Page 55 of Our Chaotic Love Affair

Cleo picked up her fork again. I could see her thinking. “Is he married?”

“Yes.”

“Want me to talk to the wife and see if I can get a read on the situation?”

I hadn’t even thought of that angle. “Sure. If you can.”

“Women in that position talk to other women. Especially women who seem like they might understand the particular experience of being attached to a man who carries a lot of weight.” She looked at me. “Which I will appear to be.”

“Yes.”

“What am I listening for?”

“Anything about why Rossi is nervous. Business trouble. External pressure. Reputation concerns. Anything that tells me what he’s actually protecting.”

She nodded slowly, eating and thinking at the same time. “And you’ll be working the room on your end.”

“Rossi and his board members. I need them to see the Bancroft presence as stabilizing rather than threatening.”

“So you need to be charming.”

“I’m always charming.”

She gave me a look that communicated her thoughts on that clearly without requiring words.

“I can be charming,” I amended.

“I’ve seen evidence of it,” she allowed. “Occasional evidence.”

We ate for a moment in comfortable silence. The café filled slightly around us.

“This is good,” she said, for approximately the fourth time, and she meant it every time.

“I know.”

“I want to come back here before I leave.”

“We’ll come back.”

She looked at me across the small table. She looked happy. Different. Like Rome was already doing something for her that New York couldn’t. She was here for her—and me, but mostly her.

Her phone buzzed on the table.

She glanced down at it. “Uh-oh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t text Melody when I got up this morning.”

“So?”

She frowned at me. “So, I told her I would. Sorry, don’t want to be rude, but I have to text her back.”

I picked up my espresso and waved my other hand. “By all means. We don’t want Melody to worry about her adult friend.”

CHAPTER 20

CLEO