Mr Billionaire Boss Grump: a sweet clean second-chance romcom by Francesca Spencer

Author:Francesca Spencer [Spencer, Francesca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-11-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Gianni

The painting for Mrs Peabody will be ready for collection tomorrow. Apart from this minor delay with the restorers, everything is going according to plan. It’s fortunate that Olivia is here because she can also take the other two panels with her to New York. Judging by the latest updates on international art websites, I anticipate they’ll be snapped up at auction, no trouble.

It’s a beautiful evening and I’m in no hurry. I sent Olivia a message earlier to say I was on my way to pick her up for dinner. I feel we have something to celebrate. As I cruise, with the top down, on the river road into town, the sky is turning from orange and pink to blue and purple. My vintage Alfa Romeo purrs to a stop at the Hotel Grande. Olivia is waiting for me in reception. There’s something different about her. I don’t know what it is. She looks tough and determined. But when she turns and sees me, she seems to soften.

“Buonanotte, Olivia. Are you ready?” We walk together to the car. “I have a table booked at one of my favorite restaurants on the riverfront,” I say as I open the car door for her. “It has a stunning view of the Ponte Vecchio. And on a night like this, it’ll be serene.”

Olivia smiles shyly as I start the engine and pull away down the street.

“Trattoria di Stefano is on the opposite bank. It’s not that far away.” I laugh, then add, “But I need to drive a big loop around the city. It’s a good thing I like driving. Especially this car, so I don’t mind.”

Olivia clutches her bag in her lap and faces forward looking directly ahead. She is probably captivated by the magic of the place, which is not at all devalued by the tourist numbers that increase year on year.

“When is Florence for the Florentines?” I say, voicing my thoughts as the Alfa Romeo roars through the one-way system. “Never. It is universal. It is Italy’s gift to the world.”

Olivia smiles and nods and flicks a sideways look across at me but doesn’t say anything. Perhaps she is in awe of the city we’re driving through.

“Italy, the tourists forget, is a relatively young country,” I continue as we cross the Ponte Alli Grazie. I briefly take in the view of the lit-up night-time Ponte Vecchio reflected perfectly in the water below. “The states were only unified, and Austria kicked out, in the mid-nineteenth century. It’s easy to forget, when most of what you see around you, when you visit, is ancient, going back to the empire of Rome and further back still.”

Olivia looks preoccupied. Perhaps I am boring her. Or maybe she is self-conscious, shy. She seems on edge. Perhaps she will be overwhelmed by the people and the restaurant. Maybe we should have gone to a less up-market place. Would that make Olivia feel more comfortable? I drop down a gear to take a corner.

“It’s such a special place,” says Olivia eventually.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.