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‘I finally grew bored with dating dolly-birds whose IQs were smaller than their bra size.’
Jeremy chuckled. ‘That’s a good one, Alex.’
‘So how did you meet this woman?’ Sergio asked.
‘Through work. She’s in real estate.’ He’d instructed Jeremy not to mention she was his PA.
‘What’s her name?’ Sergio asked.
‘Harriet.’
‘Classy name.’
‘She’s a classy girl.’
‘I thought she was a woman.’
‘She is. But she’s not that old. Late twenties.’
‘Around Bella’s age, then. I presume she’s attractive.’
‘Very attractive,’ Jeremy jumped in. ‘Brunette. Slim. She’s also nicely independent. I met her at the airport.’
‘So where the hell is she?’ Sergio asked.
‘By now she’s settled in at the Villa Accorsi. You know it?’
‘Of course. But why is she staying at a hotel when we have plenty of room at my place?’
‘She didn’t want to stay there. To be honest, she didn’t even want to come to the wedding, but I talked her into it.’
‘Are you serious about this Harriet?’
‘Silly question, Sergio,’ Jeremy intoned drily. ‘Alex is never serious about any girl.’
‘But it’s clear this one is different. He wouldn’t have brought her all this way if he didn’t at least like her a hell of a lot.’
‘I do like her a hell of a lot,’ Alex confessed. ‘But we’ve only been dating a short while. She’s also just getting over a broken engagement. When Harry told me she’d always wanted to go to Italy, I impulsively asked her along—something I’ll start to regret if my friends start harassing me over my intentions.’
When Sergio fell broodingly silent, Alex worried that he might have come down a bit heavy.
‘Look, I’m sorry, I—’
‘It’s your PA you should apologise to,’ Sergio broke in sharply. ‘Did you honestly think I wouldn’t remember? You called her Harry that night at dinner a few weeks back. The odds of both your new girlfriend and your PA being called Harry are at lotto-winning level, so let’s cut the crap and tell the truth. You’re having sex with your personal assistant—most likely on the sly—and you’re using this trip as an excuse to have some more.’
Alex sighed heavily, whilst Jeremy remained conspicuously silent, both of them having been on the end of Sergio’s disapproval more than once over the years.
‘It’s not like that,’ Alex said defensively.
‘Then what’s it like?’
‘We’re just having some fun together. It’s nothing serious.’
Jeremy’s snort didn’t help.
‘Harry needs some fun right now,’ Alex went on firmly. ‘I would never hurt her.’
Now Sergio snorted.
Alex decided he’d heard enough. ‘Hey, just cut it with the “high and mighty” stuff, buddy. From what I’ve heard, your intentions weren’t exactly pure as the driven snow when you invited Bella to stay at your villa.’
Sergio had the grace to apologise.
‘I was just thinking,’ Jeremy piped up. ‘We should have your stag party tonight. That way we won’t be hung over for the wedding. What do you say, Sergio?’
‘I say good thinking. I still have half a case of that gorgeous red you sent me last Christmas.’
‘Great. And we’ll order in some of those fantastic pizzas we ate last time. You like pizza, don’t you, Alex?’
‘I like good pizza.’
‘These are the best. So that’s settled. Another bonus is it leaves Alex free to spend tomorrow to do some sightseeing with Harriet. He could even stay the night with her. Then they can come to the wedding together the next morning.’
‘You’d better watch it, Jeremy,’ Alex said. ‘You’re turning into a planner.’
‘You could be right,’ he agreed. ‘Like I told you, since I bought my book business I seem to have developed a strange compulsion for being organised. When I was working for the family bank, I didn’t give a damn about nine-to-five, or even turning up at my desk at all. I did most of my business via my phone. Now I’m getting obsessed with marketing meetings and publishing deadlines and all sorts of weird things.’
Both Sergio and Alex laughed.
‘We’ll make a businessman out of him yet,’ Alex said.
‘Stranger things have happened, I suppose,’ Jeremy remarked.
‘About tomorrow night,’ Sergio piped up. ‘With the wedding at eleven, I’d be more comfortable if you spent that night with us at my place, Alex. I don’t want anything going wrong.’
