The Romano Affair

Chapter 8

Chapter 8Her phone was ringing as she walked out of the aquarium. It had taken her a massive amount of restraint not to hit that billionaire. She pulled her phone from the pocket and answered it. It was Mark.

"Hey, shortcake," he said. Aria closed her eyes for a second to calm herself so she could speak without sounding mad. "Shortcake, hello. You there?"

"Yeah I'm here, Mark. What's up?" She spoke as she started to walk. She was going to take a cab home.

"I need your help with something."

***

"He left!" Callie blew up.

Aria nodded.

Her best friend stared at her. A disbelieving expression on her face. "Are you kidding me?! He just got back and he left already! Without calling me?"

Aria nodded again.

"What else did he say?"

"Nothing I haven't said already. His manager called. The band needed to meet immediately."

"So he hopped on a plane and took off! What screwed up kind of excuse is that? Why didn't he call me?"

"Because he knew this was exactly how you'd react. Callie, calm down. Sit down. It's not like he's not coming back. He is," Aria said as she stood to sit her friend down.

"No. No. No," Callie repeated as she refused to sit down. "Did I do something wrong? Is he running from me?"

"Callie come on. It's just the band thing. As soon as he's done, he'll be back. He loves you. You know that."

Callie dropped her hands to the hem of her blouse. She straightened it, stood up straight and put on a fake little smile. "If he loves that band so much he can marry it for all I care. Tell him that the next time he calls you." As soon as she had said that, she stomped towards one of the bedrooms, slammed the door and locked herself in.

That sure means she's sleeping over, Aria thought as she sat back down. Her best friend would be okay, that much she knew. She, on the other hand, wouldn't be so okay. Her head fell as she thought of what she was going to tell Morgan the next day. It couldn't be that bad, surely.

Who was she kidding? It was bad, it was worse. It was an absolute mess. Not to mention that in the middle of it all, she had been insulted.

Deciding it was better to sleep and deal with it in the morning than sit cringing all night, she stood up to switch off the muted TV when her phone rang. She groaned as she picked the phone from the couch. Strangely, the call was from Emily Preston, Colin's secretary. Couldn't she wait till morning to scold me for getting fired so soon? Aria thought.

"Aria speaking," she answered the call.

"Aria, thank God you picked up. I was so sure you'd be asleep. So sorry for calling you this late at night," Emily spoke.

"Whoa, Emily, breathe okay. Listen, I know Colin put you up to this but it's really okay. I get it. I'm 'officially' fired. Gianni Fashion House has been let go."

Emily sighed. "What are you taking about? No. I called to tell you, you're not fired. You hear me, Aria? NOT fired. You are to keep working for Mr. Romano."

"No," Aria lengthened the response. "He fired me personally this evening."

"I know what he did but you've been reinstated...by him. Listen, I'm kind of tired, Aria. Can we talk about this in the morning?" Emily asked. Her voice did sound strained.

"Okay but are you sure?"

"A hundred percent. You still have his schedule, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Remember you're still working for Mr. Romano. I have to go now. Have a good night."

As soon as Aria replied, the call went off. She stood still squinting her eyes while looking at her phone as if not believing what she had been told - scratch that, absolutely NOT believing what she had been told.

***

Colin sat in his penthouse staring at his computer screen. How did it happen? he asked himself as he replayed his exchange of words with Aria that evening. He was really stupid. He couldn't even bring himself to apologize and give her back her job. He had Emily do it.

He had had his bank e-mail him the transactions that had taken place on Riaz' credit card. He still cringed as he stared at the screen. It was so unbelievable that he had to call the bank himself to confirm the e-mail that stated nothing. No amount of money had been used on that credit card. In other words, that credit card had not been used at all.

He averted his gaze to his son, who had fallen asleep on the couch in front of the TV. They had bought caps. More noticeably, they had ferried out to see the statue of liberty, not to mention fees at the central park and the aquarium in which he had argued with Aria - definitely stupid of him.

If the credit card had not been used, it only meant Aria had paid those expenses herself. Even if it was a ploy, no con artist or gold-digger would risk that amount of money for what she wasn't sure she would get.