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“While it would be nice to have lots of money, I don’t need millions.”
“Only people without millions would say something like that,” he teases.
“True, but money doesn’t buy happiness. And isn’t happiness what everybody strives for in life?”
There’s a moment of comfortable silence and I ponder the man sitting beside me. I find it hard to believe he’s never formed any attachments. How is that even possible? I get attached way too easily. Even after only a day, I feel a bond developing with Tiero. It’s not good.
Is he really waiting for his One? Or is he just a commitment phobe? And why does it matter to me? It’s not like I’ll ever see him again after this trip.
“How old are you, Tiero?” I ask to satisfy my curiosity.
He looks surprised at my question. “I just turned thirty-two last week.”
“Oh. Happy birthday,” I say. “How did you celebrate your big day?” You can learn a lot about a person by how they celebrate anything.
“I had a big party in one of my clubs.”
Of course… handsome as sin, probably more money in his account than he can spend, big parties, no commitments but probably lots of hook-ups… I couldn’t describe a player better if I tried.
“So you sleep around a lot?” I challenge.
I’m not sure what compels me to ask. Given what I just learned confirms my image of him… and about Italian men in general. I know it’s a gross generalization, but it’s what they’re known for.
He studies me for a while, uncertainty shining through his handsome features of how to best answer this question. “Define a lot,” he throws the ball back into my court.
I laugh out loud. Of course, he’s deflecting. It tells me more than if he had actually answered my question.
“Never mind.” I shake my head, still laughing. “You were telling me about your father before we got off track and started talking about dating… or not dating in your case.” It’s best to leave this topic far behind. It could only lead to places I don’t want to go.
“Oh, yes.” Tiero turns serious again. “Like your parents, my father died in a car accident. A truck crashed into his car. He was critically injured and died in hospital a week later. That was seven years ago.”
We’re silent for a moment, and I can tell Tiero is transported back in time. “It was tough for Mateo and I. On top of the grief, I became the head of this family a lot earlier than I ever expected. Suddenly all the responsibility lay on my shoulders, and I had my hands full with running the business and managing people.”
“I’m sorry, Tiero. That must have been hard.”
“At least it kept me occupied, and I couldn’t think too much about our loss. But it was quite a learning curve despite being raised to follow in my father’s footsteps.”
“I can only imagine the pressure you were under. I’m sorry you had to go through that,” I say sincerely, placing my hand on top of his.
It’s the first time he has shown me anything other than total confidence, and I wonder how much of this came from an attitude of fake it till you make it.
“It just took some time to adjust from a fairly easy-going lifestyle to one of full responsibility… even though I was groomed for the role from birth. I was only twenty-five and wanted to do a few things before taking over. But it wasn’t meant to be.”
“Wow, I don’t envy you. As bad as my experience was, I could not imagine having such a load added to it. I don’t think I could have handled it. At least you had Mateo. You two seem close.”
Tiero smiles. “We are. He can be quite annoying, but we always have each other’s back. He’s the one person I trust completely.”
Silence once again envelops us, but it’s comforting and familiar. The sound of the crashing waves is soothing, and I lean back to gaze at the glittering sky above us.
Our conversation has relaxed me, and I feel like I’ve known Tiero much longer than just a day. The loss of our parents connects us on a deeper level. We understand the pain and darkness that comes with such an experience.
I sense Tiero inching nearer, and my skin tingles. He puts an arm around my shoulder to pull me closer, and I shudder at the contact. Touching my cheek lightly, he turns my face towards him. His eyes find mine, and my nerves return with a vengeance.
The butterflies in my stomach awaken from slumber, but they don’t merely flutter leisurely from flower to flower but gather in swarms flapping up a storm.
Oh my god, he’s going to kiss me.
My mind goes into overdrive. Opposite Ella is well and truly forgotten.
