Chapter Twelve
“Areyousureyou will be okay with Micah and Izzy for the weekend?”
“I’ll be fine. Izzy has been guilt tripping me anyway since I haven’t been around much since I’ve been in town.”
“We told her we’d split time and you’ve already been here for over a month. I can imagine she’s missing you.” Sofia said with a wink.
“I feel like I just got here and I’m already running out of time.”
“Your dad and Bella are missing you like crazy.”
“I know. He’s calls me every single day to tell me.”
“I’m sure it’s weird at home without you.”
“They didn’t call as much when they were on their honeymoon, but now he’s driving me nuts.”
“He’s your dad. I think they are meant to drive you crazy.”
“What time is Ozzie getting here?”
“Not until after eight. He needed to stay to close the center tonight since we will be gone for the weekend. I can’t believe he still hasn’t told me where we are going.”
“Surprises are fun, though, aren’t they?”
“Maybe at eighteen they are fun, but when you get to your thirties, not knowing what to pack on a weekend getaway with your boyfriend is a little unsettling.”
“It’s so cool that the two of you made up. I told you he’d be my next uncle and I’m never wrong about these things.”
“Let’s slow down the jumping to conclusions, okay? Don’t forget your father and Zio Dante still hate him.”
“Hate is a pretty strong word. Maybe annoyed... but dad doesn’t really hate many people. Zio Dante is a different story though, he’s sweet to me but he can be kind of scary sometimes. Besides, Bella won’t let dad give you any more problems than he already has.”
“He hasn’t given me problems.”
“Zia, you forget who you are talking to here. I regularly hack his computer and phone, remember?”
“How is it possible that you haven’t gotten caught yet?”
“I’m just that good,” she said with a laugh.
“Columbia University won’t know what hit them when you get there in the fall.”
“I sure hope not. I’m planning to get in, kick some butt and get out. I just wish dad would have let me go to school out of town. It would have been way more fun.”
“You know your dad better than I do, but I don’t see that being even the slightest possibility.”
“Yeah, it’s not. I’m going to finish packing up my things. Izzy texted a little bit ago and said she’d be by soon.”
It was a couple of hours after Jenny left that Sofia’s doorbell rang. She had been a nervous wreck waiting for Ozzie since she had no idea what they were doing or where they were going. He said to pack casual clothes but not to worry since she wouldn’t be wearing them much, anyway. The thrill of his statement was still coursing through her. A naked weekend alone with her man was something she was looking forward to. She decided on a pair of gray jeans and a black V-neck t-shirt for the night. Once she added her black pumps and stuck some flats into her purse, she was ready for anything he had in planned. Over the last month, they had spent as much time together as they could. Sofia was adjusting to her latest job and had made some decisions about what to do with the money from Corsetti Financial. If you had asked her a year ago what she would be doing today, she wouldn’t have guessed all of this in a million years. The best part of everything was Jenny. Little did she know having her niece with her would change her outlook on life, but it did. For a young girl, Jenny had been through a ton of trauma. It made her see the world through a different lens, and Sofia appreciated it. Being able to help her through the tough nights was one thing she wouldn’t trade for the world. Even though their childhoods had been vastly different, they both carried some of the same problems with trust, acceptance and understanding of others.
“Hey there,” she said as she opened the door to find a smartly dressed Ozzie with a blindfold in his hand.
“Well, hello there, gorgeous,” he said, stepping forward and pulling her tightly to his body, “I have been missing you all day.”
“Really though? Because you just left here about twelve hours ago, and I’m sure you’ve had a busy day.”
“I cannot tell a lie.”