Wild and Wicked, page 18
“What’s driving this? Is it the injuries?”
Aldo had asked him the same thing over the holidays. Elio shook his head. “No. I meant what I said. I feel fine.” He glanced toward the restroom. Preston emerged, but he detoured, striking up a conversation with a pretty brunette.
Alex followed his gaze. “Looks like we’re about to lose our drinking buddy. Preston’s got his Mr. Charming face on. Guy still cherry-picking the hot girl on guys’ night out?”
Preston was famous for finding the prettiest girl in a bar or party—the one all the guys noticed—then laying on the charm until he wooed her to his bed for a night or two. And if another teammate got there first, it only increased Preston’s interest in her because the guy was a competitive bastard.
Elio nodded. “He is. Loves the challenge of it.”
Alex turned, focusing on him. “There was a time I accused you of the same.”
“You always forgot to protect the five-hole,” Elio joked, perfectly aware he was the pot calling the kettle black, that he’d stolen more than a few rink bunnies away from his teammates as well.
Alex snuck one more glance over his shoulder as if to confirm they wouldn’t be interrupted. “I assume you haven’t told anyone on the team.”
“I haven’t, so I’d appreciate it if—”
Alex raised his hand, waved him off. “You don’t even have to ask. Mum’s the word. So…is it your family?” Alex looked concerned. “Your parents doing okay?”
“They’re great. Although I think it’s safe to say my family’s playing a part in this decision. I’ve been away eleven years, Alex. Missed a shit-ton of birthdays, holidays, weddings. I got to do some of those things while I was on the injured reserve list, and I enjoyed it, realized I was tired of always being on the outside, hearing about all the fun stuff my family and friends were getting up to secondhand.”
Alex nodded. “I get that. I mean, shit, at least you could hop in the car and drive home for a few hours if you ever felt the desire to reconnect with them. My family was halfway across the country in Wisconsin. And I was okay with that. Until I wasn’t. If that makes sense.”
It made perfect sense. This was why Elio had invited Alex out. His friend, better than anyone else, knew exactly what he was going through because he’d lived the same life.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to go home, but I think you need to ask yourself if this is just a fleeting case of homesickness or if this is a genuine desire,” Alex added.
Elio took a drink of his beer. “That’s what I’ve been asking myself for months. I kept thinking after I’d healed, after I’d returned to the game, I would hit the ice and the answer would just appear…like magic.”
“Let me guess…no such luck tonight?”
Elio sighed. “Nope. Of course, it doesn’t help that I muddied the waters a bit after Christmas.”
Alex leaned forward. “What’s that mean?”
Elio hadn’t told another living soul about his time with Gianna. Primarily because everyone he wanted to talk to was related to him and knew her. He didn’t want to betray Gianna’s confidence if she preferred they keep their…fuck, she would probably call it an affair, a secret. Elio couldn’t attach such a casual term to what they shared. Of course, he didn’t dare call it anything else either. Not even in his own head.
“I spent a few days in the Poconos at my family’s cabin,” Elio started. “I thought the time away would help me clear my head, come to a decision. I didn’t realize my sister had loaned the cabin to one of her best friends, Gianna.”
“Ah…muddied the waters. I see.”
Elio continued. “There was a blizzard, and we were snowed in together for five days.”
Alex whistled, low and slow. “Damn, guess that wreaked havoc on your fuck-and-run routine. So now you’ve pissed off your sister and the friend? Liza threatening to cut your dick off?”
Elio shook his head, though it made sense that Alex would assume he’d led with his cock and fucked things up with Gianna. “No. You’re the first person I’ve told about Gianna, and while I don’t know for sure, I’m assuming she hasn’t told anyone either. Because I haven’t heard from my sister.”
Alex’s brows furrowed, and Elio could see his friend trying to make sense of what he was telling him. If it wasn’t so fucking sad, it would almost be funny to see Alex struggling. Because his old friend wasn’t even considering the most obvious answer—the possibility that Elio had fallen for Gianna.
“I’m going to need you to explain what you mean by muddied the waters. I’m not getting it.”
“We hooked up.”
Alex snorted. “Yeah, that part goes without saying.”
“The condom broke.”
Alex sobered up fast. “Jesus. Is she—”
Elio raised his hand, waving it quickly to shut down that line of thought. “No. No. She texted me tonight before the game. She’s not pregnant.”
Alex’s shoulders dropped in obvious relief. “Well, that’s a good thing.” Then he paused, studying Elio’s face close enough that he knew he wasn’t shielding his emotions or thoughts at all. “That is a good thing, isn’t it?”
Elio tried to find a way to respond. “It is. Or, at least, I should think it is, but the truth is…”
Alex gave Elio plenty of time to finish his comment, but Elio didn’t make the attempt. Wasn’t sure what to say.
“Elio, are you in love with Gianna?”
“Yes.” There was no point in denying the truth. Not to his friend. Not to himself.
“Holy. Fuck.”
Elio narrowed his eyes. “You know it’s not that far out of the realm of reality.”
Alex gave him a know-it-all grin. “Bro. Me getting Katherine in her car seat without a meltdown of epic proportions seems more likely than the idea of Elio Moretti falling in love. I have got to meet this girl.”
Elio grimaced. “There’s no way in hell I’m introducing her to you. As of right now, and by some miracle, she seems to like me. Thinks I’m a nice guy.”
Alex barked out a loud laugh. “Oh yeah, the introduction is vital. I need to save the poor woman.”
“Asshole,” Elio muttered.
It took a few moments for Alex to compose himself and once he had, Elio saw exactly what he needed in his friend’s face. Not only understanding but delight.
“I’m happy for you, Elio. Truly.”
“Thanks, but like I said, the water is still muddy as fuck.”
“You didn’t tell her how you felt, did you?” Alex asked.
“No,” Elio admitted. “Kept thinking I needed to sort out the career decision first.”
“You can’t put shit like that in boxes, pulling one out at a time. Take it from me. I played a similar game with Charley and almost lost her. When you fall in love, especially for the first time, you need to tell the woman. So…you said she likes you? Is that it?”
Elio shrugged. “Gianna and I approached our week in the cabin like a casual affair, and then, after the condom broke, I sort of made some stupid comment about us not ‘borrowing trouble,’” he air-quoted, “and after that, a lot of the discussions we should have had about our feelings never happened.”
“So you tell her now.” Alex made it sound so damn simple.
And that was when Elio realized…it was.
“Okay. I will, but first…” When Elio went to Gianna, it was going to be with his future free and clear.
“First,” Alex finished for him. “You have to let management know that you’re hanging up your skates at the end of the season.
“Exactly.” But that wasn’t all he needed to do.
He needed a life plan too. Because his girl loved a plan.
And he knew exactly who to call.
Gio.
Chapter Fifteen
Gianna wiped her palms on her dress pants and hitched her laptop case more securely over her shoulder as she entered the mansion, following Rafe to his office. She’d finally gotten up enough nerve to call Gio and ask if she could meet with him and Rafe. She suspected Gio had known what the conversation was about because he hadn’t asked but had instead set a date and time, then told her they were looking forward to seeing her.
She hadn’t said a word to Keeley about her ambition, but it was no secret amongst her friends that she was dissatisfied with her current employment situation. She had a degree in hotel management. Rafe and Gio were soon to have a hotel. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together and figure out why she wanted to talk to them.
The fact Gio had been willing to meet—and so soon—did very little to calm her nerves. She’d been so stressed out this morning, she’d gotten sick. She was used to experiencing anxiety, but it had never reached the level to where she’d thrown up.
“Hey, Gianna,” Gio said, rising from the seat behind Rafe’s desk. While both men lived in the mansion with Keeley and were working to renovate it, Rafe was the only one who worked from here on occasion. Gio’s full-time job was with the restorations business he ran with Tony and his twin, Luca. Before he got his gig hosting ManPower, Joey had been their fourth.
“Hi,” she said, placing her laptop case on a nearby chair. “I really appreciate you guys taking the time to meet with me.”
“We were glad you called,” Rafe said, gesturing to one of three chairs that had been set up together in a cozy seating arrangement. “In truth, you beat us to the punch.”
“The punch?” Gianna asked as she sat.
Rafe and Gio claimed the other two. “Yeah. As you know, we’re getting close to finishing our renovations on the mansion, and it’s time to start looking toward staffing, as we’re hoping for a June first opening.”
“Keeley told me.” What Gianna didn’t say was that she’d hung on every word Keeley had ever said about the inn preparations, and when her friend had dropped the opening date, Gianna realized it was time to, as Grandma had always said, “piss or get off the pot.”
Rafe leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Keeley’s been yelling your name in our ear ever since we decided to turn this dusty mausoleum into an inn.”
That was what Gianna had both hoped and feared. Suddenly, she was glad she’d gone the extra mile. There was no way in hell she wanted anyone to say she was hired simply because of nepotism.
“You are here to talk about running the inn, right?” Rafe confirmed.
She nodded. “I am.”
Gio smiled. “Great. Then we’d like to look at your resume and talk to you about your previous work experience. Rafe’s been coaching me on interviewing. This is the first one I’ve ever done…from either side of the desk. My dad basically had to hire me at Moretti Brothers or risk me living in his basement until I was in my thirties, drinking beer and playing Kario Mart with this yahoo.” Gio crooked a thumb toward Rafe.
Gianna was aware of Gio’s love of the epic Mario Kart-style drinking game, since he’d roped her into playing it more than a few times.
Rafe rolled his eyes. “Obviously, I didn’t do enough coaching. Thought we agreed we were going for an air of professionalism.”
Gio snorted. “Yeah. That was never gonna happen.”
Gianna laughed as she opened her laptop case, silently acknowledging that simply running the inn wasn’t the only thing making this her dream job. Working for two men like Rafe and Gio, who were kind and supportive and fun, would also add to her workplace happiness.
She pulled out two copies of her resume and handed one to each of them. Then, she pulled out her computer and opened it, standing to set it on the edge of the desk so they could both see the screen easily. “In addition to the resume, I’ve created a portfolio that will give you an idea of my plans for the inn if you decide to hire me.”
She watched as Gio and Rafe exchanged a look, one that she understood in an instant. It was why she’d gone the extra mile, preparing for this meeting. Time to address the elephant in the room.
“We’re friends, but this isn’t personal. It’s business. I know that. I don’t expect you to hire me just because of my friendship with Keeley, or even our relationship,” she added, gesturing to herself and them. “I want to prove to you that I’m the best person for the job because of my education and my experience.”
For the next two hours, she shared her plans for reservations, staffing, special events, and even her list of potential names for the inn. She realized that somewhere in the last thirty minutes, the conversation had drifted away from the standard interview and had turned into a staff meeting, the three of them chiseling out a lot of the finer details as if she was already the manager.
“Jesus, Gianna,” Gio said at last, glancing at Rafe, then gesturing to her laptop. “I can’t believe this. It’s…incredible.”
“You’ve got the job. Of course, you’ve got it. And this hire doesn’t have a damn thing to do with the fact we’re all friends either.” Rafe reached for a file folder, handing it to her. “Here’s the job description—though given what you’ve just shown us—it’s clear we missed a few bullet points as far as duties. We’re going to have to defer to you, since neither Gio nor I have any experience running a hotel. Something you’ve just made painfully clear.”
Gio nodded emphatically. “We need you. No doubt about that.”
“That file also includes the salary and benefits package,” Rafe added. “But it’s negotiable.”
Gianna opened the file, her eyes widening. Holy crap. This would be a huge pay raise.
“We were hoping you could start February sixteenth. That would allow you to give two-weeks’ notice at your current job. Of course, you don’t have to tell us right now. Take some time to look that file over and if you have any ques—”
“I’ll take the job,” she interjected.
Gio laughed, then stood up, reaching out to give her one of those big bear hugs the Morettis were so famous for. It reminded her of Elio, and her heart panged. She’d missed him more than she thought possible these past few weeks. The only thing that kept her going was her current job and the preparations she’d made for this interview. Well, that and reorganizing her closet…for the twelfth time.
“Thank God,” Gio said, when he released her. “If you’d decided to play hardball, I was fully prepared to start begging.” He pointed to her laptop. “I can’t believe how much work you’ve put into this already. You’re ahead of the game.”
Rafe, the more circumspect of the two friends, reached out and shook her hand. “I can’t begin to express how glad I am that you’re joining us on this venture.”
They talked a little bit longer about everything in the benefits package, including the caretaker’s cottage, a retirement plan, and one of the best health care plans she’d ever seen. Her current health care plan was crap, so Baros Corporation’s plan in comparison, with its vision and dental, seemed too good to be true. She thanked them for the opportunity again, then they said their goodbyes.
As she left the mansion, she was shocked to discover that first, the sun was setting—it had been a very long meeting—and secondly, that her feet were still touching the ground. She would have thought for certain she was flying.
Climbing into the car, she turned her phone back on, after silencing it for the meeting. There were twenty-seven texts and four missed calls, all from Keeley and Liza. Gianna laughed. Of course, her friends had known about the meeting. In truth, Gianna was surprised to discover Keeley hadn’t been there to crash the interview.
She fired off a quick text to them.
I got the job.
Keeley responded the way she always did. In a long series of emojis, including everything from six of the smiley ones to an array of fireworks, rockets, and dancing ones.
Then Liza texted, We need to celebrate this weekend!!!
Gianna gave that comment a thumbs-up. Then her finger hovered over her contacts, as she considered texting Elio to tell him the news as well. She’d picked up her phone a thousand times to call him, simply because she wanted to talk to him. Not about anything big or exciting. Just…to talk.
Upon her return home, the time spent in the cabin reinforced how terribly quiet and lonely her apartment was. It was the best thing about taking this job. Within the next month or two, the caretaker’s house behind the inn would be ready for her to move in. After that, she would be surrounded by people, and with any luck, the too-silent nights would be a thing of the past.
She clicked on Elio’s name, pulling up their very sparse text thread. It only contained the two texts from her, the ones telling him she wasn’t pregnant, and his very simple response that had come much later that same evening.
Thanks for letting me know.
She’d read those words over and over, wishing he’d offered her some deeper insight. As for her, it had taken her several days to get over the utter and unexpected devastation. Even now, the idea of what might have been blindsided her, feeling like a sucker punch every damn time.
She put her phone back in her purse without texting and started the car, heading home. She and Elio had made no promises and no future plans. He’d been very clear about how his relationships—if she could call them that—played out.
Perhaps if the two of them hadn’t slept together, she could have reached out to him as a friend, but they’d blurred the fuck out of that line. So much so, she didn’t have a clue what they were now.
Was he expecting them to return to their “just acquaintances” status, the kind of people who only saw each other socially from time to time? Or would they find themselves more solidly in the good friends camp the next time they met?
Or…
She didn’t finish that part, didn’t let herself long for something Elio didn’t want. She’d indulged in what had begun as “casual sex,” reassuring Elio that she wasn’t ready for anything more because she was still trying to get over Sam and his deception. She believed it was that guarantee that had convinced him to continue the affair. If he’d had even a niggling suspicion that her feelings for him would drift out of the attraction range and into the affection one, she had no doubt he would have put the brakes on all sexy times the morning after Taco and Tequila Tuesday.
