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Of course Tim had expected Madison to date someone different from me. She’d been so focused on starting her company that it had left her little time to have a social life. I wasn’t the type of guy she would normally meet because I didn’t run in her circles. But so what? He hadn’t said anything negative, just that I wasn’t what he’d expected. And he’d been cool about it. I should focus on that instead of worrying.
Exercise-induced serotonin for the win!
With respect to what her father had said, there was one way to figure out what Madison wanted: I should ask her. That was what adults did, and that was what I was going to do that evening at the wedding. I was going to ask her if she wanted to go on a real date with me when we got back to the city. I might also ask her to dance.
Relieved to have a mature, non-dramatic plan, I turned around to head back. My phone rang, interrupting my playlist. I answered it without looking at the number.
“Bob?” It was Katie, and she was crying.
I immediately stopped running. “What’s the matter?”
“I think… I think… I think I made a mistake!” she wailed.
All the red flags in all the lands were raised at once. Here we go. I refused to do this.
“What’s the matter?” I asked again, keeping my tone nonchalant. “You wish you went with a different caterer?”
“No—it’s not the dumb caterers!” She blew her nose. “I mean, at least I hope not.”
“Why’re you calling me, Katie?” I checked my watch. “You’re supposed to be getting married in a couple of hours.”
“Did Marta tell you she’s going to be at the ceremony? Did she tell you it was at St. Christopher’s at four o’clock sharp?”
“Um, yeah. She did.” I felt the dull throb of a headache.
“Do you care?” she drama-whispered.
“Do I care what?”
She didn’t say anything.
“You know, I’m busy. I have to go. I already gave you my blessing. Not sure what you want from me except for some ego-stroking.”
“Are you with her right now?” She’d stopped crying, and she sounded pissed.
“You have got to be kidding me. Goodbye, Katie. Have a nice life. Take it easy on my sister—and on Dave, too, the poor bastard.” I hung up and shook my head. I had to give it to Katie. She had the biggest balls of them all. Calling me on her wedding day. As if I’d ever even once thought about taking her back.
I added another two miles to my run, trying to put as much distance between me and that phone call as possible. By the time I was done, I was sweaty and spent. Mrs. Delaney was busy barking orders at her gardeners when I got back to the house.
She motioned toward me. “A word, Roberto.”
I wiped the sweat from my face as I followed her to the far side of the lawn, away from the workers. “You’re using my proper name now?” I used a joking tone, but Aileen did not look amused. Her face was so immobile that I couldn’t be sure, but she might have been scowling at me.
“Pryce has brought me up to date on everything about you and your family, Roberto Palmieri of the South Shore Palmieris.”
“Ah, I see.” Her pit bull of a butler had completed his investigation of me.
“I also happen to like Italian names. They are so much more elegante than their English counterparts,” Aileen continued. “In any event, I am not here to flatter you. I am here to interrogate you.”
“Okay.” But I had a sinking feeling it was not okay at all.
“I know you just received a call from your ex-girlfriend, Katherine. What was the purpose of this call?”
My jaw dropped open. “How did you know that? How do you know her name?”
“I had Pryce put a trace on your phone. We don’t fanculo around here, Roberto. I am the head of a multibillion-dollar venture, and I do not take my job lightly. Now tell me why your ex is calling you while you’re here with my daughter.”
I felt violated, but a teeny piece of me was glad that she at least cared enough about Madison to snoop. “My ex is getting married today. She wanted to know if I was going to show up and object.” The truth, ridiculous and ugly, sat between us.
