Page 61 of The Leader

“I’ve been asked by my friend to become a godparent for her little sister. I’m so excited!”

“Congrats, Mary.”

“I know, right. I mean, Zoe is six already, and we’re not going to have an official ceremony or anything, but I would like it if you would come to the celebration anyway. It’s going to be at the shelter next week.”

“Don’t forget to tell them why it’s being held at the shelter,” Gina added. “Or that your friend is an addict who lives there.”

“Former addict,” Mary chastised her. “And she’s getting her life back on track.”

Gina snorted, and took a large gulp of her wine.

“Not everyone is as lucky as we are, or can find a rich fiancé in a matter of weeks,” Mary continued with a frown. She might look all sweet, with golden curly locks, but Mary had a spine of steel when challenged about something she was passionate about.

“You’re engaged?” Jazzy couldn’t help but sound surprised. She would have expected that tad bit of news to be Gina’s opening sentence instead of a casual remark.

Gina waved a big rock on her finger. “Practically engaged,” she corrected her. “Oscar hasn’t asked me yet, but he will. Any day now.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “It’s all she can talk about these days. Oscar this and Oscar that.”

“Heisan interesting person to talk about,” Gina said. “His family owns vineyards all over California.” That was the start of a fifteen-minute biography on how wonderfully successful her “almost fiancé” was.

“That’s nice to hear and all,” Jazzy interrupted her. “I mean, him being successful and all, but what is he like as a person? You didn’t mention anything about love.”

Gina’s editorial on everything Oscar came to an immediate halt. “What does love have to do with a marriage? I like Oscar enough and he wants me. What more is there?”

“It makes me sad to even hear you say that.”

“Oh, step off your high horse, Jocelyn,” Gina said snidely. “You are the last person who gets to judge me. We both know there wasn’t any love involved when you married Giovanni Detta.”

“That’s true,” Jazzy admitted, “but—”

“That is totally uncalled for,” Tommie came to her aid. She’d told him about her marriage, right before she confessed that she fell in love with her own husband. “You both know the circumstances that led to that marriage.”

Gina gave Tommie a sharp look. “Still. It’s easy for her to speak; she’s already secured herself a billionaire.”

“I sure did.” Any other time, Jazzy might have made Gina eat that hateful comment, but not tonight. Tonight was a night for celebration. But most importantly, the reason why she wasn’t going to give Gina any shit was because she did love her husband. Her marriage might not have started out that way, but she couldn’t deny the way she felt.

“You forgot hot monkey sex,” Tommie chimed in. He was staring at her new bodyguard from over the rim of his glass. “You know, about what’s important in a marriage. Hot, so deliciously hot, makes your toes curl permanently, sex.”

She snatched away his mojito. “Stop drooling over the man.”

“Speaking of man,” Gina said, sending her a glare, “there’s mine.”

A man dressed in a Marino wool suit was standing on the threshold of the cafe. Gina waved him over and he soon joined their table. Close up, Jazzy could see his salt ‘n pepper hair and bronzed skin. There was a smile on his lips that, for some reason, made her feel uncomfortable.

“Hello, ladies. Nice to meet you. I’m Oscar Bianchi.”

***

Jazzy considered the celebration to be a success, despite Gina’s hateful remarks at the beginning of the evening. The second Oscar had joined them, she’d become all sugary sweet, not showing a hint of the tongue-lashing she was famous for.

But after another round of drinks, and with Oscar constantly looking on his watch, Jazzy decided to go home and wait for Gio.

“We can drop you off,” Oscar offered.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that, really,” Jazzy said, as she grabbed her bag from the table. “I’ll just—”

“I insist,” Oscar said, flashing a set of white teeth. “Your bodyguard can just follow us.”

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