Right Girl for the Job

Chapter 45

"You're home?" Viviana asked, looking at her watch as she came down the stairs.

Matteo looked up and caught a sight of her on the landing, she was clipping a pair of earrings on and she looked amazing.

"Is that a bad thing?" He asked, grinning and thinking just how beautiful his wife was and how lucky he was.

"No- just surprising." She said simply, walking towards him leisurely. A few months ago, Viviana would have jumped into his arms the moment he came through the door but now... now she wasn't sure how to act around him. It was like instead of it bringing them closer together, the cancer had managed to create a huge gap- like some river she couldn't swim across.

"I'm just here to change." He said, moving towards the stairs and standing for a second in front of Viviana. He raised his eyebrow.

"Are you going out?" He asked. Viviana smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I'm having lunch with Debbie." She said simply.

"That's nice." He said calmly. Viviana narrowed her eyes.

"Your lack of surprise tells me that you somehow knew Debbie would be in town." Viviana said. Matteo smiled.

"Something like that." He said, walking towards the stairs.

"So I take it you spoke to Sergio? Please tell me he's not getting dragged into anything... Debbie would never forgive us." Viviana said, reaching out to his arm to catch up to him. Matteo turned to look at Viviana who suddenly pulled her hand away.

"No- he's not. I spoke to him because I needed information but nothing else." Matteo said.

"So you saw him?" Viviana asked.

"Yesterday evening." Matteo replied simply. Viviana nodded.

"Well, the three of us are having lunch- won't you come?" Viviana asked.

"If I had known sooner- I would but I'm afraid it invitation is a bit last minute and I have a meeting." Matteo said. Viviana frowned.

"I might have told you sooner if you weren't on the phone all the time- besides, you just said you knew he was here." Viviana said.

Matteo sighed.

"I'm sorry-I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I'm not reproaching you- I'm just stressed." he said. Viviana frowned. She knew he was stressed but for some reason he wasn't looking to her for comfort.

"Matteo- what's going on?" Viviana asked.

"You and I both know the answer to that." He said, turning to walk up the stairs.

"I know you can't tell me about work, I didn't mean that." She said in a frustrated tone and turning to storm away. Matteo raised his eyebrow and turn to follow after her.

"Okay, so what do you mean?" He asked. Viviana turned to look at him.

"I mean why are you being so distant?" She asked. Matteo was quiet.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said.

"Oh come on, that's bull shit." She answered immediately. "You can't tell me you don't know or that nothing's going on. You jerk. Don't insult my intelligence."

Matteo watched her walking away in the direction of the kitchen and he followed.

"Viviana- explain to me, please." He said as she approached the freezer.

"Explain- no one will explain to me and I'm expected to explain." She said, pulling out a few different pints of ice cream.

"I thought you were going to lunch?"He asked and she frowned at him.