by Eva Moore
“Judging by your silence, I’m going to assume that you’re still working your fingers to the bone for that damn place.” Jo leaned forward and gripped Sofia’s hands tightly. “Listen. Don’t do what I did. Nothing—no company, no job, no man—nothing is worth sacrificing everything for. I gave that place thirty years of my life. I don’t want to see you trapped in the same pit.”
Sofia tried to hear the message of love behind her mother’s words, but she wanted thirty years at the company, just not behind the manager’s desk. To hear her dream condemned by her own mother sliced at her already wounded heart.
“That’s easy to say when you’re the one who walked away and left me holding the shovel.”
“I never said you had to take over the office work.”
“Who was going to make sure the bills got paid? Who was going to send out invoices and keep the place afloat? Who was going to make sure that our employees still got their paychecks? Dad? Enzo? Frankie? No. I was the only one stepping forward to do those things.” Sofia’s voice quivered with frustration.
“You always do this. You tear people down with all these questions. I don’t answer to you, Sofia. I did what I had to do, and I don’t regret it.”
Sofia’s heart took another hit and tears gathered behind her closed lids. She didn’t tear people down, did she? Was that how people saw her? Sofia gripped her hands together, battling for control. Her mother’s soft hand landing on top of hers nearly broke her. She was barely holding it together. This was not what she’d expected from coffee with her mom.
“No one is making you stay and do those things, Sofia.” Her tone, as soft as her hand, was meant to soothe, but the condescension behind it pushed her into an angry retort.
“I am, Ma. I want my design business to be an integral part of Valenti Brothers. We have the reputation you all worked so hard to build, the opportunity to expand our brand through the show, and I am finally getting to do what I love. I can’t walk away from the business side and let it all fall apart before I have a chance to succeed.”
Jo pulled her hand away and checked her phone again before tucking it inside her purse. Her words were so quiet that Sofia almost missed the pain threading through them.
“I wish it would burn to the ground.”
Sofia sat silent. She knew her mother had wanted Dad to step back, but this… This felt like more than that.
“He will never leave that company unless it is gone. I didn’t want to bring this up, but you should know. I am considering leaving your father.”
“What? Does Dad know about this?” Sofia was in shock. She’d known her parents had fought over the company for years and the show more recently, but she’d always seen their marriage as rock-solid. This news was an earthquake, shaking her foundation.
“I don’t know what your father knows. We haven’t spoken since he announced that ridiculous television show. He knew. He knew I needed him, and he put that company first again.”
Jo drank down the last of her coffee and set the white cup down carefully, while Sofia struggled to make sense of her words. Could her mother really toss aside a lifetime together? If Sofia had been asked yesterday, her answer would have been no. But today, the sadness and pain in her mother’s eyes made the impossible seem plausible. Sofia needed to try and salvage this.
“So he could leave it in a strong position for the rest of us.”
“Don’t be naive. He won’t leave until a backhoe loads his casket into the ground.”
Was that why her dad wouldn’t answer her questions? Because he had no intention of giving the company over to anyone?
Her mother’s attention had shifted from her to a spot over her shoulder, before returning earnestly to her face. “I don’t want to see what happened to me happen to you, too. I love you, Sofia. It’s just not worth it. My ride for the excursion is here. I’ve got to run. Thanks for the coffee. Give my love to Enzo and Frankie.”
Before Sofia had a chance to find her scattered words in the aftermath of the land mines she’d tripped, her mother had kissed her cheek and was gone, climbing into the car of a very attractive silver-haired gentleman who closed the door for her.
Sofia twisted her hair into a bun for the third time and pinned it ruthlessly. She wanted everything to go perfectly tonight. Graciela had been so kind and welcoming all the nights that she’d stayed over, and she wanted Adrian to feel the same way at her family table. She also knew that her family could be ruthless in their teasing. Hopefully, the fact that they all knew him already would make it easier. But after her weird conversation with her mom the other day, who knew?
She hadn’t shared her thoughts with her siblings yet, and that felt strange. She didn’t know what was going on between her parents, and she prayed that whatever happened tonight, Adrian wouldn’t be hurt. Her mom had always been a pillar of support and encouragement. She barely recognized the woman she’d had coffee with. Sofia had come away from that meeting battered and bruised at heart. Who knew what would happen at dinner?
She pulled her bun out and tried for a casual tousled look, as if looking relaxed was the same as feeling relaxed. She touched up her lipstick and mascara. Nope, still not working. Wielding her brush like a weapon, she ruthlessly tugged her hair back into her trademark ponytail so she could quit worrying about it and get a move on. When Adrian poked his head into the bathroom, she jumped and squeaked.
“Nervous?”
“Maybe. Are you?” She leaned into his hug.
“Hell, yes. I haven’t talked to Dom in weeks because of the show, and the first thing I’m going to tell him is ‘I’m dating your daughter’? Yeah, I’m a little nervous about how that’s going to go down.”
“Just don’t tell him how I go down, and it’ll be fine,” she teased, more relaxed now that she had his strong arms wrapped around her.
He leaned his forehead against hers and chuckled. “You’re sure it’s okay that I’m coming with you?”
She let out a bark of laughter as her dirty mind followed that train of thought to Smutville. “So not touching that joke. You’ve really got to quit laying them out there like that.”
“Be serious a minute.” His voice trembled.
She pulled back and looked him in the eye. All of her own fears and nerves were reflected back at her. Taking his face in her hands she kissed him lightly.
“I’m sure it’s more than okay that you’re coming with me. I talked to Mom about it the other day.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot riding on tonight.”
Eye to eye, Sofia pushed aside her own worries and gave him the support he needed. She nuzzled into his neck, kissing her favorite spot at the base of his neck where the soft met the sinewy strength of his shoulders.
It had been years since she’d been this happy. Three, to be exact. The process of filming the pilot had been stressful, but Sofia was grateful for the chaos. It had shaken up the routine of her life and opened all sorts of new doors. New challenges, new ideas, and new dreams. How long would she have ignored Adrian if it hadn’t been for the show? She didn’t like to think about it. He’d been right in front of her face for years. How much time had they wasted?
They were certainly trying to make up for it now. In the last week and a half since that magical first time, they’d settled into a cozy routine where she and Adrian would drive home to his house in their separate cars to sit and eat dinner with his mother. Graciela loved to tell stories, and Sofia learned so much more about this man she was falling for. His love for his sisters, his role in the community, his awkward teenage years—every story, whether embarrassing or told with pride, added pieces to the complex puzzle that was Adrian Villanueva. She had to admit she was falling in love with Graciela also. She was impossible to resist, with her laughing eyes, her relentless hospitality, and her fierce love for her family.
But her favorite part of the day was when Adrian would follow her up the stairs to his apartment. The anticipation still tickled low in her belly,
and made that moment when they finally joined together in bed even sweeter. They made love until dawn, when she’d drive home to get ready for the day. The thought that she could have had this in her life for years made her want to cry over their stupidity.
Maybe once things calmed down a little bit she could take him to her favorite cottage by the sea. The idea of spending time with her favorite person in her favorite place was tempting. The image of Adrian in board shorts made her mouth water. But she had no clue when they’d have time to indulge in a break.
No matter. They had here and now, and now was pretty darn spectacular. Not even a stressful family dinner was going to ruin her happiness.
“No matter what he says, no matter how this turns out, I’ve got you, and you’ve got me.”
He closed his eyes and dropped his forehead back to hers. “Deal.”
Chapter 22
From the minute they walked in, Adrian could feel the tension in the room. He was greeted with a friendly if cool smile from Jo, and Sofia barely hugged her mother. Damn it. Sofia had told him it was okay for him to be here. Clearly, it wasn’t.
“Thank you for including me, Mrs. Valenti.”
“I’ve been Jo to you for twelve years. I hope that won’t change now that you’re sleeping with my daughter.” She turned away to put his proffered bottle of wine in the kitchen.
The awkward silence from the rest of the room confirmed his fears. They hadn’t known, or if they had, they didn’t approve. Adrian looked to Enzo for backup, but he just shrugged and took a sip of his red wine. Seth snorted his laughter through his hand, and Brandy smacked his bicep in reproach. Frankie at least poured him a glass of wine and offered it with a grin.
“You look like you could use this.”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks.”
He took a fortifying sip before he turned to look at the last man in the room, Domenico. Dom, who had been like a father to him after his own had disappeared. This wasn’t how Adrian had wanted to approach the subject of his relationship with Sofia. Dom just stared back at him, face blank and frozen for a solid minute, before he followed his wife into the kitchen, closing the door behind him with a snap.
Dom’s raised voice echoed through the door, but no reply from Jo followed. The door was just thick enough that Adrian couldn’t tell what was being said, but the tone was enough to extrapolate.
“Maybe I should go.”
Sofia gripped his face and turned it from the door to face her instead. He was buoyed by the conviction he saw in her eyes.
“No, he’ll have to get used to the idea, right? Because this thing between us isn’t changing any time soon. He’s just surprised.”
Why hadn’t she told anyone?
Jo came back into the dining room carrying a roast pork loin surrounded by broccolini. Placing it in the place of pride on a table already groaning, she went and sat in her spot without a word. Dom blustered in behind her with a bowl of pesto orecchiette. “…doesn’t tell me a goddamn thing,” he muttered as everyone took seats around the table.
Adrian stood to the side and waited while everyone sat, awkwardly nervous and afraid of screwing up his future in more ways than one. He took the empty seat next to Sofia and kept his head down while grace was said and bowls were passed. When he turned to hand the pasta to Sofia, he saw the tears in her eyes.
“What’s…?”
She cut him off with a shake of her head and blinked back tears. Shit. He wanted to support her, but he didn’t know how to in front of her family.
“Later.”
Brandy dove into the silence around the table, and Adrian was thankful for her bravery. “So, I had a funny thing happen today.”
While she recounted a story of someone passing out during an OB/GYN observation in her nursing program, Adrian tried to calm himself back down. Dom was just surprised. He hadn’t been in the office much lately, and when he was on set he shadowed Jake so intently that he hadn’t noticed the change between Adrian and Sofia. Where they once bickered incessantly, they’d grown downright cordial in the office. Paperwork was getting completed and flowing with ease. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt compelled to tease her. Probably because he was getting plenty of her attention already.
As the laughter died down, Dom stepped into the conversational gap, clearing his throat. “I know this is supposed to be family dinner, but I do have a little bit of business to discuss.” Jo rose from the table and headed for the door to the kitchen. “I thought you’d all like to know that the pilot got picked up. We will be on TV!”
The table erupted into excited squeals and clapping from nearly everyone—everyone except Jo and Sofia. Jo stood frozen in the doorway. Adrian could tell this news did not excite the family matriarch in the least, but he was surprised that Sofia was so quiet. He’d thought she’d be excited about the show getting picked up. Wasn’t this her dream to jump-start her design business?
“Dad?” she asked, but only Adrian heard her. “DAD!” She yelled it that time and got everyone’s attention around the table.
“What is it, honey?”
In a voice as sweet as the endearment, she asked a quiet question. Even Adrian could tell this was going to be bad.
“How can we be on TV if we haven’t signed new contracts?”
“I signed them yesterday. We’re all good.”
“No, Dad. Not good. Did you read them?”
“Jake told me they were the same as the pilot contracts with a few more people added to it.”
“What’s the percentage cut on merchandise from the show?”
“Uh, I don’t know. What was it in the other one?”
She ignored his question and asked another. Adrian could see the vein pulsing in her temple.
“Whose names are listed on the new contract?”
“Everyone in this room. Plus some of the regular guys on the crew.”
Jo’s head snapped up at this. “No way in hell am I going on that show.”
“That answers my next question of whether you asked everyone or not. Have you thought about what this does to our project timelines? How are we going to handle the intake of new clients? Do they expect us to film our existing clients for upcoming projects in the pipeline? And have you gotten releases from those people? What’s the revenue split between the people in this room? How can you have figured any of that out if we haven’t even settled the roles people will play after you retire? Did you sort any of this out or did you just go with your gut and sign away our business?” Sofia’s voice got louder and higher the more rapid-fire questions she aimed at her father. Without waiting for a reply she rose from the table and grabbed her cell phone from her purse.
Dom slammed his hand on the table, making forks and spoons jump as well as Sofia. “Damn it, Sofia. Enough with the questions! I thought this was what you wanted. Why are you so against it all of a sudden?”
“Dad, I’m not against it. But how can you say yes without knowing the answers?” She unlocked her cell phone and deliberately turned her back on her father.
“Who are you calling?”
“I’m texting Jake to tell him that you signed under duress and that the rest of us did not have access to the documents and that if he doesn’t want a lawsuit on his hands he’ll ignore your signature for a few days while we sort things out.”
“Sit back down.” The command in his voice didn’t even faze Sofia, and Adrian was reluctantly impressed. “You’re overreacting, Sofia.”
“No, Dad. The sad thing is I’m not. If you want me to be the business manager, you shouldn’t make decisions like this without me. Oh wait, I don’t hold that title, do I? I’m just the lowly office grunt.”
Dom tried to strike a conciliatory tone, but Sofia was having none of it, her thumbs flying over the screen of her phone. “Sofia, you know I rely on you to—”
“To clean up your messes? Yeah, that’s becoming abundantly clear.” The phone in her hand began to ring. “Oh look, it’s Jake. Imagine that. E
xcuse me, I have work to do.” She headed out the back of the house.
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m sure she’ll come around. Hey, after all, who doesn’t want to be on TV?” Frankie’s youthful enthusiasm wasn’t enough to break the tension.
Dom eyed his wine glass, twirling it in his hand before pushing back from the table and following her out back. Adrian wondered if he should follow, but Seth shook his head.
“Better to let them sort it out, if you’d like to keep your head attached to your body.”
Sofia managed to keep her voice calm as she talked to Jake on the phone.
“I’m sure it’s fine, but none of us got to read through it, so the signature is at worst invalid, at best incomplete. Do you mind sitting on it for two days while I vet it?”
“No problem, Sofia. I’ll be honest, I was surprised to get it back so soon without a mark on it. The first contract looked like my high school English papers. I’ll bring it back by the office in the morning.”
“Thanks, Jake.”
“And in return, you’ll do me a favor.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Convince your mother to be on the show.”
“You’ve got a better chance of getting an appearance from a flying monkey.”
“I want to get the dynamic between your parents for the full season.”
“Trust me, that dynamic right now isn’t going to reflect well.”
“Just promise me you’ll try.”
“I’ll try.”
“Good. I’ll get those papers to you in the morning.”
Sofia hung up the phone, relieved that she’d dodged that bullet. She turned and realized she had another one barreling straight for her.
“Don’t worry, Dad. He agreed to return the contracts and let me go over them tomorrow.”
Dom pulled up short right in front of her and snatched her phone from her hand. His nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath and struggled to keep his voice calm. “Whose company is this?”