Page 52 of Effortless

Tommas smiled. “My mistake. What about New York?”

“It was a good trip.”

“That so?”

“Yeah.”

He would much rather be back in New York at the moment, but that was a discussion for another day. Likely not one his father wanted to have, considering.

“So, nothing interesting happened while you were there?” his father asked.

Tom had the distinct feeling his father was reaching for information, but what, he didn’t entirely know. “Do you have something you want to ask me, or what?”

“I got a call, actually.”

“From who?”

“Calisto Donati.”

Ah.

There it was.

Tom rested back in the chair, and crossed his ankle over his knee. “What did he have to say?”

“Nothing, really. Just wanted to thank me for raising a decent son. Seems you went to him about his daughter despite the fact he doesn’t put constraints down on the young woman regarding dating.”

“What do you want to know, Dad?”

Tommas laughed, and his features relaxed from the previous sternness. “What made you seek him out—who she is, or something else?”

“Both. I know who she is, and I was interested in seeing her again. It’s the right thing to do. You taught me that.”

“Sure. Again, you said. You went out with her before you approached him?”

“Not exactly.”

His father’s brow raised, but he didn’t push Tom for more information. Not that he would have given it. The two kept business like that private.

“She’s why I stayed a little longer than first expected, actually,” Tom admitted. “She had a birthday, and I wasn’t ready to go at that point. Figured nobody would mind me staying a few extra days.”

“Except you did know I wanted you back home.”

Tom shrugged. “I still stayed, though.”

Across the desk, Tommas stilled in his chair, and pinned his son in place with knowing eyes. For a long while, his father said nothing, simply stared at him.

“What?” Tom asked when he’d finally had enough of the silence. “Just ask.”

“Are you still in contact with her?”

“Sort of.”

They texted, had a call or two, but nothing more. Camilla had yet to ask if Tom planned on coming back, and he didn’t even broach a similar topic. He didn’t know what she was doing on the dating side of things, and she didn’t ask him if he was busy with somebody else here.

Not that he was busy with someone.

His interest was still firmly tied up in Camilla Donati.