Page 12 of Ruin

Another opportunity lost to this condescending, self-righteous bitch.

I replied, “Nope. All yours. Antonio didn’t show at dinner last night. He ghosted me.”

Her eyes widened, jaw dropping in response. “No. Absolutely not! Put up a fight, honey. I am begging you!”

She set her cup down, the sound of the porcelain hitting the glass tabletop echoed through the room. “Listen, honey. I met with him the night before last. He is lovely. He gave me a tour, and I tried wines and gave him my whole pitch.”

Jennifer rested her hand over mine, her eyes locked in on me, her brows low. “You can’t leave. I’m staying a few more nights, and you should too. I don’t like to win like this.” She shook her head, and from what I could tell, she was being sincere. “I’m not going to let you quit. We are women, and we look out for each other.”

I shrugged as a ping of admiration for her filled my chest.

Sure, she’s a lot, and she has taken a lot from me, but…I think I like her.

“I don’t really have a choice. Budget cuts. You know…” I said back to her with a wink as I pulled my hands away, knowing that she would put two and two together to realize she was the cause.

She shook her head as she spoke. “Long Island! Call your people. Tell them you need more time. Get it done!”

And with that, she set her empty cup down on the table, stood up, straightened her red, hip-hugging dress, and grabbed her expensive bag.

She leaned down to my eye level, resting her hand against the table, and whispered slowly, “And for the love of God, be careful out here, Mami.”

I stared at her as she walked away, rounding the corner of the lobby toward the luxury villas just beyond the garden.

What the fuck was I supposed to do now? What shot do I really have at winning this account? Especially now that I know Prestige and Jennifer are here!

I closed my laptop screen and stared into the distance, my focus going past the windows and out onto the beautiful rolling vineyard.

Fuck it.

I was pressing Brian’s contact card on my iPhone before I could talk myself out of it. Telling him what happened, letting him down after everything he has done for me…I couldn’t fathom it. But I came all this way, so I had to try to salvage this. Before I could take a cleansing breath, Brian’s phone quickly went to voicemail.

I mumbled into the phone, “Hey, Brian. Call me back. I have updates, and I need to speak with you…urgently.”

As soon as I hung up, I quickly realized it was the middle of the night for him.

Oops.

I threw my laptop into my tote and grabbed the handle of my suitcase, the wheels spinning frantically as I ran. Hiding in the corner of the opulent lobby sat the inconspicuous wooden desk, surrounded by towering, ornate topiaries on both sides. As the rumble of my suitcase echoed through the lobby, a young man—tall, sun-kissed, and with broad shoulders under his crimson blazer—appeared from behind the desk.

My eyes widened as I tried not to stare.

Holy shit. Why are all these men so hot?

Finally reaching the desk, he offered me a gracious smile, his demeanor warm and welcoming. He spoke smoothly as his hand brushed dark, wavy tendrils from his face.

“Benvenuta, signorina del Vigneto Riserva del Regale. Il tuo nome?”

I stood silently, my eyes glowing with bewilderment as I struggled, debating how to respond.

He noted the confusion that must have been plastered across my face and spoke again, pronouncing every word clearly, “My apologies, signorina. Welcome to Vigneto Riserva del Regale. Your name?”

I responded, practically exasperated and begging for any kind of assistance at all, “Oh, no. I am already a guest here. But I have a problem.”

I took a deep inhale, my eyes widening as I felt my heart pounding in my chest. “Antonio never met with me last night, and I need to see if you can help me rearrange my trip and maybe meet with him tonight. Can you help?”

His warm smile greeted me as he looked down at me from his place behind the desk, his words thick like honey as he spoke. “Ah, Miss Bailey. I am Lorenzo. So very nice to meet you.” He rested his palm against his chest and bowed slightly as blush crept across my cheeks.

He raised his head and smiled, his straight white teeth a stark contrast to his dark, tanned skin. “I am extremely glad to see you. We have news for you. Based on your…uh, situation…this is exceptionally good news,” he replied as he nodded reassuringly, his eyes scanning the computer just below the countertop of the desk.