Truth be told, I am relieved that he hasn’t given up on us.
I step back and hold my arm out. “Please, do come in.” They walk in and Dr. Miracash puts his bag onto the table, I watch on as he takes out a swab and a test tube. “This isn’t an invasive test, you just need to rub this swab around on the inside of your cheek and we will send it off for analysis.”
“That’s it?” I frown.
“Yes, this will give us enough DNA to see if further testing is required.”
“Have you….” My voice trails off, I don’t want to say it out loud.
“Mr. Ferrara has already done his test.”
“Oh.” I fake a smile, there’s my answer. “Sure.”
I watch on as he takes the swab out and passes it to me and I swipe it around the inside of my cheek and then the other side. I dig it in until I swear I nearly draw blood.
I want answers too.
I pass it back over to him and then he puts it into the test tube and bags it up.
Dr. Ormond then takes out another swab and passes it over, I frown in question.
“Mr. Ferrara wants two tests carried and sent to separate labs to be sure.”
Of course he does, I roll my lips to hide my smile and take the test from him and repeat the process.
“I’ll need you to fill this paperwork out,” Dr. Ormond asks as he passes me a clipboard with a permission slip attached. I do as I’m asked, fill it out and pass it back.
“How long until the results are back?” I ask.
“Mr. Ferrara has expressed the urgency of this matter, so hopefully within a few days.”
My heart swells, he wants to see me urgently. That makes two of us, this last week without him has felt like an eternity in hell.
“Okay,” I smile as we walk toward the door. “Are you flying home now?”
“Yes, we came on the Ferrara jet, returning tonight.”
A thought comes to my mind. I’ve only ever seen Dr. Miracash when he came to our home. “Do you have your own practice in Milan?” I ask, it’s never even crossed my mind to ask this before.
“No, I’m a general practitioner, also a surgeon. I work full time for Ferrara industries,” Dr. Miracash replies.
“Oh….” I stare at him as I wonder how many of the Ferrara men he has put back together over the years. “I see.” A surgeon…wow, that would be so they could go untraced by the hospital system. “Well, thank you for coming.” I open the door. “So you will call me?” I ask.
“Mr. Ferrara has requested that the test results go to him first, he will instruct us from there.”
“Okay.” I nod in understanding. That’s code for, if it’s good news Giuliano wants to tell me himself, if it’s bad news, which I think it is, the doctor will call me. “Goodbye.”
I watch the two men walk down the hall and get into the elevator, the doors close and they disappear out of sight.
I stare at the closed doors for a moment, I never thought that my future life would depend on the results of a stick covered in saliva. I exhale heavily and close the door, don’t get your hopes up.
*
The rain pours down as I push out through the heavy glass doors at my office. I worked on-site today and just as my boss predicted, I was interrupted almost every ten minutes and achieved next to nothing. I definitely will be working from home for the next few weeks, there’s no way I’m going to make all my deadlines with today’s productivity.
As I walk out I see my black Mercedes and another man standing with the door open, he’s in the customary black suit and is holding an umbrella over his head. I haven’t seen him before, who is he?
Shit.
I dart back into the building and check my messages. There’s one from Lorenzo that came through an hour ago, I haven’t seen it yet.
Hi Cheska,
You have a new driver today.
His name is Davidoff.
Lorenzo
Xox
What?
I instantly dial Lorenzo’s number and he answers first ring as if expecting my call. “Hello, darling.”
“Hi.” I force myself to use my manners. “Where’s Antonio?”
“He’s been moved back to Italy,” Lorenzo replies calmly.
“Why?” I snap, although I already know the answer, it’s because he told Giuliano that I’m back with Marcel.
“Giuliano wants him in Rome for the time being.”
“Rome?” My eyes bulge from their sockets. “It’s not safe in Rome, why would he send him to Rome?”
Lorenzo lets out a deep exhale. “It is not for us to decide where Giuliano stations his staff, Francesca, Davidoff will now be looking after you.”
“Davidoff?” I gasp, annoyed, I peer through the glass windows to see the burly man.
He’s huge, mid to late forties, and hardened.
Nobody is messing with Davidoff.
“He’s been with the company for many years and is one of Giuliano’s most trusted guards,” Lorenzo replies.
“One of Giuliano’s most trusted guards is code for hit men…. I’m not stupid, Lorenzo. No, that won’t do,” I announce. “I want Antonio back. Thank you.” I try to sound dismissive.
“You have no say in the matter, my darling,” Lorenzo replies calmly. “When are you coming home, your mother and I miss you.”
I frown, that tone…. The one he uses with me. I’ve never noticed it before but it’s fatherly. “Soon.”
“Good, I look forward to it.”
The rain really comes down, it’s torrential outside. “Can you hear that rain?” I ask him.
“Is that what that is? My God, I thought it was a bad line. Go, get out of the weather.”
“Okay.” I smile and I go to say what I always say when we finish our calls and I stop myself.
Why do I tell Lorenzo that I love him?
It’s something that we’ve always done to each other. In fact, I probably tell Lorenzo that I love him more than I tell my mother. It’s always been him who has been my nurturer…not her.
Weird.
“I love you, my darling,” he says.
“You too,” I reply softly as my feelings for him become real and apparent.
“Go. Get home and out of the weather, Davidoff is a good man, you will grow to like him.”
I roll my eyes, unimpressed. “Goodbye.” I hang up and make a run for the car, Davidoff smiles and holds the umbrella over me. “Good afternoon, Miss Ferrara.”
“Hello.” I force a smile and get into the car, he closes the door behind me and gets behind the wheel, as we pull out into the traffic I exhale heavily.
Where are you, Antonio?
I’m sorry.
*
I open my email, check it again for the tenth time and exhale in exasperation. Damn it, why isn’t he replying?
Dominic is missing in action, I can change the tiles but not to the ones he wanted, they are currently out of stock and won’t fit with the timeline schedule we have with the tilers. He did give me a second option but I would like to clear it with him first. I’ve called him, I’ve emailed him…no answer.
Maybe he’s on vacation?
Giuliano
My pointer finger steeples at my temple as I stare aimlessly at the dance floor in front of me. The air is smoky, the music tantric and while the men at my table chatter and laugh, the gorgeous woman on stage does a seductive striptease.
Carlo smirks up at the stage like a predator. “She’s fucking hot, man,” he mutters under his breath.