She grabbed her fork and sliced into the layers of noodles and marinara. “So…tell me more about this woman you’re seeing.”
“Not much to say. Like I said, it’s not serious.”
“What does she do?”
“She’s a waitress.”
“How old is she?”
“Not sure, but probably a few years younger than me.”
“What’s she like?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“Sorry, I’m curious. We don’t talk anymore, so I’m interested in everything I’ve missed.”
I hoped we wouldn’t have another drought of activity. “Her ex-husband cheated on her, so she left him.”
“Good for her. She’s strong.”
“Yeah. She had a miscarriage, so he got drunk and hooked up with someone else.”
“Wow…jackass.”
“Yeah, I’m not a fan. The guy was really wealthy and she refused to take his money in the divorce, so she’s broke.”
“She’s proud.”
“Very.” I admired that about her, even though I wished she would take her cut of the settlement. “She barely makes ends meet, and she lives in a bad neighborhood…so I worry sometimes. Wish she would get a better job.”
“Does she have any skills? Education?”
I shook my head. “Other than being smart and beautiful, she’s got nothing.”
“And good in the sack, apparently.”
“That gets her free dinners with me.”
She chuckled. “I could find her something at the hotel.”
I stared at her blankly because I couldn’t believe the offer she’d just put on the table. “What? Are you serious?”
“Why not?”
“She’s not my girlfriend or anything. I don’t want you bending over backward.”
“I’m not. Just want to help. It’s hard starting over. It was hard for me, and I had my inheritance and my mother.”
It was still really generous. “What positions do you have open?”
“She could work in the office with me. The assistant office manager just transferred to Rome because she’s getting married, so that’s vacant.”
“She doesn’t have office experience that I know of. She said she married young and became a housewife.”
“It’s not that hard. I could train her and get her up to speed.”
“Again, I don’t want you to do all this work if she’s not gonna be around forever.”
“It’s really not a big deal, Damien.”
Knowing Annabella would have a nice salary and work at a good place made me feel relieved. I would bump into her sometimes when I stopped by the hotel, but I ran into old flames all the time, and we either ignored each other or were civil…with the occasional slap or drink in the face. “I’ll let her know she’s got an interview.”
“Great. And since she is gonna be around…maybe you should keep seeing her.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t even met her, Sofia. She could be a nightmare.”
“I doubt it. I can tell you care about her by the way you talk about her.”
“I say nice things about people all the time.”
She laughed loudly this time. “No, you don’t. Not ever.”
I walked her back into the lobby of the hotel.
“Thanks for lunch.” She rubbed her slightly extended stomach that protruded from her dress. “It was delicious.”
“It’s the least I could do since I was such an asshole.”
She chuckled. “Well, I hope you’re an asshole more often.”
Both of us stopped when we spotted Hades heading toward us in a deep blue suit with a black tie. His eyes hinted at the underworld.
I slid my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t punch him. “This should be good…”
Hades reached us, and for the first time in his life, he ignored his wife. His wrath was fixated on me. “Leave my wife alone, Damien.” He spoke quietly so everyone else in the lobby wouldn’t hear the deadly threat. “Get your own damn friends.”
Yeah…it really seemed like he still cared.
Sofia stared at her husband like she didn’t recognize him. “Hades…”
I thought he couldn’t hurt me anymore, but he managed to get that blade right between my ribs. My gaze was hollow, but I was bleeding inside.
He continued that unblinking stare. “Go.” He nodded to the door.
Sofia grabbed him by the arm. “Stop acting like this. Now.”
Hades listened to his wife but still didn’t look at her.
“I’m the one who’s been texting him every day because I miss him,” Sofia said. “He’s my friend, and I don’t give a damn if you don’t like it.”
He finally turned his gaze on her.
“Damien would never hurt me, and you know it.” She started to pull him away. “I’ll see you later, Damien.” She took her husband down the hall so they could talk in private in her office.
I watched them walk away and knew I’d get another earful at the bank.
I’d just finished with a client at the bar, and now I sat alone with my arms folded on the surface. I stared straight ahead, seeing the mirror behind the shelves stacked with bottles of booze.
My phone lit up with a text message from Annabella. I know it’s after hours, but could I schedule an emergency dick appointment?