The Breakup (20 page)

Mia laughed.

“Hey, it’s not funny. I’m actually really hurt here.”

“No, it’s just that you are funny to think a man wouldn’t find you attractive, Aja. You’re beautiful. He really meant he was honoring you. He’s probably going to ask you to marry him.”

Aja snorted in derision. “Sure. And every night when we go to bed, he’ll stop just before we consummate and tell me he’s honoring me.”

Mia was laughing full out now. Aja couldn’t help but smile a little, though she was careful not to let it show in her voice.

“The truth is, he was probably afraid I had a knife hidden under my pillow,” Aja said.

“He knows?” Mia sounded shocked.

“He knows. I forgot to tell you, Stephen’s here!”

“Stephen’s there?” Mia gasped.

“Yes. He showed up at the restaurant we were going to. Actually he met Juli beforehand and joined our party for dinner, not telling her who he really was. Anyway, after the scene in the restaurant, I had to tell them what was going on. Both Pietro and Marco were pretty shocked by the story. At least Pietro isn’t afraid of me. He’s constantly trying to kiss me.” The knowledge made her feel a little better about herself.

“What an asshole,” Mia said, fury in her voice. “I can’t believe he found you. How do you think he did it?”

“I don’t know, maybe he hired a detective. Do you think he could have traced my credit card?”

“He’s got enough money to hire people who could,” Mia said.

“That’s what I thought. But, I’m going to fix him. I’ve come up with a plan to scare him off and Pietro is going to help me.”

“So is Pietro the Italian sausage or Marco?” Mia giggled.

“Both. They’re both pretty nice looking.”

“Well, which one do you want?” Mia had a way of cutting to the heart of a matter.

“Neither. Remember I’ve sworn off men.”

“Right. And that’s why you’ve got two of them hanging around you and a third that has followed you all the way to Italy?” Mia tried sounding serious but Aja knew better.

“That’s not funny. Stephen is only here to aggravate me and Marco doesn’t want anything to do with me now.”

“So, what’s the plan?”

She gave Mia all the details. Mia laughed and said it sounded perfect. “I want to come early so I can help you out.”

“Why
don’t
you, Mia? It would be great to have you here. I’m probably going to have to quit at the winery anyway now that Marco and I hate each other. I’ll dig into the trust fund and get us a house in the city. I haven’t been vacationing yet anyway. What do you think?”

“I’ll come as soon as I can get a flight.”

Aja screamed and jumped up and down. Pietro and Julianna rushed into the kitchen asking if she was alright. Aja waved them away with an apology, told Mia to call as soon as she got a flight and hung up the phone.

“My friend Mia is coming to Siena. Isn’t that great?”

“Yes, good. Where she stay?” asked Julianna.

“I’m going to find us a place to stay in town.”

“What about work?” Pietro asked.

“I’m leaving. Marco and I had a fight and I can’t work there anymore.”

Pietro smiled.

Julianna finished making dinner. Aja and Pietro helped bring the dishes to the table. Bella came in and gave Aja a big hug, and then sat in her chair.
 

“Hi Aja.”

“Hi Bella. You look pretty today.”

She smiled like it was something she heard all the time. She probably did.

Chapter 24

Aja and Julianna sat in Julianna’s cozy living room and talked while they sipped wine from Marco’s winery.
He probably keeps her supplied.
Aja couldn’t help but feel prickly when she thought about how they had a daughter together. She didn’t feel uncomfortable around Julianna, which surprised her, but she realized she was saving up all her animosity for Marco. She was still too raw from the day before to examine why.

“What you want for dinner at wedding?” Julianna asked.

They were making notes and planning the food for Mia’s wedding. Julianna was going to do all the cooking, and Pietro said he would serve. Aja could imagine Mia’s face when Pietro showed up with a serving tray and an apron. She’d probably decide he was going to be her personal waiter.

“Why don’t you decide, Juli. You always seem to know the exact thing to serve a person.”

“I hafa wait meet friend. Then I know.”

“Will that give you enough time to plan the food, though?”

“How much people?”

“I think only around twenty or thirty. I’ll have to check with Mia, but most of her family is here in Italy. She doesn’t have a large family. I don’t think many of her fiancé’s family will be coming. He doesn’t have a large family either.”

“That okay. We have time plan. I not take long plan meal. Much good food in market.”

Aja smiled at Julianna. “You’re amazing, you know. I’d be freaking out about planning a wedding feast for a bunch of people I’ve never met. Yet you take it in stride.”

Julianna looked confused. “What mean freaking out?”

“I’d be stressed.”

Julianna shook her head, a frown on her face.

“Worried?”

“Ah. Yes. I no worry. Love cook.”

It didn’t surprise Aja that Julianna didn’t know what freaking out or stress meant in English. Aja doubted she even knew those words in Italian.

Julianna got up, replenished the snacks and poured more wine. “You sleep here, Aja?”

“Sure. I’d love to. I can’t go back to the winery anyway. I’m going to have to call Nona and tell her I’m quitting my job.”

“Why?” Julianna looked shocked. “I think you like job.”

“Yes, actually I was starting to like it. A lot. But Marco and I had a big fight and now I don’t want to be anywhere near there.”

“You fight with Marco?” Julianna frowned. “That bad.”

“Why?”

“Marco never fight with me. He love you.”

“What? What do you mean? He doesn’t love me.”

“Yes.” She nodded her head like a wise old sage. “He love you. He never love me.”

“How do you know, Juli?”

“I never see Marco fight with woman. Never.” She said it with such assurance that butterflies took up residence in Aja’s stomach.

“If he loves me why would he fight with me? That doesn’t make sense.”

“It make all sense,” she contradicted. “He not care to fight before. He love you so he emotion get mix up.
Capire
… uh, understand?”

Aja understood all too well. And it scared the hell out of her.

“Pietro be sad. Hafa tell him.”

“I don’t have to tell him anything, Juli. I’m not in love with either of them.”

She laughed. “You lie. You love Marco, no love Pietro.”

“What are you, a fortune teller?”

“What that?”

“A wise woman?”

“Oh. Yes. Wise. Like mother.”

Sometimes Aja wished she and Julianna could speak each other’s language perfectly. She felt there was much she could learn from her.

“You need tell Pietro. Not want brother hurt.”

“You’re the one who pushed him at me, you tell him,” Aja grumbled.

Julianna said, “No. You let kiss you much time.”

Aja choked on her wine. “What now you’re spying on me?”

“Pietro tell me. He love you.”

“Great. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?”

“We close. I like mother to him. He tell all me.”

Aja squirmed on the couch, not liking the direction the conversation was moving. “Well, I didn’t let him kiss me. He just did it without asking.”

Julianna giggled. “Yes. He do that.”

Aja put her glass on the table. “Can we change the subject now?” Without waiting for a response she asked, “What about you and Marco? Why wouldn’t you marry him?”

“Parent want us, but then they die. Mother first, then father. I take care of family
ristorante
. Marco want me and Bella go winery. I say no, stay town. We not agree where live so I stay. He need woman work with. I not woman for him. I not love him.”

Aja figured that summed things up pretty well. “But it must be hard being a single mom, working and raising your daughter?”

“Yes, hard. Marco help when I say okay. Pietro help. I fine. Bella fine. She happy here.”

“She sure seems happy. She’s a wonderful little girl.”

Julianna got up and pulled a photo album off the bookshelf. The pictures started with a very pregnant Julianna; she looked like a little girl, all the way to pictures of Bella’s last birthday. Marco and Juli stood beside the birthday girl with big smiles. It gave Aja another pang to see them together. They looked so good, especially with their little girl who was a perfect combination of their features. They’d made a gorgeous child together.

“Does the restaurant do well? Does it support you and Bella?” Aja cringed, hoping she wouldn’t take offence to the very personal question.

“Yes. We do well. Marco help, but I no need it. Put in bank for Bella school.”

Aja was happy to hear that Marco was a good father. He tried to get Julianna to marry him, it wasn’t his fault that she didn’t. Maybe she was right, maybe he did love her and she was being unfair. Aja got a sick feeling in her stomach. Marco was a decent man, he’d proved it over and over.
I might have screwed up my chances for good.

Julianna studied Aja’s face. “You go see Marco?” she asked.

“You are a mind reader too, aren’t you?”

Julianna didn’t respond, just grinned at Aja.

Marco was waiting outside when Julianna opened the restaurant. Aja was helping her set the tables and prepare for the morning customers. He stepped inside, said good morning to Julianna and then turned to Aja.

“I need to talk to you, please.”

“OK.” She placed the last plate on the table, and walked out the door. Her stomach was in knots. She wasn’t sure what to say to him. He didn’t give her a chance to say anything. As soon as they were out the door, closing it behind them, he said, “Aja, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me for insulting you.”

Aja dropped her head. “You didn’t, Marco, I’m the stupid one. I thought you were rejecting me and I couldn’t stand it. Please forgive me.”

He didn’t answer, just pulled her into his arms and tucked her head under his chin. She rested there, peace coming over her. Marco wouldn’t hurt her like Stephen had, she was sure of it now.

She heard a gasp and jerked around to see Pietro staring at them. His eyes widened in hurt and surprise. Then he opened the door of the restaurant and went back in.

“Did you have something with Pietro, Aja?” Marco’s voice rumbled against her head.

“No. He wanted something and I admit I was attracted to him, but there was nothing there for me. It was you all along.”

She could feel his smile against her hair. “Marry me?”

Aja’s head jerked up and clipped his chin. Marco let out a yelp.

“What?” she gasped. “We hardly know each other.”

He studied her while rubbing his chin. She stood in front of him, her arms wrapped around herself. Her legs shook.
Marriage? Is he nuts?

“We know each other enough to be in love. Marriage is the next logical step,” Marco stated as though she were a child.

“But Marco, things are just starting to go right for us, why would we want to mess it up now?”

“Why would marrying me mess up your life? I thought you loved me?”

“I do. I think.” She cringed as soon as she said it.

“You think?” Marco’s voice got very quiet.

“Well, it’s so sudden.”

Marco got himself under control and the look on his face scared her.

“It’s not sudden for me, Aja. I want to marry you. What is so scary about that? I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

She swallowed, terrified now. He didn’t know what he was asking of her.

“I… I… I can’t Marco. I can’t marry anyone.” She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the reaction, but nothing happened. When she opened them he was gone. This time it was probably for good.

She stood there shaking for about five minutes. The door opened and Pietro came out. “God save me,” she muttered.
Italian men are going to be the death of me.

“Where’s Marco?” Pietro asked.

“He’s gone. Probably for good.”

Pietro’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “You broke up with him?”