My Italian Heart

Chapter Twenty Three

The day dragged from the second Luca, and Rylie dropped me off. Christmas was fast approaching, and they shot straight off to do some last-minute Christmas shopping for Isabella. Despite them already having enough presents from multiple children, not the single child they actually had.

I sat at my desk doing nothing but stressing. I hoped that Emily would turn up before David did. She had already been in the office and had been sitting at my desk. It was easy enough for me to tell, even though she had tried not to move anything. Slowly, I tweaked the few bits she had inadvertently moved. Turning the stapler a few degrees and the blue leather jotter forward slightly. I knew it was ridiculous to be aware it had been moved even slightly, but I liked everything to be in order. It helped me keep myself in order somehow.

Slowly, the hollow sound of feet on the metal staircase caught my attention. I couldn't stop the urge to chew at the side of my middle finger nail. Waiting impatiently for the moment of truth. I didn't think I could handle an awkward conversation with David, but I had no real idea where Em had gone and therefore no idea how long she would be.

"You OK, sweetie?" She must have been able to tell how stressed I was with a simple glance at my face. I felt the tension wash out of me like the tide heading back out to sea as soon as I saw her. She and David were so alike. They both had a way of instantly making me relax, and I had no idea how either of them did it.

"All the better for seeing you. I need to speak to you, actually."

"Shoot."

"I was hoping to convince you to move into the office for the time being. There's so much to be done with the new tourist arm of the business, and I've been neglecting it because of the vineyard. I was hoping you would be willing to take my place for a while. You know the job about as well as I do, and your dad will be here to help you out, too." The vineyard was no longer my safe place, and I wanted to go in search of a new one. I was exaggerating my need to work on the tourist business, but not completely. I had been neglecting it for far too long. Rylie had been doing more work on that side of the business from her hospital bed than I had managed.

"I don't see how we are going to fit three desks in here. Speaking of which, where is Dad?"

"I have no idea." She gave me a slightly lopsided look with an eyebrow raised.

"I thought you stayed at his last night?" I was like a rabbit in headlights, not knowing whether to fight or fly and being frozen by the indecision. I didn't know how long I just stared at Em, but my brain just wouldn't function.

"He said you were in a state last night and clearly he wasn't wrong. I rang him when you didn't come home. I was worried. He said he told you to stop there and he let you have his bed for the night. You must have been wasted if you don't remember. Where is he, though? He said you would come in together."

"He's about somewhere, but I've not seen him since we got here. We don't need three desks, anyway. I won't be here. Most of the work I need to do is offsite." It still wasn't a lie. I needed to have meetings with vendors and interview staff for a start. Not to mention the more hands-on work of getting the cabins ready for guests. "The odd bit of work that I need a desk for, I can either pop in here or use the dining table at the house." Although I needed to work out of the office, it had the added advantage of taking me out of the way of David.

"I'm sure I can cope with that. Oh, a really cute sounding guy rang for you this morning."

"Adam? Did he leave a message?" I wasn't sure why my brain jumped straight to Adam. It really could have been anyone.

"Yes. That you failed to follow through on your promise and he's expecting a sweetener on his next order. I didn't recognise the name though, so I couldn't chase up whatever you forgot." I couldn't help but smile. She was right. He was cute and funny too.

"He's not a customer. He asked me out, and I promised to message him when I got back from dealing with Larson last night, but things went slightly off track."

"Are you going to ring him?"

"Yes. I actually can't wait to go for drinks with him. I could use some good old-fashioned simple fun."

"And there's me thinking that's what you had been having with the mystery man."

"Nothing is simple when feelings are involved, Em."

"Is that where you were last night? Before Dad's I mean."

"That's one of the reasons I ended up at David's; it was closer than home." It felt like it added to the excuse David had already given her, but it was hard to be sure without knowing what he had said to her.

"Yeah, I wouldn't fancy walking it. Especially not in heels." Realisation dawned on her, and her face went scarlet. It was her reaction more than her words that tipped me off. Except it didn't make any sense to me. I couldn't think how she could know where he lived and if she did know, then surely she must have known it was David. I was certain she must have visited him at some point.

"Emily!"

"Don't say it like that. You're not my mother." Ironic.

"Spill. Now!"

"I was worried about you."

"What did you do?"

"I followed you to his place one night."

"YOU DID WHAT!" As David came in at the tail end of the conversation, even I recoiled away from the edge in his voice. I knew why he was so angry, but I guessed Em would be more dumbfounded. I couldn't help but be grateful he had overheard. If he hadn't, I would have been forced to have a conversation with him and warn him.

"I'm going to go and make some calls. Em, can we start that thing we were talking about immediately, please?"

"Sure." She flashed me a smile, but it was a strained one. Something told me that she and David had already had words about her invading my privacy and his without even knowing she was doing it. I stepped out of the office and hurried down the stairs. There wasn't a conversation I wanted to be involved in less than that one. Well, there was, but it was a close second.

I was surprised that Adam hadn't found a way of tracking my mobile number down. Although if he had told Em the whole story, she probably would have given it to him. I popped the phone case off my phone and pulled out the little yellow post-it note that had his phone number scribbled on it.

Aurora: Sorry, I didn't forget. It was just a bad night. I got back really late and was rather worse for wear. It was a client meeting, and he's quite a character.

Adam: I have been staring at my phone for hours and got nothing done. I thought you were going to ghost me.

Aurora: Please tell me you haven't?

Adam: No, I haven't. It sounded romantic in my head but came out a little unhinged. I've been working on a kitchen all day.

Aurora: I think you might be some sort of weird stalker or a mass murderer. Maybe I should ghost you.

Adam: I'm hoping you are joking. So, drinks?

Aurora: Promise to leave your serial killer kit at home?

Adam: If you insist.

Aurora: Lucla's @ 9?

Adam: It's a crime scene, I mean a date.

The conversation shouldn't have made me laugh so much, but it did. As I glanced up at the office window, I caught a glimpse of David watching me. I wondered how long he had been there. He looked disappointed, almost, and I couldn't help but hope it was because Em had filled him in on my plan. That he would miss seeing me in the office each day. At least I had been saved from having to tell him what Em had done. It would have felt a little too much like telling tales for a start.

Our eyes locked just for a second, but it was enough to feel the heat and fire within him. I just had no idea what the source of the flames was for sure. I dropped my gaze to the floor quickly, eager to stop the burning inside of me that he had sparked. For a second, I doubted my decision for Em to replace me, but that was all. I knew deep down I was doing the right thing. We both needed some distance between us, and I wasn't sure he was capable of initiating it.

I headed towards my car, keys in hand, ready. Chancing a look towards the window once more as I climbed into the car. He was gone. I was disappointed, but I didn't really know why. It was what I wanted, after all. Except more and more, that was happening to me. My heart desperately cried out for one thing, my brain was adamant it needed another. The two organs were quite literally pulling me in two and twisting me into knots all at the same time.

Even as I drove towards the cabins, I felt my brain calm and my heart quicken. I had no idea what to do for the best, but my heart had done nothing except lead me into heartbreak. For the time being at least, it was time to let my brain decide my actions, and I prayed it had better luck keeping me out of trouble.