PROLOGUE
SIENNA
"Is it too much?"
I was nervous and struggling to keep a smile on my face.
"What? No!" Rose, my best friend, refuted.
She sat up in her luxurious bathtub, a layer of foam covering her flawless porcelain skin. Her dirty-blond hair was tucked in a messy updo, highlighting her perfectly made-up face and forest-green eyes.
"You look beautiful, Sienna," she murmured, sounding as though she was in awe of my appearance.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Slutty seemed like my first name with my dark brown hair wrapped in a messy bun, bold, flattering makeup with pure blood red lips, a flimsy black dress that left nothing to the imagination, fuck-me heels, and a dazzling black trench coat.
Rose claimed I wasn’t stepping out of my comfort zone. Truthfully, I hadn’t. My work as a flight hostess occupied nearly all my time, leaving me with little to no time for my social life. But then, a few weeks back, I was fired. A rich, snobbish passenger had harassed me, and when I reported them to my purser, the piece of shit turned the whole thing on me and threw me out. Rose was convinced that it was because I hadn’t let himhit it. She wanted to use her legal influence as a lawyer and sue his ass, but I begged her to let it go.
I had turned thirty a few days ago, and in the spirit of my birthday week, Rose set up a blind date and told me to live a little. I’d had enough sulking for a lifetime, so I didn’t see a reason to say no.
So here I was, going on a blind date.
And I was strangely excited about it.
"Remember, don’t overthink things tonight. Just go there and have fun, and?—"
"Don’t pass on getting a good fuck when you get the chance," we both said at the same time and laughed.
"Have fun." She grinned.
"I love you," I cooed.
"I love you too." She hung up.
I sighed, taking one last glance at myself in the mirror. I was determined to make sure I enjoyed my date. I wasn’t going to worry about the minute details. I’d embrace whatever the night had to offer. After stuffing a few essentials in my bag, I headed out of the room.
I flagged down a cab that took me to Arancini, a cozy, luxurious, and upscale restaurant near the outskirts of Verona. Rose was the one who created a profile for me on the dating app and arranged the blind date. I was meeting with a dashing young man who was into tech. Vincenzo Romano. I wasn’t one to fish for something serious in cases like this. Heck, I had not been committed for a while now. I just wanted to experience a beautiful, relaxed evening.
The cab rolled to a stop in front of the restaurant. I paid the driver, alighted, and approached the entrance. The guards flashed me a warm stare, pulling the door open for me to step in. The sweeping, gigantic space rolled out before me in bold tones of red, black, and gold. The chandelier and perfect lighting madethe space look refined, meant only for the upper class. I secretly wondered again who this Vincenzo guy was to be able to afford a place like this.
A tall, elegant blond server strode toward me, all cheery and vibrant.
"Good evening, ma’am." I was a little startled when a guy came up behind me to collect my coat, leaving me in my slutty outfit for the night.
"Hi, good evening." I beamed. "Reservation for Mr. Romano, please."
"Of course, come with me."
She led me past the regular tables, and I noted that no customers were present. I furrowed my brows.
"Excuse me, did Mr. Romano rent the entire space?" I couldn’t resist asking.
She smiled warmly at me but didn’t say anything. That was when I noticed we had reached the VIP section.
Who is this guy, really?
The server pulled out a chair for me. I glanced around, looking for my date.
