Total pages in book: 206
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 961(@200wpm)___ 769(@250wpm)___ 641(@300wpm)
“Okay,” I said softly.
“I’m here representing the Ferrano family and this is an area my father wants explored. It’s probably the last major project he’s delegating to me before retirement. I won’t bore you with any other details and in general you don’t need details as I do not plan to bring you into the fold with business but for this, appearances are important and I wanted you to know the backstory so you’re not unprepared. Okay?”
I nodded, absorbing all he was talking about. Brothels? Pedophiles? Real nice. And what he’d said about Juan Carlos? That pink basement prison bedroom? Tommy’s comments told me what I’d refused to acknowledge while I was down there. I cringed. I wanted to cry imagining a child being locked in that bedroom with those cameras and that vile man.
“I know what you’re thinkin’. Ben tried that the other night, brought escorts in for all the potential investors. I told you I didn’t partake and I was honest. Tonight, it’s wives and girlfriends. The only way it’s anything less than wholesome is if we opt to go to the club and the after party. I don’t think we’re doing the club and we’re definitely not touching that after party. Okay?”
“Kay.” I hadn’t been thinking what he’d thought I’d been thinking but I already wanted this evening over and done with.
“Tia?”
“Hm?” I didn’t look him in the eyes. I just…I couldn’t.
“I know things aren’t ideal with you and me after last night. I’ll work on that and believe me, baby, it’s a priority. I know I fucked up. I fucked up huge. But we need to put it aside tonight. We’re an engaged couple getting married in a few weeks, happily engaged. That needs to be the tone this evening. Got me?”
I rolled my eyes and then my filter obviously malfunctioned as I said, “Yeah, gotcha. Don’t worry, damn fine actress over here, remember?”
He chewed the inside of his cheek and murmured, “Baby.”
He said it like I’d wounded him. He looked at me for a minute with pain in his eyes. I tried to soften my features so I wasn’t frowning or grimacing at him, so I wouldn’t provoke him. He reached up toward my face and I flinched. Pain on his face intensified with my flinch.
His hand landed softly on my cheek in a caress. He let out a slow breath. “Fuck, baby, you’re killin’ me here.” And then his hands were on my hips as he eased me off his lap and then took my hand and headed toward the door.
I don’t know what he expected. Did he expect me to act like nothing had happened last night? He certainly wasn’t acting like nothing had happened. He’d been giving me long stares, seemed like he was thinking about things he said before he said them, had been sort of acting like he was treading in uncharted territory with me.
We were both lost.
I didn’t know how to behave tonight. I wasn’t feeling like myself and this was uncharted territory. I guessed I’d just try to blend in and observe and if he was sweet to me in public, I guess I’d try to behave like I was receptive.
We took a limo a short ride to a restaurant, riding in silence, and we were met by five other couples. I held his arm and was introduced to all of them including Ben and his wife Olive, they were probably late 30s or early 40s. They both looked like accountants and I found it confounding that they were looking for help from ‘wise guys’ to fund a brothel expansion into a sex fetish club.
Leo Denarda was probably in his early 30s (wearing a cheap-looking ill-fitting suit and too much jewelry) and his date, Heather, most definitely looked like a hooker. She probably was one.
I was glad Tommy had me see Suzette today as she’d professionally styled me. If I’d gotten ready myself maybe I’d have been mistaken for an escort. Among the other couples were a good-looking couple just a little older than Tommy and the others were anywhere from a bit older to quite a bit older.
The dinner consisted of pretentious food and plenty of small talk among the women at the table and talk of politics, current events, and sports among the men. Tommy seemed knowledgeable in all of those areas and it was interesting to see him in this element, a business type of thing. I could see that it’d be very possible for him to be a traditional businessman as men he met with could definitely see him that way. This was in stark contrast to Leo Denarda, who was pretty clearly a thug in a not-so-nice suit, but by the way the guy handled himself I didn’t think even Armani would make an iota of a difference.