Celeste sat at one of the small tables next to the window, dark sunglasses covering her eyes, her hair held in a loose ponytail. The phone in her hand held all her attention until I approached her table and those hidden eyes rose.
“Olivia!” she gushed, hopping to her feet and smiling broadly, “you look like you are practically glowing. Is married life agreeing with you? You have to tell me everything.”
I didn’t freeze up when she pulled me into an unexpected hug, but my mind did. Having been under the same roof as the thug for a few days, I’d been desperate for a reason to get out of the house.
When Celeste had texted me, I’d even entertained the idea of trying to find a real friend in the abrasive girl. But now she greeted me like she hadn’t needled me the entire shopping trip we’d taken before my wedding. I couldn’t even detect any sarcasm in her words. Either she had similar thoughts as I did or she wanted something, needed to butter me up first.
“I don’t know about a glow,” I replied after she pulled away and back to her seat, “but me marrying th— Dimitri was my father’s final request. I’m going to make the most of it.”
The thug, no, after almost slipping up and calling him that, I needed to try and think of him by his actual name. He’d been right after the wedding. We needed to keep up appearances with others. Celeste’s father Enrico had been my own’s right-hand man. He’d never betray us, but it was always smarter to play it safe.
More than that, the little part of me that admitted my attraction hadn’t gone away, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, keep well away at the mansion. Hearing him in action with my father’s men—his men—only helped that little crush of mine to grow.
“So,” Celeste extended the word, adding several more o’s as she leaned in and continued in a whisper, “how was he? Did he rock your world?”
“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell,” I replied, feigning shock at her question.
She giggled and took a sip of her bubble tea. With any luck, my little joke response would be enough. If she persisted, it wasn’t like I was going to admit we hadn’t shared a bed, wouldn’t share a bed.
“Don’t be such a prude, Olivia,” she scoffed, fixing me with a glare. “It’s just girl talk, there’s no harm in sharing. Inquiring minds want to know.”
“To paraphrase another out-of-date slogan,” I chuckled, tilting my head as I mock glared at the curious girl, “what happens in the Castello mansion stays in the Castello mansion.”
“You’re no fun.” Celeste pouted but shook her head a moment later, offering the same bubbly smile. “If I was in your position, I’d have been riding him night and day, especially since you need to get pregnant.”
“How do you know that?” I hissed.
Of all the things I didn’t want to talk about, she’d gone right to the heart of it. She blinked rapidly at my demanding question, flinching at its intensity. Then a playful smile grew on her face. She couldn’t help herself. No matter how friendly she acted, she loved getting one up on anyone.
“I overheard my father talking with Mr. Rudolph about it the other day,” she admitted before her lips dropped into a pitying frown. “He mentioned how much of a shock that was to you.”
“Oh did he?” I muttered.
Oscar Wilde once famously quipped that the only thing worse than being talked about was not being talked about. That might be true for Instagram influencers and realty TV stars, but not for those of us whose livelihood relied on less than legal businesses. That the family attorney had discussed the clause with our consigliere wasn’t completely unexpected, but to do so where Celeste overheard it; that could be dangerous.
“Oh, don’t sound so shocked.” Celeste waved her hand dismissively. “It’s not like you haven’t ever eavesdropped on your dad before. Knowledge is power, they say.”
“I kind of eavesdropped on th— Dimitri’s meeting with my father’s lieutenants before I came here,” I admitted.
“Did you hear anything juicy? Were they talking about you?” Celeste’s eyes lit up at the possibility of salacious gossip.
“No,” I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “I was worried they wouldn’t respect my father’s decision, wanted to make an appearance to bolster Dimitri’s position. He… I don’t think he needed my help. I think I underestimated him.”
“Oh really,” Celeste whispered conspiratorially, leaning closer. “Sounds like you might be ready to fulfill that clause already. I read about arranged marriages in India. A lot of times, they grow to love each other.”
“I said I underestimated him, that’s hardly a declaration of eternal love,” I shot back, but stopped myself from saying more.
Celeste only wanted a bit of gossip, some rumors to bandy about with her girlfriends. She didn’t have any ambition regarding her father’s line of work. But those friends of hers had boyfriends and husbands in the family. Word spread to any of them might put my father’s plans into chaos.
“The lady doth protest too much, I think.” She switched to a horrible British accent for herHamletquote before falling into a fit of giggles. My glare did little to put an end to them.
“Sorry,” she said when her laughter finally subsided. “Your reaction was just too good to pass up.”
“Careful, Celeste,” I warned, my face serious as the plague, “you wouldn’t want to send me home upset. If my husband asked me what had me frowning, I’d have to tell him the truth.”
She froze at my words, jaw dropping slack. I held my deadly expression as long as I could. I’d never considered using my new husband’s thuggish reputation for my own benefit. Maybe I’d have to try sometime when I wasn’t doing it for a laugh.
“You know I’m only joking,” Celeste stammered. Her head shook back and forth so fast it made her ponytail dance.
