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“He wants you. I don’t understand what’s stopping you from exploring that. You obviously want to.”
“I just don’t see the point,” She huffed, “Even if he is interested, he’ll get bored and becomeuninterested. Quickly.”
“Listen to me,” I said plainly and pulled her over to the large couch I had sat on while she refused to come out of the dressing room. “I won’t lie and pretend to know anything about Matteo other than that Nico trusts him and that he seems like a very intense man.”
She chuckled, “That’s putting it lightly.”
“But I do know you.” I held her hand in mine, “And I think that you’re phenomenal. You’re beautiful and kind and selfless and so incredibly humble and I love that. It’s what drew me to you that very first morning that I met you. But do you want to know what else drew me in?”
“I don’t think so,” she joked with a small smile.
“Your strength. You stared my mother down. A woman I literally cowered away from my entire life. And you did it without a second thought. Then you helped me in my times of need, twice now. That’s stuff you can’t find in just anyone, and I think Matteo can see that. I think it’s probably what draws him to you as well. I think you deserve to give it a shot to at least see if there’s something there worth entertaining.”
She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I had her, I knew I did.
“Maybe.”
“Well until you decide, one way or another, we’re padding your wardrobe to be more comfortable in this heat regardless.” I shooed her back towards the dressing room with a smirk and she chuckled as she rose and headed back. “Excuse me!” I called out and seconds later two shopkeepers hurried into the room, eager to do my bidding. “We’re going to need one of every color of that dress and a dozen more different styles like it. And at least two dozen casual dresses as well.”
Molly rolled her eyes and pulled the curtain shut behind her, closing herself out of the conversation as the keepers nodded and turned to leave.
“And bikinis too!” I yelled out after them. “In every single color!”
“Ari!” Molly hissed and the keepers ran to grab the items as I sat back on the couch with a smirk.
I was going to use my new ‘power’ as my husband called it, to benefit those important to me.
Maybe then I’d feel comfortable doing it for myself.
“Goshitishot.”I placed the condensation-covered glass of water against my forehead and longed to pour it over my head to cool down, but refrained considering we were in the middle of a crowded upscale restaurant.
“Are you okay?” Molly asked, leaning over the table to look at me closer, “You’re awfully pale.”
“Am I?” I asked, “I would have assumed I was red from how boiling hot I am inside.”
“Maybe we should go back to the boat,” Molly said, signaling to our waiter for the check. “I think you need to go lay down and relax.”
“I think that’s the best thing you’ve said all day,” I agreed, already envisioning how good the cool sheets inside the master cabin would feel. We’d been out all day, giving Nico time to conduct business with associates in the city, but I was done.
“Let’s go,” Molly said, standing up and adjusting her new baby pink sundress. She looked magnificent in it with her pretty blonde hair pinned up in a neat twist.
But as I stood up to go with her, the pink of her dress darkened to a mauve color as the edges of my vision blackened and a lightheaded sensation overtook me. “Whoa,” I said, but it felt like my voice was in slow motion as I tilted to the side.
“Ari!” Molly cried, jumping forward as I toppled back into my chair, and catching me before I tipped it backward with me in it. “Oh, my God.” I couldn’t see her at all, and her voice felt far away even as I felt her cool hands grip the back of my neck and steady me. “Dio, get in here.”
I assumed she was on the phone but couldn’t tell. A cool cloth took the place of her hands, and someone tucked me forward to put my head down toward my knees as my vision started coming back.
“Mrs. Capasso,” Dio said from beside me, crouching down, “Look at me, what happened.” I turned and tried to focus on his face, but it was still blurry.
“I just got lightheaded I think.” I sat up a little straighter and caught nearly every pair of eyes in the crowded restaurant staring at me. “Get me out of here,” I whispered to Dio in absolute horror.
“Let’s go.” He stood up, tucking me in his arms and lifting me effortlessly against his chest, walking straight out the side patio door to the sweltering heat of the city. But I was glad about it because I was away from the crowd. “Open the door,” He barked to Saul who had the car idling at the curb and the next instant I was inside the back seat, shrouded in privacy thanks to the dark tinted windows.
“Air. I need to cool down,” I begged, reaching for the vent on the ceiling as Molly jumped in next to me.
They worked quickly, pointing every fan in the car my way and cranking the air conditioner full blast.
“What happened?” Saul asked and Molly answered after passing me an ice-cold bottle of water.
