Skylar Jones was adopted into an old Italian aristocratic family when he was ten. His life goes under the strict control of his stepfather, Count Massimiliano De Angelis. Sky is a good boy and obeys the rules. One thing only he keeps to himself, his...
I wave after the receding taxi until it disappears into the maze of narrow streets in the glare of the afternoon sun. Even after it is no longer visible, I keep staring in the same direction as if the white car could return at any moment and I should not miss the exact second in which Sky's face will appear again. What a day! Terrible, weird, fantastic... I have not felt like this in so long. Something strange, amazing, and a little scary is going on in my head, and I am still not quite sure what it is.
"He is such a cutie." I feel someone's hand resting on my shoulder and turn to look at the girl's smiling face. She nods with conviction and adds, "I allow you to fall in love with him. If there's anyone who can see what a great person you are underneath all your bullshit, it's him. In fact, I think he already did."
"Isabella, I thought your job was to bring me food and drinks when I order and take my money when I am done," I grumble. "Since when did you become a psychologist, or even worse, an expert on my relationships?"
"I am taking no money from you." She rolls her eyes dramatically and lightly slaps the back of my neck. "Dad said the lunch was a compliment from the restaurant. You can't imagine how happy he is that you tried something else for the first time in two years. But do not hurry to cheer. I swear, I'll charge you double the price if you bring that evil, fire-breathing dragon here again."
"Do you mean Lulu?" I snort. "Girl, you should not talk about your customers this way, especially if they are also your old friend's date. Besides, you are wrong. Lucia is a very nice person... when you get to know her."
"Non mi va! Se perdo la calma, perderai la testa, Jason! (You don't say! Don't even try me, Jason!)" Bella's stormy expression is no surprise considering that the only time I brought Lucia here, they almost got into a fight.
I can not say it was the restaurant staff's fault either. Lulu does not like places where cars drive by while she eats, there is no jazz music playing in the background, and the possibility of a fly landing straight into her glass of wine is too obvious to ignore. Naturally, the strong irritation caused by my poor choice of restaurant fell with all its might over the unsuspecting waitress. She had to replace Lulu's plate of ravioli three times because of some imperfections that were completely invisible to anyone else. The tablecloth was changed twice as well as a couple of tiny bugs unwisely ended up on it. But that was nothing compared to the remark that Bella would better change because there was a stain on her shirt, and the waiters should wear white, not blue with flower prints. To top it all Lulu stated that the tiramisu was too sweet. Such an audacity is practically considered a criminal offense here.
"You think he likes me?" I squint at Isabella's face but see almost nothing. Exhaustion is finally starting to take over. I take off my glasses and rub my eyes. The lack of sleep, the stressful morning, and all the new emotions that came with my new assistant have already dampened my usual enthusiasm for late-night fun. Too bad I promised Lucia to take her clubbing.
"Like? The boy is head over heels for you," my friend bellows. "I also suspect he has been like this for quite some time."
"You think so?" I know Sky had a crush on me at university, but it has been so long. I shake my head in disbelief. "No way. We haven't seen each other in years. We were never particularly close either. He doesn't think very highly of me. I've been acting like a complete moron these past couple of days."
"I know it for a fact," she firmly says. "Some people are consistent in their feelings despite the circumstances. Now, go get some sleep. You look worn out."
"I wish I could." I sigh deeply and reach in my pocket for the phone. It starts ringing at the same moment. I wave Bella goodbye and peek at the screen. My dragon lady. I cheerfully greet her, "Hey, babes! You still want to try that new jazz club?"
"Mi dispiace veramente (I am really sorry), Jay-Jay," she apologetically answers. "Something came up. I won't be able to make it for tonight."
I am utterly relieved. But If fate has decided to be good to you and help you solve a problem, it is best to take full advantage. Lulu never changes her mind. No matter what I say, we are not going anywhere. So I make sure to sound as disappointed as hell. "What a pity. Everyone says the place is awesome. I really wanted to go. What is so important that you are ready to abandon me? Did your lawyer finally propose?"
"Very funny. The damn fool is too busy to choose his new yacht." She groans in frustration. "He even made me look through the catalogs with him and compare prices. Four hours. I almost died of boredom. With all those money, why does he even care about the price. Anyway, my brother is coming back from Spain. His ex-boyfriend's mother called him or something like that. His plane arrives in an hour. I will take him to dinner and then we'll go home. Ugh, why are all men so annoying?"
"Take it on the bright side, darling," I suggest, happy at my unexpected release. "The yacht will be yours when you finally catch him, right? Use the opportunity to choose the one you like most."
"Oh... Yes! That's true." She laughs. "Jay-Jay, you're such a smartie."
"I surely am," I agree.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
***
A/N
Hello, at the end of Chapter 20.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting ❤️❤️❤️
Do you think this is the end of Jason and Lulu's affair? 😉
Is she going to be ok with him ending their relationship?
What about her brother? Does his return has something to do with the main story?
Share your thoughts, criticize if you think it is necessary and don't forget to vote and comment if you liked the chapter.
