SHADES OF LOVE

CHAPTER 14

"Do you think Ignazio had a nooner with his ex?"

"No." You thought of the man who'd been with you for over a year and felt relief at how sure you were about your answer—at least at that moment.

As you had a lunch break with Julia, you told her all about Camilla and the awards show, then the argument you'd had with Ignazio over her appearance at the radio music festival.

"Are you sure?"

Sucking in a deep breath, you took a fortifying gulp of water and admitted, "Mostly. I think I'm the one doing it for him. It's pretty hot with us, you know?"

"That I don't doubt one bit," she scoffed.

"But his ex has some kind of hold on him. He says it's guilt, but that doesn't explain his blonde fascination."

"It explains why you lost it and hit him. Her being around again is eating at you," she said with a sympathetic tone, as she sipped her drink. "That's not quite healthy, is it?"

It wasn't. You knew that. And you hated it.

Feeling the weight of your silence, she kept on. "But, honestly, I think the way you feel is only natural, given all the circumstances. Besides, I think he owes you. Big-time."

"Huh?"

"You've been an exceptionally understanding girlfriend under the circumstances, don't you think?"

Your brow arched.

"I mean, I'd like to see what he would do," she went on, "if he came over to your place and caught your ex-boyfriend stepping outside still tucking his shirt in his pants. Then, when he came in, he found your couch messed up and you fresh from a shower."

"Neither of us wants to see what he'd do."

"But, hey, that's just my two cents." She munched on a French fry. "My only worry is that he might always have secrets."

"Yeah." Lowering your gaze to your glass, you thought of how many times you'd wondered the same thing for the past twenty-four hours. "But my mind's made up. I'm not bailing when things get rough this time. Seriously, Julia" — you held her gaze — "am I really all that far ahead if I can't take any waves?"

"Sweetie, the thing is, Boschetto is a tsunami."

"Ha!" you smiled, unable to help it. She was the one who always could get you to smile even when you didn't feel like it. "To tell you the truth, if I don't work this out with Ignazio, I have doubts I'll work it out with anyone."

"That's just your shitty self-esteem talking."

"He wants me with all the baggage I have."

"All right."

Your brows shot up. "All right?" That was too easy.

"I don't like your talk, but I'll deal." She grabbed your hand. "Come on. Let's pay and get you a good old Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie around the corner."

You smiled. "You're the best."

She bumped her hip into yours. "And I won't let you forget it."

By the end of the day, after putting Alice to bed and finishing some assignments, you still had enough time left over to drive yourself crazy, so you did a search for "Camilla Giroux and husband" on Google, looking specifically at images.

What you discovered was that Jean-François Giroux was a really good-looking guy. Hot, actually. Not as hot as Ignazio, but then who was? Ignazio was in a league by himself, but Jean-François was a head-turner in his own right, with dark wavy hair and eyes the color of pale jade. He was tan and had a circle beard, which really worked for him. He and Camilla made a stunning couple.