Opened Up

by Eva Moore

  She waited until Trina had backed up into the corner of the space before escorting the couple across the floor. To the viewers, she hoped it looked like a casual transition question. “The existing footprint of the dining room is small, and you lose a lot of space to this wall here. I would love to open up the kitchen and connect it to this room, giving you a larger eat-in area in the kitchen, as well as providing more seating options for entertaining. I haven’t quite decided if I want to take out the whole wall or simply enlarge the opening and build around it.”

  There, take that. No firm commitment, and she’d left herself wiggle room to make that decision later.

  “Actually, in my inspection report, when I checked out that wall, I noticed that the sconces were wired in a pretty sketchy way.”

  “Is that bad?” Patience looked worried, and Sofia opened her mouth to comfort her, but Adrian beat her to it.

  “It’s bad if we ignore it, but it’s good if you want that wall taken down anyway. To repair it we’d have to pull off a good bit of the drywall, and since it’s not load-bearing, it would be easy to just take the whole thing out.”

  Sofia was so annoyed she couldn’t even gracefully acknowledge that he’d just given her the go-ahead on one of her major design points. Lord only knew what was showing on her face, but it wasn’t calming Patience at all.

  “Is there other bad wiring in the house?”

  “Whether there is or isn’t, the important thing is that we found out early and we can fix it. No problem, right Adrian?”

  “No problem at all. I won’t let you move into an unsafe house. I promise.”

  Those words and that tone were tempting to anyone. Sofia was glad that Patience seemed to accept it as law, but Fi couldn’t let herself believe in him. He’d made promises to her, and look how that had turned out.

  “Cut!” Jake called from the kitchen where he was looking at the footage as they taped it. “Great scene, everybody. Take a break while we set up in the kitchen. Sofia, a word?”

  While the Ongs and Adrian headed to craft services in the garage for some coffee, Sofia followed the sound of Jake’s voice into the family room where he was moving his gear.

  “What’s up?”

  “I was just going to ask you the same question.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You and Adrian. Listen, I pitched the pilot with you two snarking at each other. The sparks were literally threatening to melt the cameras. You didn’t get along, but the attraction was clearly there and the test audiences loved it! Today, I get stunted politeness from him and repressed anger from you. Where did my sexual tension go?”

  “My personal life is not fodder for your show. I don’t owe you any explanation.”

  “No, but when I’ve gone to the lengths I have to create opportunities for your storyline, I expect it to work.” Jake tossed his clipboard on his folding table desk and reached for his omnipresent coffee.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Nothing. Just TV talk.” He took a nervous sip and changed the subject. “After the pilot wrapped, you two were on the verge of sleeping together. Today you won’t even look at him.”

  Sofia cringed at the truth of that. Had she really thought she could hide her fractured feelings from the camera? “Trust me. You wouldn’t like what I’d have to say if I looked at him.”

  “Anything would be better than what I’m getting. Just try to loosen up, okay? Fake it if you need to.”

  “I thought this was supposed to be reality TV.”

  “It’s my reality, and I need you to stay in character.”

  Sofia cornered Adrian by the coffee station, arms crossed and eyes blazing, and his heart perversely began to pump harder.

  “Okay. What gives?”

  He knew it was a mistake to grin at her, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. He was that damn glad to see her, now that he’d begun to make his peace with the situation, even as she poked him hard in the shoulder to drive home each point.

  “Oh, so you think it’s funny to screw with me on camera? What the hell, Adrian? It wasn’t enough that you left me wondering how your mom liked her room? Why are you pretending to be nice?” She said nice like it was a dirty word, and he had to laugh again.

  “Because I get it now. I’m sorry I left you hanging. I wanted to tell you in person. Thank you, Sofia. That room is beyond anything I could have come up with. It suits Mamá to the ground, and she didn’t stop wandering around, touching each new thing, until I made her go to bed. She loves it.”

  Sofia’s militant stance softened as her shoulders dropped and the clench of her jaw released. But her arms were still crossed tight across her chest. He hadn’t completely repaired the bridge between them. He wasn’t sure he ever could, not completely. But he could sure as hell try.

  “Oh. Well. Good. I’m glad she liked it. That still doesn’t explain why you’re being so agreeable in there. What gives?”

  “I looked at the plans with a new perspective. I can see the reason for the choices you’ve made, having seen the effect firsthand. I think the Ongs are really going to love this house.”

  “I’m so glad you approve.” Sarcasm dripped from her voice, but he pushed on.

  “I also don’t have a dog in this fight anymore.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Adrian turned to make two cups of coffee, taking his time with the fake sugar and cream for hers. It was hard enough to face the truth without having to face her as well.

  “Sofia, I screwed up. You were doing what you do best, gathering data and finding solutions, and I took it as an attack against my plan. I can see now that you didn’t mean it that way. But I can also see that there isn’t a place for me at Valenti Brothers. I have to thank you and your persistent questions for pointing that out to me.” He handed her the coffee as a peace offering.

  “Adrian, I never said that it couldn’t work. I wasn’t trying to shoot down your dream.”

  He stepped forward, needing to touch her and ease her anxiety. He counted it a win that she didn’t step away from his hand on her shoulder. “Sofia, I know. I know that now. I also know that the answers to those questions mean my dream isn’t going to come true. I know that the way I reacted has killed any dreams I had on other fronts, too.”

  Sofia dropped her arms and turned toward him, and he took a chance and cupped her cheek one last time.

  “What dreams were those?”

  “The ones where the boy makes the girl happy forever more. The ones where she forgives him for being an asshole and lets him try again. The ones where I earn your forgiveness.”

  “Adrian…”

  “No, I know I screwed up. I should have trusted you, and I didn’t. I should have believed that the foundations we’d laid were strong enough to see us through. Instead I pushed you away, like a fool.” He stepped back out of range so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her again.

  As he did, he realized they’d gathered quite the audience. The two-car garage didn’t leave much room for privacy, though Trina and her crew were pretending not to notice. He was grateful she wasn’t filming this and that Jake hadn’t wandered in. Sofia deserved so much better than to hash this out publicly.

  He dropped his voice to a low rumble. “That’s why I’m done. As soon as this season is over, I’m moving on. Your dreams are on the brink of coming true, and I’d only hold you back. And the idea of watching you fall for someone else… I can’t stay and watch all of my dreams crumble.”

  “But we could—”

  “Sofia, stop. I get it. Finding solutions that work for everyone is what you do. But I’m going to make the equation easier for everyone. It’s better if I go.” He shouldn’t feel gratified by the sadness in her eyes, but he couldn’t deny that it felt like a balm on his scraped heart. She had cared about him once, and if he was very lucky, she would care enough to work with him through the end of the season. It was more tha
n he deserved and likely more than he could bear.

  “I wish you would let me finish a sentence,” Sofia snapped, stepping back into his space, not allowing him to retreat. Why was she making this so hard?

  “What’s this about you leaving?” Apparently he hadn’t been quiet enough. Domenico Valenti rarely entered a room unnoticed, and this was no exception. His booming voice cut through the air, startling them both. He had been lurking in the production room all day and Adrian realized he was still miked. There was no privacy on a TV set, and he’d do well to remember that.

  Dom’s bellow drew the gaze of every crew member in his path. Adrian winced as Trina raised her camera to her shoulder and began filming. So much for handling this quietly with Sofia. Adrian wondered why Dom was getting camera-ready, but he didn’t have time to speculate. Dom clearly expected an answer.

  “Hey, Dom.”

  “Don’t ‘Hey, Dom’ me! Twelve years! You’ve been with me twelve years. Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  “Dom, be reasonable. Twelve years, and what do I have to show for it?” Adrian held out his empty hands. “You know as well as I do that I love working here, and I believe in this company. But if I can’t buy in and make it even a little bit my own, I have to start looking for other options. I can’t keep running into walls and not expect it to hurt.”

  “Too damn ambitious for your own good,” Dom muttered, but he didn’t refute anything that had been said. “You know my hands are tied. But at least that’s settled.”

  “What do you mean that’s settled? What’s settled?” Sofia asked.

  “Tony and I talked to our lawyer. Since Seth and Nick have already rolled part of Tony’s share into the side business, we decided to split the remaining shares three ways. You, Seth, Enzo, and Frankie will be equal partners.”

  Surprised by the silence from the woman next to him, Adrian turned to see why Sofia wasn’t reacting. She was biting her lip and eyeing the ceiling. He now recognized that look for what it was. She was calculating something in that fascinating brain of hers. Why the hell wasn’t she jumping for joy?

  “I’m leaving too, Dad.”

  Adrian’s jaw dropped when Sofia made her announcement. The bug-eyed look on Dom’s face was priceless, and likely mirrored his own. Adrian was too shocked to fully appreciate the parallel. It seemed they’d both underestimated Sofia Valenti.

  “What the hell is going on around here?” Dom roared.

  “I’m tired of answering to someone who doesn’t respect my talents and is standing in the way of my success.”

  “Now, that’s not fair.”

  “No, Dad, you know what’s not fair? Pushing aside work that I love for three years while filling in the gaps left by grief. Three years stuck behind that desk. I asked and asked for a chance, and I’m done waiting.”

  “What about the show?” Adrian asked, trying to make sense of it all. Dom was sputtering and seemed incapable of forming full sentences.

  “I’m staying on the show, but I’ll be doing it as SV Design. When we re-signed the contracts, I made sure it listed me by name, separately from the Valenti Brothers company list, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “How can you afford this?” Dom had found his words and was flinging them angrily at his daughter, trying to hit the right button to make her stay. “I know how much you make. Starting your own business takes a lot of time and money.”

  “Gee, if only there were someone I could sell some of my equity to, someone who would take good care of Valenti Brothers while freeing up my capital. If only…” Sofia turned to Adrian.

  He held his breath, afraid to break the magic of the moment. He needed to hear it from her lips. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? She grinned, and his heart stuttered in his chest.

  “What do you think, Adrian? I’ll sell you half of my quarter of the business. You get your buy-in, and I get enough to get my own branch off the ground.”

  He stepped closer, caution warring with happiness, and cradled her face in his hands. He saw the truth in her eyes. “Are you sure? How can you decide so quickly?”

  “Quickly? Would you like to see the twenty-page business plan I’ve got in the drawer of my desk? I’ve been plotting for my own chance ever since I realized Dad would never let me go. Every question I asked? I needed answers so I could figure out how it would work.”

  “But you’d be giving away part of your legacy.”

  “No, I’d be selling part of my legacy to someone I trust to build on that solid foundation, so I can invest in my future.”

  Was he imagining that emphasis on the word trust? Was he hearing hidden messages his heart longed to hear where there were none? “And Enzo and Frankie?”

  “They will still have majority control with Seth. You’re not going to be able to override their decisions, but you’ll have a seat at the table.” Her eyes shone with truth and hope, and Adrian felt his own hope rising to meet it. This brave, brilliant woman never failed to surprise him. Was it any wonder he’d fallen hard?

  “Sofia, I’m so sorry I doubted you. My life was fine before this whole crazy mess began, but as a wise woman once told me, fine never means fine. I thought I was happy, but that’s only because I hadn’t realized how much better it could be with you. Now that I’ve had a taste of what a future with you could be, I don’t want to go back to fine. I want to work hard to build spectacular with you. It was never about the business. It was always you. I love you, Sofia Valenti. Will you give me another chance?”

  “Oh, you marvelous idiot, I love you, too. God, I’ve missed you. I’m sorry that my questions pushed you away. I didn’t realize how they sounded, and then you wouldn’t even let me explain—”

  He touched a finger to her lips to stem the tide of words that she’d held dammed up all these weeks. “Say that first part again.”

  “I love you, you idiot.”

  He was still chuckling when she pulled him in for a kiss, and he let himself fall into her. He ignored the clapping, the catcalls, and the disgusted snorting from the peanut gallery. All that mattered was that this amazing woman had given him a second chance. He poured his heart into the kiss, telling her without words how much he needed her.

  Adrian grinned down at Sofia but didn’t let her go. He didn’t want to let her out of his arms now that he’d convinced her back into them. “One last question…”

  “Hmm, what’s that?” The bemused expression on her face delighted him.

  Damn, he was the luckiest man. His dream may not have turned out the way he’d planned, but combining it with hers made it even better. “That seat at the table?”

  Sofia nodded.

  “Can it be the one next to yours?”

  She paused, and then smiled brilliantly, the smile he’d never thought he’d see again. “Absolutely.”

  “Then it’s a deal.”

  And he sealed it with a kiss.

  Epilogue

  Three months later

  “He needs to be dirtier, grittier. You can do better,” Jake chided Natalie as they both stood back and looked at Enzo.

  “Sure thing, Jake.” She reached for the small pot of soil on her makeup counter and a small jar of Vaseline. “One dirtier landscaper coming up.”

  Sofia watched her brother shift uncomfortably in the makeup chair and glare at the young woman who was preparing to paint him with dirt.

  Whatever Natalie saw in that glare made her pause and blush, and quickly turn to Sofia. “Let me just touch up Sofia first before I get all messy.”

  “Fine. Just get it done.” Jake stalked out of the tent, off to slay his next dragon. That man only had one speed, and it was NOW!

  “Do you know what scene they’re filming for you today? Indoor? Outdoor?” Natalie asked Sofia.

  “I think it’s indoor. Someone mentioned a problem in the kitchen.” Sofia settled into the chair next to her brother and grinned at his discomfort.

  “Good. What you’ve got on should be clo
se to enough. I’ll just darken your shadow a bit and boost your blush and lips.”

  While Sofia sat still and let the talented artist work her wiles, she tried to see her brother out of the corner of her eye. Looking without looking, he was watching Natalie’s every move with an intensity that made him fairly vibrate with energy, despite sitting still. Sofia wondered what the young woman had done to put her mild-mannered brother on edge.

  “There. Good to go.”

  “Thanks, Natalie. You’re a genius.”

  “All in a day’s work. Okay, Enzo, let’s get dirty…”

  Sofia hustled to the kitchen to film the scene Jake had requested last minute. She had plans to proof and client meetings scheduled for later. As glad as she was that this TV show had taken off, she was starting to resent the drag on her time. Now that her time was her own to control, she’d gotten very protective.

  Rounding the corner, she called out in her best Rocky voice. “Yo, Adrian!”

  “Ha ha. Very funny.”

  Trina was already tucked into the corner, camera rolling, so Sofia angled herself toward the camera before she spoke. “What did you need to show me?”

  “We’ve got a problem with the sink.”

  “Oh Lord, what now? Sofia leaned over the sink and peeked in, as if that would somehow reveal a solution. If they wanted her here to film this scene, it was going to be pricey and likely a major plot point for this episode. Damn it, she was going to have to return that gorgeous rug…

  Adrian turned on the faucet and ice-cold water shot into her face, completely rinsing away her harried thoughts. She’d walked right into that one.

  Since Jake didn’t have his sexual tension subplot now that she and Adrian were a happy couple, he’d decided that practical jokes were the next best way to add interest. The shrill scream of surprise that flew from her lips didn’t quite drown out the hysterical laughter from her boyfriend. The term still felt silly three months later for a man who meant so much more to her than a boy and a friend.

  Regardless of how much she loved him though, he was going to pay.