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"Good evening. A table for one?"
I shook my head, peering over his shoulder. I scanned the lively crowd, stopping when I saw Allegra's bowed head. "I'm meeting a friend."
I maneuvered in and out of the tables, my curiosity peaking as I heard her tearing into someone on the phone.
"Non essere ridicolo. Anyone can see you care about this girl. Why do you fight it? You confuse her and you confuse me-"
"Allegra?"
She smiled up at me, gesturing at the seat in front of her.
"We will discuss this in the morning. Unless you join us tonight?" She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Understood. Ciao."
She snapped her cell phone closed and gave me the once over, clucking her tongue with approval. "Leila, you look lovely."
"Thanks," I grinned. "You do too." She traded her outfit from earlier with a sleeveless flowered dress that softened her muscled exterior.
She picked up a bottle of red wine. "Do you drink?"
"Absolutely!" I said, probably a little too quickly.
She let out a musical laugh that made her eyes twinkle then poured the ruby red liquid in my empty wine glass. "All a bit overwhelming, no?"
I brought the glass to my nose and inhaled deep, breathing in the vibrant body of it before I took a hearty sip. It was like caramel going down and I savored it before I answered. "I'm still pinching myself every second."
"You haven't been working for Jacob very long?"
"Right," I said, taking another swallow. "Almost four days now."
She let out an impressed whistle. "You must be very good at your job."
I turned bright as a tomato at that and dropped my gaze, suddenly real concerned with the starch white tablecloth. How could I tell her that my interview 'supplement' had probably got me the job?
She placed a wrinkled hand over mine and when I dredged my eyes up, I saw that she already knew. Of course she did...I was far from Jacob's first assistant.
I opened my mouth, the red of embarrassment turning to shame. "Let me explain-"
"That is unnecessary," she cut in. "This is carriera, your career, yes?"
I bit my lip and nodded.
"And I imagine you have plans that exceed being an assistant?"
"Absolutely," I said without hesitation. "Not that all of this isn't great, but I want more." I let it all out, finally feeling like someone understood. "I want my own clients, my own agency....my own name over the door."
She gave me a long, pensive look then her face cracked into a grin. “Difficile? No. You got your foot in the door. You'll get no judgment for doing whatever you needed to do to meet your goals."
I reached for the bread basket, my stomach making a gurgle of hunger. "So since we're talking about doing whatever one needs to do to get ahead, do you mind if I pick your brain about Jacob?"
She traced the circular base of her wine glass and let out a chuckle. "I was wondering when you'd ask." She ran a hand through her hair before sitting up tall, ready for the inquisition. "Ask away."
"The guy I know is incredibly driven, charismatic but..." I trailed off, trying to figure out the word.
"Guarded?" she finished for me.
"Exactly!" I said, clapping my hands together. "But with you, he's different. The laughing--hell, the smiling. He just seemed so open. A complete polar opposite."
"Sì," she said after polishing off her wine. A long moment passed as she reached for the wine bottle, refilled her glass and then looked at the burgundy liquid like she was hypnotized. "The lights on Jacob are so bright that you only see the truth if you know where to look."
