Page 59 of The Fall Affair

Il Pescato del Giorno was off the beaten path, the kind of place tourists made it to only if a local drew them a map. But I would’ve been happy sitting anywhere looking across at this woman.

Allegra chewed her bottom lip once we were seated and the waiter had taken our order. “So…I did something that I’m not sure is a mistake or not.”

“Oh?”

“I made an appointment at my sister’s law firm for tomorrow. With her.”

“Are you not sure if it’s a mistake because you’re going to speak to her at her office rather than outside of her work?”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m not sure if speaking to her at all is a good idea. She practices corporate law, so I made up some story about wanting to start a business in Italy and not knowing where to begin.”

“So you’re going to go and not tell her who you are? Might she know your name already?”

Allegra nibbled her nail. “I made the appointment under my assistant’s name, Cassie Norman, just in case.”

“What do you hope to get out of the meeting?”

She shook her head. “I have no damn idea. And honestly, I might chicken out and cancel.”

I smiled. “I have the feeling you’ve never, as you say, chickened out of anything.”

“Did you forget me telling you how I dealt with not getting made a partner? I had too much to drink, told the senior partner he had a little dick, and quit. I have a history of taking the wrong route to deal with my problems.”

“Half the battle in not repeating mistakes is knowing we’ve made them in the past and learning from them. If you could go back, how would you have handled things with your boss?”

She was quiet a moment before smirking. “I do look back fondly on having told Harry what I thought of his manhood. But I suppose I should’ve called him out for passing me over in favor of a less-competent woman in a more professional manner, made my argument on the merits.”

“It will probably be easier to get closure about your family if you get answers to the questions that matter most.”

“I know. I’m just not sure if I’m ready to open that box fully. Because once it’s open, I’ll never be able to put everything back in the same way. Yet I am curious about her—what she’s like. Does she fidget when she’s thinking like my father and I do? Does she get bumps on her chest when she’s nervous? Is she happy? Does she have other siblings? I’m kind of hoping she’s the type who has a bunch of personal pictures in frames.”

I tilted my head. “Did you have photos in your office?”

“One. My grandmother with my parents.” She sipped her wine. “I don’t think I’m going to know how I’ll handle things until I’m there. But I really hope I don’t pull what I did with Harry and go off on her.” She shrugged. “And I will definitely be going into her office sober.”

I smiled. “Would you like me to go with you?”

“Thank you. But I think it’s something I need to do myself. Although, I’d be grateful if you were ready with a bottle of wine and maybe some tissues when I get back.”

“You got it.”

After we finished eating, we went to the apartment where we’d be staying. My cousin’s place in the village of Positano was modest—two bedrooms, a small living area, and a galley kitchen that two people couldn’t work in at once without brushing up against each other. But it didn’t matter. Every window framed the sea like a painting, and the main living area had a set of double doors that led to a small terrace overlooking the coastline. Allegra walked outside. It was dark now, so the pastel houses were lit up and looked more like shades of gold. The moon was full and bright tonight, spilling a path of silver light across the sea.

“This is incredible, Matteo.”

I stood behind her, wanting so badly to wrap her in my arms. But instead, I settled for standing close. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it is. Like many places in Italy, I avoid coming unless I have business here because of the tourists.”

“Can’t blame visitors for wanting to see this view.”

“I suppose not. But in summer it gets overrun with people stopping for selfies in the middle of da sidewalk, some using a dumb stick. It’s a bit quieter now that it’s almost October.”

She smiled. “If that bothers you, I can understand why Manhattan made you miserable.”

I nodded, but somehow, I knew I could handle the streets of Manhattan if I were walking them to get to her. Being near Allegra made everything seem worth it. “I think what I dislike most about crowded, touristy areas is that the neighborhood changes to accommodate the visitors. Starbucks pushes out da caffés, and chains push out local shops.”

“There’s a Starbucks here? Even I wouldn’t go to one with all the adorable caffés lining the road.”

“Not as far as I know, but I haven’t been here in a long time.” I lifted my hand to put it on her shoulder, but stopped myself. It felt unnatural not to touch her, so I thought perhaps I should occupy my hands. “Would you like a glass of wine? I brought some with me.”