“I will,” she assured, watching him text the head of his security that they were ready.
At once the car door was opened. In spite of everything,her heart began to accelerate. Geno slid from the car, his large body shielding hers as she exited. She smoothed the bright sparkly navy skirt so that it swished around her legs with each step she took onto the pavement. There seemed to be numerous cameras going off and people calling out to Geno. He wrapped his arm around her, sheltering her with his larger body, drawing her front tight against his side. He paused for a moment, turning to face toward the line of men and women shouting at them.
Smile for them, Amara. Look happy to be my fiancée.
I am happy.Deliberately, she tilted her head to look up at him, smiling adoringly at him because she was happy, and she did rather adore him, and she didn’t mind showing it to the world.
Most of the questions were directed at Geno, and he fielded them easily. It was evident he was used to dealing with the paparazzi. She noticed his expressionless mask didn’t change, but his protective demeanor was very much in evidence. She also could see he made the media somewhat uneasy. They made their demands, but if he didn’t like their questions, they didn’t repeat them. The demand to see the ring was one of the loudest.
Geno threaded his fingers through hers and held up their hands, the ring facing the cameras. As soon as the reporters got their shots, Fiero stepped close and indicated the restaurant. Geno immediately nodded and lifted a hand to the rows of men and women with cameras.
Keep your head down and stay in the middle between the bodyguards. I’ve got shooters on the roof, but I’m not taking chances with your life.
You make a much bigger target than I do.
Donte and Fiero swiftly moved them toward the restaurant, Fiero in front, Donte behind them. On either side of Geno and Amaranthe paced two other bodyguards, Leonardo and Bravo Ricci. All four bodyguards were very efficient in the way they carried out their jobs. Amaranthecould tell they had been at it for a long time and knew exactly what they were doing. They flowed together and were in step with Geno.
“There are two different restaurants inside. This entrance takes you to the family restaurant. We thought it was important parents could bring children with them after work, have a good meal at fair prices and relax,” Geno explained as a doorman opened and held the heavy oak door for them to pass through.
The architect had utilized the archways of the stone warehouse to help define the various spaces. The tables in the family restaurant were covered in simple red-and-white checked tablecloths. The chairs were comfortable-looking with high backs and sporting black legs. Around the long brick bar were high-backed stools with matching black legs. The bar held sparkling drinks for children to choose. Along one wall were small booths with red leather seating for two to four people. Overhead, strings of lights gave the impression of fireflies dancing across the high ceiling.
The bodyguards kept them walking straight through the family restaurant so Amaranthe didn’t have time to really look around the way she would have liked. She only noticed that the area was extremely spacious, smelled wonderful and seemed bright and cheerful. They went through another private door and down a hall and immediately entered the next restaurant, which she knew had earned a three-Michelin-star rating. The chef was that good.
The same stone floor was underfoot, but the entire look had been transformed and was breathtaking. The atmosphere was darker and much more romantic. Small, intimate round tables covered with white cloths accented by very plush black chairs were in arrangements of twos and fours set distances apart to provide plenty of privacy for each couple or party.
Overhead, a network of tree limbs that appeared to be very much alive dripped with purple and white flowers giving off a faint fragrance of honeysuckle. Throughout the treebranches, tiny lights lit up the darker room. Those lights and the two fireplaces at either end of the large room were the only source of light other than the candles on the tables.
The bodyguards kept them walking, so again, there was no time to take much in when Amaranthe would have preferred to slow down and really look around. They didn’t stop until they were right at the hostess station, where there stood a tall, slender woman with a wealth of black curly hair worn pulled back and braided across the top of her head, almost like a crown, and then secured at the nape of her neck so the rest of her hair hung down in a beautiful curly mass Amaranthe envied just a little. She had dark brown eyes and high cheekbones and clear, gorgeous skin. She also looked very familiar.
“Everyone is already waiting, Mr. Ferraro,” the hostess greeted. “And may I say congratulations on your engagement?”
“Thank you, Penelope. This is Amaranthe, my fiancée.” Geno kept Amara very close, under his shoulder.
It was a strange feeling for Amaranthe to know she was protected. She was used to being on her own. Geno was such a big man, and she had the small, slender body of a ballet dancer. His arm practically hid her.
She smiled at the hostess, trying to get a feel for how things worked in the restaurant. She knew the Ferraro brothers owned it. Penelope was such a beautiful woman, it would have been easy to be intimidated by her because she was clearly familiar with Geno, but she was very respectful, and not in the least flirtatious.
Penelope beamed at her. “It’s lovely to meet you. My little sister, Jordan, takes dance lessons from you, and I’ve watched you work with her. You were so amazing. No one has ever taken so much time with her or been so patient. I wanted to thank you for that. Dancing means so much to her. Because she has a hearing disability, some of her instructors have dismissed her as if she has no talent.”
The smile faded from Amaranthe’s face. “Jordan has anextraordinary talent. What do you mean they dismissed her? Who dismissed her?” When Geno’s warm amusement slid into her mind, she realized she had unconsciously poured authority into her voice.
My warrior for the underdog.
Jordan does have talent. That’s why I spent so much time with her. I thought maybe I was too hard on her at first, but she responded immediately. She even asked to stay after class to use the studio to practice more. I stayed with her and gave her some extra pointers. It really upsets me that any instructor would discourage her. She can hear clearly out of one ear, but the other is somewhat diminished. She wears a hearing aid but needs a better one.
“Ms. Marchel told her if she couldn’t hear music, she would never be able to perform onstage. I pointed out that she hears, but she said her hearing wasn’t good enough.”
Amaranthe wanted to step into the nearest shadow and go visit Ms. Marchel to tell her a thing or two. First, Jordan wasn’t deaf. Second, even if she were fully deaf, she still could dance. There are methods for teaching hard-of-hearing and deaf students. Ms. Marchel had been hired to teach everyone, not just a select few.
“Jordan has the potential to have a career in dance if she’s willing to work for it.”Ms. Marchel and I will be discussing the inclusion of all students in her teaching, or she won’t be working for the company.
She felt Geno smile, but when she looked up at his face, his stone mask was in place. “It seems that Amara will take care of the situation, Penelope. If there is any further trouble with your younger sister, let me or one of my brothers know. We’ll take care of it if Ms. Marchel doesn’t listen to Amara.”
“She’ll listen,” Amaranthe assured.I’ve been looking into the various types of hearing aids Jordan might need to help her out.
“Thank you both so much. Jordan means the world tome, and she honestly works so hard at her dance. She’s always practicing.”
Penelope turned up her high-wattage smile and led the way to the private back room reserved only for guests of the Ferraro family. The heavy oak door was tall, thick and very wide, resembling a thatched wine barrel on the outside, with dark planks across it. Penelope opened it and stood back to allow them entry.
