Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 163540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 818(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 163540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 818(@200wpm)___ 654(@250wpm)___ 545(@300wpm)
Rico hasn’t called me, and to be honest, I thought he would. I mean, if he cares enough to have me watched over like I think he did, I would have at least thought he would check in once in a while.
Stop it. Stop being so needy.
I hate that he brings out this side of my personality. For two years, I’ve blissfully hated him from afar. Now, after one weekend with him, I’m whisked back to the beginning, waiting for him to call.
I scroll through the numbers on my phone and smile when I come to his name.
ENRICO FERRARA
I go back to Instagram, and I see the green light come up. What? Oh shit, I’m calling him. I quickly cancel the call. My phone immediately begins to ring, and his name lights up the screen.
I cringe with regret. “Hello,” I say.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Sorry I didn’t mean to call you.”
“You’re all right?”
“Yes.” I frown. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Ah.” I hear his voice relax. “I thought something was wrong.”
Something is wrong. You’re not here. “No.” He hangs on the line, silent. “Are you all right?” I ask.
“Yes,” he sighs. “I would prefer to be there with you, but it is what it is.”
“You can come home if you want?”
He chuckles. “I’ll be there tomorrow, my love.”
My love.
“Yes,” I breathe.
“And I’ll whisk you away.”
I smile. “I can’t wait.”
“Me, too.”
The line falls silent again, and I wonder if he’s smiling goofily down the line like I am.
“You looked lovely in that photo you posted this morning. I’ve stared at it all day.”
I bite my bottom lip. I posted a picture of me at my work desk this morning. Giorgio snapped it when I wasn’t looking. But, wait, what?
“How did you see it on my Facebook account? It’s private,” I ask.
“Do you know Beverly Whalen, Olivia?”
“She’s my mom’s friend.” I frown. “Isn’t she?”
“Maybe.” I can tell from the sound of his voice that he’s smiling.
I suddenly want to get off the phone to see who in the heck Beverly Whalen really is.
We fall silent again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” he says.
“I’ve been banking my hours this week so I can leave at three.”
“Good girl. I’ll pick you up at three.”
“Okay.” I smile as butterflies dance in my stomach. I get to see him tomorrow.
“Goodbye.”
“Bye.” I hang on the line. After a few moments, he hangs up.
I instantly open Facebook and look up Beverly Whalen on my friend list. The profile pic is a woman. She is one of my mums’ work friends, I’m sure of it. Huh?
I click on her profile. No friends, no address, no details. This is weird. I look up the date we became friends.
I got a friend request from her four weeks after I returned to Australia from Italy. I didn’t even look into her profile because I knew the face on the photo. Holy shit.
Beverly Whalen is Rici Ferrara.
With a stupid, huge smile on my face, I go through all my images over the last two years. He’s liked every single one.
He’s been watching me from afar. I should be appalled, disgusted… outraged.
Instead, I’m utterly thrilled.
He cared. Even though he may be wrapped in a bastard suit, I know he isn’t a bastard. I think that, deep down, I’ve always known that, and maybe that’s why it was so hard to move on from him. I don’t know what happened back then with us, or why he handled things the way that he did, but I don’t think I care anymore. I’m going to try my hardest to take him at face value moving forward.
I stand with a renewed excitement.
I need to pack. I’ve got a dirty weekend with a sex god on the horizon.
I can hardly wait.
The clock strikes three and I have to stop myself from running from my office.
He’s here, just outside. After waiting all week to see him, it’s finally time.
I play it cool and take my time to pack up my desk up. Giorgio swings his head around the door. “Have a wonderful weekend, darling.”
“Thanks.”
For once, everything is going to plan, and not just for me. Natalie seems to have hit it off with her guy, too. She’s going on a date with him tonight that will hopefully last the entire weekend. I’m so relieved. I don’t know if I would have been comfortable going away if I knew she was sitting back here alone.
Giorgio saunters into my office and sits on my desk. “Have you got everything?”
“I’m all packed.” I swing my handbag over my shoulder and kiss his cheek. “Wish me luck.”
He assesses me. “No luck needed.” He stands and straightens my scarf. “Knock him dead.”
My heart begins to race as I make my way downstairs. Finding out that Rico has been stalking me on Facebook for the last two years has made this seem real, and all that more important to get right. I walk out of my building, and I look around.