by Melody Anne
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ari inhaled deeply, reveling in the evocative scents of her mother’s flower shop. She’d been coming here since before she was able to form lasting memories.
Her mom had told her about the brightly painted basinet that had sat in the corner until it was replaced by a playpen, and then eventually a school desk. In that corner she’d learned how to make beautiful bouquets for weddings and create corsages for girls at their first prom.
“Hi, Mom,” she called out when she spotted her mother at her beloved workstation.
“I wasn’t expecting you in here today,” Sandra replied as she wiped her hands, then quickly stepped around the counter and rushed over to embrace her daughter.
“I came to help and spend quality time with my mom.”
“Well, you certainly picked a good day. I have a small wedding I’m preparing flowers for. I have to drop them off in the morning, so it was going to be a long night for me. But with two sets of hands we might get out of here in time to grab a bite to eat.”
“I’m a bit rusty, but I’m sure you can refresh my memory in record time.”
“It’s just like riding a bike. It will all come back to you — besides, we’re working with roses and it’s hard to mess up a bouquet with such a beautiful flower in it. Come on and I’ll put you to work while you catch me up on what’s been keeping you so preoccupied these days.”
The stress from the last few months evaporated as she stood by her mother’s side and started bunching flowers together and tying ribbon around the stems. Turning nature into art was very soothing — therapeutic even — and soon Ari relaxed.
“Have you registered for classes yet?”
“Not yet, Mom, but I’m thinking about going back next term — I promise,” Ari answered with a wince. Without her mother’s pushing her so hard, she might have given up on going back. Nerves and Rafe’s insanely demanding schedule kept sidetracking her.
“I will go with you just to make sure. I want to see my baby girl receive that diploma.”
“OK. I promise I’ll do it. How about we make it a date and go in next Friday?” Ari asked with a laugh. If Rafe thought Ari was pushy, he obviously hadn’t spent much time with her mother. Not that Ari wanted him to — she was too deeply involved with his him and his family, and adding her mom to the equation would make parting with him so much more painful.
“Now that we settled that, how is work going?”
“It’s fine. I enjoy the Palazzo building. It’s beautiful inside and out. The only real negative is that I hardly ever see Amber, Shelly and Miley from my old job anymore. Rafe has a crazy traveling schedule; we leave on a moment’s notice. And then sometimes we’re at the office until midnight. It’s a little exhausting,” Ari admitted. She didn’t add that his demands in the bedroom were the most exhausting of all — very satisfying, but exhausting nevertheless.
“Ari, you have to make time for your friends. When a man starts to dictate too much of what you do and demand all your time, that’s your cue to back away. I like Rafe, honestly I do, but I worry that he’s taking too much from you. I’d have no problem with stepping in and letting him know he needs to back off,” Sandra threatened.
“That means the world to me, Mom, but I can take care of it. He’s not a bad guy; he just… makes the wrong decisions sometimes. However, he treats me well. When he tries some of his demanding crap, I don’t allow it. I promise you that if I ever feel as if I’m being taken advantage of, I’ll walk away from him so fast, his head will spin.”
Sandra looked at her for a long moment and Ari began to squirm. She didn’t know how her mother did it, but the woman just seemed to know things. She knew how Ari was feeling sometimes before even Ari knew. It was creepy and comforting all at the same time.
“I won’t lie to you and tell you I think everything is perfectly OK, but I will respect your decision and take comfort in the fact that I raised you to be a strong woman. I hope I’ve taught you enough that you’ll never accept less than what you deserve.”
Ari felt tears fill her eyes. She was so grateful that her mother had pulled through the accident and the cancer. Never had she been more afraid than when she thought she wouldn’t see her mom again. How could she lose the one woman who would always be her life preserver?
“Although I do make mistakes, and I will mess up, I was raised by a remarkable woman and I won’t ever forget the values that you taught me. Rafe does get to be too much at times, but when he does, I hear your voice in my head telling me not to stay down when I get in over my head. I promise you that I will be OK.”
“I think you will, darling. I see so much strength in you — more than I’ve ever seen before. You had to do a lot of growing up over the past year, but it’s only made you stronger. You need to be very proud of that. A lot of women would have just sunk to the ground and felt sorry for themselves, but you’ve risen above and chosen to make do with the circumstances handed to you. I don’t know when it happened, but you’ve gone from a little girl into a woman. Hmm. I don’t think I like this,” she teased with a sniffle.
“Thank you, Mom. I needed to hear that.”
“Well, we’ve covered work, school and your personal life. Now you get to hear about something new in my life.” Sandra’s tears faded and she practically glowed.
Ari looked at her quizzically. Her mother was such a person of routine; what could she possibly say?
“I’ve started dating a really wonderful man.”
“What?” Ari didn’t mean to stand there with her mouth hanging open, but in the entire time she was growing up, she didn’t remember her mother dating once.
“Hey, sweetheart, I still have needs…”
“Please, I’m begging you,” Ari gasped in horror at the visual of her mother’s needs.
“OK. I’ll take mercy on you, but I have been seeing a wonderful man for the past month, and a woman my age doesn’t want to waste too much time, so I’m giving you a heads up.”
“What does he do?” Ari asked with suspicion. Her mom had been through enough — she didn’t want some man taking advantage of her.
“He owns a beautiful restaurant downtown.”
“Not to sound shallow, but is he financially secure? I don’t want you being used for your flourishing floral shop,” Ari joked. Her mother was doing well with her shop, but because of all the medical expenses, it would be a while before she had a decent amount in savings again. Ari was trying to work on that. She hated owing Rafe, even if her mom didn’t know about it; she wanted him paid off and her mother’s life back in her own hands.
“Actually, his place is very successful. He has a large celebrity following. To tell you the truth, I normally would never eat in a place like his, but the food is mouthwatering. I’ve never had such incredible pasta in my life.”
“He’s not a snob, is he?”
“No, he’s a wonderful man. I would like to take you to dinner to meet him. If we get done early enough, we could go tonight.”
Ari wasn’t eager to go, but the excitement shining in her mother’s eyes prevented her from refusing. Her own eyes took on a steely glint — this man had better be treating Mom like the Queen of England or he’s toast. Nothing but the best for her mother.
“If we get done in time, then, I’d be pleased to have dinner with you and this man,” Ari said with a forced brightness.
She found reason to regret her words as her mother kicked their pace into overdrive, and Ari felt as if her hands were going to fall off. Still, as she looked at her mother’s youthful joy, she couldn’t be too negative. This man was obviously giving her mom the happiness she deserved.
“I can’t believe how nervous I am,” Sandra said as the two of them approached the exclusive Italian restaurant.
“Wow, Mom, you are really glowing,” Ari commented, almost agape at the sight. Her mother was beautiful in her long blue dress and with her hair put up. This new relationship seemed to be knocking years off her life.
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Sandra looked young and almost carefree. Ari had to admit that she’d never seen her happier. But she’d never been forced to share her mother before, and a selfish part of her wanted to stake her claim, tell this man he had no rights to her mom. It was stupid, but she knew she would have battle this absurd surge of emotions.
“Marco makes me feel like a teenager again,” Sandra said with a giggle.
“Then I’m very happy for you, though perhaps the tiniest bit jealous,” Ari admitted with a smile.
“Ari, you should know that no one ever will or ever could replace you. You’re my little girl, no matter how old you become. I never had a desire to date while you were growing up, because you were my first priority and I didn’t want to risk your being hurt. After your father… Well, let’s just say, it was hard for me to trust that a relationship would last, and I didn’t want to put you through the turmoil of having men coming and going from your life. I still wasn’t looking for a man, but I met Marco and it just…well, it just sort of happened.”
“I think that’s wonderful, Mom. I have a feeling I will love your Marco, even if I want to bring out the claws and make sure he knows you’re mine first,” Ari admitted with a half grin and an exaggeratedly furrowed brow.
“He’s a charmer. I think he’ll have you under his spell within seconds.”
“I don’t know, Mom. I’m quite hard to charm,” Ari told her with a twinkle in her eye.
The two of them stepped into the restaurant and the maître d’ glanced up and gave Sandra a beaming smile.
“How lovely to see you this evening, Ms. Harlow. You are more gorgeous each time you bless us with your presence.”
Ari’s mouth dropped open as the man approached them, took her mother’s hand, bringing it to his lips and giving it a kiss, and then turned his twinkling eyes on Ari.
“Oh, this must be the stunning daughter you’ve spoken so fondly of. I can certainly see the family resemblance. Welcome to Il Mio Cuore,” he said as he took Ari’s hand and kissed it as well.
“Thank you, Gene; you are too kind, as usual,” Sandra said with a light laugh.
“Let me take you to your table. The world should wait on beautiful women, but never make them wait,” he said with a flourish as he gave Ari and her mom his full attention. He led them straight to a private room glowing golden in candlelight and smelling of something savory and delicious wafting to them from their table.
“Ah, it looks as if Benny spotted you and has brought out something to keep your hunger at bay until Marco joins you.”
“Whatever it is, it smells ambrosial. Tell Marco to take his time. We don’t need him to rush right out,” Sandra offered.
“How could I attend to anything else when I know such a beautiful woman is near?”
Ari turned and her jaw dropped as she assessed the man standing behind them. Her mother giggled as she rushed to him, and his arms wrapped around her as he pressed a sweet kiss on her lips.
The man was arrestingly handsome, standing about six feet tall and wearing a dark navy blue suit that matched his eyes to perfection. His olive skin and salt-and-pepper hair gave him a refined appearance. Age had been good to Marco, and the laugh lines around his eyes attested to a good sense of humor.
“I am being so rude; I apologize,” he said as he turned to Ari, while leaving one hand clasped around her mother’s fingers. “I am Marco Giannini, and it’s such a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Arianna Harlow,” he finished as he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Ari wasn’t used to men being so touchy or flirty, but she found herself standing there tongue-tied and smiling. Finally, she pulled herself together enough to speak.
“The pleasure is all mine. Please call me Ari.”
“A lovely name for an exquisite woman, Ari. And do call me Marco.”
“You are quite the flirt, Marco. I can see why my mother is fond of you,” Ari said with a chuckle as she sat in the chair he pulled out for her.
“Ah, being around beautiful women brings out the romantic in me. I hope you don’t mind if I order for us. My chef has incredible talent and exquisite taste, and your mother hasn’t found fault yet with any of his dishes.”
“That would be perfect; thank you.”
Marco helped her mother to her seat, and then the waiter stepped in and poured a fine Italian red into their lovely crystal glasses. The evening started off quite pleasantly, and soon Ari was laughing and enjoying herself immensely.
“Ari, your mother tells me you’re soon to graduate from Stanford.”
“I have one semester left, so I hope I’ll be graduating soon,” she said with a bit of an uncomfortable laugh. She really didn’t want to talk about her education.
“What are your plans after you’re finished?”
Ari barely managed to hold back the sigh. “I don’t know, yet. My dream was always to get my doctorate and work as a college professor in history, but things change…” she trailed off. She hated even speaking of that dream because it seemed further and further away with each day that passed.
“Do you not want that anymore?”
She knew he was just trying to get to know her, but she needed to change the subject.
“Oh, life never stands still for any of us. Please, I want to hear the story of how you and my mother met.”
Her words did the trick — Marco and her mother looked at each other with identical besotted looks on their faces.
“It’s actually a bit of a Cinderella story…” Sandra started saying with a wink and a sly giggle.
“It’s a complete modern fairy tale come true,” Marco took over. “I was down at the docks picking fresh seafood for the day’s specials when something shiny caught my eye. I turned and there was your mother arguing with man over how fresh his fish was, and her bracelet was sparkling in the sun. I was amused at first that this tiny woman was going head to head with Albert, who weighs at least three hundred pounds. I know he’s a gentle giant, so I wasn’t worried, but Sandra didn’t know that. Finally, she turned and her heel caught in a gap on the dock, and she went flying into the water.”
“Oh my gosh, Mom. You never told me you hurt yourself!”
“I didn’t get injured — well, my pride got hurt a bit, but Marco dived in after me, and I was so mesmerized, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.”
“Luckily for me, your mother was wearing a white blouse that day, too,” Marco said, wiggling his eyebrows and rolling his eyes. Ari couldn’t help bursting into laughter at the way these two supposedly sophisticated people were acting like children.
“That’s a great story! You were her knight in soggy amour,” Ari said between fits of laughter.
“Ari, I thought I recognized that laugh.”
Ari turned to find Rafe standing in the doorway wearing her favorite black suit with a teal dress shirt beneath, and a midnight tie. His eyes zeroed in on her and her breath caught mid-laugh. She’d been apart from him for only a few days and yet seeing him brought an extra beat to her heart. Why did he have to be so enthralling?
“Hello, Rafe. I’m having dinner with my mother and her friend.”
“It sounds as if you’re having a good time.” He didn’t move from the doorway and she hoped he wasn’t going to expect her to leave. Her day with her mother wasn’t over, yet.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been rude. Rafe Palazzo,” he said as he approached Marco.
“I’ve heard a lot about you in the business circles. I’m Marco Giannini. Would you like to join us?” Marco asked as he stood to shake Rafe’s hand.
“It would be my pleasure.” Ari was a bit peeved that he’d tracked her down while she was with her mother, especially since he’d been gone with not a single word for almost a full week. What had he been up to? What was going on in the hidden depths of his mind? Suspicion caused her eyes to narrow.
“How do you know Ari and Sandra?” Marco asked.
“Ari and I are seeing each other. I met Sandra while she was in the hospital,” Rafe
replied as he took his seat and accepted a glass of wine from the server.
“Then you are a fortunate man, indeed, to be dating such a lovely woman. I know I have counted my blessings every day since meeting Sandra.”
“Yes, the Harlow women have a certain sparkle about them,” Rafe said with a secretive smile.
Ari was afraid the evening would become uncomfortable, but Rafe fit right in, and soon they were all bantering back and forth. When it was time to say goodbye, she felt assured that her mother was being treated properly. It wasn’t a hardship for her to hug her mother goodbye and arrange to come back soon to dine with her and even Marco.
Ari had agreed to let Rafe take her home, but she thought about insisting that he drop her off and not come in. It was her right. But, as he assisted her into the passenger seat of his car, she knew that to pretend she didn’t want him there was absurd. She’d be hurting only herself.
They both remained silent as he moved through the bustling streets of San Francisco. Though it was close to eleven at night, there was much traffic on the road. Ari preferred taking the bus, feeling safer than when she tried to navigate the freeways or the narrow roads through town, where the fear of a wreck was always in the back of her mind.
At least while Rafe drove, she felt secure. He was confident and sure as he steered his way through the city streets. She really had nothing to fear, well, nothing on the roads, at least. Once they arrived at her home, she had a lot to worry her.
When he pulled into her garage, she reached for her seat belt, but sudden weariness made her move in slow motion. By the time Rafe parked and stepped around to her side of the car, she was still fighting the blasted clip.
“Let me help.” The soft sound of his voice made her stop fidgeting with the clasp as she turned to look into his shining eyes.
“Thank you,” she managed when he unclasped her belt and assisted her from the car. Placing his hand behind her back, he led her to the elevator and pushed the button. Now was the time to speak up if she didn’t want him to stay. Well, she wanted him to, but she didn’t think it was the best idea with the way her emotions were scattered all over the place.