Let’s get his attention shal we?” A twinkle lit up Gio’s face.
“You want to help me make Tony jealous?”
Gio chuckled, and spun Libby in a wide arc before puling her back to him. “Tony and every other man in the room. Did you not know that I have been the target of much jealousy this evening?”
The rest of the night passed without much incident.
Gio continued to provoke Tony lightly, and Tony continued to bristle at the words Mia Betta. But al in al they had a good time. When Gio excused himself, commenting that he was stil tired from his flight, Libby walked him to the door and hugged him tight. “See you in month?”
“In a month.” And with a kiss on her cheek he left.
Chapter Seventeen
Soon after Gio left, Mel and John folowed. “Ready Lib?” Tony asked in a quiet almost sulen voice as he stood up.
“Oh.” Libby remembered agreeing to stay in his guest room. “Umm yeah. I think I’l just go home to Stuart’s though.
Tony shook his head. “You’ve been drinking, which means you’re riding with me. And my car is headed home. Let’s go.”
Tony knew ful wel that Libby hadn’t had anything to drink in hours, and that Stuart’s house was more or less on his way home so he could have dropped her off there.
But he wanted her to himself. He had hated sharing her with Gio al night. Go Slow indeed! He was such an idiot. He should have met her at the airport with a minister in tow.
Now he had to compete with Italy’s answer to dancing with the stars in person instead of just the memory of her European fling. Not that he was giving up. No way. He would fight as hard as ever.
Tony fumed inside his head al the way to the car, and the entire drive back to his house. He hated Gio!
Hated. Mel had mentioned he was older, but come on!
The guy was ancient! And the way he pawed at her al night! Always touching her arm, or brushing nonexistent hair out of her face. It was positively disgraceful. Tony had barely contained the impulse to grab Libby and run as fast as he could towards the door when he first heard Gio whispering Mia Betta in a lover’s voice. Mia, as in mine.
Wel think again pal, Tony thought, Libby has been mine for years… she just hasn’t realized it yet. She would though.
Tony just needed to find the right way to show her. How could he convince her?
“So… are we here?”
Tony realized they had puled into his driveway, and he wondered how long he had been sitting there spacing out. “Oh, sorry Lib. Guess I’m tired. Yep. This is it.” Tony and Libby had to run for the door. The drizzle from the morning had turned into a shower, and then into a down pour, and now it looked to be progressing toward thunderstorm. Tony’s house was a pretty stone Victorian.
There was a smal covered porch with a white porch swing to the left of the front door. It looked like a home, Libby thought. Inside, Libby looked around and burst into giggles when her eyes rested on the living room.
“And I thought you didn’t have living room furniture!” Libby teased as she plopped down into a plastic lawn chair. One of four set up in the otherwise empty room.
“Wel I didn’t want to brag.” Tony lowered himself into another chair and stretched dramaticaly. “I wil get furniture.” He continued more seriously. “And with this news about my book— money shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”
Libby nodded sleepily. “That’s great Tony. You don’t have to defend yourself to the girl living in her stepfather’s sardine can sized guest room. Show me the rest!” She popped up out of the chair.
The kitchen was a warm affair with a big island and it opened into an equaly warm morning room. The baker in Libby noticed the ample counter space, and double ovens.
This was a dream kitchen. Unbidden images of Tony wearing a pink apron and shoveling cookies into his mouth sprung into her mind.
“Can I get you anything? I have juice, and not much else.” Tony poked his head into the fridge. “Sorry. I eat out a lot. There might be some lemonade mix around here.” Tony rummaged through empty cabinets as if sliding their meager contents around on the shelves would produce more appetizing choices.
“I’m good Tony.” Libby wandered around the two rooms. She liked them. She liked the house. There was something distinctly intimate about being here alone with Tony so late at night. It reminded her a little of late night monopoly games—only the feeling was a thousand times more powerful. And then she realized something-- it hit her with a crash! Actualy the crash was thunder outside, but the effect wasn’t lost on Libby. Standing there dripping slightly onto the tile floor, and watching Tony foolishly worry about beverage choices Libby realized that she was Nona.