I turn off my phone.
Bury my face in my pillow.
22
Marco
I’m sitting in my FHG office at eight in the morning reviewing contractor bids. Kitchen and Parent Lounge upgrades forOsteria Fiore.
You know, the kind of quiet infrastructure work that keeps people working at your restaurants instead of burning out somewhere else.
Rahul’s already approved the budget. André’s coordinated the timeline. Valentina has the invoices coded under facilities and community use. Nothing that screams PR stunt or damage control.
Nothing Kells can spin into his bullshit decline narrative.
But that’s not why I’m staring at these line items like they hold the answer to world peace.
I’m staring because I can’t stop thinking about Jess’s mouth.
About how she tasted when I kissed her last night. How her breath hitched when my thumb found her jaw. How she said we shouldn’t and I said we won’t and then we almost did anyway.
How I had to physically remove myself from thatsituation before I violated every clause in her contractagain.
Fuck.
I drag both hands through my hair and force myself to focus on the spreadsheet.
Induction burner carts. Cool touch surfaces. Lockable supply cubbies. Sensory friendly dimmers and sound baffles.
Good shit. Necessary shit.
The kind of upgrades that make a kitchen run smoother without anyone noticing until they’re gone.
Kind of like Jess.
She shows up. Does the work. Makes everything better without needing applause or a fucking Instagram story about it.
Ben’s anxiety has dropped. Morning routines flow. The house feels less like a pressure cooker and more like a place people actually want to be.
And all I can think about is how badly I want to pin Jess against a wall and finish what we started. It’s good, I suppose. It keeps the guilt about Isotta away.
But still...
My phone buzzes. Text from Valentina, my PA.
Contractor needs final approval on the lactation corner build. Sign off?
I reply immediately.Approved. Keep it off the marketing calendar.
Three dots. Then:Done. Filepe’s scheduling after-hours install. Luis will disable guest cams during work.
Good.
That’s the whole point. Do the work. Don’t announce it. Let the results speak instead of farming engagement off other people’s need for dignity.
Another buzz comes from my phone. This time it’s Matteo.
Test kitchen needs you. New pasta pull isn’t working.
