Cupping my cheek, Enzo turned my face toward his. “I’m always hiring at the restaurant. You can work for me until you find something else.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, it’s perfect timing. It’ll give us more time together.”
Only a person who had never worried where their next meal was coming from would say something so thoughtless. “I don’t know how I’m going to pay my bills. I wiped out my savings on this trip.”
“I thought Gabe flew you in?”
“I didn’t feel right about it.” As if being fired via voicemail wasn’t bad enough, I sat explaining my problems to a gazillionaire mobster.
“You won’t be homeless. Gabe’s place in the Quarter is vacant.”
Even with my job, I couldn’t afford a three-bedroom townhouse worth a couple million. I shook my head to clear the fog. I’d survived tougher situations. I’d get through this one, too. “Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about living on the streets. My mom is my landlord, but she can’t afford to support me forever.”
“See? It’s not so bad.”
“I need to go pack.”
Enzo grabbed my hand. “I meant what I said. Let’s go somewhere. Paris. London. Tahiti. Name the place. You can take some time for yourself.”
Is he serious? “I can’t find a new job from another country. I have to get home.”
I needed to get away from him before the waterworks started. I loved my job, more so, I loved Alex. I thought we were close. He’d treated me like a daughter—except he didn’t fire his daughters via voicemail. What had I done wrong? I needed to speak to him face-to-face. I needed off this damned island.
“I’m going to be busy when we get home. I don’t know when I’ll have time to date. Can I get an extension on the dinner raincheck?”
“Of course.”
“Also, while I appreciate your offer to stay with you, I can’t accept.”
Enzo snapped to attention quicker than a career soldier. “Until I know you’re safe—”
“I’ll be safe once I can put some distance between me and the mob.” I regretted the words as soon as they came out. Me getting canned wasn’t his fault, nor was the situation with the Lazios.
He sucked in a breath as if to argue but hung his head on the exhale. “I understand.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” I wanted to throw my head back and scream. “I need to slow things down, process everything that’s happened, and decide what to do with my life.”
Enzo sighed. “Don’t we all, Shanna. Don’t we all.”