“What do you mean you don’t know? Ask. Duh.”
I covered the little hole at the end of the phone and did just that. “Do you like animals?”
Mario looked at me curiously. “Better than most people.”
Good enough. I relayed the statement to Ellie.
“What’s his name, how tall is he, and does he have any children? Oh, wait, forget I asked that. You’d be too busy taking care of them to call me.”
While I gnawed on the worry bone of whether he had children or a prior relationship looming in the not-so-distant past, I answered what I could. “His name is Mario, and he’s kind of tall.” And dark, and handsome…with pouty lips and a knowingly sharp gaze that didn’t miss a thing. His cheek dimpled slightly.
Ellie broke the spell that little divot was casting over me. “Mario. Like the video game? It-za me, Mario!”
I’d lay odds her voice echoed around the canals. “I’m hanging up.”
“No, don’t. I’m sorry.” A giggle leaked out which ruined the apology. I knew her well enough she wanted to say it again just to get it out of her system.
“You wouldn’t say it that way to his face. Trust me.”
“What? Like he’s dangerous? I’m sorry, but there’s no way my sister hooked up with someone dangerous. No freaking way.”
Not only hooked up with, married. “Here’s the short version. Mom loved the wedding. Aunt Susan cried. And I’ll lay odds that Dad is going to have to listen to opera for a whole month. You did good by picking that theme.”
“Wait. You…”
“Got married. Yes.”
A loud noise made me pull the phone away from my ear. If I didn’t know better, I’d guess it was the sound of plastic and glass hitting something hard. But I couldn’t ask because the call went dead.
I stared at the screen for a long moment.
“She’s with someone?”
Mario’s question shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. “Listen, it’s not as bad as it sounds. I know my sister. She’s not flighty and…” Who was I kidding? She was going to marry a wanna-be gangster up until she saw the dirt on him our family lawyer sent. And right after finding out, stormed out of the room in the middle of the afternoon to get shit-faced drunk… in her wedding dress, not caring what kind of scene she made. That wasn’t flighty, that was… jilted.
Mario caught on to my thoughts quickly and sent me a commiserative question in his expression. But I had more than enough doubts of my own.
“Do you think I should I be worried?”
Very carefully, he moved closer and knelt so he could rest a hand on my knee. “Do you want me to put someone on her? For protection, I mean?”
“You can do that?”
He nodded gently.
The debate in my head went like this. Yes, oh my God, please? And, I shouldn’t bother because Ellie survived this far without help. Not only that, but she was stubborn if she was being forced to do something. And finally, the rampant thoughts coalesced into a singular question. What kind of man had I married?
He was connected enough to have a private plane whisk us away to Italy. He was related to a top member of the Italian government. Well-off enough to afford not only expensive fashion, but royalty-worthy fashion.
And, he was good-looking, considerate, and most of all, brutally dangerous. The type of man who could choose anyone in the world. And he was kneeling at my feet.
“Why did you marry me?” I was nothing but an unemployed veterinarian with a zany twin. I wasn’t a supermodel, or a talented actress, or anything that a man like him would want. I was…punctual…utilitarian. What an endorsement. Not.
His face softened. Maybe it started at the eyes, or in the little twitch of relaxation by his mouth. Or in the round pads of his lips. But it was there, kindness, then humor that crinkled the skin next to his eyes. “I married you for a limo ride.” He blushed and let the moment slip into uncomfortable silence. Too soon, the smile on his face dropped, and he placed his hand on his wound, holding the pain in.
Maybe even the action was to hold his thoughts in. Lie through omission or hide behind humor. Ellie did that, too. Had she learned that from me?
I decided it was better we not fool ourselves. “I married you because my parents wanted to see a wedding and I really didn’t want to create a scene.”
