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“No,” I say. “I’m just stating a fact. I’m busy too.”
“You don’t seem very busy,” he notes, his eyes shifting around my office.
One crackerjack
Two crackerjack
Three fucking crackerjacks
Steeling my back, I keep my head held high. I will not let my brothers continue to boss me around like I’m some idiot who doesn’t know what they’re doing. Marco may have given me this huge contract, and I admit, most days, it feels like I’m drowning, but I never let him see that.
To fail would be like admitting I took too much on, and the last thing I want is Marco’s sympathy on top of everything else. As much as I hate to say it, I need this account and I need to prove myself to them.
His hawk eye is bad enough.
“Well, I am. Just because you have twenty-five assistants and don’t know what to do with yourself, doesn’t mean you can throw your weight around in my office.”
His lips twitch. “Is that any way to speak to your landlord?”
I smile sweetly. “I don’t recall it being stated in the contract that it was compulsory to be nice.”
He has both hands in his pockets, his freshly cut suit screaming money. Out of all my brothers, Marco is the most immaculately kept. “More to the point; I don’t have twenty-five assistants, and I run more than one business and have over one hundred employees. How is Bianca, by the way?”
“I have subcontractors, which you very well know.” I sigh loudly. “Did you come here to just annoy me and try and throw my schedule, Marco, or is there some other reason you’re taking up my valuable time?”
He removes his hands from his pockets and leans over on the back of the chair.
“Guilty. I came to check on you, make sure you’re okay.”
I frown like this is news to me. “Why wouldn’t I be?” I’m suspicious by nature when it comes to any of my brothers checking on me, because that’s usually code for one of them interfering or meddling with my life. Especially when one of them just came in here throwing his weight around, trying to make me feel bad.
He shrugs. “Ma’s worried about you working too much.”
“Yet here you are telling me I don’t look very busy.” I roll my eyes.
“You know I was only joking. I do need to move our meeting to today, though.”
“Well, that’s too bad.”
“What happened to that ray of sunshine that used to greet me happily, not so long ago?”
I give him a wider grin. “She decided to work for herself.”
“Touché.”
My phone buzzes and I hear Bianca’s voice on the intercom. “Your eleven o’clock is in the waiting room, Valentina,” she purrs down the line, then, “Is there anything I can get for Mr. Medici?”
Marco smirks, rubbing his chin, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. “No, he was just leaving.” I give him a stern look. “Weren’t you?”
“Very well, but block out the rest of the afternoon tomorrow. We have a lot to get through.”
“Fine,” I say, shooing him away. “And you can report back to Ma and Angelo and whoever else that I’m peachy, but thank you for your concern.”
“I just don’t want you to get overwhelmed. This is a big project.”
“I’ve got it under control.” I round the desk and put my hands on my hips. “Why does it always feel like you’re waiting for me to fuck up?”
He frowns at my language. “That’s not it at all.”
