Page 42 of The Honest Affair

“Anyway.” Nina cleared her throat, then handed Eric back his handkerchief. “It’s been a long evening, and I have to get up early. I think I’ll turn in.” She walked to the door. “It was a lovely party. If I don’t see you, merry Christmas, Jane. Merry Christmas, Eric.”

Both Eric and Jane repeated her sentiments in oddly distant, maybe even shocked voices.

She turned to leave.

“Nina,” I called out, unable to stop my voice from cracking slightly. What was I going to say?

Wait.

Don’t go.

I love you.

Marry me.

“Merry—merry Christmas, doll,” I settled, knowing she wouldn’t appreciate my desperate pleas for devotion in front of Jane and Eric.

Still, I couldn’t help the last word. It just slipped out.

Nina paused for a moment in the doorframe, biting her lip. I could feel Jane and Eric watching us intently, but I didn’t dare check them. I knew if I did, when I looked back, Nina would be gone.

Then she looked up, her silver eyes practically ablaze in the moonlight streaming through the windows from the garden.

“Good night, Matthew,” Nina said quietly and left.

I stared at the empty doorway long after her footsteps had faded up the stairs.

“Zola.”

At the sound of my name floating softly on the night air, I turned. Jane was watching me with pure pity. Eric with something more skeptical.

“Hey,” I said, suddenly conscious again of my disheveled clothes. Jesus, I probably looked like I’d been fucking one of the caterers in their coat closet. “I, ah, I should go.”

“Well, before you do. I just thought of something.” Jane stepped away from Eric with a knowing glance. “Nina. Italy. It’s been a long time for her, hasn’t it?”

I nodded, massaging my neck. Everything suddenly hurt. “Yeah. Eleven years, I think.”

God, my chest hurt. Just the thought of her being there without me made me want to throw myself into oncoming traffic, mortal sin or not. Being without her was purgatory anyway.

“She’s met your family, right?”

I nodded. “The one time.”

Jane cocked her head. “Your grandmother speaks Italian, doesn’t she?”

“She does, yeah. So did my grandfather. They, um, came over when they were teenagers.”

“How about you?”

I shrugged. “I speak it all right. Not like a native, but I grew up hearing it a lot, especially when I lived with them. And then I was stationed in Sicily long enough to become pretty fluent. Why?”

Jane rolled her eyes at Eric, who just snorted and shook his head.

“I’m going upstairs to have a nightcap with Nina.” He dropped a quick kiss atop Jane’s head. “Catch him up quick, pretty girl. He’s kind of slow on the uptake.”

I frowned at him as he left. “What the hell was that supposed to mean?”

“Zola,” she said gently. “You need a better job than tending bar. And Nina…well, on top of the fact that she shouldn’t be going anywhere alone with Calvin’s trial about to start…she’s also going to need an interpreter, don’t you think? I know she speaks some Italian, but…”

“She’s not fluent,” I finished for her. Finally, what she was saying clicked. My eyes popped open.

Jane smiled, a mischievous grin that was almost childlike with glee. “What do you say? Want to surprise our girl?”

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