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27
Carm
Ten o’clock in the morning, I step out of my car in front of The Cobbler restaurant. After straightening my tie, I open the door and smile at the same hostess who eye-fucked me a couple months ago, before I started sleeping with Bella. Back when she was only someone to get out of my system and not someone I can’t get my fill of, both in and out of the bedroom.
We’ve done carriage rides through Central Park. We’ve gone to the zoo. Now that Evie and Mae seem to hang out with the Brits every weekend and Dom’s gone more than there, we’ve practically been double dating with Annie and Enzo every damn weekend. I’ve somehow become domesticated without signing up for it. Oddly enough, it doesn’t bother me like I thought it would.
My phone rings, and when I pull it from my pocket, I see that it’s Bella, so I hold my finger up to the hostess and accept the call, tucking myself into a corner.
“Want to know what I’m wearing?” I play with her.
“I saw you get dressed after your shower this morning,” she says.
I bite my bottom lip, remembering how I took her against the tiled shower wall. What a great way to start the day. “I’ll be back at the office in about an hour. Meet me in my office and—”
“No, listen, I have an idea about that property we were discussing the other night. The garden condo you’re struggling to sell?” There’s excitement in her tone.
Another thing I love about Bella is that she loves real estate as much as I do. Which doesn’t explain why she went FSBO, and she’s still close-lipped about it. I’m wondering if she’ll ever trust me enough to open up.
“Great. I’ll stop by on my way in.”
“Perfect. Where are you anyway? Did you sell another Bond Street unit? Because I’m only two behind now. I’m on your heels, Mr. Mancini, are you shaking?”
She’s teasing, but instead of the warmth that usually spreads through me, I feel dread. If she knew who I was meeting with right now, she’d be upset.
“Just meeting with a client. Wants the best deal in New York.” The lie slides off my tongue too easily, but until I find out why he called me, I don’t want her to worry.
“Hurry back. I kind of miss—” She stops abruptly.
I’ve noticed her doing that more over the last couple weeks since we had the bonfire. She and Evie are still hardly talking. Whatever went down while we were grabbing wood has lingered way too long. Bella’s holding herself back from saying anything people do in normal relationships. Maybe it’s about time we classify this thing.
“I will and… I miss you too.”
“You do?” I hear her smile over the phone, and I can’t help but smile knowing that those three honest words unglued her a little.
“Yeah. Always when I’m not with you.” The hostess taps me on the shoulder and points toward Greg Throttle, who’s seated at a table. “Listen, I gotta go, but I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.”
I thank the hostess and walk toward Greg, knowing things are about to change. There’s only one reason he’d be calling this meeting, and it’s going to mean once again that Bella Scott will end up on the wrong side of this deal.
“Carm.” He stands and puts out his hand.
I shake his hand. “Mr. Throttle.”
“Thank you for coming, and it’s Greg.”
Yep, my suspicions were right.
“Sit.” He ushers me to sit in the chair across from him.
A waitress comes over and pours me a cup of coffee. I thank her.
“Breakfast?” Greg asks, adding sugar to his coffee.
“No, I’m good. Coffee is perfect.”
