Page 137 of Marcello

But she was already gone.

41

Icalled the same hotel across from the Castel dell’Ovo. I didn’t splurge on the suite this time, but I still got a deluxe room with a fantastic view of the harbor.

I checked in around six and left word with the front desk that I would be expecting a guest. Then I ordered room service to be delivered at 8:30. Filet mignon with red wine for me, lobster with white wine for her – but I figured we could switch depending on what she wanted. There was also a bottle of champagne on ice to go with strawberries and whipped cream for dessert.

The food showed up at 8:30 on the dot.

Giulietta did not.

I paced back and forth for the next 15 minutes, wondering if I should text her –

When there was a knock on the door.

I opened it up –

And she flung herself into my arms and kissed me.

I kissed her back passionately for nearly a minute.

When she finally broke it off, she grinned up at me impishly. “I missed you so much.”

“Me, too.” I moved to kiss her again –

But she teasingly pulled away and went over to the room service table. “Sorry I’m late – I’m starving. Let’s eat.”

She didn’t even ask – she just plopped down in the chair in front of the filet mignon and started cutting into it.

I liked lobster just fine, so I sat down opposite her and dug in.

“So, what’s been going on with you since we last met?” I asked.

“Nothing much,” she said as she wolfed down the steak.

“Why weren’t you able to call if there wasn’t anything going on?”

She smirked and raised one eyebrow. “Are you going to be the girl in this relationship?”

I laughed. “So it’s a relationship, then?”

“You ARE the girl!” she teased me.

“I just want to see you as much as possible, that’s all.”

“Trust me, I’m seeing you as much as I possibly can.”

Something didn’t quite fit, but I didn’t press it.

“What about you?” she asked. “What’ve you been doing?”

Training to break into a house and hold a family hostage so we can strong-arm a gangster into betraying his father so we can kill the entire family.

“Eh, just work,” I said dismissively.

“What do you do for work?”

I knew she would eventually ask that, and I’d considered my answer carefully.