Shut Up and Talk

Chapter 24

Paul arrived in Rome and I offered to pick him up from the airport. My motivation was simple; I wanted to know what he knew, but as he laboured into my recently purchased car, he didn't say a word, at least not about my momentary lapse with Ian. And it was a lapse I was determined to forget about.

"What did I miss?" he asked.

"Your brother finally remembered my birthday. He came by the other day with a present."

"And only a month late. That's impressive. Takes him six months to remember mine."

"He got me these lovely earrings," I said, tucking my hair behind my right ear. I searched his face for a reaction, but other than a brow lift, he gave nothing else away. I was sure he didn't know a thing.

"Let me see if I heard you right. Ian O'Neill got you those earrings? Call the police! Someone's impersonating my brother."

"I couldn't believe it either."

"Maybe I should get myself a place in Rome. Then I wouldn't miss such momentous occasions."

If only he'd known!

Ian was on the phone with Heidi when we got to his place. Did I feel uncomfortable? A little, but Ian seemed like himself. I listened passively until I realized he was breaking up with her. My chest tightened. What was he doing? She must have been pleading with him to take her back. He left the room to finish up the call and when he returned he was having his telephone number changed.

"The other Musketeers," Ian said, hanging up the phone. He smiled at me, but other than that, our attempted romp from two days ago appeared all but forgotten. How did he do that? How was he able to just forget about it like it had never happened when it's all I could think about?

"Sorry to hear about Heidi," Paul said, patting Ian on the back. "What happened this time? Too much sex? Not enough sex? Not quality sex? Too thin? Too fat? Too tall?"

"Are you finished yet?"

"Met another model with bigger diddies?"

Ian shook his head. "Can you believe him?"

I shrugged, unable to get my body to do anything else.

"I'm serious. What did happen? I thought you were smitten with this one."

"Nothing, nothing," he said with a wave of his hand.

"You don't get off that easy," Paul said.

"It's kinda funny. The header gave me an ultimatum. It was her or Leda."

My jaw dropped. "Me or her?" Stupid, skinny, conniving blonde bitch. Did she know? Did he tell her?

"Honestly, why would I pick her? She doesn't make me money, quite the opposite, actually."

"What did you say to her?" I asked, coughing out the question.

"I told her to get a law degree, learn to negotiate contracts and then call me. By then she'll be too old. Can we get on to business?"

I was in a bit of a fog. Could I read into this? Should I have read into this? I needed time to think, to clear my head, but for now I had to stay focused.

"All right," Paul said with a shrug. "Nizzola wants you to show off your radiant smile for their executives tomorrow night."

In their advertisements they used Ian's good looks and The Little Troll in the car.

"Tuxedo required?"

"No, but a suit is. A tie is optional. Don't know what you'll do for a date. Ian O'Neill can't possibly go alone."

"I'll figure something out."

"Next order of business. I was telling Leda that I think it's imperative I move to Rome."

"For the beautiful women?" Ian asked.

"I want to see your ugly mug every day."

"Funny," Ian said sardonically.

"There's a place in my building," I piped up. I noticed Ian's body become rigid. Why that reaction?

"Really? I should nip over and take a look."

"I'll speak with my landlord today."

"Why would you want to live in Leda's building? It's dreadful."

We both looked at Ian. "Dreadful? You said you liked my place."

"The lifts are small."

"They aren't small."

"Very thin walls."

I was flabbergasted. Since when did I live in Rome's equivalent to the Projects? "Don't listen to the penthouse playboy. My building is very nice."

Did Ian not want Paul around? Did he think he was competition? Or that he'd be our chaperone?

"Set something up," Paul said.

"Well, that's settled now, innit," Ian said with an edge to his voice. He didn't like it and I wasn't sure why.

#

Two weeks later I helped Paul move in. His new home was on the sixth floor, one floor below my place. We didn't bother to ask Ian to help. He'd gone to some Italian island I'd never heard of with friends I'd never met. I was unsettled about his trip and for the first time ever, wondered who else would be there and what he'd be up to.

Paul liked his new home and that evening we celebrated with one bottle of wine and half a bottle of whisky. I barely remembered anything we talked about, but I did recall telling him about my failed relationship with Ben and my attraction to Jamie. Did I tell him about Ian? I had no idea. Geez, I was an idiot when I had too many.

In the morning there was a loud knock on my door. My head throbbed and I fully expected it to be Paul but was surprised to find Ian.

"Come in," I said, massaging my temples. "I thought you were off somewhere having oodles of fun." I found some aspirin and took two.

"I was bored. I thought I'd take you for breakfast."

Breakfast? I kept trying to look at him, but he had his back to me, going through some of my magazines. What was going on now?

Another knock at my door. Suddenly I was popular. Paul let himself in and stopped dead when he saw Ian. "Hey wanker," Paul said lightly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Paul moved in yesterday," I said absently.

Paul and Ian exchanged looks and Ian's expression soured. "I thought we nixed this."

"I wasn't going to move in with you, Ian. We'd kill each other."

A long awkward silence followed. Clearly things were going on behind the scenes without me and Ian wasn't happy with the present situation. "How about that breakfast?" I asked lightly.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Ian said, pushing past his brother and out the door. "I'll see you later, Leda."

I looked at Paul. "What was that all about?"

"Ian didn't want me moving into your building."

"Why not?"

"Not sure."

I got the idea he did know and wasn't telling.