XOXO

Damn right. Here I am.

My gaze drifts back to Arietta’s face as her brow furrows. “What the...”

She turns before she can finish the question.

Clarice’s smile widens even more. “Arietta!”

“It’s you?” Arietta asks with obvious surprise in her tone. “You’re her?”

Clarice bundles my assistant into her arms as if they are old friends. Laughing, she glances at me. “I’m her.”

What the ever-loving fuck is happening?

Arietta pulls back from the embrace. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

“I know, and that’s why I’m here.” Clarice finally looks at me. “Your assistant is the reason I’m here, Mr. Calvetti.”

Taken aback, I look to Arietta, hoping for an explanation, but her back is still to me.

“I’ve looked over your proposal.” Clarice lifts her chin. “You’re smart. I see promise here but let me make one thing crystal clear to you.”

Arietta finally turns to face me. I’m not surprised to see a wide smile as her brows perk.

“If I sign with your firm, Arietta is my contact person. She’s to attend every meeting, and I only want her calling and emailing me. Is that understood?”

No, but do I have a fucking choice in this?

I look directly into Clarice’s eyes. “Understood.”

She turns her attention back to Arietta. “I’ve booked a table for you and Lowell for dinner at Axel Tribeca tonight. Everything is covered.”

Arietta’s hands leap to her chest. “Really? Thank you so much! Did Elvis arrange that?”

Fucking Lowell. And Elvis? Elvis Presley? What the hell?

I feel like I’ve been transported to another universe where nothing makes any goddamn sense. In what reality is my assistant besties with my most desired client?

“He did. He made the call to book you the best table in the house.” Clarice’s hand taps a brooch pinned to the collar of her black dress. It looks identical to one that I’ve seen Arietta wearing. “I told you first dates should be special.”

“You’re not doing this because of the brooch, are you?” Arietta’s voice softens. “You don’t need to do that, Mrs. Blanchard.”

“It’s Clarice,” she corrects Arietta. “And it’s my pleasure.”

I need to step off this merry-go-round of confusion. The best way to do that is to ground myself in what I know. That’s wealth and how to manage it. “Clarice, do you have a moment to discuss the proposal I sent last week?”

With a lift of her gaze to my face, her lips thin. “It’s Mrs. Blanchard to you, and you have thirty minutes, Mr. Calvetti. I suggest you make the most of it.”

Chapter 24

Arietta

I stare across the table at my date. With a sense of relief and excitement, I clear my throat. “I’m so glad you were open to coming to Axel with me.”

Lowell’s blue eyes squint behind his glasses as he gazes around the restaurant. “I’ve never been. I can’t believe you have a friend who covered the cost of our dinner at this place.”

I smile at the assumption that Clarice Blanchard is my friend. We’re barely acquaintances. She told me that after hearing me book the table at Axel Boston, she realized that I work for Dominick.

With any luck, she’ll be a Modica client in the next few days. Mr. Calvetti met with her in the conference room with Mr. Corning at his side. I sat at the far end of the table taking notes.

Whenever I glanced up, Clarice’s gaze was pinned to my face. Before she left the office, she told Mr. Calvetti that she’d been in touch ‘soon.’ Then she turned to me and promised that she’d call me tomorrow to see how my date with Lowell went.

The scowl on The Dick’s face when I looked back at him was evident.

Once Clarice was on the elevator, I explained to him that I’d met her last night at Past Over. I left out the details about how I wasn’t raving about what a stellar boss he is.

He was surprised that I randomly ran into her in a vintage store.

I am too.

Mr. Corning was the one who thanked me for being so nice to Mrs. Blanchard that it brought her to the office. He said if she signs with the firm that I’ll get a bonus.

That’s when Mr. Calvetti left the conference room.

I nod. “She’s a very kind person.”

“So are you.” Lowell adjusts his blue tie.

He’s dressed impeccably in a gray suit and white button-down shirt.

When I met him outside the restaurant, he complimented me on my dress. I took that as the first sign that the date will be a success. The second came when he held the door open for me.

“I’m glad you finally agreed to meet me in person, Arietta.” Lowell grins. “Your pictures don’t do you justice. You’re beautiful.”

I should tell him he’s handsome because he is.

It’s not the kind of breath-stealing handsome that Mr. Calvetti is. Lowell is attractive in a low-key way. His black hair is cut short on the sides but flops over his forehead. His nose is sharp, and his lips are thin.