She stood, putting her hands on her hips. “Amedeo, I have no desire to be around you right now.”
“Since we live in the same place, that will be tough.”
“I’ll fine somewhere else to sleep tonight.”
“Don’t be silly. You can choose another room if you don’t want to be in my bed.”
“Now I’m being silly?”
He eyed her, his mouth moving. “I guess you’re going to take anything I say the wrong way.”
“I don’t think you can get out of this by turning it on me. You said things that I don’t appreciate.”
He licked his lips. “Take the car. I’ll find another way home.”
She stormed out of the place not even knowing if the driver had arrived. He did and she hopped in. She gave him the address for her old apartment building. Kalia would take her in. She’d listen to what she had to say.
That’s what best friends were for.
***
Amedeo watched her go, figuring that Violet would cool down and come home tonight. He really had put his foot in it and when she calmed down they could talk. He cursed himself. He should have just let Carl offer her the job. Hopefully, she would have realized that the job was real and not Amedeo trying to make thing right.
He wanted to do that, but he understood pride.
He was alone for dinner now. He called Salvatore.
“Hey, bro,” his brother said.
“I’ve found myself alone for dinner. You available?”
“Come over. I’m about to put some steaks on the grill. I have enough for both of us.”
“Well, can you come get me? I don’t have my car.”
“Sure thing.”
He gave Salvatore the address then they hung up. Amedeo looked around the coffee shop. It was probably about to close so he cleaned up their messes and stood outside for his brother. He perused his emails while he waited, still pondering Violet’s reaction.
Was she that independent or was it hormones? He figured she’d calm down and once home, but he wasn’t going to be waiting by the phone. What would his life be like if that condom hadn’t broken? He didn’t know, but right now he wasn’t sure if that had been a good thing or bad. He was used to dealing with women in all of their moods. This was harder because normally Violet was low maintenance.
He didn’t have to work so hard with her.
Salvatore arrived not long after. Amedeo climbed into his brother’s Aston Martin.
“Hey,” Salvatore said. “How did you get stuck without transportation?”
“I gave Violet the car. We had a fight and I let her have it to go cool off.”
“What were you fighting about?” Salvatore said.
“I’ve offered her a job at my company and she’s sure that I’m just giving her charity. She’s very proud, but she doesn’t have a lot of money. I want to help her, but the job offer was legit. My head of the IT department wants her. He thinks she’s a genius.”
“Maybe he should have offered the job.”
“Yes, I should have let him, but we were arguing about where she was going to live. I wanted her to know that she would have more resources than she had before. She didn’t have to settle for a dump.”
“And you don’t want your kid to grow up in a dump.”
“Yes, but I didn’t say that. I’m not sure if it would have helped. I made a mess of it.”
“You’re always so smooth. What’s going on with you?” Salvatore said.
“Not sure if it’s me, impending fatherhood, or that Violet is just exasperating.”
Salvatore laughed. “You’re in love with her.”
“No, I’m not.”
He wasn’t. He wasn’t going to fall in love with anyone. Not ever again. He’d been hurt too badly by Tory.
“You said that too quickly, bro.”
Amedeo shook his head. “Love is not for me.”
“Is she the only thing you think about?”
“No. I do run a company. Remember? I’m in negotiations to sell it. I don’t have time to moon over any woman.”
“But I bet in those quiet moments, your thoughts go to her,” Salvatore said.
Amedeo didn’t want to admit that his brother was right. His thoughts often turned to Violet when he was idle. Which wasn’t often. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’m going to be a father so that’s what I’m thinking about. Violet is part of that.”
“Think what you want, bro, but you love her. I could see it when we were at Mom’s. You treat her the same way Dante treats Gwen.”
“With respect? Of course I do. She’s a great person. She’s carrying my child. How else would I treat her?”