Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“Alright, I’ll do it,” I said before I could talk myself out of it.
“Good. I thought you might say that. I’ll plan to arrange a dinner in three days so we can discuss this further. It was good seeing you today.”
“You too,” I said, shaking his hand before Leo and I headed back out to my car.
I was grateful to get out of there. Although I was becoming more comfortable around Alessandro and his men, it still put me on edge to be with them. I always felt like I had to perform perfectly so that they would trust me.
I drove Leo to our usual office. We still had work to do that day, although it felt like the real estate development business was slowly slipping further and further out of our minds. We still needed to keep the business going as a front. We’d just need to hire new executives.
“How do you think I should approach these contacts?” I asked Leo once we were back in the office.
“You’re going to need to be humble, but also make it clear that you know what the fuck you’re doing,” Leo said.
“Yeah, that’s a good point. I know most of them probably respect my dad, but I can’t have them thinking that I’m only doing this because of him. In fact, it might be better if they know that I’m doing this in spite of him. Maybe that would show my dedication to the cause.”
Leo nodded, then paused. I could tell that he had something he wanted to say but he wasn’t sure how I would react to it.
“What is it?” I asked, not wanting there to be things left unsaid between us.
“Well… it’s just that, Caterina could help you out.”
“What do you mean? She doesn’t know nearly as much as I do about all this.”
“She’s good with people, Elio. Look at how well she handled Alexi.”
He was right about that. And as much as I hated to admit it, I loved the idea of taking her to Italy with me. Although we both had ties to Italy, we’d never been there together as a couple. I knew it would be magical to show each other the places that we remembered.
“I just hate putting her at risk. It goes against literally everything I’ve ever been taught. I was raised to believe that women should be protected, not put into the middle of everything.”
I sighed, running my hand through my hair. I knew Cat would hate that I had even said that. It was an old-fashioned and mildly sexist belief system.
“You aren’t putting her at risk. You’re letting her help you. Do you really think she wouldn’t want to be a part of this?” Leo asked.
“You’re right. And she’d be pissed if she even knew that I had considered not inviting her. It’s not my choice anymore. I already promised her that I’d tell her everything from here on out. She wants us to be equal partners, and although it scares the shit out of me, I want that too. I know it’s the only way for us to work.”
Leo nodded in agreement. I knew he respected the hell out of Cat.
She was a fighter. It was obvious to everyone who knew her. Who was I to try to take that away from her just because of my own fears?
“Alright, fuck it,” I said, pulling out my phone to text Cat.
“I have a surprise for you when I get home,” I sent her, smiling to think of the excitement she’d get from that simple message. Now that I really thought about it, I couldn’t wait to see how she’d feel about coming to Italy.
It very well could be the trip of a lifetime.
*Caterina*
“Hey, Mom, what do you think about this one?” I asked as I pointed to the picture of a light purple sundress.
My mom leaned over from her own magazine to get a better look at the catalog. She narrowed her eyes in contemplation.
“Hmm, it’s cute,” she commented. “But don’t you have one similar to it at home?”
I glanced back at the picture and smiled. “Yeah, I think you’re right,” I laughed. “It’s probably why I picked it up in the first place.”
I’d decided to spend the day with her to ease the tension between us. I knew that openly admitting my involvement with the whole Antonio business was bound to upset her. But I wasn’t going to lie. I was tired of all the lies and secrets within my family, which was why I chose to be honest.
But it was that same honesty that was causing a tear in our relationship. I knew she was upset, and I couldn’t say that I blamed her. No parent would want to know that their child was purposely getting involved in something as dangerous and life-threatening as the mafia.
I was desperate to mend things between us. My initial thought was for us to spend a good part of the day out shopping, but I didn’t want to push her. Her physical therapy has been going well, and I wasn’t about to jeopardize that.
So, I decided to hang out with her at her place. She agreed, and I swiftly grabbed a few clothing catalogs and made my way down to meet her in her new place. I switched on the coffee maker and went straight to making a few simple omelets with bacon.
The morning led on like nothing had gone down between us, and I was grateful for the moment of normality. I inquired about how she was feeling, and she returned the interest with wanting to know how Elio and I were doing.
I could tell that she was still somewhat bemused about the two of us getting together even after all this time. I told her bits and pieces of what it was like living together and how easy everything came for us.
Although I was a little disappointed to not have caught Elio before he went off to work this morning, I was glad for the quiet morning, nonetheless.
My body needed the rest after our previous night’s events. Parts of me were still buzzing from the intense feel of his touch and the sweet sound of his voice against my skin.
But my dampened feelings were quickly resolved when I received a sudden text from him around mid-afternoon. At first my stomach flipped with unknown anticipation. My mind went immediately to thinking about Antonio and Junior. Had they gotten new information? Had Antonio been spotted over in Italy? Did they have his location? Could this entire issue finally come to an end?
I expected something to be said. But no. Elio had said something about a surprise. Suddenly, my feelings of worry and dread were replaced with excitement. Of course, he merely added that he’d be home later after work and failed to tell me anything regarding this so-called ‘surprise.’
So, I was left to my own devices, wondering what it could possibly be. And knowing Elio… the possibilities were practically limitless.
From that point on, the day seemed to drag on.
I left my mom’s place right around the time she was expecting her physical therapist to stop by. As I headed back toward my apartment, I stopped and smiled as a happy idea popped into my head.
‘I’m going to create a little surprise of my own for when Elio comes home,’ I thought mischievously.
***
It was just a little after four and I’d just returned from the grocery store. I headed straight for the kitchen and placed all my bags down and got to organizing.
I started by pulling out one of the larger saucepans and breaking up some chopped meat in olive oil and minced onions. I added my species and continued to turn the mixture until it browned in the pan.
Thanks to Elio’s mysterious mention of a surprise, it inspired me to want to give him a surprise of my own. I wanted to make a special dinner for us—spaghetti Bolognese. Although not as complicated as some other Italian dishes, it always held a special place in my memory growing up. And it also happened to be something that I knew Elio loved.
While the meat was continuing to cook down a little, I grabbed a large cutting board and sliced open a freshly baked baguette that I got from the bakery section. Garlic bread and a freshly tossed salad were the perfect sides to have with the dish.
A small smile played on my lips. I tried to get everything done at the same time so that we could sit down and eat as soon as Elio got home.
As I waited for the water to bowl, my mind started to filter through all the possible ideas as to what the ‘surprise’ could possibly be.
Surely it wasn’t another dress. The last one he gave me was so beautiful, and I couldn’t believe that he’d gone to the trouble of picking one out for me.
“A surprise,” I muttered under my breath.
The very thought gave me goosebumps of both excitement and trepidation, knowing Elio… his surprises were never considered small. They were always endearing and never unforgettable. But there were times when he’d truly shocked me with the amount of money and power that he kept hidden behind him.
Even though I cherished everything he’d given me thus far, I didn’t want him to shower me in over extravagance. I hoped that this so-called surprise wasn’t a brand-new car when I already had a fairly new one. I hoped that he wasn’t intending on showering me in dozens of jewels because the jewelry I already have was beautiful enough.