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“Livvy. It’s short for Olivia.”
“Ah, how sweet. Does anyone else have a nickname?”
“Antonio is Tony, and I don’t remember the last time anyone called Leo or Gio by their full names. My family calls me Sandro sometimes.”
Emilia screws her nose up as she considers that and then shakes her head. “No, I don’t like it. Alessandro suits you better, more noble.”
“Noble?” I have to suppress a laugh. “I’ve never been accused of that before.”
“You have a certain bearing. When I saw you at first…” Emilia shakes her head. “Never mind. Let’s see what’s in this one.”
Though I’m dying to know what she thought when she first saw me, I don’t push her to tell me. If the redness in her cheeks is any indication, she’s embarrassed by what was probably some naïve perception.
She turns her attention to the larger of the two parcels my sister sent to her. She unwraps the ribbon and peels the gold floral paper off with exaggerated care. Inside the wrapping is a white box with a store logo on the lid that I don’t recognize. No doubt, it’s one of the exclusive boutiques Livvy shops at. Emilia opens the box and squeals with delight.
“Perfect!” she exclaims as she removes a pair of blue slim-leg jeans and a white shirt from the box.
“You like them?” Personally, I’m surprised Livvy would pick such a plain outfit. I guess she went with something neutral because she doesn’t know Emilia’s style yet.
“Yes. It’s such a thoughtful gift. She probably realized I have nothing to wear.”
I frown at that.Fuck!Emilia didn’t bring any luggage from Italy. There wasn’t time for her to go home and pack like I’d planned. I haven’t provided a new wardrobe for her either. I guess we’re going shopping for clothes.
“We’ll put it right,” I assure her. “Whatever clothes you need, they’re yours.”
“More jeans?” Emilia asks.
They’re not my favorite garment for a woman, but I’m not the sort of asshole who dictates what his wife can wear.
“Sure, if that’s what you want.”
“Yes, please. I’ve never had jeans before.”
“You haven’t?”
“No. I never had pants of any kind.”
Fucking hell! Ernesto might as well have stuck his granddaughter in a convent for all the freedom she had.
“Well, now you can have whatever you want.”
Emilia smiles and turns her attention to the smaller of the packages. She takes the same care unwrapping this one as she did the first. Inside, she finds a box with a bottle of perfume in it. She opens it, removes the gold lid, and sprays some of the scent into the air. The tentative way she sniffs it makes me grin.
“Oh, that’s nice, delicate.”
My sister is a couple of years younger than Emilia but has been shopping like a pro since she was a kid. I guess she knows the right sort of thing to buy.
“Livvy’s intimately acquainted with all the best stores. I’m sure she’d love to take you shopping sometime.”
Emilia’s face lights up. “I’d love that. I’ve never been on a girl’s day out.”
Somehow, I knew she’d say that before the words left her mouth. I shake my head. I can’t believe the narrow life she’s led. She said the woman from the spa came to her and that she’s never traveled. The women in my family operate under certain restrictions to ensure their safety, but at least they’ve been on vacations and can have girl’s days whenever they feel like it.
Emilia picks up the white envelope from Livvy and tears it open. It’s not a card, like I thought, but a cardboard wallet with a slip of paper inside.
“It’s a gift certificate.” Emilia waves it at me. “For the Serenity Spa.”
“It’s in town. I can take you there while we’re out here.”
