Yeah, life had happened to her parents, too. But Isabella and Dante seemed to be coping. Then again, they’d only been married a few years.
“If you loved each other once, can’t you get back to that point?” Sophia had never had a real high opinion of marriage. Marriage to Luca, however, had changed that. It could be wonderful, if done right. It was something worth fighting for.
“Too much water under the bridge, as they say. Or, I guess in our case, too much infidelity and empty whiskey bottles.”
“Oh.” Sophia wished she hadn’t asked.
“Take my advice. Don’t give up your dreams for your man, and don’t let him out of your sight.”
“What if the two are mutually exclusive?” Sophia sat on the wall next to Leslie. The stones giving way under her now seemed the least of her worries.
“Then you’re screwed. I was a lawyer, believe it or not, when we first married. I was smart, had a career, people looked up to me. Now, I’m the pitied wife of a billionaire, someone to be entertained and accommodated so they can do a deal with my husband, and completely ignored when he’s not around.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case,” she tried to placate Leslie.
“I’m not blind, darling. I see how people look at me. But you know what? It’s all a goddamned show. The drinking, the flirting … I do it in the hope that my own husband will notice me. He hasn’t. Not once said a word. Never said, ‘Leslie, can you please stop grabbing other men’s asses while I’m standing in front of you?’ He can spend hours staring at a pile of rubble and see the potential. But he can’t spend five minutes with me without turning on the TV or checking his phone for messages.”
Sophia shaded her eyes with her hand. Luca and Chet were on the far hill, surveying the village from a height. Luca had his arms spread wide as though he was embracing the whole valley. The fluttering in her stomach increased. How could she bear not to join him here? How could she not fight for her marriage—give up her dream and follow his?
And then what will I have when he gets bored with me?
“Why did you give up your legal career?” She turned her attention back to Leslie. Silent tears were coursing down the American woman’s cheeks. Sophia searched in her bag for a tissue.
“Chet travels a lot. Scouting out locations for new properties or visiting the ones he already has. I couldn’t go with him as I was up to my eyeballs in work. We were always apart. One day, a trial cancelled at the last minute; the two parties reconciled or something. Anyway, with no case to present, I suddenly had a week free. So I jetted off to join my husband. I didn’t tell him I was coming; it was going to be a surprise. Well, I was the one surprised as I walked in on him in bed with his personal assistant.”
“I’m so sorry.” It was the lamest thing to say, but she couldn’t think of a more appropriate response.
“Yeah, so was he. Sorry he got caught. But Chet begged me to give him another chance. Said all the time apart was killing him. So to save my marriage I gave up my career and started following him around the world.”
“Surely Chet realized the sacrifice you made to be with him.”
“You’d think, but no. He’s so obsessed with his blasted hotels, they’re more important to him than me. Some days, I wonder if he’d even notice if I left. Do you know the last time my husband made love to me?”
“I hope that’s a rhetorical question,” Sophia replied.
Leslie laughed, a bitter, horrible sound that echoed off the broken walls, throwing the sound back to them in shattered waves. “No, really. I was hoping you’d remember. Because I sure as hell don’t.” Her gaze flicked to the two men on the hill. “But I’m guessing you don’t have that problem. Yet.”
No, Luca was an incredible lover. Always making sure she was satisfied first, bringing her to the edge of ecstasy time and again until she begged him to take her. He liked hearing her scream his name as she climaxed. Except last night. She thought he’d forgone the lovemaking in deference to her pretend headache. But what if it was the excitement of being so close to his precious deal that made him want to bask in that glow instead?
“Maybe you could convince him to take some time off. You two could reconnect. Talk,” Sophia suggested.
“Trust me, I’ve tried. But there’s always one more building, one more site, one more whatever. It never ends. Business is his passion.”
“Are you going to go back to the law?”
“Who wants to hire a washed-up fifty-eight-year-old lawyer with a drinking problem? No, the best I can hope for is Chet settles one of his beachfront houses on me. Then I can hire a pool boy who won’t mind me ogling him as he skims the palm fronds from the water.”
“That doesn’t sound fair.”
“It’s not. I gambled my career on my marriage and lost both.”
Sophia leaned over the wall and threw up her breakfast.
• • •
Luca could fly down the hill. He couldn’t wait to tell Sophia. Chet had decided on Teramo and wanted construction to begin as soon as the contracts were signed. Castellioni’s was going to be the biggest restoration firm in Italy. And this was just the beginning.
He slowed to keep pace with the older man.
“You have a classy wife,” Chet said. It was the first personal remark Luca had heard the other man say.
“Yes, we are very happy.”
“Well, I hope you can make it last. Leslie used to be classy.”
There was no reply to that.
When they finally made it back to the village, Luca searched for Sophia. He’d seen her sat on a wall chatting to Leslie, but now she was nowhere to be found.
“If you’re looking for Sophia, she’s laying down in the truck.” Leslie appeared from behind a bush, squeezing some hand sanitizer into her palm.
“Is she okay?” Luca didn’t wait for the answer and jogged back to where he’d parked the Land Rover.
As he got closer he could see the passenger seat reclined, both front doors open for some cross-breeze. Her eyes were closed, her breathing soft and gentle. Another wave of warmth filled his chest. He didn’t want to wake her but needed to know if she was all right.
“Sophia?” He caressed her cheek. As her green eyes fluttered open he sucked in a breath. She was so beautiful.
“Hi.” Her voice sounded raw and her face was blotchy. Had she been crying?