"How did it go?"
I sigh heavily at Allison's question and press my phone firmly to my ear. I lean back against the wall in the lift as it begins to go up. "I . . . I actually don't know. I want to say that I think it went well but I don't know what qualifies as going well."
Allison moans as she shuffles about before asking, "What did she say to you?"
"She . . ." I lick my lips and readjust my stance against the wall. I frown. "Tell me something, have you ever known Jane to get emotional when it comes to talking about her family?"
"Never," she responds quickly and firmly. I can tell she's shaking her head. "Did she cry?"
"I wouldn't say she did but there was a tear or two shed when she was telling me that Luca barely ate anything after we broke up and lost weight."
Allison scoffs. "I somehow can't imagine that guy losing any more weight considering how skinny he already was."
"Apparently he did," I defend.
"God," she breathes, "that's bad."
"Tell me about it."
The line goes silent and I know Allison is trying to imagine Luca somehow being even skinnier than he already was nine years ago. It's something you can't imagine, and I've tried to since Jane mentioned it to me. It's just not happening and I don't want to even think of that or think of him being so unhealthy compared to how he is now.
"So," Allison begins, drawing the single word out so she makes sure has my attention once more, "are you on your way up to the suite?"
"Not yet, no." I answer. I push off the wall and move closer to the lift doors as the digital number on the wall gets closer to Luca's floor. "I'm actually on my way to see Luca."
"Going to grill him about losing that weight? Tell him from me that he should have taken advantage of America's large food portions."
I laugh. "No, but there are things that his mum said to me that we need to talk about."
"I didn't have you down as being one to talk about things the witch said," she says with a yawn.
"I wouldn't normally but I think it's a must right now."
"Yeah, well I still wouldn't trust her."
"I still don't completely trust her but I'm starting to see why she did what she did and its impact on their side and not just ours."
She yawns again. "Yeah, still."
"Plus, by the way you're currently yawning down the phone to me, you sound like you can be doing with a nap."
"I could but I'm hungry so I'm going to order room service and then I'll debate whether or not to have a nap."
I smile. "Knock yourself out."
The lift comes to a stop at the ninety-fifth floor and I end the call, slipping my phone into my bag as the doors slide open in front of me. I get out and turn to the left towards the entrance to the apartment.
I lift my clenched fist to knock on the door but it opens before my hand has a chance to come in contact with it. I drop my hand and smile at the black haired middle aged female standing before me.
"You must be Kaylee," she greets with a small smile that reaches her light brown eyes. "Come in." She opens the door wider and I step into the apartment. "I'm Tanya, one of the housekeepers. Mr. Madden is in the kitchen preparing dinner for tonight. I'll take you to him."
She turns on the spot and walks ahead of me in the direction of Luca's office, a cleaning cloth in one hand that she uses to brush over the door handles on the closed doors we pass. We turn to the left and Tanya comes to a stop opposite the opened kitchen door, waving a hand into the bright room for me to go in to.
I glance into the room and look back at Tanya.
"Thank you," I smile.
"Not a problem," she responds before walking away.
I wait until she disappears into a room close by before I look into the kitchen.
Luca is busy preparing dinner, working between the large island and the stainless steel cooker behind him. The sunlight coming through the two oversized windows opposite the island bounces off the white gloss and light oak cabinets, making the bright room seem brighter. There's a table next to me for six people, a vase of dark pink tulips and white hydrangeas in the centre.
I step further into the kitchen and watch Luca more closely. He's busy chopping some food at the large island, paying no attention to his spectator. He chops the food in silence, the only sound being made is from the knife as it comes in contact with the chopping board. He seems content and like a normal person despite doing an everyday thing in a luxurious kitchen.
"You can come in and sit and watch me if you wish," Luca says suddenly.
I blink frantically and shake my head, breaking my stare. "So I'm not allowed to do to you what you do to me?"
He lifts his head and smiles before going back to chopping food. "I knew you were coming up. Jones contacted me."
"Of course he did." I walk into the kitchen and stand at the opposite side of the island, placing my bag down on one of the white char at the table as I pass it. "I'm just happy that your mum said she was heading back to work instead of suggesting that we get a car ride together."
"Speaking of my mother," he starts, his gaze falling back to the food on the chopping board, "how did things go with her?"
I sigh heavily and lean against the island. "For once, I can safely say that I saw her as an actual mother who just wants to protect her family and not the witch I've come to know her as."
"She wasn't secretly-"
"She was the one who mainly spoke. I just sat there and listened to her."
"She must have said a lot, then."
"She did," I agree. I don't go on just yet. I look down at the marble worktop, my fingers gliding across the smooth surface, and frown. "There were a few things she said to me that has stuck in mind, though."
"Really? Like what?" He asks, curious to know what his mum has said.
"Like the fact that the way she spoke about your ex made it sound like she was more of a trophy girl than someone who was worthy of you being married to."
"Nadia was never going to be the girl I was going to marry. I can tell you that's the truth right here, right now. I fully admit that she was a looker and I was more attracted to her look wise than what we had in common which wasn't as much as we do. She always wanted to impress those in my life and tried way too hard in doing so."
I nod, my lips puckered. "Your mum said she turned up in a dress that showed off a bit too much the first time she got introduced to them."
"She did but I didn't pay any attention to that. I just wanted my parents to get to know the girl I was dating."
"But you just admitted that you only dated her for her looks."
"I did," he nods in agreement.
"What does that say about why you're dating me or why you even dated me in the first place?"
I feel terrible saying that but it's true.
Why is he with me if he dated Nadia because she was good looking? I don't class myself as good looking, I never have been and I never will be. I would rather call myself average than anything else. I don't want to be looked at as someone who gets by on only their looks which seems to be what Nadia did.
I raise my brows and say nothing as Luca looks up form the chopping board for the first time since we began talking. His eyes fixate on mine before he says, "Don't. Don't even begin to compare yourself to her. She-"
"As soon as I told your mum that you said I was like her, she said I'm nothing like her. She was really adamant about that."
"She-"
I shake my head, a single hand raised to silently tell him not to bother going on because I don't want to hear anything else about his ex. "Don't say anything. Forget I even mentioned it. I don't want to know."
Every time she's brought up, there's something new I learn about her and I' sick of trying to wrap my head around it all. I've made up my mind on her and I've come to the conclusion that she's nothing but a nasty woman – a lot worse than what I used to think Jane was like.
Nadia seems more like a gold-digger and that's what I'll stand by until someone convinces me otherwise.
I clear my throat and change the subject quickly, something on more of a happy note. "Your mum said you bought an engagement ring for me that she still has to this day."
Luca opens his mouth to say something but closes it and sighs heavily. He smiles on a small nod. "I did and she does."
"You never got to use it," I remind him, my voice soft.
"We broke up before I got a chance to put my proposal plan into action," he confesses freely.
"Seems like you had everything planned out before we broke up."
"I did and compared to other guys my age at the time, I wasn't planning on running for the hills when things were getting serious for me to think about marriage." He reaches across the island for my hand which I allow him to take without any hesitation. He squeezes it tightly and smiles. "It also doesn't mean that I'm not thinking about it now because I can see it in our future."
"But you'll no doubt upgrade the ring," I comment.
"I might but there won't be any other ring out there that won't compare to the one I already have picked out for you."
I smile and he leans forward until his lips press onto the back of my hand, his eyes never leaving mine.
"And to answer your earlier question, I began dating you because you captured my whole heart without even trying. You're don't care what you look like to others and I love that about you. You also know how to keep me on my toes which makes me love you even more."
He pulls back, letting go of my hand as he straightens up, and goes back to chopping more food on the chopping board.
"Considering how much my mother revealed to you," he starts, his tone changing to his normal octave range, "I would say it went well."
I lean back against the island, eyeing Luca as he cuts a pepper on a chopping board. "Well being the word that she would use, too."
He looks at me with his head is bowed. "I did tell you she didn't always hate you."
"But her hatred for me only came when you told her you had applied to universities in America." I point out. "She liked me up until that point."
Luca opens his mouth to respond but I butt in quickly and he shuts up.
"Don't you dare say that she only wanted what was best for you because I'm pissed off hearing that. That's all you've said. That's also all your mum has said. I'm sick of hearing it."
Luca looks back to the chopping board and continues to chop up the pepper.
"Can we please just stop talking about your mum? I feel like that's all we've spoken about."
"Fair enough," he agrees.
I watch him as he walks over to the cooker and puts the chopped pepper into a frying pan. He places the chopping board into the sink and turns to look at me.
"The jet is arranged to take you and Allison home on Thursday night," he announces.
"Is it?" I asked, shock consuming both my face and my words.
"It is. My father has business in London so he'll be flying with you. I'm due back there on Saturday and as far as I'm aware, my father has arranged for a golf day with your father."
"Weather permitting," I add.
"Pretty much so."
"You're not joining them are you?"
"I don't want to ambush their day because they are still friends."
"It would be a nice bonding session with my dad, right enough."
"I know but it's a case of whether or not he'd feel comfortable with me there."
I walk around the island to him and place my hands on his hips. "I would ask him how he'd feel about that but I don't want to intervene."
"Men and their sports," he sighs. His hands clasp together at my back, pulling me firmly against his body. "Too bad I only have a few luxury things that are sport related."
"I can remember you being right into your sports."
"Can't play any of them, though. I might get injured."
"Oh, and how unlucky that would be," I tease.
"You'd no longer want to be with me."
I push at him and move out his hold. "You caught me." I move back around the island and his gaze follows me. "I'm only now with you for your looks and money. You caught me."
He chuckles, his hands resting on the island worktop. "I knew there was a reason you fell too easily for me again. Here I thought it was just because you loved me."
"Hmm," I ponder. I shake my head. "Nope, just your unexpected looks and money."
"Then I'll have to ask you to leave my apartment and to find your own way home and to vacate the hotel suite you've been occupying."
"That's fine. I'll send you the bills for everything."
"Which I won't be paying for," he smirks. "You're the one who racked up the bills. I didn't."
"I know I racked up the bills but it's your dad who said he'd take care of all the expenses that were made while I was here."
I take a step back and shrug on a grin. Let's see him come back from that one.
His eyes narrow. "I . . . You've got me. I don't have a comeback for that."
"Thought as much," I wink.
He clears his throat and turns back to the cooker. "Fancy joining me for dinner? I was only cooking for myself but you're more than welcome to join me."
I frown. "Isn't your daughter due home for dinner?"
"She's at a friend's house for dinner. She won't be back until later when I go to pick her up. I can drop you off at the hotel when I go to collect her."
"How can I say no to that?"
"You can't," he says before going back to preparing dinner.