Page 17 of Dating the Don

Racks? Don’t know them. But it doesn’t stop us from looking everything over for hours on end.

We’ve always been close like this. Happy to just spend time together.

Which is why I know what’s going through her mind right now without her having to say a single word to me. She’s practically screaming her thoughts in my direction and I don’t have a good explanation about why I’m suddenly engaged to her brother. Cristiano was very, very clear about the fact thateverybodyneeds to believe that our engagement is real. The ring on my hand is certainly proof enough for most.

“Why him?!” Ada blurts finally. “You hardly even like him! Don’t tell me that you two have been having a thing behind my back all of these years. I can’t take it. I can’t. I will revolt. I will cause a scene right here and right now in front of all these poor shopkeepers. You know I will.”

I do.

I sigh and anxiously shift my weight from one foot to the other. “It wasn’tplanned…” I begin. Which is true enough.

“Then what was it? I just, it’s so sudden and somuch.” Ada crosses her arms over her chest and focuses on me. “It’s not that I haven’t always wanted you as a sister. Of course, I have. You’re just about the only woman that I’ve ever met that’s anywhere near good enough for my brother.”

“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?” I say.

“I just, I have so many conflicting emotions right now and I’m such a small person, I’m not meant to feel this many things at once!” Ada stomps her foot delicately. It’s so endearing when she does that. I know at the end of the day, all she wants is what’s best for me. She has always been my strongest supporter, no matter what I want to do.

“After your mother died…” Ada stops. She bites down on her bottom lip like she’s not sure if she wants to continue speaking. “I know it’s so selfish of me to say this but I had hoped that we could help you, you know? We could be your family. With your mom gone, we would just… I dunno, adopt you or something, but then my dad died and now I know what you felt and…” Tears well up in her eyes and she stops speaking to wipe them away. It’s over a week and she obviously still can’t mention her father without crying. I don’t blame her. I don’t even know how long it took for me to be able to say my mother’s name out loud. I still cry when I talk about her sometimes.

“I guess, I just assumed that was how you would join my family.”

“Well, I’m sorry if I disappointed you?” I mutter, feeling very small.

“No! That’s not it! It’s just, well, I’ve seen the women that flock to my brother. I’ve seen him ignore almost all of them. Certainly nothing longer than a night here or there. I just didn’t know it was because he was in love with you this whole time…” Ada concludes as if it somehow makes all of the crazy pieces fit together.

If only she knew the truth.

He certainly doesn’t love me. When Cristiano and I find out what’s going on with the Irish Mob and this whole ordeal is over, I’ll be little more than another notch in his bedpost.

The idea hurts more than it should.

I never imagined Cristiano taking the time to be with anyone. Not in a way that mattered. Even less with somebody that hewantedto be with. Cristiano taking a woman on a date? Not likely. I’m sure he’s capable but I just assumed that his marriage would be chosen for him. Something arranged to further the family’s position.

Though I guess this still technically counts as arranged. But he’s only doing it to save my life.

Emotion thickens in my throat and I turn away. “I’m not ready to talk about all of it yet,” I lie.

Ada hesitates for just a moment before nodding. She skips over beside me and links her arm to mine. “Youabsolutelycannot tell me about your bedroom antics. I don’t want to know. I would rather chop my ears off,” she pantomimes slicing her ears off with the flat part of her hand as she moves in closer.

I feel the heat in my face, blushing furiously and she crinkles her nose.

“I knew it. You filthy hussy. I knew it!” Ada shoves me playfully with her shoulder and then leans in closer. “But you know what we could have been doing this whole time then?”

From the devilish look on her face, I’m not entirely certain that I want to know…

“Dress shopping! You need a dress for your engagement party! I mean, I’m your maid of honor, right? Of course, I am. I’m going to help you witheverything,” Ada gushes. “Don’t look at me like that! I know you like to budget and keep things on the modest side and whatever, but we are going big this time, baby!”

I want to fight her on it but this means that she’s accepting it. I haven’t told her yet that Annalisa iscompletelyagainst the whole thing. Conversations for later times.

Ada has us out of the store and down the street into some high-end boutique within moments. She saunters in like she easily owns the place while I hover awkwardly in the foyer.

“Good afternoon, ladies, what time is your appointment?” The impeccably dressed woman says by way of greeting. I notice that she doesn’t even look in my direction. No, she’s sizing Ada up. No doubt like any other fashion-minded woman she’s dressing up Ada’s lithe, tall frame like she’s a human doll to play with. Something that Ada very much capitalizes on.

She breezes over to the woman, a seductive smile on her face as she delicately leans over the small desk. “Appointment? We don’t need one.”

The woman, wholly transfixed by Ada’s presence, smiles softly. “W-well, it is policy…”

Ada’s gaze dips to the woman’s outfit, appraising her with an easy smile. “Can’t you just make an exception? I’m sure that my brother, Cristiano Dominio…”

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