Page 72 of Enzo

First Venice and now New York?

Up until a few weeks ago I’d never set foot outside of Chicago. And now I have someone else paying for my flights and a hotel stay.

A hotel stay in New York!

I must be dreaming.

I should decline this offer. I should but … it’s New York. I’ve always wanted to go. There, and to a hundred other places around the globe; places I thought were a crazy pipe dream.

I should go and see the project Enzo worked on. If it inspired Luca Valizar to select him for this project, that’s worth seeing, surely?

I could go and take a look, and it will be a chance to meet Penelope in person. Just me and her. I’ll convince her that I can’t do this. She’ll realize it after spending a few hours with me.

I’ll still tell her I think Miss T should nominate someone else.

I look up again at Enzo’s mask hanging on the wall.

I might as well return that while I’m there. He didn’t reply to my text. He started to—because I saw the typing bubbles that indicated he was—but then he stopped.

Chapter 20

MOLLY

My life feels like a dream.

Two trips in the space of two weeks.

I'm in New York before I know it, and Penelope is waiting for me outside.

“Hello. You made it here okay?” She’s leaning against a big shiny sedan.

“It was a short trip. I enjoyed it.”

A man with a cap offers me his hand and I shake it.

Penelope chuckles. “He's asking for your rucksack.”

“Oh.” I feel silly. “I'm okay holding onto it, thank you, though.”

I get inside the sleek black car. The leather seats are cool and buttery soft, and there's more room in the back than I know what to do with.

Penelope isn’t driving. That guy? He’s her chauffeur.

I glance at her, taking in her simple gold chain, her big, shiny gold earrings. She looks powerful and successful, and I suddenly forget to make conversation.

“I've arranged for you to stay at The Belmont,” she says, easily, as if it’s no big deal. “It's close to the depot project in Brooklyn.”

“Thank you,” I murmur.

“I've also emailed you your return tickets. Your flight is at seven tomorrow evening. That should give you plenty of time to explore the city.”

“That’s … that’s very kind of you. Thank you.”

“I'll show you around the development, and you're more than welcome to take your time looking around, but I'll have to leave for another meeting soon after.”

I'm in awe of her, and what she does. Always traveling. Always going to meetings. Working for Luca Valizar. Her work seems glamorous and exciting, but I have my children. Inquisitive, and so funny without realizing they are.

I couldn't do anything else. I wouldn't want to do anything else.