The Vineyards Of Calanetti
She wasn’t alone. A young man stood next to her table. Angelo’s gut knotted. He told himself that it was because she was supposed to be working, not flirting. His only interest was in her getting her work done in a timely fashion. But as the chime of her laughter carried through the gentle breeze, Angelo’s mouth pulled into a frown.
He strode toward the table. Kayla didn’t even notice him approach as she was captivated by the young man.
Angelo cleared his throat. “Hello, Kayla.”
Both heads turned his way. Kayla’s eyes opened wide with surprise. The young man drew himself up to his full height as though he was about to defend his right to be flirting with Kayla. The guy had no idea that Angelo had no intention of challenging his right to gain Kayla’s attention. After all, it would be for the best if she was interested in someone—as long as it wasn’t him. But that would all have to wait, because right now she was on the clock. And he needed her help.
Angelo used his practiced professional voice, the one that let people know that he meant business. “How’s the Van Holsen account coming?”
“Uh, good. Dino was just asking about the royal wedding.”
“He was?” Angelo stepped between Kayla and the young man. “What do you want to know?”
The young man glanced down, not meeting Angelo’s direct gaze. “I...I was just curious if the rumor was true that they might pick Monte Calanetti for the wedding.”
“It is. Is there anything else?”
Dino shrugged his shoulders. “I guess not.”
“Good. Kayla has work to do now. If you’ll excuse us.”
“Uh, sure.” Dino leaned to the side to look at Kayla. “I’ll see you around.”
“Bye.”
Angelo took a seat next to Kayla. “It seems you’ve found yourself an admirer.”
“Who? Dino?” She shook her head. “He was just interested in what I knew about the royal wedding, which wasn’t anything more than he’s heard through the grapevine. How’s the pitch for the wedding coming?”
“Good.” Liar.
He wasn’t about to admit that he, Angelo Amatucci, couldn’t come up with a dynamic pitch that would turn the prince’s and his bride’s heads. No way. What would Kayla think of him? No. Scratch that. He didn’t want to know what she’d think. She’d probably laugh at him.
“I’m glad to hear it’s going well. I know that I’m not the only one who’s anxious for the pitch. Imagine a royal wedding. The whole world will be watching it and you’ll have played a big part in it.”
“Not a big part.”
“You’re too modest. You’re like the village hero now.”
Just what he needed was more pressure. He swallowed down his uneasiness. “You’re assuming that the prince will choose this village, and that’s a big leap.”
“But why wouldn’t they pick Monte Calanetti? From the little I’ve seen, I think it’s a lovely village.”
“That’s just because you didn’t grow up here.”
Her green eyes widened. “You really didn’t like living here?”
He shook his head, but he wasn’t going to get into the details of his childhood or his strained relationship with his parents. Kayla had already been privy to more about his private life than anyone else ever. But something told him that his family secrets were safe with her.
Not in the mood to talk anymore about this village or dwell on the fact that he’d wasted two days without coming up with anything striking or fascinating, he decided to turn the conversation around. “How is the work going?”
CHAPTER NINE
COULD SHE PRETEND she hadn’t heard Angelo?
Kayla had spent a large chunk of time at this poolside table. With most of the guests either off sightseeing or attending other engagements, it was a peaceful place for her to jot out more ideas for the Van Holsen account. But after going back and forth between the art department and the very demanding client, they were still missing the mark.
It didn’t help that her ideas for the Van Holsen account had stalled. For the past half hour or so, she’d been jotting out ideas for the fund-raiser back in New York. The event was their last hope to keep the after-school program going for so many at-risk kids and it was weighing heavy on her mind. There were still so many details to iron out.
And as exciting as it was to be working with Angelo Amatucci on what could be the project to catapult her career, she couldn’t forget the children. They were relying on her to make their lives a little better by raising money to keep their facility open.
“Kayla, did you hear me?”
The sound of Angelo’s voice startled her back to the here and now. “Sorry. I just had a thought.”
“About the account?”
She nodded. “It’s coming along.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you have so far and we can work on it together?”
She glanced down at her closed notebook. “That’s okay. I know you have more important things to concentrate on. I’ve got this.”
Angelo’s dark brows drew together. “Listen, I know that things haven’t exactly been right between us since, well, you know...the kiss. If that’s still bothering you—?”
“It’s not.” Yes, it was. But not the way he was thinking. The kiss had been better than she’d ever imagined. And she knew that it could never happen again. She had too much on the line to risk it all by fooling around with her boss.
The truth of the matter was the pad of paper also contained her thoughts for the benefit concert. Angelo had a strict policy about not taking on charity accounts—he believed there were too many good causes and not enough time to help them all. Kayla couldn’t understand his stance, but then again she’d never been in charge of a large company. Maybe there was more to it than what she knew.
The one thing she did know was that she couldn’t let Angelo find out that she was organizing a fund-raiser while on this trip. She didn’t want him to have a reason not to consider her for a promotion or worse yet to have her replaced as his assistant. She wasn’t sure how he would handle the situation. In all of her time at Amatucci & Associates, she’d never witnessed anyone going against company policy. Angelo was a man no one wanted to cross.
“I’m just jotting out some ideas. Nothing specific yet.” She caught herself worrying her bottom lip, hoping he wouldn’t take exception to her not coming up with something more concrete. After all, they were on a timetable and the clock was ticking. “I spent the morning on the phone with the art department and Mrs. Van Holsen—”
His brows drew together into a formidable line. “Why didn’t you get me?”
“I...I didn’t want to disturb you. I’m supposed to be here to lighten your load.”
He shook his head. “I can’t spend all of my time on one campaign. That isn’t fair to the other clients. I have to stay on top of everything. Next time you speak with a client, I expect to be in on the call. Understood?”
“Yes.”
He let the subject go as he continued on with some other business items. “By the way, while I was on the phone with the office I mentioned that we’d been unavoidably detained in Italy, but I didn’t go into specifics. I don’t want any rumors starting up that we put off longtime clients in favor of this royal wedding pitch. I won’t risk my company’s reputation for something that is never going to happen.”
Kayla’s mouth gaped before she caught it and forced her lips together. “Is that really what you think?”
He nodded. “Pretty much.”
“But why?”
“Well, I can’t see what a royal couple would find so endearing about Monte Calanetti. I think everyone, including my brother and sister, are getting worked up over something that will never happen.”
“I don’t understand. If that’s truly what you think then why go to all of the bother to delay your return to New York and work on a campaign that you’re certain will fail?”
He shrugged. “It’s an obligation that I owe them.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I owe it to Nico and Marianna—you know, for skipping out on them. For letting them fend for themselves with parents who were more wrapped up in their marital drama than worrying about their children.”
“I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be. I didn’t tell you any of that so you’d feel sorry for me. In fact, I don’t know why I mentioned it at all.”
“I’m glad you did. I’d like to think that we’ve become more than coworkers.” When she met his drawn brows, she realized that she’d said more than she should have. “I...I don’t mean about the kiss. I just thought we might be friends, too.”
A wave of relief washed over his face easing the stress lines. “I would like that.”
“You would?”
Slowly he nodded, and then a smile tugged at his lips. “Yes, I would.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. She noticed how the worry lines bracketing his eyes and mouth smoothed. She’d never seen him look so worried before. Why would that be? He was amazing at creating winning pitches. He was amazing in a lot of ways.
Realizing that she was staring, she turned away, but by then, her heart was beating faster than normal. Images of the kiss they’d shared clouded her mind. She’d tried to put it out of her head, but the memory kept her awake late into the night. What had it meant? Had it meant anything? Because there was no way that a wealthy, successful businessman who could have his choice of women would fall for his assistant.
Kayla reached for a tall, cool glass of iced tea. “Would you like something to drink? I could go and get you something.”
“Thanks. But I’m all right.” He looked at her as though studying her. “Can I ask what direction you think the wedding pitch should take?”
“Really?” She sat up straighter. “You want my input?”
He nodded. “I thought you might have some ideas that I hadn’t thought of.”
“I do...have ideas, that is.” She struggled to gather her thoughts.
“I’m listening.”
She’d done a lot of thinking about this—probably too much, considering she hadn’t even been invited to help with the royal pitch until now. “I’m thinking that regardless of whether they go big or small, they’re going to want elements that play into an elegant yet traditional event.”
“That’s true. If they wanted a contemporary feel, they certainly wouldn’t come to Monte Calanetti.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“What’s bothering you?”
“I’m just trying to figure out why this village made the short list for the royal wedding. I mean, there’s nothing special here. I’ve gone round and round with this, but I still have no answer. It’s not like it has amazing history like Rome or the heartbeat of the nation like Milan or the stunning architecture of Venice. This is a little, old village.”
“And it’s tripping you up when you’re trying to come up with a unique pitch.”
Angelo hesitated as though he wasn’t sure whether or not to confide in her. Then he sighed. “Yes, it’s giving me a bit of a problem. No matter which way I go at it, I just can’t find that special quality that will put Monte Calanetti head and shoulders above the other locations.”
Kayla smiled and shook her head. “You just don’t see it because you take this place for granted. It’s your home, but to outsiders, it’s something special.”
His gaze met hers. “You think it’s special?”
She decided a neutral stance was best. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“Then how can you tell me that I’m blind to what’s in front of me when you haven’t even made up your mind?” His voice held a disgruntled tone.
She smiled, liking the fact that she could get past his polished persona and make him feel real genuine emotions. “I mean that I need to see the village.” When he opened his mouth to protest, she held up her hand, stopping him. “And driving straight through it to get to the hotel does not count. It was more of a blur than anything.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that tomorrow you and I will start exploring Monte Calanetti. You can tell me all about it. You know, the little things that a tourist wouldn’t know—the parts that make the village special.”
“Don’t be too disappointed when it doesn’t live up to your expectations.”
“I think you’ll actually end up surprising yourself.”
His gaze narrowed in on her. “You really want to walk all through the village?”
She nodded. “If you want to come up with a winning pitch to make all of the citizens, not to mention your brother and sister very happy, you’re going to have to see it differently.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible. But if you insist on it, I will give you the grand tour.”
“I would like that.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I promised to swing by my brother’s villa. He wants to show me the latest improvements at the winery.” He got to his feet. “Of course, if you’d like to accompany me, you’re welcome.”
Kayla glanced down at her rather sparse list of notes. “I think my time would be better spent here doing some research.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I am. But thank you for the invite.”
The truth was, she and Angelo were getting along a lot better than they had in the office. She’d been working for him for weeks now and they’d only ever addressed each other with mister and miss, but now they were on a first-name basis. And then there was that kiss...er...no she wasn’t going to think about it. No matter how good it was or how much she wished that he’d kiss her again—
Her thoughts screeched to a halt. Did she want him to kiss her again? She turned to watch his retreating form. His broad shoulders were evident in the linen suit jacket. His long, powerful legs moved at a swift pace, covering the patio area quickly.
Yes, she did want to be kissed again. Only this time she wanted him to kiss her because he wanted her and not because he was exhausted and stressed after a run-in with his siblings. But that couldn’t happen. She needed this job.
A quick fling with her boss in the warm sunshine of Tuscany wasn’t worth throwing away her dreams—the rest of her life. No matter how tempting Angelo might be, she just couldn’t ruin this opportunity.
And she couldn’t return to Paradise as a failure.
CHAPTER TEN
WHY EXACTLY HAD he agreed to this?
The last thing Angelo wanted to do was take a stroll through Monte Calanetti. It was like taking a walk back through history—a history that he preferred not to dwell on. Still, he had to admit that having Kayla along would make the journey back in time a little more tolerable, but he still didn’t see how it was going to help him create a winning pitch.
He paced back and forth in the hotel lobby, waiting for Kayla to finish getting ready for their outing. He’d also wanted to check with the front desk to make sure that extending their stay wouldn’t be an issue.
“Mr. Amatucci, you’re in luck.” The concierge strode up to him. “We’ve just had a cancellation. And with a bit of juggling we’ve been able to keep you and your assistant in your suite of rooms.” The young man, who was polished from the top of his short cut hair down to his spiffed-up dress shoes, looked quite pleased with himself. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Actually there is.” Angelo wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but he decided that Kayla deserved a night out for being such a good sport. “I’ve heard that Mancini’s is quite a popular restaurant.”
“Yes, it is. We’re so lucky to have had Raffaele Mancini return to the village. Mancini’s is so popular that they only take reservations.”
That’s what Angelo suspected. “Would you mind making a reservation for myself and my assistant for tomorrow evening?”
The concierge’s face creased with worry lines.
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, sir. They’re usually booked well in advance.”
Angelo wasn’t used to being put off. Even in New York he didn’t have a problem getting into the most popular restaurants. How in the world was it that he was being turned down in little old Monte Calanetti? Impossible.
“Do you know who I am?”
The young man’s eyes opened wide, and then he nodded.
Angelo got the distinct impression that the young man didn’t have a clue who he was or what power he wielded outside of the Tuscany countryside. He felt as though he’d stepped back in time, becoming a nobody who faded into the crowd. With his pride pricked, he gave the young man a pointed look. But he knew that he was letting his past get the best of him. He swallowed down the unwarranted agitation. Of course the young man didn’t know him. The concierge wasn’t much more than a kid.
Angelo decided upon a new approach. “Forgive me. My tone was uncalled-for just now. When you call for the reservations, tell them that the owner of Amatucci & Associates is requesting a table as we are considering including them in the pitch for the royal wedding.”
Maybe he had put it on a little thick just now, but he wanted—no, he needed to prove to everyone including himself that he had far surpassed everyone’s expectations of him—especially his father’s. Angelo’s gut churned at the memory of his father turning to him in anger and saying, You’ll never amount to anything.
“Yes, sir.” The concierge attempted a nervous smile. “I’ll do that right away. I had no idea, sir—”
“It’s okay.” Angelo tipped the young man handsomely to make up for his brusqueness. “I just need you to know that this dinner is very important.” But suddenly Angelo was no longer talking about business or proving himself to the villagers or even the royal wedding. His mind was on Kayla. He liked making her happy, and he was hoping this dinner would earn him another smile or two.
“I’ll get right on it, sir.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Angelo moved over to the small sitting area in the lobby to wait for Kayla. Just about to reach for the newspaper to find out what was going on around the world, Angelo caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Curious to see if it was Kayla, he turned.
His gaze settled on her slender form. He stood transfixed as he took in her beauty. Kayla’s auburn wavy hair hung loose and flowed down over her shoulders. A pair of sunglasses sat atop her head like a hair band. Her face was lightly made up and her reading glasses were nowhere in sight. A sheer tan cardigan covered her arms while beneath was a lacy white tank top. She looked so stunning that all of the villagers would be too busy trying to figure out if she was a movie star to take any notice of him.
“Is everything all right with the suite?” She stopped next to him.
He swallowed hard and glanced away, telling himself to relax. This was still the same Kayla that he’d been working closely with for weeks. He gazed at her again, trying to see her as the levelheaded assistant that he’d come to rely on. Spending the day with her, leisurely strolling about was going to be a struggle. He just had to keep in mind that they had a mission to accomplish—a royal wedding to brainstorm.
“Angelo?” She sent him a concerned look.
“Um...sorry. Yes, the suite is ours for the duration.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “That’s good. You had me worried for a moment there.”
“Nothing at all to worry about. Are you ready for your grand tour?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yes, I am. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Without thinking, he extended his arm to her. Surprise lit up her eyes but in a blink it was gone. She slipped her arm in his. He didn’t know why he’d made the gesture. It just felt right. So much for the promise he’d made himself to remain professional around her. They hadn’t even left the hotel and he was already treating her like...like... Oh, whatever.
Angelo led her out of the hotel into the sunshiny afternoon. He had to admit that it was nice to get away from the stress of the wedding pitch. The whole project had ground to a complete halt. He sure hoped this outing would refill his creative well. If nothing else, maybe it would help him relax so he could start brainstorming again.
He glanced over to find Kayla taking in their surroundings. “I thought we would walk since the village isn’t far from here.”
“Sounds fine by me. I’ve been cooped up in the hotel long enough. Back in New York, I’m used to doing a lot of walking.”
“Really. Where do you walk?” He didn’t know why but he was truly interested.
“I walk to the subway and then to the office. Sometimes, if the weather is right, I will duck out at lunch and stretch my legs.”
“So you truly like to walk.”
She nodded. “It sure beats eating like a bird. If you hadn’t noticed, I do enjoy food.” She rubbed her flat abs. “Especially pasta.”
“Would you like to try some of the best Italian food in the region?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. From what I’ve heard, you should be impressed with the restaurant I’ve chosen.”
“Is it far from here?”
“Not at all. In fact, it’s right here in Monte Calanetti. We have reservations for tomorrow night.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Good. Consider it a date.”
When her fine brows rose and her eyes glittered with unspoken questions, he realized he’d blundered. But he didn’t take back the words. He liked the thought of having a friendly date with her.
They walked a bit before Kayla spoke. “What’s it called?”
“Mancini’s. It’s an exclusive IGF-starred restaurant on the outskirts of the village. The chef is a friend of my brother’s.”
“This friend of your brother’s, is he from around here?”
“Yes, he grew up here. After Raffaele achieved international success with his cooking, he returned to open his own restaurant. I suspect he was anxious to try running his own place, but I’m surprised he didn’t start his business in one of the cities like Rome or Milan.”
“Perhaps he just wanted to be home again. Have you really never considered moving back here?”
Angelo gave a firm shake of head. “Not even once.”
“Don’t you like it here?”
“It...it has a lot of memories. Not all of them good ones.”
Angelo remembered how he’d been turned away from his home and told not to return. The buried memories came flooding back to him. The loud arguments between his parents. His brother and sister upset. And then there was the last time he came to his mother’s defense. He’d experienced many a row with his father before that life-altering one—the one where his father threw him out of the house, telling him that he was old enough to make it on his own.
When Angelo had turned a pleading stare to his mother, she’d told him that he was a smart, strong young man and that it was time to make his way in life. That was when he’d had no choice but to follow his dreams. With the aid of his inheritance from his grandfather combined with his meager savings, he’d set out for New York.
Though he hated to leave his brother and sister, he didn’t have a choice. His father was a stubborn man who wouldn’t back down from an argument. And Angelo wasn’t about to live any longer with his parents and their dysfunctional relationship. In fact, he hadn’t even come back to Monte Calanetti to visit until his mother and father had moved to Milan. He had no intention of seeing his father again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Kayla’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “What? Um...oh, you didn’t.”
She sent him an I-don’t-believe-you look but said nothing more. They continued toward the village in silence. It felt so strange to be back here—when he’d left all of those years ago, he’d sworn that he’d never return. And he hadn’t for a long time.
The truth was he missed his brother and sister. But he rarely made the journey home. It was too hard. There were too many unsettling memories lurking about, and he just didn’t have the same draw to this place that his brother and sister did. He didn’t understand Nico’s need to cling to their heritage, not when there were so many adventures outside of Monte Calanetti to experience.
“This is beautiful.” Kayla stood at the crumbling rock wall that surrounded the village, which was perched high upon a hill. “What an amazing view. What’s with the wall?”