Thinking it wasn’t worth deliberating over, I made a move to pass him. It didn’t take long for the dick to change his mind. He was there again, all up in my face.
“I know you want to go, but just one more thing before you leave. I understand you think I’m a lying bastard, and I can fully understand why you would feel that way. Our first encounter didn’t exactly go off with a flying start.” I huffed my annoyance at him, but all he did was smile.
“There are things you don’t know about your boyfriend. Things I personally think a lovely young girl like you would run a mile from. He’s not the man you think he is.”
Standing my ground, I glared at him. “I’m not blind, Mr. Cavelli. I understand the kind of work Luca does for a living.”
“Of course not. I was never insinuating that you were stupid. I can tell you’re a very bright girl. The thing I want to ask you is: What do you really know about Luca? You’ve been together, what? Nearly four months now? How much do you really know about your boyfriend? Oh, I’m sure you know him very intimately, but it really ends there, doesn’t it, Clara?”
Stunned by the force of his words, I stood my ground. “What I know about Luca is none of your business. What Luca and I do is none of your business.”
Smiling and staring at my breasts again, he said, “Of course it isn’t. I just don’t want to see a nice girl like you getting hurt. He has secrets, Clara. Dark ones.”
Not wanting to hear anymore, I pushed past him. “I think you’ve said quite enough.” With a triumphant smirk, he nodded his head and let me pass.
I was wound tighter than a monkey’s nuts. I was pissed off that I had let him get to me. Pissed off at the way he was leering at me the whole time. Most of all, though, I was pissed off because what he said was true. I knew nothing about Luca other than what we had together. He knew my past, knew what I had been through, and yet I knew nothing about him.
Getting back to the table, I grabbed my coat. “We need to go.” Sensing my sudden anger and unease, they all rose from their chairs, and we quickly made a beeline for the road.
Once we got out onto the noisy street, Belinda grabbed my arm. “What happened in there?”
“Antonio Cavelli happened in there! How on earth did he get past us all without anyone noticing?”
They all looked stunned. “He certainly didn’t come past us while we sat waiting for you. He didn’t hurt you, did he?” The look of care and annoyance on Samantha’s face made my anger calm a little.
“No, he didn’t. It was what he said that pissed me off.”
“What did he say?”
Looking down the end of the road to the car park, I spotted Tony getting out of the car to get ready for us. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at the three of them.
“He just said some shit about me not knowing anything about Luca, that’s all.”
Belinda shook her head. “I wouldn’t listen to a word that arsehole said. Remember what he did last time? He’s a lying piece of scum.”
I scratched my head. “I know what you’re saying.”
Belinda’s eyes widened. “You believe him, don’t you?”
I sighed. “Well, come on, Belinda. I probably know as much as you do about Luca. What the fuck do I know about him? He seems to know the ins and outs of me, but I know sod all about him.” I often did wonder at times, but because I was having so much fun with Luca, I never pushed it.
Grabbing my arm, Mia looked me in the eye. “Look, I know what you’re saying, but one thing we all know for sure is that Antonio Cavelli is a bad man, and he seems intent on breaking you two apart. Are you going to let him do that? Again?”
Sighing, I looked down to the floor for a moment before meeting Mia’s sparkling, bright eyes. “No, you’re right. No wonder Alessandro loves you so much.”
Mia’s eyes twinkled ever brighter as she blushed. She and Alessandro had been going just as strong as Luca and I. She had given it all up for him of course. She didn’t want to leave, and I wasn’t about to let her go, so I offered her a position as the right-hand woman to my right-hand woman, Belinda. Both girls have been doing a stand-up job running the place, and as for me, my job has been so much easier. Half the time, I could just sit back, relax, and let the money roll in. It got me antsy at times as I was still used to doing it all myself. Letting others take control was not easy for the first couple of months, but I had been learning to live with it and had even been enjoying myself a lot more. All of my girls thought Luca was a blessing in disguise for me. They thought I’d become a changed woman—in a nice way of course. Rachael didn’t feel the same, but the others have welcomed the change.