Page 122 of 7+Us Makes Nine

“Hey—I didn’t corrupt anybody. You know that’s not my style. She was out that night looking to corrupt herself. She willingly left with me. Hell, she started it! She kissed me first.” I shrugged my shoulders. “But anyway, it all turned out for the best. That’s why I couldn’t figure out why she was so ticked off about it at first. But we’re good now. And as an added bonus, it turns out that I’m crazy about her. I swear, I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I realized that after I took her out to dinner a few days later. I swear, Maria, there’s just something about her. She’s so sweet, yet feisty when she wants to be. And she’s so beautiful, inside and out.”

“Damn, cousin. I never thought I’d see the day, but you are positively whipped.”

“As much as I want to deny that—I can’t.” I laughed and took another sip of my beer. “Anyway, like I said, it’s all for the best. I get to do my family a favor, my father gets what he wants, and I get to actually be happy in the process. This whole arrangement could have been a complete disaster, but instead, it turned out to be a miracle.”

“Wow,” Maria said. “I need your kind of luck. Does she have any cute brothers or cousins in need of that kind of an arranged marriage?”

“Once I’m officially in the family, I’ll find out for you.”

“Yes, you do that. And don’t think I’m going to let you forget! I’m holding you to your word.”

“I’m sure you will.”

We both laughed, and Maria tossed back the last of her drink. “So how much longer are you staying here?”

“Not too much longer. I’m beat,” I said, stifling a yawn.

“Well let me go to the little girls’ room, and then I’ll leave with you. You can walk me to my car.”

“All right,” I said.

I found myself glancing around the nightclub again. It felt weird to think that I may be giving up such a lifestyle soon, in favor of spending my nights at home with my wife.

At that precise moment, my eyes landed on a curvy dark-haired beauty. Stunned, I couldn’t believe it was her. Arianna.

I laughed to myself, finding it ironic that I’d just spent so much time describing her to Maria without knowing she was right there under the same roof.

Maria came back towards me from the ladies’ room, smiling. “Well cousin, it’s been great catching up with you. We’ve got to start getting together more often, you know that, right?”

“Definitely,” I said, hugging her. “But I don’t want you to leave just yet.”

“I’ve got to work in the morning. Besides, I thought you said you were about to leave to

o?”

I grinned. “Yeah, but I want you to meet someone first.”

I looked toward where Arianna had last stood, but she was no longer there. I glanced around the nightclub, but she was nowhere to be found. Just as I was about to describe her to Maria and ask if she had seen a woman fitting the description in the women’s restroom, I finally spotted her.

Something was wrong though. She looked furious and was heading straight for the door, with a friend scurrying behind her.

I frowned.

“What is it?” Maria said. “Who do you want me to meet? Gio?”

“I…I thought I saw…” My voice trailed off. I considered whether it was possible that I’d just been seeing things—or perhaps had only seen a woman who resembled Arianna. But I knew that wasn’t the case. There was no doubt in my mind that it was her. I would recognize her from a mile away at this point.

I glanced around again, wondering if someone had been bothering her. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell so that I could call her. But as luck would have it, my battery was completely dead. I’d been so busy working with my father that I hadn’t charged my phone all day and forgot to do it before coming out to the club. And I couldn’t even ask to borrow Maria’s phone because I had yet to learn Arianna’s number by heart.

“Okay—earth to Giovanni.” Maria snapped her fingers in front of my face.

I swore and shook my head. “Nothing. Never mind. I thought I saw someone…but, maybe not. I, uhm…I think they left.”

“Have you had too many beers, cousin?”

I forced a laugh. “Maybe so. Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Maria and I tipped the waiters and then headed out. In the parking lot, I glanced around in search of Arianna again, just in case.

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