A Twisted Tale

Its Time to Celebrate

I was ushered into the board room. Since I had to conduct the meeting, I went in a little earlier than the members of the board. Which turned out to be a good thing because I got a chance to catch up with Piero.
"Hello Mr. Moretti. I hope you're doing well now?" I said as I extended my hand.
I was caught off guard when Piero engulfed me in a bear hug and said "Meera love, just call me Piero! I'm fine as long as I am doing what I like. Come on now, get seated because the others are almost here."
I waited for them to arrive and kicked started the meeting. After I put forward the proposition for a partnership, I passed around the partnership agreement to the board members. They took their time to evaluate the entire agreement and asked their legal advisor to see if there were any loopholes to worry about. We decided to take a break and resume the meeting post lunch.
I sighed as I sat down after what appeared to be forever. "You did a very good job. Once the meeting resumes, I'm sure you'll get the approval you need for us to go forward." said Valerio.
"He is right. I am very proud of how you handled all the questions coming your way. I know it's not an easy thing being the Mergers and Acquisitions Manager at Webb Inc. It comes with a lot of responsibilities. One slip up and all that you've worked for will go down the drain. But you didn't let that happen. I read through the agreement and it's iron-clad. Even the board of directors have told me of the impressive work you've done. Charles will be very proud of you Meera." said Piero patting my hand as he left for lunch.
Valerio and I headed to a small Italian restaurant nearby which was right around the corner. The restaurant had beige walls with outside seating. I looked up to find a balcony with beautifully arranged flower pots. The Italian music playing in the background was subtle and set the tone for the lunch we were about to have.
Valerio ordered for a panzanella and Margherita pizza while I chose to go with bruschetta and spaghetti carbonara. While we waited for the food, we discussed the post-lunch session. "So based on what I heard from the board members, they're all agreeing to the partnership. And that means I'll get to see you more often." said Valerio.
I smiled at him and said "I don't know about you but I sure am home sick. I just want to go back to my apartment, to my work and to my best friends as soon as possible. So what seems like good news to you doesn't feel the same to me."
He took my hand in his while he said "Who said anything about you having to be here? I'll come to London if that's going to make you happy. The whole point of the partnership is for us to work together. Whether it's Milan or London, it's fine as long as I get to see you. So if you want me to be in London to oversee things, I will do it for you."
I squeezed his hand and thanked him. By then, our order had arrived and we dug into the food. Valerio asked me if I wanted any dessert and I refused saying I was full. He looked at me shocked as he said "We Italians take our lunch very seriously. It's a four course meal and you already skipped the first course. Now you are saying no to dessert? You should make room for it because this place serves the best panacotta. And you can't miss it for the world."
Normally, I was the kind to leave some space for dessert but today I really wasn't in the mood for it so I said "I'll take your advice the next time. For now, I just want us to get back to the meeting."
With that being said, we both went back to the office and finished the meeting. Thankfully, there were no setbacks and everyone was on board with the idea. So the whole meeting wound up within an hour. Valerio stuck around while I gathered all my things and asked "My cousins and I are heading to the bar. Want to join us for some drinks? After all, it's our big win today."
I said "Sure. Give me an hour and I'll join you. I need to freshen up and change first. Text me the address and I'll get there myself."
I quickly took a ride home and changed into something comfortable. I wasn't the type to wear skirts outside office. Especially not to a bar. I've had so many creepy men try to take advantage of the skirts that I decided to never wear them unless I'm with Mark or any other guy I trust enough to land a solid punch against such creeps. So I chose a pair of black jeans which had a touch of shimmer and a teal halter neck blouse with embellishments around the neck. I paired it with grey boots since I knew I couldn't handle heels and alcohol at the same time. I had neither the patience nor the time to do makeup so I went along with pink lips and winged eyes.
I heard a beep on my phone and saw that Valerio had texted me the address. I went outside the building and just I was about to holler for a taxi, I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Valerio grinning from ear to ear.
"Hi! Surprised to see me?" He asked smiling.
"Hey you. Yes. I thought you were already at the bar. But it's good that you're here though. I'm the most directionally challenged person you'll ever meet." I said laughing.
"How can I ever let a beautiful woman like you travel alone? What if you were whisked away by someone to a land far far away? Besides, we're heading to a club instead of a bar. What fun is it to just drink, puke and survive a hangover?" He said melodramatically.
I rolled my eyes at him and said "Ever so dramatic, aren't you?"
He simply laughed at it and gestured towards the motorcycle. I sat behind him and held on tightly all the while being glad for having worn pants.

The ride to the club wasn't very long. We got there within ten minutes. As we got down, I saw many unfamiliar faces waving at us. I was a little confused at first but then realized they were waving at Valerio.
He held my hand and pulled me towards the group.
"Hey everyone. This is Meera. Meera, that's Leo, Victoria, Alessandro, Isabella, Antonio, Sofia and Jamie. Sofia and Antonio are my cousins. Jamie is Sofia's boyfriend and Leo is Antonio's boyfriend. Alessandro, Victoria and I are best friends since school. Alessandro is married to Isabella."
I tried to remember the names and the details as I said hello to everyone. Valerio escorted us into the club after the brief introductions.
Sofia, Victoria, Isabella and I found us a table while the others went to grab our drinks. "Oh my God! My brother is smitten" squealed Sofia. "I agree. He has brought his girlfriends to meet us in the past but never was he so attentive and touchy feely towards them. You must be something." said Isabella. I wanted to believe that. But I was a little dubious because of his occasional outbursts.
Victoria looked at my discomfort and said "Ladies! I'm single and ready to get laid. Let's get drunk already and hit the dance floor!"
We all squealed in excitement as the men returned with our drinks. I was so lost in the moment that I didn't keep a tab on the number of shots I had. By the time Valerio warned me, I had enough alcohol in my system to give me a hangover the next morning.

I was one of those people who would blurt everything out when drunk. My mouth absolutely lacked the filter when intoxicated. I felt free of any inhibitions so I grabbed on to Valerio and pulled him, on to the dance floor.

The dance floor was pretty much crowded. When Havana started playing, I was unstoppable. A sudden surge of boldness washed over me since I grabbed his hands and placed them on my waist while I was swaying to the music. The others soon joined us and we all danced until the song was over. The others left to grab some more drinks leaving the two of us behind. I started to walk away from Valerio and felt my feet give away suddenly. I was prepared for a bum to floor interaction but felt a pair of arms grab my waist tightly. "You know, you should be more careful and drink a lot lesser if you can't handle your alcohol." He said teasingly.
I tore free from his arms and headed back for another round of drinks. I was determined to get piss drunk tonight.