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“You look good,” Alessandro says as I pick a speck of dust off the shoulder of my suit. “For a walking corpse.”
“You’ll be a corpse if you don’t stop with the wisecracks.”
He nods my way. “You’re really doing this?”
“You booked the tickets for me. You know I’m doing this.”
“I just wanted to see how in love with her you are.”
I’m halfway to the door, but I stop dead, turning to face him. “What did you say?”
“Look, there’s no shame in admitting you’re falling for her.”
“I am not falling for her.”
He shrugs. “Whatever you say?”
“What’s that look for?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on, you got something to say, say it.”
“I’ve worked for your father for thirty years and you for twenty.”
“So?”
“You’re a Donatello. You only do things when they are expedient to your goals.”
“What’s your point?”
“You like her.”
“She’s a Piper.”
“Beside the point. I can tell you like her.”
“What is this, high school?”
“I’m just saying that you’re taking her to the exhibition. You’re taking her for a meal. You’re going to propose properly. You like her.”
“You told me to be nice to her. You said it would make it all the sweeter when I send her back to her father. This is your plan I’m following, that’s all.”
He frowns at me. “You’re still thinking of sending her back?”
“Of course I am. Why would you think otherwise?”
He shrugs again. “You know best, Marco. You better get moving or you’ll miss your reservations.”
I walk out of the room, ignoring the slight pain that remains in my side. The painkillers should give me a few hours of relief. Enough time to get to the mainland and to the exhibition.
I walk downstairs and she’s sitting in the lounge, wearing a crisp white dress like she’s walked off a cloud. “You’re up,” she says, sounding surprised as she folds her sketchbook closed. “I can’t believe you’re up.”
“Let’s go,” I tell her, turning and heading out to the chopper. The blades are already spinning ready for takeoff. We duck under them, the roaring noise making it impossible to hear anything until we’re strapped in with headsets in place.
“You ready?” I ask her through the attached microphone.
“As I’ll ever be.” She takes a deep breath as we rise into the air. Her hand slips into mine. I look down at it, tiny inside my massive fist. She’s so delicate and so strong at once.
