“We won’t be friends Sofia, I’d like us to be more than that. There are some things I need to take care of when we get home, but once I have it all straightened out, I hope we can continue whatever we have started here. I know for you I was just a date for the wedding. Do you still feel that way?”
“You make a pretty good peanut butter and jelly, so you have that going for you,” she said with a laugh, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to spring this all on you right now. This weekend has been kind of crazy, and after the wedding tomorrow, the only thing left is brunch on Sunday. I feel like we are running out of time, so I just needed to know.”
“How about this... we get home on Sunday, right? The beginning of the week is going to be nuts because I’ll need to get caught up after being gone all weekend. Why don’t we plan on dinner on Wednesday night? I still owe you an actual date.”
Sofia looked up at him, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Wednesday sounds perfect.”
She laid her head back down, and he reached to turn out the lights.
“I signed an ownership agreement for Corsetti Financial tonight.”
Ozzie didn’t say anything right away, so she continued, “My brothers have both been after me for months about it and I refused. I’m not sure what changed tonight that made me agree. Maybe it was learning more about who they were, but now it’s done and I can’t help but feel like I made a mistake.”
“I didn’t know financial planning was something you’re interested in.”
“It’s not. I won’t work there. I’ll be a silent partner like Luca.”
“So why do you feel like it’s a mistake?”
“I hate money. I hate everything about it. I always have. People who have it don’t understand what it’s like for people like us that have never had enough money to pay their bills, you know?”
“I guess. But that doesn’t mean money is always a bad thing.”
“The people that raised me were terrible about spending any money on me. I went without more often than I needed to and tonight I learned they were just hired by my father and my uncle. They were literally being paid to take care of me and sent money for things like doctors’ appointments and clothes, and I never saw a penny. For all these years, I thought they were just shitty foster parents, but the truth is, they were never my foster parents. My whole life, the Corsetti family has been pulling the strings, and I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“I can’t imagine what it’s like not knowing your family your whole life, but I can relate to other people pulling the strings. My parents were like that, still are actually. It takes a lot to get out from under the control of other people. Is that what you are worried about? Your brothers having control over you now that you are a partner?”
“No, yes... I don’t know. I have to figure it all out. It’s a lot of money Ozzie. Like a stupid amount of money. No one person should have that much money.”
“I get that, but you can do a lot of good with it, too. Look at my youth center. It takes a lot of money to keep it going. Maybe you can find some kind of non-profit you are passionate about and put it to good use.”
“I could give it to you,” she said, sitting up and turning the light back on, “I could donate it to the center and then you would have to worry about anything.”
“No. I won’t take your money.”
“It’s not for you really, it’s for the kids.”
“Absolutely not. I told your brother at dinner we have a very wealthy philanthropist that supports the center. There isn’t anything my kids need that they don’t get.”
“What if the guy dies or something? What will you do then?”
“He’s not going to die.”
“How do you know that? Old people with money die all the time and do crazy stuff with their estates.”
“Sofia, please stop. I’m not going to take your money. I appreciate the offer, but the center is fine and besides, I wouldn’t want a donation like that to come between us. You’ll find something else, I promise. I can even help you when we get home. There are a lot of great organizations in Miami that help kids. If that’s something you are passionate about, then we will find the perfect non-profit for you to dedicate time and money to. I promise.”
Ozzie reached for her and pulled her to him, kissing her softly until she finally caved in. “Okay, fine. We’ll find something else.”
“We will. It will all be okay. Trust me.”
He turned the light back out and she laid down, taking the place she was in just a few minutes ago. Maybe Ozzie had a point. The money made her uncomfortable, but if she could help other kids who are struggling like she did when she was younger, then maybe she could do some good with the money. She had no idea where to find a place like that, but with his help, she could find somewhere that would benefit from her inheritance more than she would.