Chapter Seventeen
“I’msonervous,”Isabel said while pacing the length of the penthouse, “What if she doesn’t like me?”
“Relax, she will like you. Everyone likes you Iz,” Micah said as he reached for her arm and pulled her into his chest.
“What’s gotten into you, anyway? You’re never this nervous about new people.”
“She’s your sister, Micah. Meeting your sister for the first time is huge.”
“I don’t remember you being this nervous about meeting Luca.”
“Luca didn’t matter. Sofia does. She’s a woman who is related to you. She will probably be my boss someday and if she hates me, what will I do?”
“We won’t do anything. And keep the boss thing under wraps. I don’t want her to know what we are planning for the firm just yet.”
“See, I’m already messing up.”
Micah placed a light kiss on the top of her head laughed, “You are impossible sometimes, you know that, right?”
“I know. Maybe I should take one of my pills.”
“Only if you want to. Don’t think you need to for my benefit, but if it will make you feel better, I’ll get them for you.”
Isabel looked up at him and realized he would do anything for her. Other than her family, she’d never had anyone in her life who thought that highly of her.
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“No, the Lorazepam or the Xanax?”
She smiled, “Do you know how much it means to me that not only do you know I take medication to stay sane, you even know which ones are for what?”
“You little brain is very important to me,” he said with a wink.
“The Lorazepam should be fine. I’ll go check on the appetizers again.”
“How about you go sit on the couch and relax? You’ve already checked on the food twice.”
“I just want everything to be perfect. We don’t even know if she likes Cuban food.”
“If she doesn’t, then I will disown her.”
“That is not even funny. You know she doesn’t have anyone but you and Luca.”
“I’m kidding. Now go sit down. I’ll bring you a bottle of water and your pills.”
Isabel made her way over to the couch. The penthouse was a huge open floor plan and the soft leather couch in the middle of it was one of her favorite pieces of furniture. Her phone buzzed in her pocket as soon as she sat down. Pulling it out, she could see it was another text from Jenny. A few weeks after the Orlando fiasco, Jenny randomly called. It was like having a conversation with a long-lost friend. She and Jenny had always gotten along, even when she was a young girl. Her Zio Micah was her absolute favorite, and when things were bad between Luca and his first wife, Micah spent a lot of time going back and forth from New York City. Isabel went on a bunch of the trips with him so they could work remotely and Jenny had become a staple in their lives. She was sad they had grown apart as she grew older. Now she was about to turn eighteen and nearly an adult, but in Isabel’s eyes she would always be the little girl she remembered.
Jenny: Well? What’s she like?
Isabel: She’s not here yet.
Jenny: Late, huh? Not a very good first impression.
Isabel: She’s not late. Micah called and asked her to come for dinner instead of lunch.
Jenny: You should Facetime me when she gets there. I want to see what she looks like. Dad still won‘t talk to me about her. I don’t know what his issue is.
Isabel: It’s hard for them. They loved your grandmother very much.