“Doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?” He rubbed his hand across the shadow of his jawline, comfortable in the Apostolic Palace like it was his second or third home.
“Whatever the favor is, it can’t make me a traitor to my country. I won’t work against France or any of its allies.”
“Done.”
I’d just made a deal with an Emperor, and only time would tell if it was a grave mistake. “So…what’s new with you?”
“Asshole, don’t act like we’re friends.”
“Then what are we? Because you just asked me to have your back without explanation.”
He rubbed his palms together. “Business is good. Pussy is good. What about you?”
“Same.”
“Well.” He clapped his hands together. “Looks like we’re all caught up.”
25
ALIÉNOR
I hadn’t heard from Luca in a couple days, and I was already so clingy as it was that I didn’t want to text him first. He didn’t seem to mind my affection, but if I pushed it to his limit, it might scare him off.
Dominic asked me to go to lunch, so I took a long break from the office and met him at BO&MIE, my favorite boulangerie that was a short walk from Diamant. We met in the long line that wrapped around the corner of the building, and when we got to the front, we both ordered more than either of us could eat.
We carried our trays upstairs and found a table by the window.
Dominic was in jeans and a t-shirt that showed off his nice arms. With chestnut-colored hair and light eyes, he was a good-looking guy. And he was tall, over six feet in height. He got lots of tips at Septime. “So, how’s the new job, Fashion Merchandiser?”
“It’s good. Already working on our summer releases. Our designers work two seasons ahead of time, so we have time to prepare but also cancel anything that probably won’t work. Itwas chaotic in the beginning, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.”
He had a bowl of baked rigatoni and a sandwich with a croissant, but unlike Luca, he didn’t devour his food like a hungry bear. He took his time and was more engaged in the conversation than he was in food. “So, how did you land such a big-girl job with absolutely no experience in fashion?”
“You know how it goes…all about who you know.”
“Okay, but who doyouknow?”
“Well, not me. But I know someone who knows someone.”
“Who?” he asked. “Why didn’t you just do that in the first place?”
Dominic and I hadn’t talked a lot, and it wasn’t really something I wanted to share over text, so I told him the truth. “Well, I’ve been seeing this guy, and he made all of this happen.”
“Whoa…”
“Yeah.”
“Who is this guy?” he asked. “And why am I just hearing about him now?”
“Well, it’s been a bit of a rush. Started at a dead stop, and then we were speeding down the Autobahn.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Oh, it is fun.” Really fucking fun. “His name is Luca.”
“Oooh, I like it. Got any pictures?”
“I’ve taken a couple when he wasn’t looking.” I opened my phone and found one of him on the couch, shirtless in his sweatpants, typing on his phone.
