Law, Lies, and Love Affairs

Business Before Pleasure

The last thing she expected was for him to burst out laughing, grab her by the hand, and drag her over to the little sitting area where Luciana and Maddie were looking at the distinctive fireplace.

"Oh, Lucie, wait 'till you hear this – she thinks you're my hot Italian lover."

Then Luciana was laughing too, and to Stephanie's surprise, pulled her into her arms and kissed both her cheeks.

"Bless you, but I promise, I am not robbing the cradle."

"Robbing the cradle? You can't be any older than I am."

"I love you for thinking that. I was eighteen when I left this country to come to your country as an au pair and care for my baby boy," she said, pinching Mike's cheek, "when he was five years old. Such a sad and lonely little boy he was."

"Lucie," Mike said.

"But we fixed that, didn't we, darling? And I love you like you were my own." She turned to Stephanie. "For thirteen years I stayed, and the Wellingtons paid for me to work on my accounting degree while he was in school, and I cried the day he left for college. Then I studied more and I became a CPA and later a partner with a big company in New York, but I missed Italy. Now I do consulting work as an auditor at the companies my Mikey takes over. I travel often, but I keep a small place on the Amalfi coast for when I am not on a consulting job.

"But for now, it is my pleasure to put aside the books and numbers and finances, and spend time with this little patatina."

Stephanie felt an instant connection to the woman, who traveled internationally for her job and already seemed to be at ease with Maddie.

"What's a patatina?" Maddie asked.

"It means 'little potato.' You are my little potato. It's something you say to an adorable child who you already like very much."

"Weird," Maddie said, but she was smiling. "You're my big potato," she said to Luciana, who laughed and then kissed her on both cheeks as well.

"What do you say we get settled in our rooms?" Mike suggested.

"Yes," Luciana said, "I have you all checked in and your luggage arrived before you, so come and see." She smiled. "I feel guilty staying in this fancy hotel and having you also pay me for what seems like a vacation. But I will swallow my guilt and let you spoil me," she said, laughing and holding onto Mike's arm. She grabbed Maddie's hand again with her free one. "We are going to have a very fun time together, Madelyn."

As they all rode up in the elevator together, Stephanie wondered, could it really be this easy?

* * *

Mike and Stephanie had connecting suites, with balconies overlooking the Villa della Spiga, the most famous fashion street in Milan. Luciana had a separate room nearby, and the plan was for her to spend her days with Maddie, keeping her happy and entertained while Mike and Stephanie conducted business. At night, Maddie would cuddle up with Stephanie in the big bed with the soft comforter. Stephanie was starting to think this was actually going to work.

The hotel also offered convenient meeting rooms, a fine dining restaurant, and a less formal café. Mike took advantage of all three to conduct business.

Their first meeting went about as well as expected. The atmosphere was tense, with the representatives of eight members of the winery consortium looking stern and unbending, while only one of their group engaged in any actual discussions.

They had reviewed the situation, he asserted boldly, and decided to invoke their option to terminate the contract, based on Miami Import's lack of liquidity, rejecting out of hand the changes Mike had proposed to the deal.