“Ah.” She tapped at her lip. “Brando found an address at your place in Milan. Told me if I couldn’t get you there, try here.”
“Oh.” I took a step back. “Does he know…about this place?”
She shook her head, her red lips glistening in the sun. “No, doll. He told me he had no idea where this was, but that maybe I’d find you here.”
“I see.”
“Whatareyou doing here?”
“If I tell you something, will you swear on your life not to tell him?” I narrowed my eyes.
She narrowed back. “Will it hurt him if I don’t?”
“Not a bit.”
She held out her hand. We shook, but I didn’t let go.
“Come see!”
I took her on a tour of the villa, going through each room, and even though I threw in a few of Rosaria’s technical terms, I mostly told her what I loved about the place. She took in each room with wide eyes, and she smiled more than she spoke.
“Oh! And I can’t wait to show you what happens at night. The best part.”
We were headed back outside to retrieve her things. She stopped not too far from thevehicle.
“You bought him a villa?” she said, her nail tapping against her tooth.
“I boughtusa villa. I wanted him to have a place to…come home to.”
“Are you having an affair?”
I laughed like a wicked woman for at least five minutes, until I went completely still. “How can you even—” I swallowed down a ball of anger and shock. “Is that what Brando thinks?”
“He didn’t mention it, no.”
“Then why would you?”
“I can see that you’re lonely,mia bella.” She ran a hand tenderly down my face and I leaned into her embrace.
“I am, but don’t tell him, Maggie Beautiful. Please don’t.”
“He already knows, but I won’t.” She kissed her palm and put it to my cheek. “What a girl. You get lonely, so you buy a villa! It’s a fine place too.”
We both laughed a little, the tension easing. Then Maggie Beautiful’svehiclestarted making odd noises. Somewhere between a groan and a giggle.
She turned back toward it with a surprisedOH!“Dang! I forgot about Signore Butta!”
“Who is Signore Butt—”
Signore Butta made his debut then. His mop of salt and pepper curls popped up from the back seat. He teetered before he fully righted himself. He was ten sheets to the wind and happy to be floating. Sweat poured from his forehead, matting his hair to his round head. His jowls were three deep, but they gave him an air of jovial pleasantness.
“That is,ah, ME, Signora!” He sang. “Signore BUUUUUTTTAAAA!”
As soon as his name was fully out in the open, he went back over with a solid plop.
“Maggie Beautiful…?”
She slapped her hand down. “Don’t ask! But I’m here, aren’t I?” Her eyes twinkled, and her smile showed mischief. “I promised him groceries in return for a ride. Show me to the village.”
