Page 8 of Dark Masquerade
Hiding things from her best friend was an impossibility. “Maybe …”
Vivienne grinned from ear to ear. “Well, hallelujah. So, are you two an ‘item?’”
Elli laughed then, taking a sip of wine. “Yeah, Grandma, we’re a-courtin’. No, I think, for me, it’s just a pleasant fling.”
“And what about for him?” Vivienne pressed, pushing her plate back and waving a waiter over to remove it before refilling her glass. “Aldo Constanza doesn’t strike me as a man to do things by half. You sure he doesn’t think you two are serious?”
Elli shrugged. “We haven’t talked about it, but, Viv, I won’t let it affect my work here, I swear. I’m scared that if I get too involved and it ends badly, it could mean Aldo withdrawing his investment.”
Vivienne looked vaguely horrified. “Elli, your sex life is your business. Don’t let Aldo dictate things like that.”
“Oh, he’s not, Viv. I’m sorry if it came out that way. I mean, my work is my passion. That’s the most important thing to me.”
Studying her intently, Vivienne covered Elli’s hand with her own. “Would you say that if we were talking about Indio Navaro?”
A bolt of pain shot through Elli, leaving her feeling like she’d been ambushed. “But we’renot.”
Immediately remorseful, Vivienne rounded the table and sat down beside Ellie, hugging her close. “Oh, sweetheart. I say this is as your friend and because I love you. It’s beeneightyears, Elli. You have to start looking to the future. Indio’s not coming back, however much you keep your heart hidden from everyone else. Aldo Constanza is gorgeous, delicious, and he believes in your work.”
Elli sat back, looking away for a second to regain her composure. “I know, and you’re right about …Indio.” Why did it still hurt so much to say his name? It was like a thousand swords being plunged into her heart. Elli rubbed her eyes and Vivienne smiled.
“If I did that, I’d look like a panda,” she said. “I will never stop being jealous of the fact you don’t have to wear makeup, girl. Just don’t throw this thing with Aldo away because of an old attachment, no matter how much Indio once meant to you. That’s all I’m saying.”
“He didn’toncemean something to me,” Elli muttered, reaching for her empty wine glass just to do something with her hands. “He still does, Viv.”
“And he always will, I know. But you can temper that meaning so that you still have a chance at a meaningful relationship, Elliana. A real relationship.”
“As opposed to a ghost one.” Elli nodded, stifling a sigh. “Yes. Yes. I know.”
Aldo came to meet her as Elli was leaving the office. He kissed her passionately, not caring who saw them on the crowded street.
“Mm, I’ve missed you today,Elli Bella.”
Elli hated that he called her that—it had been Indio’s nickname for her. Then she pulled herself up—so what? It was as sweet a name for her and Indio didn’t own it. He would never say those words again, so what did it matter? She smiled up at Aldo, stroking the short hair over his ear.
“Shall we spend tonight at my place? We always seem to be going to your home.”
Aldo tightened his arms around her. “Ah, but there’s more space at mine. Come back with me, Elli. I have a surprise for you.”
Elli pushed away from the annoyance she felt. Every time she had seen Aldo since that first time when they had eaten pizza together, it had been assumed that they would spend the night at his villa. Did he think her place wasn’t suitable for a man such as himself? She didn’t want to argue, though, not out in public like this, so she agreed, giving him a half-smile as he took her hand and led her to his car.
At his villa, he placed his hands over her eyes and then steered her into his vast living room. “Open.”
Elli opened her eyes and gave a delighted laugh. A huge Christmas tree stood, its lights twinkling in the dim light of the living room. “Oh, Aldo, it’s so beautiful.”
He kissed the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. “I remember you telling me that you missed having Christmas with your family and that your apartment was too small for you to have a tree. So I thought of this.”
Elli felt tears in her eyes and felt badly for her earlier irritation. She touched Aldo’s face, then went to examine the tree. She breathed in the fresh scent of pine and admired the glitter and sparkle of the gold decorations. It was opulent, extravagant, and exquisitely decorated—a far cry from when Enzo and Indio used to haul in a bedraggled tree from the garden and make paper decorations for it. Elli knew that it was improbable that Aldo had decorated this tree himself, but it was still a thoughtful gesture.
She felt his hand on her back. “You like it?”
She nodded, turning to kiss him. “It’s beautiful.”
He took her face in his hands, studying her eyes. “It pales in comparison to you, beautiful girl.” His lips touched hers and Elli sank into the kiss, Aldo’s hands roaming over her body leisurely before his fingers pulled at the zipper of her dress. She grinned at him as the dress fell to the floor, and Aldo smiled back, pulling her to him roughly, so her belly curved against his shirt. “There is no comparison when I see your body like this, except for when …” And he unclasped her bra and drew her panties down. “You should always be naked, Elliana Moretti. The world would thank you. I have a gift for you.”
He bent down and picked up a box, giftwrapped in silver and gold with an off-white bow. Carefully, Elli peeled the paper away, wanting to save it for no reason other than the memory. The box beneath matched the wrapping paper, metallic colors gleaming in the low light as Elli slid her thumbs into an indentation on each end and popped the lid off. She drew in her breath at the incredible necklace embedded in soft velvet, white gold and diamonds glistening at her like the gleam in Aldo’s eyes when she looked up to thank him
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, lifting it out and starting to put it to her neck, then stopping in confusion as she realized that there was a lot more to the opulent strand than she had initially thought.
