Page 32 of Burning Caine
I extended my hand to shake. As he took it, the same tingle from Monday ran up my arm, but I didn’t withdraw, instead holding long enough for it to hit my toes. Christ, that felt good, but it wasn’t exactly a good choice. I still had two hours with him.
“Ciao, Samantha.”
I swallowed hard and pulled my hand away, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. “Antonio, good to see you again.”
“Good to see me?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Progress.”
“I have some bad news,” said Sofia.
He and I turned immediately to her.
“Dr. Dominico left suddenly this morning for two weeks, so we’re down a resource. We won’t be able to take your painting, but—”
Antonio’s head jerked back. “Scusami? You said nothing this morning.”
“—I’ve arranged for another restoration company in Detroit to take it on. They’re very good—”
His brows knitted together, the sex-god exterior slipping slightly. “No.”
“Samantha, may we have a moment?” She gestured to the reception couch and I sat. Picking up a magazine from the table, I flipped mindlessly, watching them in my periphery.
They spoke quietly in Italian, but not quietly enough, since it was a language I knew well. He stepped behind her desk as she hit a few keys and pointed at her monitor. “Antonio, look. This is the extra work you need to take care of while he’s gone. Everyone else will be busier too. We don’t have the time. We already gave her a two-week estimate on the other painting.”
“Assign it to me, I can do it.”
“You don’t have the time.”
“I’ll make the time.”
She huffed. “Fine.”
I looked up as he came out from behind the desk.
“Samantha. One, I will take your painting. But, two, we have a slight problem with the schedule. Sofia was supposed to book you in at ten, not nine.”
“No, I wasn’t!”
“I always go to Russo’s down the road at this hour and can’t work until I’ve had my coffee. So, you have two choices. You can wait here until I return or come with me.”
I stood slowly. “How long will you be?”
“Usually an hour.”
“You could grab it and come back for our meeting?”
“It’s a fifteen-minute walk either way. It would still be over half an hour.”
Sofia rolled her eyes. “They do have the best coffee in Brenton, and cornetti to die for.”
Antonio winked at me. It was suddenly stifling in their office. Or was that just me?
“Okay, I guess.” I focused on Sofia, trying to appear calm, but there was a tremble in my voice. Work, this was work. I could do work.
“You guess? You owe me.” He withdrew the sunglasses from his shirt and gestured to the case I’d left by Sofia’s desk. “You can leave that with my sister.”
“No. This painting isn’t leaving my sight until we review it.”
“Alright, I can carry it for you? It looks heavy.”