Page 19 of Entangled

Gian was an idiot.

It was only the ringing of his phone that brought him out of his frustrated daze. He didn’t even bother to check the caller ID as he swiped the screen and then put it to his ear. The usual, causal Italian and French greeting he answered with was gone because of his current mood, leaving a rude bark in its place.

“What?” he snarled into the phone.

“Well, hello to you too, asshole.”

Gian’s anger kicked up a notch or two at his wife’s voice. “What do you want, Elena?”

“Rough day?”

“Do you care?”

“Not really,” she answered sweetly.

“Why are you calling me on a Tuesday?”

He wasn’t due back at the mansion until tomorrow evening, at the latest. He didn’t spend every day and evening there, if he could help it. Usually, he found excuses. As long as it appeared that he was in a relationship with his wife, then no one would bother to look too deeply into what was actually going on.

That was good enough for Gian.

As it was, this façade took enough work.

“Dinner, with my father. It’s coming up. He called, and wanted me to remind you.”

Fuck.

Gian’s irritation managed not to spill over into the phone when he said, “Great, anything else?”

“Nope.”

Wonderful.

He hung up without a goodbye, and didn’t feel guilty for it. After all, Elena would do the same for him.

“Quaint little place, isn’t it?”

Cara’s head popped up, and her nerves instantly bloomed at the sight of Frankie Ricci. He seemed relaxed, with his hands shoved in his pockets and a small smile on his face.

The coffee shop buzzed with noise around them.

“Frankie, hey,” Cara greeted.

“Studying?”

She closed her spread-open books. “Trying. Sit.”

He did, taking the only other chair at the table. She couldn’t help but wonder, when he looked at her, was he seeing Lea and not her?

“You all right?” Frankie asked.

Cara shrugged. “So, so.”

“I didn’t expect to get a call from you, and especially not one to meet up.”

“I, uh … was in a shitty place for a bit.”

Cara packed her books away. It had taken her months just to gain up the courage to contact Frankie, never mind considering what they would actually talk about. She had lots to ask and say. Whether he would answer … that was the question.