by K. Forest
As I am putting final touches on the barn roof, I hear a ping from my cellphone. Picking it up to see who it is, I smile to see Lia responded to my earlier text, we just had a bath and are ready to ride, L xo. Seconds later, a selfie of a snow-white Ducati with Lia’s profile of red, luscious lips and long braid draped over the handlebars.
I respond, playing dirty Miss Leoni, I need to take a cold shower now. Payback raincheck in store for you. She is such a fun little siren.
My dealings with Indigo earlier make me think of my sister, so I decide to text her to see how she’s doing.
Noticing the time, I check my emails, and as promised, Indigo sent the signed documents. With triumph, I reply and send her first assignment, to look into estates that are for sale in the area and meet the criteria that I’m looking for. I shoot Germano an email to help me with a couple items as well. Satisfied with my overall week of accomplishments, I head for that cold shower.
The next morning, I head to the hotel gym, hit the weights, and finish up with a swim in the lake. After my workout, I head back up to my studio, getting lost in my designs for several hours. I finally take a break and head to the hotel restaurant for a late lunch. The maître D’ directs me to my usual seat on the terrace with a perfect view of the lake. Predictably, moments later, Germano arrives at my table and tells me the chef will be sending out a salad and seafood pasta, accompanied by a bottle of Garza Winery merlot that I requested.
Craving his intellectual companionship, I invite him to join me for lunch. Naturally, he declines but sits with until my meal comes. Speaking with Germano is like a human Google search. The man knows something about everything and in great detail. I never see him reading or studying, so I assume he must have been taught at Butler Academy how to retain so much information.
“Sir Santos, I have some news on the items you asked me to look into.” He tells me, “The dealership has the exact model Fiat 500 in blue available that you requested. They will include the add-on for an extra five hundred euros. When and where would you like it delivered?”
Taking a sip of my water, I answer him. “Have them deliver it on June tenth in the morning at the side entrance of the hotel.”
He nods in response and continues with his next item. “The old room that the lads Mateo and Sam used to board in will be cleaned and presentable by June tenth as well.”
“Thank you very much, Germano. I know my godfather keeps you busy, so I do appreciate all your extra efforts. We are lucky as a family to have someone so loyal for so many years.”
The waiter starts to lay my lunch down, and Germano gets up. “My pleasure, is there anything else that I can help you with?”
“As a matter of fact, you mentioned a while back that your nephew was looking for a butler position. Is that still the case?”
His eyes brighten. “Oskar is in Rome at the moment apprenticing. He will be finishing up in July.”
“I would like to offer him a position. It’s not as influential as yours, but I hope he will eventually maintain my estate and personal errands here.” He gives me a questionable look. “I will be headquartered in Las Vegas however planning on going back and forth. Being here has helped me concentrate on work. I would like to have a satellite office here.”
He gives me his acknowledgment and assures me that his nephew would be excited for the opportunity to prove his worth. His family has served numerous families for generations.
“That is all I have for you. I’ll be gone most of the day tomorrow on a long ride, so no meals for me.”
My Saturday brunch raincheck with Lia turned into a weekend raincheck. I met her at the bakery and surprised her by indulging in our favorite pastries before taking off. Krista was helpful with that little tidbit. After enjoying our delicious treats, we walked across the street to the tailor shop. I had to get fitted with a gray suit as per one of the items on Josephine’s list. Lia was enjoying the torture of pinning, tucking, and primping the tailor was subjecting me to.
She took advantage every time he would leave the room to get more pins, to either pose seductively or rub me down. Given the pins jabbing into me, I couldn’t resist much less move. I endured pure torture and much embarrassment when the tailor returned and noticed my trousers were tented.
Being so wound up after the fitting, I was elated to get on the bike and just unwind. We decided to take the four-hour lake loop with no stopping. I kept looking back, and she was still keeping up with no laboring signs in sight. A last-minute decision I made turned us towards Lugano. We ended up eating fondue at a quiet little restaurant at a B&B overlooking a rambling brook. I learned that her parents are divorced, and she and her brother were left with their grandparents most summers. She has a degree in engineering, which has come in handy with home building equipment for the distillery. She is one year older than I am. Conversations between us flowed, yet also allowed for comfortable moments of quiet to exist between us.
Occasionally she taunted me by rubbing my legs under the table. Between her vixen advances at the tailor shop and her teasing at the restaurant, my restraint was thinning. We ended up booking us a room, and I rectified the situation.
On the way back, even though it was drizzling, we pulled into an overlook I had always enjoyed on this particular route. The sun was trying to shine through the clouds down into the valley below. Since no one was around for miles, it was totally serene. She was a trooper as the elements were not accommodating or comfortable. I had told her it was a payback raincheck, but chuckling to myself, I could admit it was anything but payback. I genuinely enjoyed her company as well as her body.
Sunday evening, I am freshly showered and leaning on the counter peeling away at an orange. The peaceful silence evaporates when the door flips open. In struts Angelo, with Sam tagging along.
He acknowledges me with an exaggerated and loud hello. Lifting his chin and grinning, Angelo quips, “I hope you plan on eating that orange and not whipping it at me.”
I return the grin while I pop a slice into my mouth. “How was Milan? If that’s even where you guys went. Nice black eye, it suits you.”
Sam is already sitting on the couch turning the Xbox on, and Angelo answers. “Actually, we were in Milan.” He rubs his eye then steals an orange piece and joins Sam.
I pour myself the evening ritual of Lion Whiskey and retreat upstairs to enjoy peace for the evening.
Chapter 8
I had made arrangements with Germano to have Indigo picked up and brought to the hotel cafe at noon. They should be arriving in about fifteen minutes. Waiting at my usual spot at the cafe, I get distracted by a commotion on the opposite side of the terrace. Glancing up, I see Angelo flirting with various females as he slowly makes his way towards me. Immediately and to my regret, I realize my meeting with Indigo will not be as discrete as I had hoped.
His dark hair brushes over his shirt collar, a bit longer than usual and curling slightly. Wearing slim stone-washed jeans slung low on his hips, along with a fitted white shirt buttons undone halfway down exposing his tattooed chest, Angelo preens in his masculinity, as he casually saunters over to me. With his sunglasses on, he could easily pass as me, minus the tattoos. He finally gets to the table and squeezes my shoulders in an affectionate greeting. Pulling the chair from across me out, he plops down.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” I warn. “I’m expecting someone, and you are not included in the meeting.”
Giving me a smile, he raises his eyebrows and pops an olive in his mouth. He puts his hand through his hair. The action makes his hair even more unruly. He looks like he just finished a satisfying session in bed with one of his paramours. Basically, ignoring what I had just said, he asks, “Would you rather go wakeboarding or for a motorcycle ride with me later?”
Ah, Angelo’s playing nice today; he must still feel guilty for the whole Lia issue between us a couple of weeks ago. “Sure, you can pick the activity. I’ll be free around two p.m.”
All smiles, he stands up to
leave, immediately spotting Germano arriving. “My man Germano!” says Angie loudly. “How’s it going?”
They greet each other, and then I hear Angelo notch up the charm as he spots Indigo. “Well, hello, beautiful. Love the color and the ear piercings,” he says, pointing to Indigo.
Before Angelo can say anything else, Germano speaks up, “Sir Angelo, I have a special something for you that the chef prepared. Would you please follow me?”
As Angelo starts to pass me and follow Germano, he can’t help but make one more jest at my expense. “Sonny, so unlike you to be robbing the cradle,” he says sarcastically. “First Krista and now this beautiful emo. I think she’s more my pace not yours.” And, with that said, he strolls away.
“Wow, he’s a huge asshole.” Maria says in disgust as she looks at Angelo’s retreating back.
I stand up and point to the chair across from me for her to sit. “Excuse my brother, he didn’t attend boarding school in Europe, so he’s not as polished and lacks sophisticated manners.” I say, giving her a dry smile.
“Wow, do the ladies really fall for that crap?” She says with snark.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, they do fall for it almost daily. One day, he’ll meet his match, and I look forward to seeing what happens.” I grin. “Whoever she is, I will buy that woman whatever she wants just to torture him for the rest of his life.”
“I’m betting his manhood falls off from a disease before that.” She states sarcastically. Taking a sip of her water, she asks, “So, why did you have me summoned here with a butler escort and all? Having second thoughts of our deal?” She’s fisting her glass and chewing the inside of her cheek with uncertainty. Edgy and nervous, she’s also not making eye contact, thinking she’s here because I’m having second thoughts.
I realize the girl who I marked as being preceptive with killer instincts is now filled with conflicting emotions. I smile reassuringly. “The chef prepared a special lunch for us, along with an arugula pizza. I think you will enjoy it.” I glance at her napkin, nodding for her to take it. “Thank you for the prompt and detailed analysis of the properties. Is there one you think would be of particular interest to me?” I ask.
She continues to play with her water glass and answers a bit defensively. “You never gave me a clear view of what the properties were to be used for.”
“My plans for the future have changed slightly. Part of the property would be used as my new architectural firm’s European headquarters. Another would be a boarding stable for horses. There are futures plans for investing in high-quality horses and perhaps begin a breeding program. Lastly, one part would be my private residence.”
She gives me a quick answer. “Girasole Estate. That’s the one I would go with for your needs.”
“Why?” I probe.
She releases her water glass and rubs her hands on the napkin. “You can divide the acres into sections very easily with a small pond in the middle. You seem to like water, and with the acreage this property has, it would give your personal residence space and privacy from the two businesses.” She gauges my reaction, then quickly adds, “Plus, it’s been on the market longer and reduced once already within the last sixty days. Looks like a distressed sale. The old owners planted acres of sunflowers each year. That is the first sight you see in the summer when pulling into the estate.”
The waiter brings our lunch. We eat quietly, not saying much to each other. Once finished with lunch, I let her know dessert will be arriving shortly. “Indigo, I have been doing a lot of thinking the last few weeks. As I said earlier, I find myself wanting to open up an architectural firm with offices both here and in Vegas. I would like to discuss offering you a job over the next few years. You have no reason to trust me and vice versa, but I believe we could both learn to do that. I would offer you a similar contract and pay as we have now with a few new caveats.”
“I don’t understand.” She says, surprise and shock registering on her face. “Why would you want to do something like that for me? I have no plans on being your sex slave or anything like that, if you are a pervert” Her chin sticks out defiantly. She looked ready to bolt.
Having to chuckle at this last emphatic statement, I quickly shake my head. “No, nothing like that I can assure you. Ask Krista if you are not sure. I already have someone I am seeing here. I also have an Uncle Carmine. Once a long time ago, he took a chance on two street kids. He struck gold as they are both good friends and still employed by my family.”
“I am not some charity case. I’ve been doing okay on my own,” she interrupts, her face flushed under all that make up.
“And I don’t dole out charity, Indigo. You haven’t heard my conditions yet or what I am willing to give in return. Believe me, you will be earning every penny using that brain of yours and cleaning up your act.” I don’t say anything more until I notice I have at last captured her attention, at least for the moment. “Please just listen quietly and do not make rash assumptions until I have finished explaining what my expectations are of you. You, little Indigo, would be required to check in with either myself or Krista, your pseudo guardian, over the summer if she accepts until your probation is completed. Come fall, I expect you to complete your education. My sister attends a boarding school in Switzerland, which I expect you to attend until you graduate.”
Her lips press in a tight line as I tell her this.
Continuing, I let her know she will have to get a hold of her previous school transcripts. “Have them sent to me, along with an essay about yourself. I’ll take it upon myself to send them along with your application to the school.”
Staring at me, she blurts out, “I’m not going to some stuck-up boarding school in Switzerland! And besides, I don’t any have transcripts.” She gives me an emphatic, ‘so-there’ look. She’s deliberately testing me to see if I’m the real deal. She has probably been given empty promises most of her life. I’m aware that part of her wants the deal to be the real thing, but at the same time she does not believe anyone would do this for her. She’s a clever, calculating little waif, exactly what I need.
Looking at her with an arched eyebrow, I patiently tell her, “Indigo, we both know that you would excel at boarding school if given the opportunity. Between your schoolwork and my research requirements, you won’t have time to either be bored or cause problems.”
Her lips are again pressed into a tight line. I continue explaining, gently yet firmly, that this needs to happen. “I also expect you to stay out of trouble as you will continue to be working for me during this time. As part of the contract I have written up, you will be given a vehicle to use, along with a credit card for the clothing you may need and the travel I may require of you. So be gracious with what is being presented to you. It would be a shameful waste given that you are smart as hell. You have to realize that if you don’t make changes in your life now, you will end up stuck in the same ugly system or in jail once you turn eighteen.” There, my final incentive to close the deal. “So, what’s it going to be?” I ask. “Me as your guardian with hopes of a brighter future, or staying stuck in an unforgiving, harsh system? Each year further diminishes your hopes of ever finding your brother.”
Her face registers shock at that last statement as she jumps up in a defiant stance. “What do you know about my brother?” She asks harshly.
“I only know that he has been missing and that you have been searching for him with limited funds. I can be of help in your search for him. This opportunity that I am offering you would give you the resources you need to help in your search.”
Looking intently at her, I let her know I’m going back to the States in August. I don’t want to give her too much time to think. Understandably, she is overwhelmed at the moment, but I hope she will agree now.
“Boarding school,” she answers reluctantly. “But only if you really are going to help me find my brother.”
I answer truthfully. “Maria, I will use all my resources to help you find your brother. You have m
y word.”
Seeming satisfied, she nods, wordlessly accepting all the conditions I gave her. She doesn’t yet know of some other changes I have in store for her. Time and trust will take care of those.
Smiling, I wave Germano over. He brings two pieces of tiramisu cake, one with a candle on it. “Happy birthday, Miss Maria,” he says as he lays a small box next to her cake. She looks from him to me, then at the cake with the burning candle.
“What is this? It’s not my birthday; I don’t even know the exact date I was born.” She whispers, her eyes blurring with mist.
“Blow your candle out, Maria, and make a wish. Going forward, June tenth is your birthday, and we will be calling you Maria, your given name, from now on.” I tell her gently.
After she blows out the candle, I ask her to open up the box. She opens it and looks uncertainly at the key inside. Before she can say anything else, I let her know that going forward she will have her own rooms in the hotel. She will take up residence in the same wing as Germano. No friends can visit, and curfew is midnight. It will be her sanctuary, and I expect her to take good care of the mini suite. “Now, eat your cake, and after that, I have one last surprise for you.”
When finished with dessert, I present her with a second key and gesture toward a bright blue vehicle parked in one of the spaces.
She is speechless for a few moments with shock, then she finally exclaims. “Shut up! Are you for real? That is mine?” Maria jumps up and down in excitement, looking at her new blue Fiat.
“Sit down please, you’re causing a commotion. Yes, it’s yours provided you pass your driving exam. Germano will set you up with driving lessons. He will also provide a garage space for it when the time comes for you to leave for boarding school.” I give her a keen look, placing emphasis on the last sentence. “I will be getting back to you if I need more information on the particular property you told me about. Until then, I’ll leave you and Germano to sort out your gifts. Your new life begins today. Happy new birthday, Maria, and welcome to my team!”