Chapter Thirty

Bianca

“That’s the story, morning glory.”

Somehow I thought regaling Maria with everything that had transpired between me and her father (no, I was not using the wrong phrase) and then Knox and I would give me clarity on this whole hot mess.

No such luck, though.

I felt like dice in a game box—shaken up and unsure how I’d land once I finally came down.

Maria’s eyes looked as big as saucers as she brought her feet up on the couch and tucked them under her. As she’d settled in and got over her initial shock, she leaned over and grabbed the glass filled with red wine, bringing it to her lips. “Your story warrants the wine,” she explained and took a sip.

Boy, did I know it.

I sat with my knees to my throat and my back against the arm, waiting for anything, anything at all. I wished I could pull the words of wisdom out of her.

Finally, she set her glass down and put me out of my misery, asking, “So what happened last night? You know, after you moved in with Knox.” Lifting a hand up and shaking her head, she added, “Temporarily, of course.”

“Nothing,” I practically shouted, annoyed that was my answer. But that was the truth. Nothing, and I mean nothing, had happened. “He said he had to pick some friend up from a bar and by the time he came back I was sleeping in the second bedroom, so I didn’t even hear him come in. I woke up this morning and he was gone.”

She smacked her lips together and let her eyes wander. “I hate to say this, but you might have scared him off.”

“What?” I refused to believe that. Knox was so chill. And he’d said I could stay with him. What she was saying couldn’t be true. “No,” I decided, “that’s not the case. Knox would have told me if he was uncomfortable with me staying with him.”

“Bianca’s right, I wouldn’t just let a woman stay with me if I didn’t want her to,” Dom backed me as he walked down the stairs, pink fairy backpack in hand. He was here to pick up Isabella so he could drop her off at a playdate. “She’ll be down in a minute,” he said to Maria and winked at me.

And now I was grateful Dom was here because I was able to stick my tongue out at Maria and say, “Ha! You’re wrong on this one.”

Dom ran his free hand along his chiseled jaw before leaving it there as he looked at me. “Unless he feels like he’s between a rock and a hard spot. I mean, see it from a dude’s perspective. He says yes and is stuck in an uncomfortable situation, but comes out smelling like a rose. He says no, though, and he’s stunad for turning you away when you need his help.”

My mouth fell open slightly. “Knox would not have been stupid if he said no to me.” Then I addressed the elephant by saying, “And I should have known you would see things Maria’s way. You two make me sick sometimes.”

Maria chuckled but looked back at Dom, who was standing behind the couch, his hand on her shoulder now. “We just see eye to eye, that’s all.”

Yeah, bull. “What do I do?” I asked, groaning as I threw my head forward and let my hair completely cover my face. “Why is there not a manual on stuff like this?”

Dom harrumphed. “If there was, would you read it?”

I popped my head back up and combed my hair back into place with my hands. “I don’t know, maybe. After all, I am unemployed, so I have nothing but time on my hands these days.”

Maria leaned over and placed a hand on my knee. “Hey, Dad will realize he made a big mistake and rehire you. He’s just full of steam sometimes.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t even care about that.” I exhaled. “I’m just confused, and I don’t like this feeling.” That was an understatement.

Dom cursed under his breath as his eyes fell to his wrist, staring at the time on the watch. “She’s going to be late for the playdate if we don’t leave now.”

Maria eyed him. “What’s she doing up there anyway?”

“How should I know?” Dom asked, his brow raised. “She just told me she’d meet me downstairs.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Peanut!” Dom called up the stairs. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”

Something told me time meant nothing to that little girl.

A moment later, Isabella came running down the stairs before turning the corner and sliding down the railing. “Catch me, Uncle Dom!” she shouted.

He placed the backpack at the bottom of the stairs and stood there, arms open so he could catch her. Isabella was one lucky girl to have Dom there to catch her and I didn’t just mean that literally. Dom would do anything for Isabella.

She giggled in his arms as he lifted her like an airplane and swung her in the air.

When her feet finally touched the floor, she held up a hand. “Look, Aunt Bibi! I bedazzled the purse you bought me.”

I peered over at Maria and eyed the designer handbag I’d bought her in Milan that was now covered in rhinestones. Dom, Maria, and I all looked at one another before Maria and I finally laughed. “You definitely found a way to make that bag shine,” I said, getting up from my seat and bending down in front of her.

She put the bag in my face and turned it all around. “See,” she said.

I smiled. “You know what, I actually think it looks better like this.” Turning to Maria now, I winked. “We might have an up-and-coming designer on our hands.”

Peanut gasped, her eyes aglow. “You mean it?” Then she looked perplexed, turning her head up to stare at Dom. “But how can I be a model like you, Uncle Dom, and a designer?”

“You come from a long line of strong, independent women. You can do anything you set your mind to,” Dom answered.

I tapped the tip of her nose, and she faced me again. “Plus, don’t forget about Bellissima. You don’t want to work there?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Mommy’s job isn’t cool.”

Maria got up, placing the wine glass on the coffee table. “All right, shouldn’t you be on your way to a playdate, little miss?” She looked over at Dom and something passed between the two of them. They didn’t need words; it was like they could read each other’s minds.

Dom picked up the backpack and placed his hands on Isabella’s shoulders. “Come on, Peanut, say goodbye to Mommy. She’ll pick you up from school tomorrow.” Then he turned to Maria as Isabella ran to the door. “Don’t worry, I have everything she needs for the night.”

Maria nodded. “I know. I don’t ever worry about her staying at your place, Dom. You should know that by now.”

They didn’t say anything more. Didn’t need to, it seemed.

The duo said goodbye to us and the next thing I knew, we were alone again.

I tucked my hair behind my ear and walked with Maria as she brought the glasses to the sink. “So I’ve been meaning to ask you: what’s with you lately? Not that you’re not always sure of yourself, but now it’s like. . .” I tried to find the right word. “I’m not sure how to describe it, but it’s like you’re saucier.” I was thinking about the way she’d told me to go for it with Knox in Milan. But that wasn’t the only time—there had been a few moments lately where she had me doing a double take.

Placing the glasses in the sink, she turned toward me and the corner of her lips curled upward as though she was about to laugh. “Bibi, what are you talking about?”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t make it seem like I’m batty. You know that I know what you don’t want me to know.” That was a mouthful. I looked upward for a second, thinking about the sequence of that. Yeah, that’s what I meant.

Maria quirked a brow, clearly wondering the same thing. “Not too sure about the saucy comment, but I met a man.”

I placed a hand on my hip and pursed my lips. “What do you mean you met a man? Like in a casual, friendly way or in a I’m-attracted-to-him-and-want-to-jump-his-bones way?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” With her back against the counter, she crossed her arms, looking everywhere but at me. Then her eyes finally met mine and she shrugged. “But I don’t hate spending time with him, and I wouldn’t hate it if we started dating.”

I stuck a hand up and shook my head. “I’m sorry, but no. Just no.”

Maria’s eyes widened and she went to speak, but I stopped her.

“That’s not right. What you’re doing isn’t right. What about Dom?”

“What about him?” She ran a hand through her long, dark brown hair that flowed over her shoulders. “Dom Deluca and I are complicated. I don’t know if I have it in me to even go there. I mean, we’re friends, Bibi. Good friends,” she insisted, her eyes practically bugging out of her head as though to say so stop pushing this .

I gestured with my hands as I spoke. “Fine, I’ll drop it. I have enough going on in my own life as it is.” Before totally letting it go, though, I pointed a finger at her. “But be careful. Dom isn’t going to be single forever. You can’t expect him to wait around. Don’t regret the decision you make, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Noted,” she tried shutting me up. “Like I said, though, Dom and I are good friends, and our situation isn’t black and white. I have Isabella to think of, too.”

I arched a brow. “You know Isabella loves Dom.”

“I know,” she responded softly.

Clearing my throat, I decided to do what she’d suggested and change the subject. “So I heard Allie got a roommate. Some bad timing, huh? If she didn’t have one, I could’ve lived with her. Perla always did have the better room in that apartment.”

Maria chuckled. “Oh, yeah, you don’t even know the half of it.”

“Oooh. I feel gossip coming on. What’s going on?”

She raised her hands up. “This isn’t my story to tell. You should ask her about it. Let’s just say out of all the candidates she had, I find it a little hard to believe this one was her best option.”

My mouth fell open. “Oh, the possibilities! Who is it?”

Maria didn’t answer, only turned around and went back to washing the glasses.

“Nothing? You’re going to leave me hanging?” I walked over to her and stood off to the side. “Come on, is she someone we know? Is she weird? You have to give me something!”

Finally, Maria looked over at me. “He,” she said simply.

“He?” I raised my brows. “What are you talking about?” Then it dawned on me. “Ah! Her roommate isn’t a woman, it’s a man?”

Wait, Allie has a male roommate? What was she thinking? And where the heck have I been? Oh, that’s right, dealing with my own drama.