Love Me (The Elites of Cheshire shore #2)

6. Rome

CHAPTER SIX

rome

M om’s chosen theme for tonight is cannoli. I don’t know what the fuck my brother was talking about earlier when he said Flo’s idea for tonight’s theme was dick piercings. But the way her cheeks turned a subtle pink hue, made me want to know just what brought that particular subject up.

“Where did Bea get cannoli candles from?” Flo whispers in my ear, and my eyes immediately go to the candles encased in glass that have made the whole room smell like an Italian bakery. I try to tamp down the reaction my dick is having to her hot breath teasing my neck, the warmth making my hairs stand on end.

I swallow the thick lump in my throat and shrug. “I think her party planner had them made when mom told her the theme.”

“Do you think she has a spare one? I really want one.”

“I’m sure we can get you one, Flo,” I reply, making a mental note to get Mom’s planner to send me a box of these candles so I can surprise Flo, just as the waiters bring out the first of Mom’s preplanned five courses.

“Oh yes, I’d love one too,” Nora butts in, like I actually care if she wants one. I strategically sat her next to me. It’s the only way I could continue to dissect her presence while asking her well- placed questions. I’d spent most of the evening being my most pleasant self—refilling her glass, tucking her chair in, serving food from the platters laid out in the middle of the table—everything possible to get this woman to go back to Brian with a raving review, and potentially a Monday morning meeting lined up. I’m already running through the numbers on the proposal in my head. The only problem: the person sitting on the other side of me. No matter how hard I try to focus on Nora, I keep glancing at the woman sitting beside me. She’s like a drug, and I need a hit.

“Of course, I’ll have a box sent to Brian’s office.” That’s the third time I’ve steered the conversation back to him, it’s so unsubtle at this point that Luca keeps tapping his glass, indicating he could do a shot every time he’s heard me speak his name. But I’ll be damned if I lose this deal now.

“How were things at the hospital this week, angel?” Mom asks, sipping her wine. Tonight’s theme should’ve been conversation changes, from the way people keep doing it.

“You’re a doctor?” Nora’s gasp is full of shock and obvious condescension, and her eyes flick from her purple hair, then to Luca. The message in her disbelieving tone is unmistakable.

I run my tongue along my teeth, and the apples of my cheeks pull tight as I work hard to tamper down the white-hot anger coursing through my veins. The fact that we need to make a favorable impression on Brian and, by extension, Nora is the only thing I can tell myself to keep my mouth shut. I have to keep smiling at Nora but not being able to defend Flo is killing me.

My mother’s brows descend, clearly unhappy with Nora’s response, but she’s been in this world a long time, she knows what Brian means to us, so she bites her tongue as hard as I am.

“That’s an interesting career choice.” Nora tries to cover for herself, but it’s too late. Flo has seen right through her bullshit. Between our thighs under the table, so only she and I can see, Flo dismisses her with a subtle middle finger. I bite my tongue to stop the laugh building in my chest, wishing that Flo could flip her off for real, but also knowing that would be seriously bad for Ven Industries. Flo’s reaction to Nora is her typical like I give a shit attitude, it’s part of the reason she fits in our “circle” so well. Most people care about how they are perceived; they worry about what others will say and do or think about them. Flo, though, she is a take me as I am or don’t person. In a world full of fake people, it’s utterly refreshing.

Flo stares at Nora out of the corner of her eye, ignoring her stupid remark before bringing her attention back to my mom. “Pretty busy, a lot of surgeries this week.”

“You must have a pretty progressive workplace.” Nora nods, attempting to continue with a dead conversation.

“Nope, not progressive, just your standard hospital.” Flo pops a torn-off chunk of bread into her mouth.

“We’re so proud of Florence, she graduated top three in her med school and she’s well on her way to specializing in her chosen field.” My dad lifts his glass, almost toasting her.

“I suppose that’s the great thing about having powerful connections, life becomes easy,” Nora whispers just low enough that only Flo and I hear as she sips from her glass. All my muscles tense as Flo vibrates in her seat. The implication that Flo got into medical school based on those sitting around this table and not her own merit is a narrative she’s spent her whole life rewriting.

“Flo has always had her head in books.” I rub a light circle on her knee. We’re all incredibly proud of all that she’s achieved in her career.

“I would love to get your opinion on something.” Nora turns in her seat, making sure her legs brush against mine. From my angle, it gives me a perfect view of her white lace bra. I swallow thickly, it does nothing to stir a reaction from my cock, but I pretend to be interested. Flo keeps talking to Mom about her surgeries.

“Florence, darling.” Nora snaps her fingers to get her attention, like she’s a lost stray dog. Flo rolls her eyes and stares back at Nora.

“I would love to get your opinion on something,” she repeats.

“That depends.” Flo gives her a tight smile. “I may need to pass my reply through my connections. It’s difficult for me to have a thought on my own, but I’ll make an exception tonight.”

In Nora’s attempt to find common ground with Flo, it seems she’s just sticking her foot in it. “I think my last surgeon botched my boob job. I’ve been a little self-conscious about it.” She thrusts her chest out making sure to graze her ample tits on my arm. “I don’t know, Rome?” She pouts. “Don’t you think the left one is bigger than the right?”

Everyone around the table has their mouths open in disbelief. Luca lifts his phone up so the camera is peaking over the table, no doubt filming this to send to Dante.

“Flo, touch them,” Nora insists, like it’s normal to have dinner guests feel each other up—well, maybe it is at a Venuccio dinner party, just not when my parents are present. The side of my face heats with the glare my dad is sending my way, this is not the business meeting we’d all prepped for. This dinner party is taking a dive off a cliff, and I’m going to hear about it.

Flo opens and closes her mouth, rolling her lips together. “I don’t,” she hesitates, trying to decide the best way to approach Nora. “I’m not that kind of doctor. If you are not happy, you should go back to your original surgeon.” She forces a polite smile and gives the most professional advice she would give anyone with a similar worry. Nora doesn’t seem to take the hint and continues to rub her tits along my arm.

Luca sits up abruptly, lifting his hand in the air. “I’ll feel them for you if you like, you know, in the name of medical research.” My mom slaps him across the back of the head just as a chunk of bread goes careening across the table, hitting him squarely in the cheek.

“Great shot, Florence.” My dad nods at her.

“There will be no breast-feeling at the table.” Dara taps it twice. Put your tits away, in other words. Conversation over. Huffing, Flo gets up and grabs the bottle of wine in the middle of the table. Restrained Flo is about to fly out the window from the way she is filling her already half-full glass to the top before taking a generous sip.

“Oh, I see, you aren’t qualified to take on your own patients yet. It’s all right, honey, it was just your opinion after all, we’re not asking you to perform surgery at the table.” Nora tilts her head to the side and takes a slow sip of her wine, a calculating look flashing in her eyes.

Luca’s mouth falls open a little, and it takes everything in me to bite my tongue and not stop her in this horrid tirade, but I still need to figure out her connection to Deeter.

“I don’t really think it’s appropriate to be discussing bodily issues at the dinner table.” Flo’s nostrils flare, her gaze focused on my arm currently acting like a shelf for Nora.

Nora continues, “Weren’t you just telling the table about all the surgeries you’d assisted with.” She lifts her perfectly manicured eyebrows in a challenge.

“Yes, but…” Flo’s eyes dart to Luca as her cheeks tinge pink.

“Unless of course, you aren’t sure in your ability. Which is also completely valid. I mean, I could only imagine the pressure of being a doctor, having to think on your feet, act in the moment. It must be hard to be taken seriously in such a male-dominated world, and with your hair being such a loud and outlandish color I suppose it just gives off the impression you are an amateur and incompetent.”

Oh fuck. Flo’s eyes snap up to hers like releasing an overstretched elastic. That’s her trigger. Because she doesn’t fit the mold of the stereotypical doctor, it means she isn’t capable of her job.

“Sweetie,” Flo placates, filling her glass to the top and finishing off the remainder of wine in the bottle.

Yep, this is about to get interesting. Flo has ditched her professional facade. Whenever she calls someone sweetie , you know shit is about to go down.

Her eyes stay firmly fixed on the last few drops emptying into her glass. Taking her time, Flo takes a sip, letting Nora stew in the shit pile she has created, before continuing. “I wouldn’t touch your uneven tits if you did pay me. One, because you wouldn’t be able to afford me.” I rest my hand on her knee. That’s my Flo. Know your worth and add tax. My hand rubs a small circle on her knee, which seems to give her the encouragement to continue. “And two.” She wipes the corner of her mouth with the tip of her finger, licking the single drop. “I’m an anesthesiologist. I don’t examine patients, I assist in their surgeries.” The sound of my mom coughing breaks the silence. Flo takes another sip from her glass. “Oh, if you’re worried if my hair color affects my abilities as a doctor, I’m not the right one for you. I happen to really like this color. Working at the hospital can be extremely draining, I like to think I add a bit of vibrance to the walls.”

“Oh.” Nora pouts, slumping her shoulders. “So not really a doctor then.” I watch the muscle in the corner of her eye twitch.

“Nora,” I growl, I can’t hold it in any longer as Luca laughs. Her comment is out of line. Flo saves people’s lives every single day. She isn’t worried about aesthetics. And she doesn’t deserve to be the receiver of her catty remark.

“Oh, Leonard,” Flo interrupts. My brother’s shoulders shake with his bottled-up laughter. Flo pats my hand still on her knee, not wanting me to fight this battle for her. Even though I know she is more than capable of fighting her own battles. I watch her grab a small, toasted piece of bread layered with prawn pieces in some sort of cream. She takes her time popping it in her mouth, leaving the room in anticipation of what she’s about to say. “I’m better than a real doctor, I can kill you and make it look like natural causes.” She slowly blinks, staring at Nora the whole time, and I watch Nora shrink in her chair as she slowly lets the realization of what Flo said sink in.

Don’t fuck with Dr. Flo Liu-Savino.

For the first time since we have sat down to dinner Nora is speechless. Fucking finally. Flo leans back on her chair, her lips pulled tight in a grin. She handed Nora her ass and uneven tits right back to her on a silver platter. She knows it. I know it. From the way my phone is buzzing in my pocket, Dante knows it too. It was fair until Nora went and insulted Flo’s work. Then it became personal, not only to her but to all of us as well.

Dad clears his throat, and I relax my shoulders. Thank fuck we’re going to change the conversation.

“I think this is the last time we allow non-family to attend these dinners,” Dad announces. It was supposed to be a business dinner, but there is no use in saying anything. As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with him. Tonight has been a clusterfuck of epic proportions. We didn’t just fuck up this meeting. We’ve potentially fucked up the only opportunity we have had at convincing Brian Deeter to even consider glancing over our proposal. Winning all round tonight.

The rest of dinner goes by in painful silence. The moment Dad finishes his cannoli I jump up from my chair, lifting Nora up with two hands secured under her shoulders. Nora hasn’t even taken a proper bite from her cannoli; she stares at me with wild, startled eyes.

“Time to go,” I announce, relieved to be getting rid of her. “Thank you for coming to dinner. We hope you enjoyed it.”

“I haven’t finished my cannoli.” Nora shakes her head, like I give an actual shit.

“Here.” I pile her plate full of cannoli. “Finish it on your drive home.” I hand her the plate.

“But I didn’t drive here.”

Oh fuck. Idiot. Of course she didn’t. Did Brian drop her off?

“I’ll call an Uber,” I grunt. “I’ll take you outside to wait for it. And we can debrief a bit more on our proposal for Brian.”

I urge her toward the door, away from everyone so we can have a private conversation and I can gauge just how bad tonight was in her eyes. Nora digs her heels into the ground, “Wait, I need to say goodbye to everyone.”

“You just did.” I bare my teeth in a smile. The vein throbbing in my neck. I need to get her out of here.

Scanning the table, Nora says, “I’ll see you guys next time.”

“No, you won’t,” Flo replies, getting Nora’s strappy handbag hanging off the back of her chair and throwing it at her.

Nora catches it in midair and I use the distraction to drag her to the door.

We’ve never fucked something so important up so badly. How the fuck are we going to salvage this now?