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‘Dante.’ Sarah knocked on his door and he told her to come in. ‘Matteo Castello called and asked to speak with you. I said you were in a meeting.’
‘What did he want?’ Dante frowned, because the Castellos, though not rivals—not even close—were not his choice of people.
‘It’s for a reference.’
His frown deepened, because Sarah looked a touch uncomfortable. ‘You’re not jumping ship?’
‘No, no.’ She smiled. ‘It is Mia he is calling about. Matteo is considering her for the role of his executive assistant in London.’
Well, well, Dante thought. ‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘Oh, and speaking of Mia,’ Sarah added, ‘she still hasn’t RSVP’d for the ball.’
Dante gave a dismissive wave. ‘Not my problem.’
God alone knew, though, it was his main problem!
Dantebadlywanted Mia to come to the Romano ball so he would have the chance to see her again and hopefully...
Yet Miastillhadn’t responded.
‘Right, I’m off,’ Sarah said.
‘It’s only three!’
‘Dante!’
Oh, yes, his Christmas present for Sarah had been a long weekend for her and her husband at La Fiordelise and she’d chosen to take it this coming weekend.
‘Fine.’ Dante sulked.
Everyone was at it.
Everyone except him, since Mia.
Dante could not get her out of his head and the thought of being with anyone else had lost its usual appeal.
He set off his Newton’s cradle, and watched the silver balls clack, clack, clack as his own ached.
Ms Prim would disapprove of that, Dante thought, and then the memory of her uptight expressions made him smile.
But the smile was wiped from his face when he thought of her working for Castello.
When Sarah had gone, Dante reached for his phone, but instead of calling Castello it was Mia’s number he pulled up. It had been a couple of weeks since their last, brief conversation and she answered promptly. ‘Mia speaking.’
‘Mia, it’s Dante.’ Hefeltthe tense silence for a moment before continuing. ‘I’ve been asked by Castello to provide a reference for you. Is this some sort of joke?’
‘Why would it be a joke?’ Mia responded tartly. She had been caught off guard, and had answered the phone without looking, hoping it was news about her job. That it was Dante calling had sideswiped her, but she reminded herself she was no longer Rafael’s wife, no longer playing a part. ‘I do have to work.’
‘Perhaps, but does it have to be for our rival?’
‘Hardly a rival. The Romanos are a hundred times bigger. If you must know, I’ve applied for several jobs.’
Dante sat there, his lips pressed together as another side to Mia was revealed to him. When married to his father she had been rather quiet and, though her presence had sat in the forefront of his mind, she had remained in the background, saying little.
That wasn’t so much the case now, Dante thought as she continued.
‘While your father gave me an excellent reference, given we were married, it doesn’t carry the weight it should, and the woman I worked under in London has left.’ Not that Mia had been much good at that time. ‘I didn’t actually put your name down.’ She gave a slightly shrill laugh as if to say,Perish that thought. ‘Look, if it’s going to be an issue I’ll pull out of the application.’
