Page 159 of Modern Romance January 2025 5-8

‘Go ahead.’

‘You said I should have called you. How?’

‘You pick up your phone.’ He shrugged and stared back at her for what felt like a full moment.

A moment during which her toes curled in her clumpy shoes and she gripped her umbrella as if it were a pole that might secure her against walking towards him.

‘But I didn’t know who you were...where you worked, or...’

‘It would have taken two minutes to find out.’

‘Please...’ she retorted, disbelieving him. ‘Goodnight, Dante.’

This time she walked away, but he’d conjured up so many questions that he’d made her giddy.

Her ice cream was especially delicious, even if it wasn’t sour cherry, and it was completely devoured by the time she pushed in the code for the vast door of her apartment block.

She collapsed her umbrella and left it in the stand, then climbed the many steps and opened up her door, catching sight of her reflection in the large hall mirror as she did so.

Her face was flushed and her eyes were glittery and she looked as if she’d been very thoroughly kissed. In fact, she was breathing as if she had been, and she couldn’t quite blame the stairs!

Her flatmates were either asleep or out, so Susie took herself to her bedroom and flopped down on her bed.

Bewildered.

More than that, fascinated.

She started scrolling through her phone.

Yes, it took less than two minutes for her to find him, but even so... As if this suave, accomplished attorney would have called some lowly waitress back. As if her message would even have been passed on.

Feeling curious, and oddly liberated, she dialled the number of his law firm.

‘Hello...’ She spoke into a machine. ‘My name’s Susie Bilton. I’d like to speak to Dante Casadio.’ She swallowed as she said what she might have said had she considered calling him about Gio. ‘It’s a personal matter.’

She rang off and spent the next few moments looking at images on her phone. Staring at the many, many beauties who had accompanied this man on many, many glamorous nights out.

As if he’d even get her message!

Dante quickly relieved himself of his ice cream at the request of a beggar.

‘Please,’ Dante said, handing it to him. ‘Enjoy.’

He was soon at his residence, at the top of Corso Garibaldi.

Usually he would have alerted his part-time housekeeper that he was coming home. Perhaps that was the reason for the unlived-in air as he stepped into his immaculate home. His case was still in the entrance hall, where he’d dropped it off before heading straight to Gio’s. There were no lights on...no drinks or food left out...

Not home.

This had been an empty shell when he’d bought it. Rather like himself. Over the years it had been restored to its original glory, yet it brought him no joy, no peace. If anything, the more beautiful it got, the more it reminded him of how hollow he felt. And now it served just as a reminder of the silent commitment he had made to keep a residence here as long as Gio lived.

After that...

Dante was far from naïve, and he knew Gio was getting on. Of course he worried about him. But there’d always been Mimi...

He knew Mimi was not just the housekeeper, but had gone along with Gio. He always gave notice before he went over, and never commented on the many little things he noticed.

But now clearly his grandfather was unhappy, and Dante knew he had to address it.