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I had made arrangements with Germano to have Indigo picked up and brought to the hotel cafe at noon. They should be arriving in about fifteen minutes. Waiting at my usual spot at the cafe, I get distracted by a commotion on the opposite side of the terrace. Glancing up, I see Angelo flirting with various females as he slowly makes his way towards me. Immediately and to my regret, I realize my meeting with Indigo will not be as discrete as I had hoped.
His dark hair brushes over his shirt collar, a bit longer than usual and curling slightly. Wearing slim stone-washed jeans slung low on his hips, along with a fitted white shirt buttons undone halfway down exposing his tattooed chest, Angelo preens in his masculinity, as he casually saunters over to me. With his sunglasses on, he could easily pass as me, minus the tattoos. He finally gets to the table and squeezes my shoulders in an affectionate greeting. Pulling the chair from across me out, he plops down.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” I warn. “I’m expecting someone, and you are not included in the meeting.”
Giving me a smile, he raises his eyebrows and pops an olive in his mouth. He puts his hand through his hair. The action makes his hair even more unruly. He looks like he just finished a satisfying session in bed with one of his paramours. Basically, ignoring what I had just said, he asks, “Would you rather go wakeboarding or for a motorcycle ride with me later?”
Ah, Angelo’s playing nice today; he must still feel guilty for the whole Lia issue between us a couple of weeks ago. “Sure, you can pick the activity. I’ll be free around two p.m.”
All smiles, he stands up to leave, immediately spotting Germano arriving. “My man Germano!” says Angie loudly. “How’s it going?”
They greet each other, and then I hear Angelo notch up the charm as he spots Indigo. “Well, hello, beautiful. Love the color and the ear piercings,” he says, pointing to Indigo.
Before Angelo can say anything else, Germano speaks up, “Sir Angelo, I have a special something for you that the chef prepared. Would you please follow me?”
As Angelo starts to pass me and follow Germano, he can’t help but make one more jest at my expense. “Sonny, so unlike you to be robbing the cradle,” he says sarcastically. “First Krista and now this beautiful emo. I think she’s more my pace not yours.” And, with that said, he strolls away.
“Wow, he’s a huge asshole.” Maria says in disgust as she looks at Angelo’s retreating back.
I stand up and point to the chair across from me for her to sit. “Excuse my brother, he didn’t attend boarding school in Europe, so he’s not as polished and lacks sophisticated manners.” I say, giving her a dry smile.
“Wow, do the ladies really fall for that crap?” She says with snark.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, they do fall for it almost daily. One day, he’ll meet his match, and I look forward to seeing what happens.” I grin. “Whoever she is, I will buy that woman whatever she wants just to torture him for the rest of his life.”
“I’m betting his manhood falls off from a disease before that.” She states sarcastically. Taking a sip of her water, she asks, “So, why did you have me summoned here with a butler escort and all? Having second thoughts of our deal?” She’s fisting her glass and chewing the inside of her cheek with uncertainty. Edgy and nervous, she’s also not making eye contact, thinking she’s here because I’m having second thoughts.
I realize the girl who I marked as being preceptive with killer instincts is now filled with conflicting emotions. I smile reassuringly. “The chef prepared a special lunch for us, along with an arugula pizza. I think you will enjoy it.” I glance at her napkin, nodding for her to take it. “Thank you for the prompt and detailed analysis of the properties. Is there one you think would be of particular interest to me?” I ask.
She continues to play with her water glass and answers a bit defensively. “You never gave me a clear view of what the properties were to be used for.”
“My plans for the future have changed slightly. Part of the property would be used as my new architectural firm’s European headquarters. Another would be a boarding stable for horses. There are futures plans for investing in high-quality horses and perhaps begin a breeding program. Lastly, one part would be my private residence.”
She gives me a quick answer. “Girasole Estate. That’s the one I would go with for your needs.”
“Why?” I probe.
She releases her water glass and rubs her hands on the napkin. “You can divide the acres into sections very easily with a small pond in the middle. You seem to like water, and with the acreage this property has, it would give your personal residence space and privacy from the two businesses.” She gauges my reaction, then quickly adds, “Plus, it’s been on the market longer and reduced once already within the last sixty days. Looks like a distressed sale. The old owners planted acres of sunflowers each year. That is the first sight you see in the summer when pulling into the estate.”
The waiter brings our lunch. We eat quietly, not saying much to each other. Once finished with lunch, I let her know dessert will be arriving shortly. “Indigo, I have been doing a lot of thinking the last few weeks. As I said earlier, I find myself wanting to open up an architectural firm with offices both here and in Vegas. I would like to discuss offering you a job over the next few years. You have no reason to trust me and vice versa, but I believe we could both learn to do that. I would offer you a similar contract and pay as we have now with a few new caveats.”
“I don’t understand.” She says, surprise and shock registering on her face. “Why would you want to do something like that for me? I have no plans on being your sex slave or anything like that, if you are a pervert” Her chin sticks out defiantly. She looked ready to bolt.
Having to chuckle at this last emphatic statement, I quickly shake my head. “No, nothing like that I can assure you. Ask Krista if you are not sure. I already have someone I am seeing here. I also have an Uncle Carmine. Once a long time ago, he took a chance on two street kids. He struck gold as they are both good friends and still employed by my family.”
“I am not some charity case. I’ve been doing okay on my own,” she interrupts, her face flushed under all that make up.
“And I don’t dole out charity, Indigo. You haven’t heard my conditions yet or what I am willing to give in return. Believe me, you will be earning every penny using that brain of yours and cleaning up your act.” I don’t say anything more until I notice I have at last captured her attention, at least for the moment. “Please just listen quietly and do not make rash assumptions until I have finished explaining what my expectations are of you. You, little Indigo, would be required to check in with either myself or Krista, your pseudo guardian, over the summer if she accepts until your probation is completed. Come fall, I expect you to complete your education. My sister attends a boarding school in Switzerland, which I expect you to attend until you graduate.”
Her lips press in a tight line as I tell her this.
Continuing, I let her know she will have to get a hold of her previous school transcripts. “Have them sent to me, along with an essay about yourself. I’ll take it upon myself to send them along with your application to the school.”
Staring at me, she blurts out, “I’m not going to some stuck-up boarding school in Switzerland! And besides, I don’t any have transcripts.” She gives me an emphatic, ‘so-there’ look. She’s deliberately testing me to see if I’m the real deal. She has probably been given empty promises most of her life. I’m aware that part of her wants the deal to be the real thing, but at the same time she does not believe anyone would do this for her. She’s a clever, calculating little waif, exactly what I need.
Looking at her with an arched eyebrow, I patiently tell her, “Indigo, we both know that you would excel at boarding school if given the opportunity. Between your schoolwork and my research requirements, you won’t have time to either be bored or cause problems.”
Her lips are again pressed into a tight line. I continue explaining, gently yet firmly, that this needs to happen. “I also expect you to stay out of trouble as you will continue to be working for me during this time. As part of the contract I have written up, you will be given a vehicle to use, along with a credit card for the clothing you may need and the travel I may require of you. So be gracious with what is being presented to you. It would be a shameful waste given that you are smart as hell. You have to realize that if you don’t make changes in your life now, you will end up stuck in the same ugly system or in jail once you turn eighteen.” There, my final incentive to close the deal. “So, what’s it going to be?” I ask. “Me as your guardian with hopes of a brighter future, or staying stuck in an unforgiving, harsh system? Each year further diminishes your hopes of ever finding your brother.”
Her face registers shock at that last statement as she jumps up in a defiant stance. “What do you know about my brother?” She asks harshly.
“I only know that he has been missing and that you have been searching for him with limited funds. I can be of help in your search for him. This opportunity that I am offering you would give you the resources you need to help in your search.”
Looking intently at her, I let her know I’m going back to the States in August. I don’t want to give her too much time to think. Understandably, she is overwhelmed at the moment, but I hope she will agree now.
“Boarding school,” she answers reluctantly. “But only if you really are going to help me find my brother.”
I answer truthfully. “Maria, I will use all my resources to help you find your brother. You have my word.”
Seeming satisfied, she nods, wordlessly accepting all the conditions I gave her. She doesn’t yet know of some other changes I have in store for her. Time and trust will take care of those.
Smiling, I wave Germano over. He brings two pieces of tiramisu cake, one with a candle on it. “Happy birthday, Miss Maria,” he says as he lays a small box next to her cake. She looks from him to me, then at the cake with the burning candle.
“What is this? It’s not my birthday; I don’t even know the exact date I was born.” She whispers, her eyes blurring with mist.
“Blow your candle out, Maria, and make a wish. Going forward, June tenth is your birthday, and we will be calling you Maria, your given name, from now on.” I tell her gently.
After she blows out the candle, I ask her to open up the box. She opens it and looks uncertainly at the key inside. Before she can say anything else, I let her know that going forward she will have her own rooms in the hotel. She will take up residence in the same wing as Germano. No friends can visit, and curfew is midnight. It will be her sanctuary, and I expect her to take good care of the mini suite. “Now, eat your cake, and after that, I have one last surprise for you.”
When finished with dessert, I present her with a second key and gesture toward a bright blue vehicle parked in one of the spaces.
She is speechless for a few moments with shock, then she finally exclaims. “Shut up! Are you for real? That is mine?” Maria jumps up and down in excitement, looking at her new blue Fiat.
“Sit down please, you’re causing a commotion. Yes, it’s yours provided you pass your driving exam. Germano will set you up with driving lessons. He will also provide a garage space for it when the time comes for you to leave for boarding school.” I give her a keen look, placing emphasis on the last sentence. “I will be getting back to you if I need more information on the particular property you told me about. Until then, I’ll leave you and Germano to sort out your gifts. Your new life begins today. Happy new birthday, Maria, and welcome to my team!”
Suddenly she breaks down with big, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. “Thank you, Bossman. I promise not to let you down.”
I don’t know what to say to her emotions. “Don’t get too used to my gratitude, Maria. I have set some very high expectations of you and don’t expect to be disappointed.” She brushes her cheeks then proceeds to give me one of her usual salutes.
A short time later, I arrive at the boathouse and am greeted by Angelo who’s wearing swim trunks. Guess he picked our activity. “Hey, how did your meeting go with blue hair emo? She’s pretty under that blue disguise. How old is she? She has hardly any boobs. Where did you meet her?” Angelo asks full of curiosity.
“As expected,” I answer his first question, ignoring all the rest. “I’m going upstairs to change. I’ll be down in a few minutes, then we can head out.” I am not ready to share my future plans with him just yet.
“Epic videos!” Sam says later that evening as Angelo shows our wakeboarding afternoon to him. We are sipping beers on the terrace, enjoying stories of our tricks and mishaps.
Mateo joins us taking the seat next to me on the chaise lounge. “Heard the little she-devil is taking up in my old crib. That was very generous of you.”
“I granted her a free get-out-of-jail pass. I have a good hunch about her, but it’s up to her now.” I answer Mateo looking at him as I sip my beer. He nods and looks over to Angelo and Sam. “Did you tell him about the Garza plan?”
I shake my head. “Not the whole plan, but yeah, they’re more or less caught up. Angelo’s going to set a meet up at Axel’s this weekend.” Axel is on board with hosting the meeting.
Mateo, though, doesn’t look convinced. He gives me a worried frown. “All right, we wait for confirmation from Garza Jr. In the meantime, I am going to double check everything. I mean it, Sonny. I may be going along with you, but I’m one hundred percent uneasy about the whole thing. Lots of shit can go wrong.”
“I’m confident that it will work out, and you should be too. You know better than anyone I don’t plan anything unless I’ve considered everything.” I tip my bottle towards him in salute.
“Asshole,” he says as he clicks my bottle.
In my room that night, I put the finishing touches to the main lobby level design of the Vegas property. The lobby will be the fifth floor of the hotel, with four floors below ground and fifteen more above the lobby. This twenty-floor structure will be my prized showcase that will dictate all future projects.
My phone chimes that I received a message. Opening my phone, I realize I had become so engrossed with my designs that I hadn’t heard any message alerts and had missed a few texts.
The first one was from Claudette. I got the internship at the MET, starting end of July. SOOOOO excited! Yay me!
I smile, knowing this is her dream job and hoping it will end up in a full-time position for her. I respond back, Well done Claudette. Knew you would get it as there can’t be anyone more qualified than you. I add to the text, Still coming to the surprise birthday? :)
Seconds later, she responds, are you kidding? Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.
Scrolling down, I see text from my mother. Hi Sweetie, I had Dr. Doyle send your friend available opening dates. Love, Mom
I chuckle at the fact that she signs it ‘Mom’, as if we don’t know it’s her. Thank you and I love you, your son.
I hear a knock on the door. “Come in.”
Angelo enters and flops himself comfortably on my bed. “We are all set for Friday at 23:30 at Drago. Axel is closing the XXX club off to the public, so it’ll be strictly reserved for us. Sam will be overlooking the security. Once they enter the room, all cell phones will have their signals jammed to cut off outside communication.” He’s lying on his back staring up at the ceiling. “Why do I feel you are withholding information from me?”
I turn around and look back at my computer. I don’t want to lie to him; however, I have no doubt in my mind if I tell him everything, he will definitely cancel the plan. “Len made a crap deal, and I’m just doing them the favor of clearing them from the debt. Plus, I like their whiskey and aim on investing in their company and bringing it to all our venues in the States.” I hope I’ve said just enough that he buys into it and lets the conversation go.
“These guys are low barrel eaters, but they make a big commotion wherever they go. They’re pains in the asses.” Angelo says.
I turn my chair back around facing him. “And that, my brother, is why I’m entrusting you with leading the operations of the meeting.”
The next day after my morning ritual swim, I headed to the garage to make some adjustments to the Ducati. Satisfied with everything, I head back to the boathouse to see what Angelo is up to.
My cell pings, and I see it’s a text from Lia. Up for a raincheck tonight?
I respond, I'll have to take a raincheck on the raincheck. Not that I don’t want to spend all night with you. Tomorrow?
I look and see she’s typing a response. ;( Can't. Packing then heading to Milan to catch flight to NYC. Thx again for arranging things for Len. See you when we return.
Shit if I didn’t have to get her out of their mess, I would be wrapped up in her tonight. Frowning to myself, I send her, :( Safe travels.
“Why the frown, buttercup?” Angelo snaps me out of my thoughts.
“Nothing that concerns you.” Not wanting to discuss Lia with him, I change the topic “Been tweaking the Ducati; it’s purring like a kitten. Starts on the first kick each time. I took her on the Silberstrasse, hitting the apex spot on each corner. I’m going to take her tonight to the club.”
“Nice weather. Perfect for a ride,” he comments. “I’m having Sam pick me up early to make sure everything is set up before Garza arrives.”
I nod, silently thanking him for his part in the meeting.