Page 16 of Three Times You

“Delighted to meet you.” Giorgio shakes his hand too. “May I introduce my boss? Stefano Mancini.”

“Ah, yes. Of course, what a pleasure. I’m Gennaro Ottavi. We’ve heard so much about you.”

I smile but I really don’t have much to say. I need to prepare some standard response, seeing that this seems to be a song on repeat play lately and I never know how to respond to it adequately.

Luckily, Giorgio comes to my rescue. “Well, great to see you. Now if you’ll forgive us, we have an appointment.”

“Yes, of course.”

Giorgio precedes me, and we head for the elevators. At that very moment, the director’s door swings open and out comes Gianna Calvi.

“Gennaro! Please, come right in.”

We see them enter the director’s office together, and as her door closes, Giorgio pushes the button markedG. Our doors close too.

“Who were they?”

“He’s the CEO at the company where I used to work.”

“Ah, right, you talked to me about him, but I’ve never met him in person. Did the director make them wait?”

“They’re great friends.”

“How do you mean?”

“Ottavi has given her a cornucopia of gifts.”

“What do you know about it?”

“I handpicked them all.”

“Ah.”

We stand in silence as the elevator descends.

“Why didn’t you stay on with him?”

“He used me as long as I was convenient to him. Then he decided not to use me anymore, and I had no shares in his company.”

“But I offered you shares, and you refused the offer.”

“You’re right, but now I’m thinking about it.” Giorgio rubs his forehead, and then with a determined attitude, he tells me, “I did the right thing by not having anything to do with him. For a while, I actually thought we were friends too.”

We ride down in silence until we reach the ground floor.

“Are you coming back to the office with me?” Giorgio asks.

“No, I have a luncheon.”

Then Giorgio extends his hand and stares at me with a cunning smile.

“Do you want my pass?” I ask.

“No, I want the note that Gabriella gave you,” Giorgio says.

“Do you want to call her for a date?”

“No. But Futura needs to have a future. You have to start with the basics. An attractive young woman is working there, and, like I told you, I don’t want any other surprises…”

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