Tempted in the City (17 page)

“He doesn't trust you?”

“He's careful. I appreciate that. He's finished everything but the staircases.”

“Look, you can catch me up on the work whenever. But something's bothering the hell out of you, and it's clear that you need to talk about it. It doesn't have anything to do with the trust, does it?”

“Of course not. She doesn't know about it. It's not something I would talk about. Besides, that wouldn't matter to her. She's got money. Look, this is nuts. I'll send you everything about the job and you can walk me through the Maloof—”

“For God's sake, Tony. Stop. Talk to me. Do you want me to get out Dad's bottle of whiskey?”

Tony blew out a breath as he considered. He was damned confused, so maybe Luca was right. He needed to talk to someone. “The neighbors are ruining everything.”

“Uh, we all knew that was going to happen.”

“No, you don't get it. I had a chance, right at the start, to lay it out for her. I could have explained that some of her neighbors were going to try their best to run her off. That they weren't just delusional, but determined. Christ, why did she have to pick that house?”

“So why didn't you?” Luca asked, moving his feet to the floor so he could lean forward, his elbows on his knees.

“Why didn't I what?”

“Lay it out for her. I mean, once you got to know her.”

Either Tony spilled it all or he stopped this conversation right now. He thought briefly about the whiskey, but then gave it up. He needed help. “I knew she'd eventually figure out that she'd be better off flipping the house. Even when she told me she wanted to live there forever, I kept my mouth shut. All she wants is to become part of a community. Unfortunately, a few people can ruin everything.”

“There are lots of folks who aren't part of that gang of bullies. People we don't even know that might end up as her best friends.”

“But living between those two—”

“Was bad luck, yes. But she seems like a strong person. Once she gets over the disappointment, I bet she'll figure out a way to make it work. So why do you need to leave the job?”

And there it was. “Things between us got...personal.”

Luca tried to control a smile. “Yeah, I figured.”

Tony huffed. “So everyone knows about us?”

“No one knows. But they're all assuming. You are over there a lot.”

Tony stood up. “Shit. I've really fumbled this.”

“It's too late to stop talking now,” Luca said, in his typical, logical way. “What else?”

Tony walked over to the closed door. Locked it. Didn't turn around. “I've fallen in love with her.”

“Okay.”

“She told me she wants kids. With some future guy. Who wasn't an idiot for not telling her the complete truth when he had the opportunity.”

“She said that? About not wanting kids with you?”

“No. She didn't have to.”

Luca sighed. “Come on. It was never going to be easy. Not like it was with Angie. Everyone just expected you to be with her.”

Tony turned around and he was pissed. “Exactly. Angie and I took the road of least resistance. But Catherine? I mean, she's...great. She's smart and funny and beautiful. She's everything I didn't know I needed. But—”

“She's not one of us.”

“I can't imagine Mom being very happy about the news.”

Luca shrugged. “She'll be whatever. If you're determined to live your life trying to be the perfect son, I don't envy you.”

“What are talking about?”

“You're not ever going to be Dad. Which is a good thing, by the way. And you're not ever going to please Mom unless you marry another Angie. So? What do you want?”

“That's right, you weren't there that day in the office.” Tony smirked. “Mom said it could never have worked with Angie because she was too modern.”

Luca laughed. “Seriously?”

“So you can imagine what she'd say about Catherine.”

“You know what?” Luca said. “Tough shit.”

“Hey, that's how I feel.” Tony shook his head. “This isn't about me being the perfect son. I'm worried about Catherine and the crap she'd have to put up with. And I'm not talking about our family. I can handle Mom and Nonna.”

“That's up to her to decide. Personally, I don't think you're worth it.” Luca shrugged. “But if you don't ask, you'll never know.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Tony ignored the playful jab, but Luca was right about asking. “I need to stop working with her. So we both can think.”

“Agreed.”

“And I'm not trying to be Dad. I haven't shied away from making changes starting the day I took over.”

Luca stood and faced Tony head-on. “You're doing a great job,” he said. “He's proud of you. So is Ma. Take your time with your next move, okay? Be really careful with it. I know how upset you were that it didn't work out with Angie, and you haven't known Catherine for very long.”

“Catherine's not like anyone else,” Tony said. “You know her parents are diplomats. She's lived all over Europe. She's worldly and sophisticated. I wear a tool belt. She never once suggested we should be anything more to each other.”

“So what you're telling me,” Luca said, frowning, “is that it was all fun and games until you had to go fall in love, huh?”

“That's about it.”

“There's only one thing I am absolutely sure of, big brother,” Luca said, putting his hand on Tony's shoulder. “You deserve to be happy. Unconditionally.”

Tony closed his eyes. Even if Luca was right, there were no guarantees he'd find that happiness with Catherine.

18

A
FTER
THE
LONGEST
Thursday she could ever remember, Catherine left work an hour early, belatedly remembering the workers would still be in her house. She almost wished she hadn't agreed to see Tony. He'd texted her earlier and asked if she'd have dinner with him at an uptown restaurant she'd mentioned two weeks ago.

Part of Sal's crew was finishing up in the living room, but she didn't stop to chat before she went upstairs. The first thing she did was kick off her heels, and the second was pour herself a glass of whiskey. She wouldn't have too much now, since they'd have drinks later, but a few sips of Lagavulin would help her ease into the evening.

That he'd remembered she wanted to go to the Sea Fire Grill was nice, but it wasn't enough. She hadn't slept well, her concentration was shot, and to make matters worse, tomorrow she had to be at work early for a morning meeting. A damned important one for which she couldn't afford to be anything less than at the top of her game.

Yet all she could think about was how quiet Tony had been on the rooftop. He hadn't said a word when she'd told Ben she wanted only the most basic garden.

At first she figured he was still stunned by her admission about wanting children, but she'd been careful not to make it seem as though she expected him to be the father. He'd never given her the impression he wanted that kind of future with her, and even though she'd begun thinking of them that way—well, that was her own fault, wasn't it?

That he'd asked her out was a good sign, though. They could go back to the way things had been before she'd met the neighbors, before she'd put the fear of kids into Tony.

Besides, she wasn't going to let two angry women chase her away. Not from this house. If Belaflore had been here, she'd have given Catherine a hug, then given those two women a lesson in civility they'd never forget.

So, the hell with them. She loved her home, and Tony hadn't been completely scared off, so if she could just get rid of this stupid headache, she was prepared to have a wonderful evening.

Taking her time, she changed, trading her dress for a pair of white linen slacks and a loose fitting charcoal shirt. Not for the first time, she wished she'd realized how inconvenient it would be to leave her master suite until after the kitchen was finished. She was so over being cramped into tight spaces. At least the couch was back in what would be her bedroom when all was said and done.

The drink was already loosening the tension in her shoulders. Tony wouldn't be by until eight, and in the meantime, she wanted to relax. Even though she'd said she wanted only a small garden, she wasn't done thinking that one through. After settling on the couch—her view, a wall decorated by a half dozen paint samples—she gathered up the drawings of the roof-garden plans and put them in order. Ben had been just as creative as she'd been led to believe. The plans were out of this world. He'd taken her through four different versions, from the full community garden/whirlpool tub/pergola/party space to something completely personal, and he'd made all of them look fantastic.

Damn it, she didn't want to make any cuts. But she also wasn't crazy about the idea of the neighbors having full access to the place.

She'd pictured gatherings with new friends and people from work, harvesting the gardens for the hors d'oeuvres. Now, though? It was too difficult to think about.

After finishing off her drink, she carefully placed the drawings in her tote bag and put on her sandals. She'd check on the progress downstairs, which at the very least would get her out of her own head.

She found two guys in the living room, sanding the newly installed hardwood floor. She'd met them both but didn't think they'd been introduced by name. In the kitchen, Orlando, who was an expert at tile work, was installing the backsplash. He'd made a lot of headway with the glass and pressed tin. But even after he smiled at her, she found her excitement diminished.

Still, it wasn't a reason to be rude. “You're doing a beautiful job, Orlando. It's even better than I'd imagined,” she said.

“Thank you. I've never worked with this tin before. It's really nice. I was looking at some tin ceilings online. They used to be really popular.”

“Yes, I debated doing the ceiling here. Although it would probably overwhelm the space, especially with the stainless steel appliances.”

“You should talk to Luca tomorrow. He's got a really good eye. And we'll be putting in the countertops in the morning, so, you know, you'll get a better feel for what would work.”

“Luca's coming tomorrow?”

Orlando nodded. “Sal said he's taken over the project.” He went back to placing the glass rectangles on the wall, while she tried hard not to freak out.

Luca was taking over for Tony? For the day? For the rest of the job? He hadn't said anything about that to her when they'd spoken this afternoon. Was that the reason Tony was taking her to dinner in the city?

She was sure, given Orlando's history working on her house, that he hadn't gotten things mixed up. For Luca's name to even enter the conversation meant something was going on.

She left the kitchen and made her way upstairs in a daze. When she'd asked Tony yesterday if she'd scared him away by talking about her future, she'd never imagined... And, God, now the restaurant made sense. Taking her to neutral territory was the perfect place to end things with her.

What else could it be? Perhaps he'd seen the light when she'd told him about her horrible neighbors. In the beginning Tony had been so certain she'd bought the house for the sole purpose of selling it. And if he didn't see a future for the two of them, he might think that her flipping the house would be for the best.

She poured more whiskey and drank it down in one gulp as she thought again about how he'd left last night. He'd walked out along with Ben as if they'd never made plans. After she'd closed the front door, she'd waited, her insides in knots, expecting his knock. But it never came. She'd gone upstairs alone, crawled into bed. Hell, she really had scared him off.

Maybe she should flip the damn house. Why bother making a home where she was so clearly not wanted? She'd make a hell of a profit, sell it to someone who didn't care about fitting in. She had all of Manhattan to choose from for a new home. At least in the heart of the city, she'd be able to find people more like her.

She picked up her empty glass and poured herself another. When she sat down on the couch, she could barely breathe. She'd known the end would come, but not like this. Damn her for letting her feelings for Tony grow. She should have nipped this in the bud after their first night together.

But seeing him tonight? Being forced to listen to all the reasons it made sense for Luca to take over? She couldn't. Not when the reality was twisting her into a mess of sorrow and nerves.

She took another hefty drink and didn't even cough as the single malt burned down her throat. Her purse was in the bedroom, and she got her cell phone out before she chickened out. The urge to text him was tempting. She wasn't entirely sure she could hear his voice without completely falling apart. But no, she was made of stronger stuff than that. She'd just have to keep the call as brief as possible.

It still hurt to hit the speed-dial number.

* * *

T
ONY
SAW
IT
was Catherine calling, and he immediately saved his spreadsheet, no longer caring much about the budget projections. “Hey,” he said, wondering if she was running late. “What's going on?”

“Something's come up at work,” she said, her voice different, more clipped and businesslike. “I have to cancel our dinner.”

“What? No. I thought...” Damn it. He needed to talk to her tonight. Luca was already planning on showing up at her place tomorrow. “Can I come over when you're done?”

“I have no idea when that would be. Maybe we could go tomorrow night. This business should be over by then.”

“Look, I was hoping... There's been a change. Luca is going to be taking over your renovation starting tomorrow, and I wanted to talk to you about it.”

“Taking over for good?”

“Yeah,” Tony said, surprised at her mild reaction. “But I want to explain why. In person. Tonight.”

“Well, that's...quite a big change, but I'm sorry, I can't discuss it now. I've got people waiting for me. You'll have to tell me tomorrow.”

“But I don't want you to think—”

“I'm sorry. I have to go.”

“Okay,” he said, but she'd already disconnected. This was not good. He'd planned everything out so she'd understand that he wanted more between them than a job contract and a brief affair. She hadn't even sounded that upset, although that could be explained if there were other people with her. She'd been rushed. He didn't understand the details of her job, but this wasn't the first time she'd had to cancel plans at the last minute.

There was no reason to get crazy. He'd talk to her tomorrow. Straighten everything out as soon as possible. Now that he knew what he wanted, he couldn't wait to get started.

* * *

T
ONY
HAD
CALLED
her four times. Two messages before the meeting and two during. She'd let the messages go to voice mail and hadn't listened to them. Not that she wouldn't; she simply couldn't let anything personal derail her. The meeting had been too important.

That she was in this situation at all wasn't like her. She could practically hear her mother's reaction if she ever found out.
Never show your hand
.
There's no advantage in letting anyone see your weaknesses.

Those lessons had been a major part of Catherine's education. It wasn't until she'd gone away to university that she'd really had the opportunity to examine the values of her parents, and eventually to decide to create her own code for living.

The question now was whether to revert to her old self, the self her parents approved of, or continue on her current path, knowing what real heartache felt like.

Her imagination hadn't been up to the task. She'd never really been in love before, although she'd mistaken other things for it. Companionship. Acceptance. Flattery. Hormones.

Twenty-eight years old was far too late to realize how a heart could break. How physical it was. She had entered into this...thing so blithely, swayed by Tony's good looks and charm. In hindsight, it had been a childish choice. She'd know better in the future.

At least now she knew what she was going to do. She'd even taken a rare afternoon off as personal time. As the taxi pulled up in front of her house, she prepared herself to meet with Luca. The conversation wasn't going to take long, and after, she'd finish packing her bags and go check in to The Four Seasons hotel she'd booked. The idea of staying, knowing Tony would never be back, was too much to handle. Besides, she wanted to step up the renovation, no matter what the cost.

As if to solidify her plans, the first person she saw once she was out of the cab was Mrs. Masucci, standing on her stoop. The woman looked right at her, and Catherine nodded politely. There was no acknowledgment of the courtesy. Of course there wasn't. It took all Catharine's willpower not to call out a greeting in Italian.

The moment she walked into the house, she felt the difference. Luca was there; she could hear his voice in the living room, just beyond the foyer. He must have heard the door shut, because he came to meet her, smiling, holding his hand out. He wore a loose blue, button-down shirt over pressed jeans. Nothing Tony would wear. In fact, all she could see were the differences.

She took his hand, grateful that they'd started off on the right business footing.

“It's nice to see you again, Catherine. The house is looking great. I really like what you've done with the restoration.”

“Thank you, but I didn't do much. It was very nice of Tony to fill in for George. He's done an excellent job. Why don't we go upstairs, so we can talk.”

He nodded, and she led him up the stairs and offered him a seat on the couch. “Can I get you anything? Coffee, soda?”

“I'm good, thanks.”

She sat on the other end of the couch and went right for it, not daring to hesitate. “I'd like to make some changes as to how we're going to proceed. I'll be moving into a hotel after we're done with our chat so that Sal and his crew can start work on this floor in earnest. If you could, please notify Ben that I've made my final decision, and that I'd like the minimalist roof garden. I've already seen the plans, and I approve of them.

“Also, if you could find out where Dave Rattigan is on the outdoor staircase, that would be helpful. I'd like to cancel the order if he hasn't started. If not, I'll pay for the work already done, but I won't be installing it.” She inhaled deeply, struggling to keep her cool. “I'd also like all the furniture and accessories that are left on this floor to be moved to the basement level...” Her voice cracked, but she'd be damned if she'd blow it now. “And I'll make arrangements for putting them in storage.”

She could tell he'd seen her falter, but he quickly reverted to a businesslike stance. “Does this change of direction have anything to do with the quality of our work?”

“Not at all. Paladino & Sons have done everything we agreed upon. I just no longer wish to spend as extravagantly. I'm happy with the current restorations, but I won't be looking to do more, now that the bathroom glass wall is finished.”

God, she needed to end this conversation as quickly as possible. Her hands had started to tremble. “I want the house to be appealing, but not over the top. I let myself get carried away, when there's no need.”