Page 39 of Christmas with the Mafia
I float out of the prestigious jewelers and into the car and don’t even say a word until we walk into Bergdorf Goodman. Once again we are met, by what appears to be the manager and I am whisked away by a personal shopper with the instructions to buy as many gifts as necessary.
I’m at a loss as I follow the group of women accompanying me and at last one of them takes pity on me.
“Please call me Annie, Miss Stone, and if you point anything out, we will gift wrap it and mark what’s inside in a discreet note nestled against the ribbon for you to personally address it to the recipient.”
“Great, um, to be honest, I don’t know where to begin.”
I feel a little foolish because I am the gift basket queen.This should be firmly in my comfort zone, but everything is so expensive.
“Perhaps the perfumery would be a good place to start.” Annie says kindly, and I smile, grateful for the heads up.
As we walk, she makes suggestions, and I’m ashamed to admit that I just nod and smile. Great, super, fantastic, if you think that would do, are the only words that spill from my lips. I’m conscious of the armfuls of products the assistants are carrying, and by the time we head to the jewelry department, I’m almost groaning on my designer heels.
“Do you think we have enough?”
I’m ashamed that I don’t even know who I’m buying for. Nico told me to take care of gifts for his mom and the female members of staff, along with their guests.
“What if I don’t get enough, or too many?” I ask Annie, and she smiles sympathetically.
“The store has a returns policy. It wouldn’t be a problem to bring back the excess.”
I’m relieved to hear that and resume the search feeling a lot better.
Once we’ve selected enough chocolate to open our own store, I call it quits and three hours later meet Nico in the personal shopper department.
He stands as soon as I enter the room.
“Are you done?” He asks, glancing at his wristwatch, and I nod.
“I think so but–”
I want to apologize for incinerating his bank account, and he holds up his hand. “I am booked into afternoon meetings I must be present for. Trent will take you back to the apartment where I’ve arranged a late lunch.”
Once again, I almost run to keep up with him, and as we spill onto the street, he points to the first car.
“Go with Trent and organize your possessions. They have been delivered, and when your purchases from Bergdorf arrive, there is a dressing room in the master suite that should accommodate everything.”
I stare at him open-mouthed as he disappears into the middle car, and as Trent holds the door open of the car in front, I wonder what the hell just happened.
Twenty
NICO
This is all I need.Life has a habit of throwing a curveball exactly when you don’t want it, and I received a message to meet my father in my office at two pm. That he’s even in the city is enough to alarm me, and even the fact he is demanding a meeting sends shivers down my spine. This is not good.
Luckily, I can send Regina to my apartment where she will be occupied for the entire afternoon. It gives me time to grab a quick bite to eat while searching for any possible reason why my father is in town.
I head to the office immediately and instruct my assistant to grab lunch from the deli for both me and Trent, and as I wait for him I catch up on my emails and texts.
I find no clues in them; if anything, business is good, and the gala inflated our accounts even more than they were already. The contracts have been signed, and in the new year, we will be the proud owners of three more multi-million dollar companies.
Trent returns from his mission and takes the seat opposite me, and I nod toward the food I ordered.
“Thanks.”
I lean back and sigh. “I can’t find any reason why my father has called this meeting. Did you have any luck with his consigliere?”
Trent is close to Anton, my fathers long suffering consigliere, which has helped juggle expectations over the years.
