I had not seen this side of Emilio in a long time. The look in his eyes brought me back to the day his father passed away, and the day he told me he didn’t love me anymore. The pain in them was seared into my memory.
He continued. “I just want you to be happy Liliana. I want you to be happy in everything you do. I want to be the one that does that for you and take care of you, but I can’t. I know it’s not possible, no matter how hard I wish for it, and I wish for it every day.”
I had tears streaming down my face now. I had wished for this speech a million times and I thought I needed to hear his words, but it was just tearing my heart apart.
“I know we can’t do this,” he sighed. “I know I can't put you first, and you deserve to be number one at all times. I want you to know you can come to me though, anytime you need something. I’m here to listen. If you need space, you just need to tell me so I can tell the guys to back off some, but just please,” he pleaded, “never ever run away again.”
I was speechless. I looked up at him, my heart racing, and before I could even stop myself, I kissed him. He had just bared his heart to me for the first time in years. I would deal with the consequences later.
“I promise,” I whispered against his lips.
***
The next morning I woke up to Emilio sleeping beside me in my bed. He looked so peaceful, it was a rare occasion. I laid there for a while, thinking about everything that he said last night. I still loved him, but being in this house with him made it so much harder to move on. I needed to move on and distance myself from him. He could never, for some reason, give his whole heart to me and Lucas could.
Lucas and I had been having so much fun and I was starting to fall for him. He at least deserved a chance. He made me happy, and even though I knew it was going to hurt Emilio, it was for the best. I decided right then and there that after Thanksgiving, it was going to be all about Lucas. I was going to put a hundred percent into our relationship, instead of the fifty percent I had been giving him.
I didn’t want to wake Emilio, so I slowly and quietly crawled out of bed. Knowing him, he probably watched me sleep half the night making sure I didn’t leave again.
I found Violet in the kitchen already working away. She had both turkeys out and in pans and the oven turned on. We didn’t talk at first. I just walked up, smiled at her, and went straight to cutting vegetables. The house was quiet and all I could hear was us slicing and mixing. I could tell something was on Violet’s mind, and after a short time, she finally decided it was time to talk.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked as she started pulling out the potatoes.
“Yes, and you?” I asked nonchalantly.
“It was pretty good. Though I dreamt that I found Emilio curled up in bed with you.” She shot me a look that told me she had seen us this morning.
“Oh, I guess it was another crazy dream of yours.” I didn’t look up from the green bean casserole I was working on. I heard her huff for a moment. I thought maybe she would let it go.
“You know you can’t keep doing this,” she said as she set her knife down carefully. I was glad she did. Violet, plus a knife, plus raging temper, equaled a bad combination. I knew I was about to get a lecture, so I decided I would go ahead and stop her before she even started.
“Violet, it was an accident. We had a moment. We kissed and he held me all night, that’s all that happened. I already had a pep talk with myself this morning about Lucas and that is that. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me.
“All I have to say is your love triangle is totally screwed up, you know that?”
“Thanks, tell me something I don’t know.”
I called my mother shortly after my conversation with Violet. She apologized for my father and hoped we could do lunch while she was in town. I told her I wanted her to meet Lucas, so we planned on having lunch on Saturday, just the three of us. She seemed super excited about that.
The guys eventually all made their way downstairs, and before we knew it, it was lunchtime. Everything looked and smelled wonderful and tasted just as great. Dante, Emilio, and Roman devoured a lot of it, but we still had plenty of leftovers. We told them it would be our lunch or dinner for the next couple of days until it was all gone.
We didn’t receive any complaints and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening playing cards, watching football, and just hanging out. The only interruptions had been a few phone calls here and there, but the day went by drama free.
Friday was spent shopping and dragging Roman around with us. Emilio and Dante had been smart enough to get out of the house before we woke up, which was pretty early for them. Violet and I were up before the sun even rose.
It was Black Friday and we had to get our shopping on. Roman tagged along, griping the entire time while he carried our bags for us when our arms got tired. We had a lot of shopping to accomplish. Christmas would be here before we knew it, and I was all about the deals.
Dante and Emilio met us for lunch. Emilio looked a little stressed out, but was trying to hide it. We showed them what we had already bought so far while they teased Roman for not being smart enough to realize it was the biggest shopping day of the Christmas season.
Emilio asked us if we minded putting together the company Christmas party for his employees. Violet and I agreed. It wasn’t like we didn’t have two buildings to finish or anything.
After lunch it was more shopping, and before we knew, it was getting dark and time to head home.
Emilio and Dante found us all in the family room when they came through the door with pizza. I was never so happy in my life! I was so tired and the thought of even warming up leftovers seemed like a huge task.
Dante sat down in the living room with us, but Emilio kept walking in and out talking quietly on his phone. I was starting to get worried. Whatever had happened before lunch was obviously still bothering him. He quickly disappeared downstairs shortly before the front door opened.
“Knock, knock,” Lucas called out.
“Down here,” Emilio called through the intercom. Lucas didn’t seem to be in a hurry. He rounded the corner and jumped on the couch, landing beside me.
“Hey,” he said as he smiled and kissed my cheek. He grabbed a piece of pizza before he wiggled deep into the cushions. “I heard you three had a busy day,” he said motioning to Roman, Violet, and me.
“We did,” Violet said.
“Did you have fun today?” Lucas asked me.
“Yeah, but Roman had the most,” I laughed, and Roman just glared at me.
“Did you get anything interesting?” Lucas’s grin spread wide at me.
“A pair of earrings.” I smiled back.
“That’s it? I’m disappointed. I was hoping for a runway show or something.”
I hit him playfully on his arm.
“Lucas!” Emilio called again.
“Well,” he said jumping up and grabbing another piece of pizza, “boss man is calling me.”
“Hey don’t forget lunch tomorrow with my mom.”
“Oh yeah, about that. I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it. I’m really sorry. I will have to catch her the next time she comes in.”
“It’s okay,” I mumbled, disappointed. He gave me an apologetic smile before he kissed the scar above my eye and then headed toward the basement.
***
Roman, Violet, and I ended up having lunch with my mother that Saturday. She was sad that Lucas wasn’t able to join us, but more than excited to spend it with his replacements.
Sunday flew by quickly as did the rest of the week. Violet and I only worked half of the next week.
We had the party this coming Saturday and in all honesty, we weren’t anywhere near ready. The only thing that I had nailed down was the caterers, because I didn’t want the good ones to be taken.
Lucas showed up Thursday morning bright and early. He proudly told us he h
ad volunteered to take us shopping for all our Christmas decorations. I thought he was kidding or lost his mind. No one ever volunteered for this job. He said he wanted to do it so he could spend more time with me, and if he was given the chance again, then he would gladly take it.
Violet and I had already decided that since we were interior designers we didn’t want anyone to be disappointed when they came to the house. We wanted to make sure when the guests stepped into the house not only would they know it was Christmas time, but they would also be able to see and feel it as well.
We had a festive morning and afternoon. Violet and I dragged Lucas from one store to the next. We had already decided we needed five trees; one for the formal living room, one for the dining room, one for the family room, and two small ones for the foyer. We decided on pre-lit ones and themed each tree with something different.
The five themes we decided on were Santa Claus, snowmen, gingerbread men, angels, and snowflakes. We bought garland, rows of holly, ornaments, and lights for the inside and outside of the house.
We also themed the drinks, cups, plates, and all other party essentials to match the decor. By the time Violet, Lucas, and I got home and unloaded the car, we could barely stand, so we took a small break before we started setting everything up.
Friday kept us just as busy making sure last minute details were finished. The guys had spent the morning picking up all the prizes for the drawings and also collecting the money for the Christmas bonuses. Their afternoon consisted of them helping us move furniture, setting up tables, and then decorating the outside with lights. We had picked white lights for the house, thinking it would be the perfect touch.
The guys worked on the roof lights while Violet and I wrapped the porch and trees, leaving no part of the outside untouched. When we turned everything on that night, the house lit the entire neighborhood up, and it looked amazing! The guys had done a great job.
The house was spotless when we headed to bed that night and everything was ready for tomorrow. Violet and I were pretty proud of ourselves, even though the guys thought there were too many Christmas decorations, and five trees was overdoing it. We didn’t care, though. Tomorrow was going to be epic!
Chapter 12
“I’m so excited for tonight,” Violet giggled as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. I was still combing mine. Today was the Christmas party and neither one of us could hardly contain ourselves.
“Oh my God,” she squealed, about scaring me to death. “It’s my favorite song,” she said as she ran over to the radio and turned it up while pulling her hair brush to her mouth. “Clock strikes upon the hour and the sun begins to fade.”
I loved this song myself and I couldn’t let her have all the fun, so I quickly pulled my hairbrush up and turned to face her.
“Still enough time to figure out how to chase my blues away,” I sang loudly. “I’ve done alright up ‘til now. It’s the light of day that shows me how and when the night falls… loneliness calls.”
Emilio and Dante must have been listening to us because all of a sudden the door flew open and Violet and I jumped as they both yelled at the top of their lungs. “Oh I wanna dance with somebody!”
They kept singing as they both came over and grabbed our hands and started twirling us around. All four of us danced around and sang the entire song. It was fun to see the guys kick back and just have a moment of fun, and I won’t lie, I was surprised they even knew all the words. When it was over, we all fell onto my bed laughing until Violet and I realized we were still in our underwear.
“Get out!” we both yelled at them as soon as we realized.
“Hey now, I’m not complaining about the view,” Emilio said as he smiled and headed toward the door. “How about you Dante?”
I almost had a heart attack when I thought about Dante seeing me. But when I turned his direction, I should have known he would have never taken his eyes off of Violet.
“Me neither,” Dante responded never wavering from her wide eyes. I almost hated slamming the door in their faces, almost.
It had snowed during the night, which made the morning and afternoon extremely busy. Emilio, Dante, and Roman spent the morning shoveling the snow off the driveway and walkway and putting down salt, while Violet and I finished up last minute details.
When the florist arrived that afternoon, she knew exactly what to bring. The fresh flowers added that last minute touch we needed and the rooms smelt lovely.
The caterers arrived on time and were starting to set up in the kitchen when Violet and I headed upstairs to get ready for the evening. It was already four-thirty and in less than an hour and a half our guests would be arriving.
***
“Hurry up you two!” Dante called from downstairs. “Our guests should be arriving any minute now. You need to be down here to greet them!”
“We’re coming!” I yelled as I slipped my last earring on. “You look hot!” I told Violet as I stood up and straightened out my dress.
She was wearing a little black cocktail dress she had made earlier this week. It was haltered around her neck with an open back, hugging her slim figure in all the right places. It was the perfect fit for her and made from the shiniest satin material I had ever seen. I knew she had to have paid a pretty penny for the material. Her long blonde hair was down and in light curls. She was definitely trying to catch the eye of someone tonight.
“Well thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself, always having to stand out,” she laughed.
“Hey now, you’re the one who picked out the material and made my dress,” I said as I smiled back at her.
I didn’t know how she managed to keep mine a secret from me or even find the time to make it, but she had. I couldn’t even begin to express how thrilled I was when she finally let me unzip the bag she had been holding my dress hostage in.
“Yes, I am,” she said in the best rich accent she could muster up. “And I must say you look ravishing darling, just ravishing.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her terrible attempt at an accent. I had to admit, though, I did look really good. My dress was beautiful and made of red satin. It was a one shoulder wrap dress, which flowed to the top of my knee. My hair was pulled up in a high bun. I wanted to show off the dress as much as possible.
Violet always did an amazing job at making dresses for me. She had an undying talent for fashion. Especially when it came to short, close knit, hug your body dresses. Maybe one day we could make a transition over to fashion, she would love that.
“Liliana,” Emilio called this time, “downstairs now!”
Violet and I took one more look at each other. We both smiled in approval before we headed out the door. Dante’s face lit up as Violet walked down the stairs. He was in total awe of her. The moment their eyes met was magical. It was such a beautiful private moment, and I was lucky enough to witness it.
I had been so busy watching Dante and Violet, I hadn’t even seen Emilio walk up beside me.
“You look… amazing,” he stuttered before twirling me around and bringing me in close.
“Thank you.” I smiled at him. “Violet made my dress.”
“Violet, I have to say you did an amazing job.”
“Thank you Emilio, I try.”
A knock came at the door by then, and I realized it was already time for the guests to be arriving. We greeted each one and guided them into the living room for cocktails.
I couldn’t believe everyone was here, everyone but Lucas. He had texted me earlier to let me know he was running a little late. The four of us made our rounds chatting and laughing through cocktails and appetizers. Emilio was at my side the entire time. He never once let me out of his sight. I knew he was hovering on purpose, so I didn’t let it bother me.
I had checked my watch several times as I made my rounds. I wondered where Lucas was. I didn’t expect him to be this late. Luckily, he showed up right before dinner time.
“It’s about time
you showed up,” I teased as I closed the front door.
“Yeah, sorry,” he apologized as he removed his coat. “I had to make a last minute stop that kept me a little longer than I thought it would.”
“Oh.” I sounded almost jealous.
“It was nothing,” he said with a smile.
I could see Emilio out of the corner of my eye. He was watching us. He had been watching us a lot lately and seemed to have been doing better with the thought of Lucas and me. But as Lucas gave me a hug and a quick kiss, it was clear he wasn’t.
“By the way you look absolutely breathtaking in that dress,” Lucas said as he smiled, making me weak in the knees.
I smiled shyly at him. “Thank you.”
Dinner was interesting. Emilio sat at the head of the table, with Dante on one side and me on the other. Violet was beside Dante and Roman on the other side of her, and Lucas was next to me. I could feel the tension rolling off of both Emilio and Lucas. It was uncomfortable to say the least. Emilio kept giving me looks and Lucas kept trying to intertwine our fingers under the tablecloth. It wouldn’t have been that bad, but sometimes I would giggle for no reason, just to receive another look from Emilio.
The food, itself, was delicious. Violet and I had done an awesome job at picking out the caterers. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. The conversations were light. We didn’t talk about anything in particular, just about our families and how everyone was doing. Business was not on the agenda tonight, which was great.
After dinner, we escorted everyone into the family room. Emilio and Dante decided to go ahead and give out Christmas bonuses and get ready to play a few games while I sat up the dessert bar.
I was too busy humming Deck the Halls, when Lucas whispered, “hello,” in my ear while sliding his arms around my waist. It scared me so much I jumped and knocked the dessert tray to the ground.
“You scared me!” I said a little out of breath.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said as he bent down and picked up the tray before setting it back on the counter for me.
“Thank you,” I said as I felt his hands slide back around my waist as I turned to place the desserts on the tray. “You know this isn’t a good idea.”