“Yes, everything is scheduled as planned. I’ll be back in the office in three days after I drop off Haley.”
“Do you need me to have food brought to your condo so she doesn’t think you live completely on takeout?”
“That would help. Although I’m a terrible cook, so we’re going to leave that to a minimum. Anyway, be prepared to head to the hood as soon as we arrive.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll call you back. Erica Marin in Human Resources is on the line.” I end the call and answer for her because I have a lot to do before I return.
“Hello, Ms. Marin.”
“Hello, Mr. Callahan. So in regards to your new assistant, what are you looking for?”
“I need an assistant who can handle my schedule, planner, take notes during meetings when necessary, travel if necessary, and all other office duties that are required for an executive assistant along with a full education.”
“You’ll need to have them start next week, correct?”
“Yes. Whoever the person is, they must be able to start soon. Haley won’t be my assistant after we return.”
“I suppose making her your wife is too much of a distraction.”
“Yes, it might not have been the best idea to hire her, but lesson learned.”
“Unofficially, no young females so she doesn’t get jealous.”
“She doesn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to that.”
“Still, trust me in the day and age where infidelity is promoted like it’s something to be proud of, it would do you a world of good to avoid the hassle.”
“Then that’s the way to go. I don’t care as long as they can get the job done.”
“I’ll email the potential candidates for you to review.”
“Thank you.” I end the call and then turn around to head back inside to get wet with my woman before we venture around Italy. We leave tomorrow and I want to spend the most time I can with her before my packed work schedule kicks in. Just as I walk into the bedroom she’s standing in the room with her hair in a towel and a pretty sundress on.
“I thought I was going to wash you.”
“The water got cold.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take too long.”
“It’s fine. Besides, you’re here for work.”
A crack in the sky changes our plans. “It looks like Lake Garda is out. It’s fine. You’ve spent enough money and time on me. I can just stay in until we leave back to Chicago.”
“Don’t worry about money. Let’s just have some fun. There are other things to do in the rain.”
“I’d rather not. You can go out. I’m tired.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m not used to this lavish lifestyle of traveling and leisure.” I want to tell her to get used to it, but she’s itching for a fight. I don’t know what I did unless she’s upset about being neglected which I’m terribly sorry about.
“Come on and let’s relax before dinner with the Rossellinis.” I pat the bed, hoping she’ll let me kiss away her aggravation.
Her eyes widen in surprise and excitement. “Oh yes, I almost forgot.” Haley blushes, spins around, and then she goes into the bathroom in a flash.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I need to dry my hair,” she mutters through the door.
We have four hours before dinner and it’s in the hotel restaurant so it’s nothing too fancy. “We have plenty of time.”
She comes back out of the bathroom with her hands on her hips. “You don’t understand how long it takes to dry my hair, do my nails and makeup.”
“I think you look beautiful just the way you are.” A smile spreads over her face like she’s just realizing how truly beautiful I believe she is.
“Well, you do, but I’m not going to look like plain Jane when I’ve seen the women in this hotel already. We’ve been here for two days and I’ve noticed that I’ve been severely underdone in my hair and makeup.”
She comes out of the bathroom an hour later with her hair straightened as can be and it looks incredible on her. “Wow. Just wow. Not that you don’t look sexy with your hair in curls, but this is completely different. Why?”
“I just wanted something else tonight.”
“It looks good too.” A little too good.
“Thank you,” she says, smiling and going to the closet to pull out one of the many cocktail gowns my mother picked out. I didn’t see all of them which I regret because they are twice as sexy as I hoped they would be. It’s like my mother hoped I’d be arrested in a foreign country on murder charges.
She hangs it on the hook on the open bathroom door and then joins me on the bed. “What’s going on? You have that look on your face again.”
“What look?”
“That I’m not in a good mood look.” She frowns, attempting to copy my expression.
“I’d be in a great mood if you were over here naked and on top of me,” I growl.