Page 33 of Aldo

I shut down the feed, shuffling some papers. “Maybe.”

“Are you hitting that? She must be a good lay if you got a room for her.”

“Hey,” I snapped. “Show a little respect.”

Roman looked startled. “Aldo,” he said. “What is going on?”

“Nothing.” I scrubbed my face.

“Something, I think.”

I shook my head. “Damned if I know.”

He muttered something about the water and sat down at his desk. “First Luca, now you.”

“It’s not like that.”

He chuckled. “I’ll remind you of that someday.”

I chose to ignore him.

Later, I was crossing the floor when I saw her again. She was outside the deli, leaning against the wall. Not doing anything but standing there. Her hands were behind her back, and she looked at the floor, her shoulders bent. She seemed to be staring at her feet. Then she rolled her shoulders, shook her head, and wiped under her eyes. Something pulled at my chest. Was she crying? Why was she crying? I felt my hands curl into fists, and I wanted to rush across the lobby, storm the deli, and find out why she was upset.

But I couldn’t. If there was a problem, Wanda would deal with it. If I raged in and caused a scene, Vi would be furious. She was strong. Independent. Those were two of the many traits I found so attractive about her.

Instead, I went to the front desk and got a passcard for my room. My personal room.

And now here we were.

She was beyond exhausted. I could see the weariness etched on her skin. The dullness of her eyes. That she agreed to stay pleased me. I held out my hand.

“I’ll fill the tub. We can relax, then sleep. I’ll get you food if you’re hungry.”

“I’m just tired. You’ll stay?”

“Yes.” Roman had looked shocked when I’d informed him I was gone for the night, but he simply nodded and said he’d handle it.

She slipped her hand into mine, and I pulled her to me. She came willingly, resting her head on my shoulder, her body aligned with mine perfectly. She was the perfect height for me, I decided.

I pressed a kiss to her head. “Let me take care of you tonight. Just tonight, baby.”

She hummed in agreement. “I’d like that.”

“Then let me.”

She sighed, leaning heavily into me. “Okay.”

VI

I woke the next morning, surprised to find Aldo there. He was sitting in the chair, the robe wrapped around him, a book open on his lap. A steaming cup of coffee was sitting on the table beside him, and he had his ankle crossed over his knee. His feet were bare. He had long toes and surprisingly elegant feet for a man his size, and like the rest of him, they were looked after.

“Do you get pedicures?” I asked, sitting up against the headboard.

He looked up, startled. His eyes were set off by a pair of heavy tortoiseshell frames. He tugged them off, offering me a bashful grin. “Yeah. I’m on my feet a lot. They do a great pedi downstairs. I’m a regular.” He set aside his book and picked up his coffee. “I can arrange one for you.”

“That would be nice, thanks.”

He smiled. “I like that.”