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Barsotti? You’re in huge trouble.
After he reached his apartment, he phoned her, hoping she’d pick up.
“Nico? Is Giorgio giving you problems already?” she teased.
He closed his eyes for a moment. “I’m calling because you ran inside the palace before I could thank you. Your gift has special meaning for me.
“When I first started working on the farm, people came who didn’t know me and just called me Giorgio. I asked Angelo about it and he said it meant ‘farmer.’ Trust you to know that. Thank you again. See you tomorrow after your shift is over?”
“Absolutely.”
When Wednesday evening rolled around, Nico didn’t have a patient in the hospital, so he had no excuse to visit the pediatric ward. But that didn’t stop him from racing over there after hours to find Fausta. The long overnight wait to see her again had been deadly.
She came walking down the hall ten minutes later and broke into a smile to see him by the nursing station. “Ehi—how’s Giorgio?” Her hair shone like a pot of gold in the sunlight.
“We’ve become best friends. I’ve made him my guard dog while I’m at work.”
“I’m glad you like him.”
“I hope you realize I like the woman who gave him to me.” He heard her breath catch. “Shall we head for the cafeteria for dinner?”
“I have a better idea. I brought a picnic for us and thought we could eat it on the grass behind the hospital.”
She’d planned a picnic?
Today she was dressed in a yellow top and print skirt beneath her lab coat. He loved the way she looked. He loved everything about her. “I love the way you think.”
“Give me a second. I put the bag in the fridge of the nurses’ lounge.”
He felt an adrenaline surge as she darted back down the hall for their meal. Fausta never ceased to captivate him. When she returned, she was carrying a plaid blanket along with a bag of food. No one had planned a surprise like this for him before.
He took the sack and they made their way through the halls and down the staircase to the door leading out back. It was another beautiful balmy evening. She found them a spot and spread out the blanket.
They sank down and emptied the sack. Soon they were both munching and drinking soda. “Where did this meal come from? It’s fabulous.”
“I asked one of the palace chefs to make me a picnic.”
“No wonder I’ve never eaten such delicious sandwiches and salad before.”
“Jeanne is a great cook and my friend. Sometimes I take her to lunch to give her a break.”
“That sounds like you,” he said in a thick-toned voice. “Unselfish and generous to a fault.” He’d never known anyone so easy to be with. She never pouted or acted upset.
Fausta blushed. “Thank you for saying that, but it’s not true.”
“I have proof to the contrary before my very eyes.” He continued to stare into those light blue pools until she looked away. “What’s your agenda this week?”
“Tomorrow I have to go back to the palace by three o’clock to help entertain some foreign dignitaries for the evening. Papa insists on it.”
Maybe it was a prince her father wanted her to meet, but Nico had to stop worrying about that or he’d go crazy.
“On Friday morning I have an appointment with the head of the Tocelli cell phone company. I’ve been pushing him for a commitment and believe he’s going to help fund one wing of the new veterans’ hospital.”
“Bravo.” Fausta’s charisma could turn a man inside out.
“What about you?”
“No seminars for several months, grazie a Dio.”
