted her to call her nanny to make sure her children were safely tucked in for the night. As instructed, April did her best to accommodate every request, always remembering that the pay was commensurate with the level of service provided.
By the time the auction was in full swing, she’d been switched from serving champagne to offering tiny extravagant desserts, which made her wish she’d eaten more on her break. Every second she had for a spare thought, her mind immediately went to Luca first, and she had to force herself to reflect on her conversation with Grace instead.
April really liked Grace, and even though Perth Amboy might be a two-hour commute, she definitely wanted to check out the apartment, if the space became available. The need to move was becoming critical.
Not that Luca would ever say as much, but it was clear to her that he wanted his space back. She couldn’t blame him. He’d gone above and beyond to let her stay so long, and she’d be forever grateful. But the tension between them was getting thicker by the day, exacerbated by her ever-growing attraction to him. It was so bad that his avoiding her was both a blessing and a curse.
God, she was going to miss him. His smile. The way he joked with her. How he made her feel.
Realizing she’d stopped circulating, she got her head back in the game. She needed to be the perfect employee tonight, so she’d be hired for more events of this caliber. Even if it meant wearing six-inch heels every night of the week.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING April promised herself that no matter what happened, she wouldn’t allow anything to dampen her enthusiasm. But after wasting several hours looking at three studio apartments in Queens, all of them competing for the most awful efficiency east of the Mississippi, she conceded that she may have been too ambitious.
At 3:30 p.m., she hurried toward Luca’s apartment, hoping to beat him home. Other than two rounds of dog-walking duty for Alec, she hadn’t taken any other paying jobs for the day. She’d been in New York less than a week and she needed to concentrate on getting out of Luca’s place.
Her five-day extension was up. He hadn’t offered to let her stay longer. In fact, he hadn’t mentioned anything at all. And neither had she, but aside from it being unfair to Luca to continue mooching off him, the uncertainty of her future was beginning to weigh on her.
“Hey, April.”
Recognizing the voice, she turned and waved at Carmen who was standing in the doorway of the bodega where she worked.
“Any luck today?”
April shook her head, trying to decide if it would be too rude to keep walking. Normally she’d stop and chat. She’d met three people in the neighborhood so far: Carmen and two shop owners. All very nice women who’d promised to let her know if they heard of any available apartments that rented for less than the national debt.
A customer entering the store settled the dilemma. Carmen waved and followed the man inside. April hurried to the apartment. She let herself in the front door and looked around at the relatively clutter-free floor. She wondered how long he’d been home. Most of the tarps and drop cloths were folded and stacked in the corner. A card table and two folding chairs had been set up next to the wall near the window, and as she got closer, she saw it was covered with blueprints. They were the plans for this level, and while she didn’t want to snoop, she figured the page underneath was the
upper floor.
Not that she was an expert, but she understood the basics of blueprints, and it was fascinating to get an idea of what the finished kitchen would look like. But even more interesting to her was the information in the title block at the top of the page. These were Luca’s drawings. She’d known he did construction, but clearly that wasn’t all. Wow.
She was about to call out to him when she saw a note taped to the side of the fridge. It read:
April, I’ll be out for the evening. If you could finish cleaning up the kitchen, and wash the floor, that would be great. See you later. And thanks!
Her spirits plunged even further, although she was glad he’d given her something to do until it was time to go to her event that night. But she’d miss seeing him. A lot.
10
“HEY.” LUCA TURNED and smiled as she shut the door behind her.
April almost asked him what he was doing here. After he’d pulled disappearing acts three nights in a row, she hadn’t expected to see him. “Hi.”
“You did a great job on the floor yesterday,” he said, although how he could tell was a mystery. Packing materials were scattered all over. “Don’t worry, I’m going to clean all this up.”
April shrugged. “It’s your apartment.”
He’d opened up a box of glass tiles that she knew would end up as a backsplash. “You working tonight?”
“Nope. Let me run upstairs real quick and then I’ll be ready to help.”
“I’ll take you up on that.”
After she changed and put her hair in a ponytail she joined him, and while they worked installing a water filter kit and preparing the wall for the backsplash, she found out more about Paladino & Sons, and Luca’s brothers, Tony and Dom.
It sounded as if their company was big all over Lower Manhattan, and she wished she had more experience doing construction work. It paid really well, and she never did mind the physical labor.
A couple hours went by quickly. There was a lot of bumping into each other and accidental touching. Each touch was a jolt, every brush an exercise in restraint. Considering that, she was pleased that she’d managed to make it this far without tearing his clothes off. Okay, maybe she was being overly dramatic. But even with the chilly autumn wind blowing through Little Italy, they hadn’t needed to turn on the furnace, which said something.
“What’s next?” she asked after washing her hands.
“Basically I’d like to make the place as presentable as possible,” he said, his brows lowering as he looked around. “So, you know, dusting, scrubbing the sinks, whatever it takes.”
“Got it,” she said, though his sudden anxiousness made no sense to her. Since he’d had plenty of chances to explain what the big rush was about and had chosen not to, she didn’t feel comfortable asking.
He used the back of his shirtsleeve to blot the sweat above his brow. “Are you going to be around tomorrow morning?”
“I am.”
“And you have that event you’re working in the evening, right?”
She gave him a polite nod, accompanied by an equally polite smile, and refrained from pointing out that he’d asked the same question twice now. Her curiosity was approaching the point of no return. If he asked again, he’d open a floodgate of nosy questions about why he was so interested in getting his work space so clean. No matter what they did, the place would still look like a construction zone.
Was someone coming over? His parents, maybe? His brothers? They were all in the same business, so they wouldn’t expect the apartment to be spotless. She’d dismissed the idea of a date. Not at this stage of the remodel. And honestly, it was just too upsetting to picture him with a woman.
Wait... Could he just be creating work for her? The floor? Dusting?
She wouldn’t ask. If this was what he wanted her to do, then fine. It made her life much easier, because every hour of work she put in meant she panicked a little less about paying him back.
“I’m ready for a beer,” he said. “How about you?”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll stick with water.” She watched him walk to the fridge, her mind going back and forth, grateful he’d kept his shirt on and wishing he hadn’t. “By the way, I’ve been keeping track of the extra days I’ve stayed because you’re definitely getting the short end of the stick. I haven’t done enough to offset rent,” she said. “After seeing what kinds of shit holes are on the market and knowing what people are actually paying for them...”
“That’s New York for you.” He twisted off the cap and took a pull of beer.
“I wonder if that’s what spooked Wes.”
Luca lowered the bottle and looked at her. “Have you heard from him?”
“Not a word.” She hadn’t meant to speculate out loud. And now Luca was looking at her funny. “I don’t expect to, either. And I’m not making excuses for him. Or trying to rationalize his behavior in any way. It’s just—” She shrugged. “I’d just like to know why.”
Luca nodded and took another swig.
“If not for you, I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done. That being said, I feel obligated to remind you that my five extra days are up and we haven’t talked about when you’d like me to vacate.”
At his slow smile her heart lurched.
“Yeah, I know you wish I was gone already,” she muttered and uncapped her water, suddenly nervous that he might tell her tomorrow would be good.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Of course you didn’t, because that’s not who you are.”
He laughed. “We have different memories of that first night.”
“Oh, no, I remember. But who could blame you? Anyway—” April relaxed a little and paused to take a drink.
“Not now, okay? I need to get this place in—” He went utterly still and just stared at her. “Oh, for Christ’s sake,” he muttered. “Are you kidding me?”
“What are you talking about?” Following his gaze, she looked down at her shirt. A tiny trickle of water had dribbled down right between her breasts. It wasn’t a big deal. Not even close to a day of shampooing dogs. “Are you serious?”
“We just talked about this, April,” he said through gritted teeth.
“It wasn’t on purpose and this doesn’t even show anything.” She brushed her fingers over the damp spot and saw that her nipples were sticking out. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
Shaking his head, he took a huge gulp of his beer. The dual action caused the same thing to happen to him. He glared at the beer soaking into the front of his shirt.
April bit back a laugh.
“Don’t say it.”
“I don’t know what you mean. Besides, things will settle down for me in a minute,” she said, plucking at her shirt. “So, in the meantime, how about you just don’t look?”
“Right. Good plan.”
She’d never seen him roll his eyes before. She lowered her gaze, stiffened and pretended she’d missed the impossible-to-miss bulge behind his fly. Turning away, she asked, “Is there a hardware store nearby?”
“Around the corner. Why?”
“I’d like to take another pass at the floor but I need to get a few things.”
He got out his wallet.
“That’s okay. I’ve got this.” Famous last words. She ran upstairs, grabbed her jacket and wallet and flew back down.
Luca hadn’t moved, and she swore on everything she held sacred she wouldn’t look there.
“You want directions?” he asked as she put her hand on the doorknob.
She nodded and held her breath while memorizing what he told her.
She made it to the store ten minutes before closing. Hands down, it was the smallest hardware store she’d ever seen, with narrow aisles and merchandise crammed
tightly together. With rents being what they were, she wasn’t surprised. It didn’t take her long to find the cleaner her mother had used forever, along with a good mop, then she took her place at the register.
“April?” The male voice coming from behind was unfamiliar. And April wasn’t an unusual name. “April Branagan?”
At that, she turned around and immediately recognized the tall, dark-haired man. “Hello, Officer...”
“Ferrante.” He grinned. “I didn’t have to arrest you, so call me Vinny.”
“Gee, thanks,” she said, “for reminding me of the worst day of my life.”
“Hey, we were all sweating it. A big unattended bag like that...”
“I know. You can’t imagine how sorry and embarrassed I am over the incident. Honestly, I should probably bake cookies or something and take it to your precinct.”
A paunchy older man sauntered over from the aisles and squeezed behind the counter. “Is this it for you?” he asked.
“I hope so.” She hadn’t quite calmed down yet and it wouldn’t surprise her if she had forgotten something. “What time do you open tomorrow?”
He nodded at the sign by the door. “Nine o’clock, just like I have for the last thirty years.”
“And just like you will for the next thirty,” Vinny said, standing awfully close to her.
“Nah, the old ticker or next rent hike will get me first.” He scanned the price code on the mop she held up for him.
“Come on, Gus, when was the last time you had an increase?” Vinny asked. “Most of the businesses on the block haven’t gone up in years.”
“Wow, that’s hard to believe.” April opened her wallet. “Rent is the new four-letter word for me.”
“That’s right. You’re from St. Louis.”
Gus gave her a total and she passed him some bills. Holy cow! Even the most basic household stuff was expensive.
“You still staying at the Mercury Building?” Vinny asked, and she nodded. “Who did you say you were visiting?”