Everyone dug in, pausing to praise Elsa for the meal.
“Elsa, this is so good,” Simone said. “Is your secret butter?”
“EVOO,” she replied, “and a mix of spices that ignite the taste buds.”
“Ignite the taste buds?” Carrera asked. “You should write a cookbook with those killer words.”
Everyone laughed.
Luciano pushed away from the table, retrieved a bottle of white wine and a bottle of Chianti. “The Chianti is a Santini wine, the white wine is not.”
Chianti all around. As he walked back to his chair, he brushed his hand over her shoulder and across her upper back. Tingles of delight had her turning to acknowledge him as he eased onto the cushioned chair.
“Elsa, Simone is a personal shopper,” Luciano said.
“That’s wonderful,” Elsa replied. “You two must know a lot of the same people.”
LUCIANO
Luciano sippedthe Chianti before regarding Simone. She was waiting, her intense green eyes blazing with light.
“Yes, several,” Simone replied. “Someone who comes to mind is aterrificman named Philip Skye. He goes by Z. It’s kind of a fashion thing.”
Carrera chuffed out a laugh. “Okay, wow.”
“You’ve met your match, Luciano Santini,” Slash said.
“I have a small client base,” Simone continued. “Loyal people who have been with me for a while now. My area of expertise is home furnishings, some fashion. I’ve even helped my clients with their houseware needs.” She shot Luciano a hard stare. “You know, blenders, toasters. Common-folk items.”
“Toasters?” Luciano asked. “What’re they for?”
Everyone laughed.
Luciano had wanted to ruffle Simone, but she’d run with it. As she chatted away about the art of selecting a sideboard or a coffee table, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She carried herself with a confidence he found refreshing, but it was her inner beauty that intrigued him.
“If you’ve worked with Z, then you must know home-furnishing icon, Schezan,” he continued.
No such person existed.
“Schezan? Oh, I heard he left the biz,” she quipped, “andhe left the country.”
Slash’s right. I’ve met my match. She’s calling me on my bullshit.
With an arched eyebrow, she slid her gaze from him to Elsa. “Elsa, were you married for a long time?”
Elsa’s smile brightened her face. She and his grandfather had been close. When he died, Luciano had been concerned for her.
“I was married for over fifty years,” Elsa replied.
“What a blessing,” Simone said.
Years earlier, Elsa had told him, “I miss G-Pa every day, but I feel his presence. Life is different without him, but he knew how much I loved him. We have an unbreakable bond for eternity.”
Those words had stayed with him. That sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime love. Something he’d had… and lost.
Pain gripped his chest. It followed him wherever he went, keeping his life in a constant state of gray.
“I mentioned to Luciano that he should consider a home furnishings line,” Simone said. “Why stop at fashion and spirits? Maybe Schezan could return and help with that.”
