by Carla Caruso
‘Give him hell for lying, if you want to,’ Mina pushed on. ‘But also remember all his good points—his generosity, his caring nature, his love of family. I wouldn’t be imagining all kinds of scenarios care of one tiny incident.’
‘You’re on his side then,’ Lotta grumbled.
‘I’m on your side,’ Mina corrected. ‘We’re sisters. Which means I can tell you when you’re being melodramatic.’
Lotta harrumphed. ‘Well, I’m still going to make him sweat it out.’ There was a hint of a smile in her voice, though, now. ‘It sounds like you’re out and about, anyway. I can hear cars and stuff. Where are you off to?’
‘Oh, just a little, um, customer event at the store.’
She’d just told Lotta her own white lie, thinking it better than enlightening her that the local rag hadn’t made the cut on the guest list. The exclusive event was meant to be all about attracting influential types from the city and afar.
‘Aha,’ Lotta replied. ‘Well, don’t work too hard. Unless there’s another reason you’re clocking up so many hours lately … a hot new boss, for example.’
Now Lotta was on her case about Jadon too.
‘Let’s just worry about your love life,’ Mina muttered before bidding Lotta buonanotte e sogni dolci. Goodnight and sweet dreams.
She slipped her phone back in her bag and headed for the shop’s door. Through the glass, the interior glowed like a Christmas tree and already the sound of party hubbub trickled out. That was what happened when she fielded ‘emergency’ calls from her sister. After retying the belt on her floral shirtdress, Mina took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
She wandered towards the dinner party set-up, where arty-farty guests were now milling about. Jadon had done a good job of getting people there so close to Christmas. He’d let her help stage things, despite his reaction to her styling at the bridal shower. The central feature was a long chequered wooden table, heaving with top-notch china and silverware. Overhead, strung-up gilt frames hung down at quirky angles. Candles and native flowers also adorned various shop surfaces and Bruno Mars’ Talking to the Moon played in the background.
Mina looked around, seeking out a familiar face amid the throng … all right, Jadon’s. But instead her gaze fell upon Gardenia, who was busy chatting away with another guest. Some locals, it seemed, were worthy of being invited. Her dark tresses were slicked into a high pony, showing off her widow’s peak, and she sported a black fur coat over a skin-tight LBD.
Mina’s gaze drifted to the right as Gardenia touched her companion’s hand, and her ovaries clenched. The witch wasn’t speaking to just any old guest but Jadon. He looked more Milan-chic than ever in a dark blue suit and crisp white shirt too.
Did Gardenia have to attach herself to every handsome male in Mina’s life? Seriously, he had more important people to talk to that night! The woman was like a eucalyptus tree, relying on fire and tumult to scatter her ‘seeds’ every which way, not caring what devastation she left behind—
‘Thank Godzilla you’re here.’ Sutton sprang into view, wielding a clipboard. ‘There’s only so much wanky homewares talk I can stomach alone. Can you help me usher everyone to their seats?’
‘No probs.’ Mina blinked, momentarily blinded by Sutton’s neckpiece shining under the chandeliers. Her eyes refocused, allowing her to fully take in the piece. It was another of the little glass vial pendants from Amantha’s aroma-diffusing range! The dark witch was cashing in every which way.
‘Nice necklace.’ Mina reached to touch the lavender liquid-filled vessel.
Sutton jerked back, though, before she could make contact. ‘Ha, I almost forgot I was wearing it.’ Hmm … somebody was protective of their new buy. Sutton quickly got over herself and linked arms with Mina. ‘Let’s get this party started.’
As they headed for the gathering, Mina felt eyes on her. She turned her head a fraction and her gaze locked with Jadon’s. Her pulse quickened. She could have sworn there was also a hint of appreciation in his stare, that his lips even parted slightly. But she was probably deluding herself ’cause what girl would stand a chance next to hex-on-legs Gardenia? And besides, what would have been the point if he had been impressed by what he saw?
Mina got busy herding everyone to their seats with Sutton. Finally, she slid into the last empty chair at the table. It was appropriate that, according to Italian superstition, sitting in the corner at a dinner party meant she wouldn’t marry. But at least Gardenia was a few seats away from Jadon, who was at the head of the table.
To her left, a mustard-coloured haze, detectable only to Mina, wafted from the wishbone chair. She glanced over at its occupant. The woman’s derriere looked as razor-sharp as her bob, which couldn’t have been comfortable for the chair. Thinking on her feet, Mina reached back for a fringed cushion on a dresser and held it up to the woman.
‘You should so try sitting on this. Chair cushions are, uh, all the rage again in Milan. So nineteen-twenties.’
The woman looked down her nose at her. ‘Really?’ Still, she swiped the teal cushion from Mina’s grip, positioning it beneath her. The chair emitted a sunny aura again, leaving Mina in peace.
Jadon clapped his hands for attention at the table’s far end. After the din had died down, he thanked everyone for coming and began a spiel about the store. He sure knew how to dial up the charm factor when necessary. She could imagine him working the room in Italy’s fashion capital.
Speech done, the waitstaff then began trotting out with various courses of mouth-watering fare. Appropriately, Jadon had gone with a retro-themed menu. The dishes ranged from prawn cocktails to beef bourguignon, each given a glammed-up modern twist. Mina found she had plenty of time to enjoy the food too as her tablemates were more interested in talking to their industry peers than her. It was a shame Sutton was also seated down the other end.
While tucking into the dessert—black forest trifle—Mina watched another female guest inadvertently lose her grip on her fork, flinging it across the room. The utensil arced over the table and landed, incredibly, in Jadon’s stuffed baby croc on a cupboard. Others noticed too, their conversations grinding to a halt.
The accidental knife-thrower sprang to her feet, covering her mouth with a hand. ‘I’m so, so sorry. I have no idea how that happened. I think the trifle had me a little too entranced.’
To stop herself from giggling, Mina focused on the woman’s snake-buckle waist belt. Another guest jumped up to pull the offending fork from the croc. No damage seemed apparent, thankfully.
‘Crocodile Dundee, look out.’ Jadon commanded attention again. ‘You’ve got a good aim.’
The crowd tittered and a waitress rushed over to give the still-blushing woman a replacement fork. The hubbub picked up again, but Mina’s eyes were glued to the gold snake-buckle as the woman retook her seat. She was certain she’d seen the curvy serpent wiggling. But that couldn’t be right. Besides, it was as still as it could be now … though it was slightly off-centre.
Mina gnawed on her bottom lip. Sheesh. How many rosés had she downed and how hard had she been staring at that darn belt? What mischievous subconscious thoughts must have drifted into her mind? And with Gardenia just a fork’s throw away … not to mention Jadon! She’d curbed the spell-selling only to keep slipping up. It had to stop.
After the dessert plates had been cleared away, Jadon announced that the guests were free to peruse the rest of the shop. Mina couldn’t have been happier. Although, it quickly became a competition of who could come up with the more verbose descriptions of the homewares. She stood behind a coral papasan chair, trying to blend in with the furniture—
‘Having fun?’ Her heart beat a little faster than was warranted as Jadon approached her.
‘You’re pretty much guaranteed column inches,’ she offered graciously. ‘Everyone seems to be having a wow of a time. The night’s a success.’
The lengths he’d taken to boost his dad’s store really was impressive.
&n
bsp; He flashed his pearly whites. ‘Well, I couldn’t have done it without you. And Sutton.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Pity about the annoying guests. Good thing the furniture world in Milan has prepared me for a lot of pretentiousness.’
Mina pressed her lips together to contain a silly grin. She was glad to hear it wasn’t his scene either. A waiter floated past, offering dessert wine.
Mina raised her hand like a stop sign. ‘I really shouldn’t; I’ve had enough kilojoules tonight.’
Jadon grabbed two of the squat glasses anyway, extending one to her. ‘Go on, it’s celebration time. The night’s almost over.’
‘All right. Guess the kilojoules won’t count then.’
She did love any sweet wine. The waiter drifted away again as Jadon touched his glass against hers, seeming to stare into her soul. ‘What’s that superstition? Don’t look away or you’ll have seven years’ bad … hair.’
She knew what he was really about to say. Sex. ‘Couldn’t have that,’ she whispered. The muscat slipped down her throat like velvet.
After that, the minutes melted away. And, before she knew it, the last of the guests had said their goodbyes—even Gardenia—and the catering company had packed up, leaving just her and Jadon at the shop. Sutton had made her excuses to leave only earlier, dashing away into the night.
Mina lifted her bag from the counter as Jadon returned from tidying furniture. She smiled his way. ‘Well done again on a top night. I might be a leetle late tomorrow, if okay. A girl needs her beauty sleep and all.’ He’d been good at honouring overtime in the past, but it paid to make sure.
‘No probs.’ Jadon’s eyes were opaque in the dim lighting. ‘Hey, before you go, I wanted to show you something, if you have time.’
‘Um, okay.’ She dropped her bag back on the counter, anticipation and curiosity rippling through her. She followed him to a homely nook at the back of the store.
He stopped near the foot of an antique brass bed and gestured alongside it. Her mouth fell open as she joined him. Before her was the most beautiful lamp she’d ever seen. More ‘ah-mazing’ than the recent guests could have even waxed lyrical about. The lamp comprised a tree trunk, with cracks carved in various places to let golden light spill through, and ethereal branches stretching up, illuminating things further.
‘Wow,’ she breathed. ‘It’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Where’s it from?’
Jadon shoved his hands in his pockets with a shrug. ‘I made it, actually. It’s just something I’ve been messing around with in my spare time. I’m not sure how the design would fly in Milan, but I thought I could maybe test the market here. Normally, this sort of timber would just be treated as waste wood. Anyway, I thought I’d bring it out, while things were set-up, to see how it looked with other furniture.’
‘I love it,’ Mina exclaimed. ‘You should have pulled it out earlier. The guests would have been in raptures—’
As she stepped closer to the bed, brimming with enthusiasm, she felt something tangle around her heel. The coil of cord! She lost her footing, tumbling face-first on the mattress, the springs creaking beneath her frame. Not again. Too embarrassed to move, she kept her face buried in the white woven bedspread.
Jadon cleared his throat behind her. ‘Apologies. I should have kicked the extension cord out of the way first. Occ health and safety rule number one … It was the only one I could find in my rush.’
Gingerly, Mina picked herself up, giving into a laugh. ‘I’m also a huge klutz. But, hey, it shows how attention-grabbing the design is.’
Shadows danced on Jadon’s face, care of the lamp. He peered at her from beneath dark brows. ‘Bacio?’
Mina’s heart walloped in her chest. Had she heard him correctly? Bacio was Italian for ‘kiss’. Dropping his gaze, he reached to pluck something shiny from his pocket. A foil-covered chocolate ball glistened in his palm.
She couldn’t stop herself from giggling. ‘Oh, you saved me one of the Baci chocolates! Thought you were asking me for a kiss for a sec there.’
‘A kiss, huh?’ His mind seemed to be testing out the theory, as though sampling a chocolate.
Mina lurched between stunned silence and nervous laughter. ‘Yup, too funny.’
Despite his earlier offer, he suddenly unwrapped the chocolate. He held up the usual typed love note inside, reading it out loud. ‘L’amore sa sperare quando la ragione già dispera. Love can hope where reason would despair.’
She swallowed hard. ‘Very profound.’
Maybe it was the magic of the lamplight or their aloneness at the shop, but, all of a sudden, she found herself opening her mouth teasingly. Hey, he had offered her the confection. Jadon blinked a few times, as though weighing up the situation, then he stepped forwards and popped the sweet between her lips. She tasted milk chocolate, hazelnut … and his salty fingertips. It was the best dessert she’d ever had.
As he stood back, she chewed slowly, her eyes still on him. Blood pumped in her veins. A line had been crossed, she knew, but she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. Not that night. Any lingering doubts, her fear of rejection, evaporated.
In a heartbeat, she’d bridged the gap between them, standing on her tippy-toes. If anyone was going to cross the boss/employee line, it had to be her. Tugging his bristly jaw down, she saw the longing reflected in his eyes. She hadn’t imagined his interest, their chemistry!
Closing her eyes, she pressed her mouth to his, savouring the fullness of his lips, the scratch of his stubble against her skin. Jadon would be back in Milan before she knew it; she could steal one fleeting kiss. It was both impossible and inevitable.
But as she moved back, Jadon pulled her to him again, one kiss not seeming enough for him either. He cupped her face with his broad hands and kissed her more deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth. As his hands skimmed her behind, her mind both screamed that Mr Eder’s son’s hands were on her tush and that she never wanted him to pry his fingers away again. Everything Jadon did made her skin sizzle like water drops on a hot pan. Future heartache would be worth it for this one blistering embrace.
She was vaguely aware that they’d fallen back onto the antique bed as its pillowy softness cushioned her once more. It couldn’t have been better positioned. She revelled in the sturdy weight of Jadon on top of her. The feel of his hardened contours, through his suit’s fine wool, pressing into her. His hand skated under her dress and between her thighs, and her insides ignited. Things were moving fast, but they had to … before they had time to second-guess themselves. She could barely even believe it was all happening. It felt surreal.
A noise like a distant train horn sliced through the air. ‘Sorry,’ Jadon murmured, breaking away momentarily while she lay there. He moved to sitting, fumbling in his trouser pocket. ‘My phone. Good timing, as always.’ He did have an unwell father, though! After glancing at the screen, he powered off the device and slid it back in his pocket.
She sat up herself, tentatively touching her bruised lips. ‘It’s cool.’ Disappointment plunged through her, though, as Jadon climbed to his feet.
‘Maybe we should call it a night?’ His eyes drilled into hers. ‘Let’s be honest, I’ve been dying to kiss you for a while, but I didn’t know if … the feeling was reciprocated.’ He shot her a sheepish smile. ‘Still, my old man’s shop doesn’t seem the best place to, you know, continue things. Maybe, though, we could go on a proper date sometime soon, unrelated to work?’
She nodded, her heart still hammering away in her chest. She’d been kidding herself if she’d thought she wasn’t coming back for seconds. Feeling bold, she got to her feet and traced his neck mole with a finger. ‘This thing between us can be our little secret, until you have to go back.’
She could allow herself a fling if they were both aware of the time limit.
An indecipherable expression crossed his face, but then he grabbed hold of her hands. An electric current ran up her spine. ‘You’re on. And, by the way, thanks for inspirin
g the lamp design.’ He winked. ‘Your plant obsession might have rubbed off.’
‘About bloody time,’ she joked then leant in for another mind-bending, knee-buckling kiss.
Who would have thought her night wouldn’t be a total bust after all? She could have her ‘cake’, so long as she was prepared to hand it back in time. Dreams were made of this … She just prayed Jadon wouldn’t go cold on the idea of them by the morning.
Chapter 16
‘What do you think about going to a movie?’ Jadon stopped on the footpath during their lunchbreak the next day. He nodded at the beige art-deco cinema ahead. ‘From the sign, it looks like an old “nostalgia” film is about to start … Roman Holiday.’
‘Now? Really?’ Mina asked. It was the first bit of alone time they’d had since last night. Nicely, Jadon hadn’t turned back into an iceman … yet. While Sutton thought they were both off to an estate sale, Mina hadn’t expected the promised date to happen so soon.
She tried for a nonchalant shrug. ‘You’re the boss. And Roman Holiday is one Audrey Hepburn flick I haven’t seen. Though, I didn’t know you were an old movies kind of guy.’
‘Who said I even was?’ He waggled his eyebrows, making nervous excitement shiver through her.
Let’s be honest, she’d been thinking about jumping his bones all morning. But what was new?
It was surreal sitting beside him in the dark cinema, with crinkly bags of chips and lollies in their laps like they were a regular couple. They’d sat up the back, on the top tier of the theatre, as if they were teenagers. Mina even wore her nerdy glasses. There was only a sprinkling of moviegoers in the front rows being daytime and the hills. Though, the quiet just made Mina more aware of Jadon’s nearness as the movie played.
‘Gosh, Audrey Hepburn was so beautiful,’ she breathed, attempting to focus on the actress in her princess getup on-screen. Maybe she’d got it wrong and Jadon really did want to concentrate on the film. So far, he hadn’t moved a centimetre towards her.