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“She probably was just starstruck,” I explain.
Eve rolls her eyes. “Alec, I know the difference between being starstruck and infatuated. That waitress girl was besotted by you.” Then she breaks into a smile. “Never mind. When I become your wife, I’ll put an end to it.”
Put an end to what? I’m curious, but I don’t ask because I have no intention of making her my wife.
“So…” Eve bats her lashes at me. “Why are we here?” I’m sure her father has briefed her on what this date is supposed to be about. Ideally, I should spend the entire time getting to know her and assuring her of our marriage, but that won’t happen.
I’m about to respond when a series of clicks and flashes has me freezing in my seat. “Mr. Ace, this way, please. We want to take a picture,” one of the paparazzi shouts. “Alec has been out of the public eye for years; we need exclusive photos of this moment,” I hear another shout.
“Miss Sicily!” They continued to shout, followed by continuous clicks that hurt my ears. “This way, Miss Sicily. Is it true that there will be a wedding between you and Alec?”
Suddenly, my bodyguards arrive, manned by Damien, and the paparazzi are chased out of the venue. I wonder what took Damien so long; these fuckers must have gotten thousands of photos of Eve and me. How did they get here? How did they know I was going to be here?
I look up and catch Eve’s gaze on me. “Eve, did you call the paparazzi?”
“What?” She shakes her head. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t appreciate your attitude, Alec,” she says with a frown. “And when the paparazzi were here, you kept your face in a frown. The least you could have done is to smile. Do you know how hurt my image will be when those pictures come out and you’re frowning like you were forced to be here?”
“I was forced to be here,” I answer, meeting Eve’s eyes.
“What!”
“I’m sorry, Eve, but this isn’t working,” I confess. “I don’t want to be here at all. I’m sure you don’t want to, either.”
“I do,” she says. “Don’t speak for me.”
I go silent, realizing I’m talking to a woman who is probably in love with me or halfway there. I don’t know how she got here because Eve and I rarely spend time together. We hardly even speak to each other.
“Since we were kids, our family has always wanted us together,” she says. “You know how important this is. Are you sure you want to throw it all away?”
“Eve, I’m sorry,” I answer softly. “I think I’ll be doing you a disservice by marrying you. We shouldn’t be used as a puppet by our families this way. I refuse to make this kind of commitment. I can’t do it.”
Slowly, Eve rises and slips her coat back on. At this time, the waitress walks in, carrying our food tray. “Very well, then,” she says. “I’ll be sure to tell our parents exactly what you said. Thank you for lunch.” She walks away, running into the waitress and causing her to trip. The food spills across the floor, but Eve doesn’t stop. She continues walking until she’s out the door.
The waitress’s eyes widen with terror. “Oh, my gosh,” she cries. “My boss will kill me. Oh, my goodness.”
I can’t tell if Eve had walked into this girl deliberately, but I won’t put it past her. Anyway, it’s my fault, and I have to take care of it. “Clean up the mess. I’ll take care of the bill.”
***
I knew my parents would flip when they heard about my breakup with Eve, but I didn’t know they would find out so soon. As soon as I drive up to the house, my mother accosts me at the door, her eyes wide with rage. My father is behind her, looking equally disappointed.
“What did you do?” she asks, giving me the benefit of the doubt for the first time. “Alec. What did you do?”
I step out of the car and slam the door shut. “What are you talking about?”
“How dare you!” she yells, stepping into my face. “Is this what you want? An estrangement between Sicilian and Ace Corps. Is that what you want?”
“Lillian.” My father holds her, trying to pull her away from me.
“I’m sorry mother, but I don’t love Eve.” I shake my head. “There’s no way it would work.”
“Love?” My mother throws her head back with mean laughter, the feathers in her fascinator dancing in the air. “This isn’t about love; this is about business. You are the heir to this empire; you should be able to make sacrifices.”
“Asking me to sacrifice my happiness for this business is selfish, Mother,” I respond. “I won’t do it. Marriage is a sacred commitment; I won’t desecrate it by involving myself in a sham partnership with anyone. When I marry, it’s going to be for love.”
