Over the next few months Amanté & Co.'s stock, revenue, and business deals expanded since my employment. After the China deal, the Amanté brothers capitalized on my skills and dragged me all over the world, not that I was complaining. We visited Russia, Japan, Brazil, and many other beautiful landscapes.
I, of course missed home, but I don't think that I would have ever gotten to experience any of these places while working for Mr. Banks. I hadn't seen my apartment in about three months, but I was making enough money to keep paying the rent and utilities. I was living the dream and my relationship with the two men had definitely improved. They trust me now more than ever and although Giovanni and I still argue, we've developed a mutual respect for one another.
We finished business in Peru and were on our way to South Korea when Giovanni said we needed to make a detour to Italy.
"Why?" I had asked
"We haven't been in awhile." Giovanni shrugged
I was more than confused. The route we were taking meant that Italy was completely out of the way, which meant that we would be behind in our schedule.
"It's the home of our ancestors, we have to pay our respects." Giorgio explained
"I mean I understand, but why can't we just go on the way back?" I asked
"We've already talked to Shinhan, they know that we will be arriving later. Don't worry." Giorgio said
"Whatever you say." I said unconvinced
It was definitely odd, but I wasn't going to push it. I always wanted to visit Italy, but it just didn't make any sense. We could visit Italy and conduct business in neighboring countries all at once to make better profits.
I tried to inspect Giovanni and Giorgio's expressions to pick up on anything, but of course their emotionless faces gave nothing away. I decided to let it be and napped for the rest of the way to Italy.
As we landed in Florence, Italy, I could see the beautiful city with its old architecture and busy streets. I was very excited, especially because I had two personal translators with me. If we were here to visit the city for exploration reasons, which was what they told to me, then I would have to see monuments and do some Italian shopping.
"So where are going first, travel guides?" I asked with a huge smile
"We are going to to handle business." Giovanni answered
"Awww, business? I thought you guys said we were here to visit?" I pouted
"No, we as in Gio and I will be handling business. You can tour the city." Giorgio spoke
"What? We always do business together." I said confused
"We don't need your skill set for today. Consider it a day off. We already have a translator who will take you where you want to go." Giovanni said
I stared at them both with a shocked expression. I thought that the three of us would spend the day in their country together. I was used to us being around each other all the time. We had gotten so comfortable with each other, I thought I was one of them. But I did not voice my disappointment.
"Sounds cool, I guess." I nodded
"Great. This is your car," Giorgio said while pointing to an all white Audi A8, "and this is your translator, Abelia."
Abelia was a thin woman with olive toned skin. She had beautiful brown eyes with nice cheekbones. She was staring at me with a contagious smile and a clipboard. She walked up to me and shook my hand.
"Ciao, welcome to Italy." she said
"Ciao." I said back with a smile
"If an emergency occurs, call either of us, but any other information can be requested from Abelia." Georgio said
"Okay." I nodded
Abelia and I headed to the car while the boys headed to the black BMW waiting for them.
Once we got into the car, Abelia started to go over her clipboard.
"Are there any places you had in mind to visit first?" she asked me
"Um, no. I don't know anything about Florence." I responded
"Okay, great. I have a list here of some of our most beautiful landmarks. I also have great places to grab a bite to eat and do some shopping. How does that sound to you?" she said all at once
"Um, sounds great. I can't wait."
Abelia instructed the driver to take us all over Florence. I was, of course staring out of the window in awe at the beautiful city. We visited the Florence Cathedral, the Galleria dell' Academia where I got to see the statute of David. We shopped for some jewelry at the Ponte Vecchio before stopping at a cute cafe to eat authentic Italian cuisine. We went wine tasting and then we shopped at The Loggia del Mercato Nuovo. It was a day of exploration that I could have only dreamed of. By the time we were done, it was time for dinner and the boys said that they would meet us at a restaurant called Enoteca Pinchiorri.
Abelia informed me that this was a fancy restaurant and one of the top rated in the city. I told her that I wanted to change into something more appropriate and she led me to a dress shop. I bought an expensive light pink, off the shoulder gown with a slit that came up to my thigh. The saleswoman recommended nude ankle-strapped heels to compliment the dress and I accepted her suggestion.
I bought gold earrings and a necklace from Ponte Vecchio earlier and accessorized with that. I still needed my hair and make-up done, so Abelia had the driver take us to a beauty salon. By the time the stylists had finished my hair and make-up, we were already thirty minutes late.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Abelia spoke to the hostess in Italian, who then lead us to our awaiting party. The restaurant had a beautiful chandelier hanging in the middle of the room and I could not help but become distracted by its sparkle. Each table had its own designated area with dividers to give each party their privacy.
When the Amantés came into my view, I could see Giovanni's annoyed face, probably as a result of my tardiness. I saw Giorgio with a bored expression and three other men with full wine glasses in front of them. Had I known we would have guests, I would have not been as late.
Giovanni's annoyed face turned in to astonishment when I was in his sight and Giorgio perked up, adding a smile to his face when he saw his brother's reaction. Giovanni was sitting next to Giorgio while the three guests were seated side by side next to Giorgio.
"Sorry I'm late, my preparation took longer than I thought." I smiled sheepishly
Abelia translated the phrase over in Italian for three strangers at the table. It was hard to not notice them checking me out and the lustful smiles placed on their lips. I took the only empty seat in between Giovanni and one of the three men. The waiter came over and took Abelia and I's orders for drinks. I asked her to order one of the wines we had tasted earlier and she nodded.
Giorgio spoke to the three men in Italian and pointed towards me. I heard my name, as well as three unfamiliar names. I assumed he was introducing us so I responded with the only word that I knew in Italian.
"Ciao."
"You could have called." Giovanni said quietly
"There was no emergency. I relied on Abelia for my requests as instructed to me." I replied cheekily
"Its common courtesy." he said while rolling his eyes
"Excuse me, Drew. Mr. Russo has asked you how do you like the city?" Abelia said
I did not know which one Mr. Russo was so when answered I was sure to make eye contact with all three of them.
"I love it here, it is very beautiful." I responded
Abelia translated that for the men and they seemed pleased. It was not long before the man that I was sitting next to asked me a question. I had heard the name David so I assumed that he was speaking about Michelangelo's famous piece of art.
"He wants to know were you able to see David at the gallery." Abelia translated for me
"Yes, it was really nice." I nodded
The conversation was turning boring very fast with my short answers but it was hard to focus when I had to wait for an English translation. The man closest to Giorgio asked a question next, I was hoping it was something I could respond to in more than a few words.
"He wants to know all the places you visited today and your favorite sight." Abelia told me
I explained every place we went to in detail, making sure to pause so that Abelia could translate everything before moving on. I had a huge smile just thinking about the landmarks that I visited today. I said that my favorite was the dress store because I had found such beautiful attire. The man who asked the question said something in return and everyone laughed but me of course. He then said something else, in which Abelia translated to me.
"He said you picked a lovely dress."
"Gracias." I said in return
Everyone at the table lost their mind with giggles, including Abelia. I looked over to Giovanni confused.
"What did I say?" I asked
"You said gracias. It's 'gracci'." He said between laughs (Grazie)
I smiled, not because everyone was laughing at my mistake, but at Giovanni's amusement. I had seen him laugh before but only if he had some alcohol in his system. So to see him in the middle of a genuine, sober laugh, it made me break into a huge grin.
The rest of dinner was full of Italian and slow English, but I had managed to catch a few cognate words. It was harder to understand when the men were using Italian phrases and it was especially hard to understand the gentleman next to me who tried to have a private, English conversation with me. He was the youngest of the three men, but still seemed a little too old for my liking. After piecing some words together, I concluded that the man was trying to flirt with me. All I could do was smile, shake my head, and drink the delicious wine in front of me.
I was enjoying the constant conversation, although I could not understand it when I caught Giovanni staring at me. Instead of turning away, he allowed our eyes to be captured within each other. It was not like the stare downs we would normally have when we disagreed about business; it was warm and soft. I quickly tore my eyes away, confused on what was happening. The look in his eyes traveled through my mind the whole night, distracting me from the once in a lifetime opportunity to dine in an Italian environment.
"Did you enjoy yourself today?" Giovanni asked me as we exited the restaurant
It was a beautiful scenery with the stars as bright as they could be, illuminating the streets of Florence.
"Yea, it was really nice." I smiled
The chauffeur drove to the front of the restaurant in the Audi I was riding in for the day. I was about to get into the back when Giovanni stopped me.
"Why don't you ride up front?" he suggested
I was confused by his statement and even more confused when the driver was getting out of the front seat and allowing Giovanni to drive. The chauffeur ran over to the passenger side to open the door for me to get in.
"But what about-"
"He's taking the BMW with Abelia." Giovanni cut me off
"Get in." he demanded with a smile
Without another second, I hopped in the front seat and the chauffeur closed the door after making sure I was safely in. Giovanni took off full speed, swiftly shifting gears in the process.
"Are we going back to the airport?" I asked Giovanni
"Eventually." he replied
"Where are we going now?" I asked
"Just enjoy the ride." he said while looking at me with a smile
I did as I was told as we turned sharp corners going through neighborhoods that were far from recognition. After fifteen minutes of speeding through the city, we had finally stopped on a path that led to a set of wide steps. He parked the car and opened the door, so I did the same.
He held his hand out for me to grab and I held a part of my dress so it wouldn't drag while I took his hand. He led me up the huge steps until we were at the top where he let go of my hand. I turned around and I was surrounded by the city and all its glory. Along with the stars, the city lights just played so well with the view. You could see houses, shops, restaurants from all the way up here.
"What is this place?" I asked in astonishment
"Piazzale Michelangelo." the name rolled smoothly off of his tongue
I had heard Italian all day and night but when he spoke in his native language, it was undesirably sexy. I couldn't help but stare at his lips as he spoke. I had to clear my throat to erase the inappropriate images in my head.
"Is it a private place or something?" I asked
There was no one else here, just us two. I assumed it was a place for people with money and power, something that Giovanni possessed.
"Of course not. It's one of the most public places in Florence. We just came at a good time." he explained while looking at me
"Oh okay." I nodded
A comfortable silence fell between us. This was normal for the both of us. We never really had much to say to each other unless it was a mouth full of insults. Giorgio was the one I was closer with. He was always so sweet and I enjoyed our deep conversations. He was interested in my background and how I got this far. Giovanni never seemed interested in anything I had to say, let alone my personal life. I was a little sweet on Giorgio, but I knew he was my boss so I would never overstep the boundaries we had in place. Giovanni just made my blood boil with his smart mouth. He was worse than Langston, and trust me, no one is worse than my annoying older brother.
"You look really beautiful tonight." he said unexpectedly
"Thank you?" I answered shocked
"Was that a question?" he smiled
"No. I just don't-, I'm not sure why you bought me here." I replied honestly
"When you listed off the places you visited today, you didn't mention this one. I just thought that you should experience the view of the city." he explained
"Well thank you." I said with a smile
"No problem." he said turning his head back to the city
After a few more moments of silence, I had an urge to try to speak to him. Maybe attempt a friendly conversation that lasted more than a few seconds.
"Did your family live here?" I asked
"No." He shook his head. "My brother and I were born in Pistoia, its about forty minutes away. We left Italy when I was two and Giorgio was three."
"Why did you guys move?" I asked
"The American Dream was calling my father's name. My mother and him used to travel back and forth from Pistoia to Florence for work. He worked all kinds of menial jobs, while my mother worked as a florist in a garden. She became pregnant with my sister so my father gathered all the money they had to move us to America."
"Did he get what he wanted?" I asked
"He opened a restaurant in Jersey ten years after we moved there. A few years later he couldn't pay the bills so the bank took it."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. It's just apart of life." he shrugged
"Well in the end, it didn't turn out too bad. He's got two successful sons." I offered
"I guess not." he chuckled
"Why are you being nice to me?" I asked after a moment of silence
He looked me in my eyes, his face back to its usual serious structure.
"I'm always nice to you." he said
"Since when?" I asked shocked
"Everyday since China." he stated
"Giorgio is nice to me. You are rude." I retorted
He scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"I don't have to be nice to you, you know? I am your boss." he argued
"Well it does not cost anything to be nice." I said back
He looked down at his watch with a scowl.
"Merda...let's go." he said grabbing my hand helping me down the stairs (Shit)
"Did I ruin the moment? I take it back, you're the nicest person I ever met." I rushed out
He opened the passenger door for me and I got in. I stared up at him with a small pout, hoping to win him over. He laughed and looked away before speaking.
"It's not your fault, we have a plane to catch."
He shut my door right after and walked over to the driver side. Once he was in, he started the car and began to speed through town again.
"You can slow down a little, its not like you don't own the plane." I warned
"Why? Does my driving scare you?" he teased
I glared at him and crossed my arms, knowing that an attitude was arising.
"Of course not. I just thought since I was in a foreign city, I could watch as we passed by the town."
"Fine." he said hitting the brakes really hard
Of course I had no seat belt on so I went head first into the dashboard. Luckily, I held my arms out to avoid hitting my forehead. He laughed at my reaction and I gave him the deadliest stare I could give.
"You're an asshole!" I yelled at the same time as he stepped on the gas
Our relationship was back to normal in a matter of seconds. For the rest of the ride I sat with my arms crossed against my chest, while he chuckled with his pearly, white perfect teeth.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked when we pulled into the airport
"Committing murder." I responded
He got out of the car with a loud laugh and came over to help me out. I ignored his hand and lifted myself out of the car. I picked up my dress and stomped all the way from the car to the plane waiting for us. He followed behind trying to hold in his laughter but failing miserably. Giorgio initially looked at us with confusion but his expression transformed into a smirk.
What was he smiling at?
Want to hear what Giovanni is thinking? Refer to Chapter Two and Chapter Three of 'She's Going to Be the Death of Me'.
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