Fulfilling Fate - Book 3

Chapter 21 - Spanish Donkey

Raffaele

I wait for Asimina to close the door behind her. I haven't lied, and I have every intention of offering Paul a position within the Morelli empire, but not before we come to an understanding. Gesturing him to take a seat, my father, brothers, and uncles remain in the room along with Laz.

Pulling out a chair in front of my desk Paul relaxes into it and fiddles with a packet of cigarettes, "May I? He questions.

With slow steps, I walk around my desk and take a seat. Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on the desk. "Go ahead, would you like bourbon, vodka, or perhaps gin," I offer.

"Any liquor is good. Let's be honest," he lights a cigarette and takes a long drag, "This is a little awkward. So, liquor is a must. I'll have what you're having," he blows out a breath of smoke.

"It's awkward, alright." I agree and add, "I never thought I would be sitting across my woman's ex-boyfriend. A man that no doubt is still in love with her."

Sighing, he nods, conceding, not hiding how he feels about her. "It will take more than a month," his eyes follow Tommy as he rests an ashtray in front of him and hands him his drink.

"I'll admit. You showed strength," I start by saying, and I'm struggling to hide the anger surfacing in my voice. Picking up my drink, I wet my throat. "I wouldn't have been able to let her go," I state the truth but also to get a reaction out of him. Hopefully, get an insight into his thoughts.

His features somber, and he comes back to me with a question of his own without faltering his eyes. "Even if she was in love with another man?"

I partly understand the distress in his voice. He feels the same way I did when she was wearing his ring. The only difference is that she was in love with me. Swirling my drink, I hold his stare. Am I comfortable with the way he feels for Asimina? No, she's my woman! I find myself in unfamiliar territory. My jealousy and possessiveness over that woman eat away at me. I am Raffaele Dante Morelli, a man who fears nothing and never loses. Not then, not now, and not ever. At the risk of sounding cocky and arrogant, I'm positive her love for me will never fade.

His tense body relaxes, and he takes another drag. Blowing out smoke, he emphasizes, "We have always had a friendship, and I respect her. She's in love with you, and that won't change. I meant it. I wish her all the happiness in the world, even if it's not with me."

Nodding, I scull my drink. Christ, I can't believe I'm having this conversation, and above all that, I'm managing to stay calm. "And I meant it when I said I would respect your friendship. But it needs to remain a friendship." Topping up my drinking, my eyes narrow as I meet his, "Do I need to worry, Paul? Will you change your mind and try to peruse her again?"

Glancing to his right, he quickly meets Laz's eyes before making a statement intended for both of us to hear, "I'm not going to pursue anything. What man wants to chase after a woman he will never have. One that's in love with someone else" Butting out his cigarette, he raises his drink, "To the two of you."

Surprisingly his voice is sincere, and I admire that. Men don't fall in love easily. Women, on the other hand, are a different story. In any relationship, women picture that man as her husband and father to her children. Somehow, they convince themselves he's the one. Perhaps it's all the chick flicks or maybe just the excitement of becoming a bride that has them settling and ignoring the signs. Men, however, get into a relationship to please the girl. There's obviously an attraction, but the intentions and thoughts are different. Men think, let's see where this goes! If she's crazy, it ends, and at least I got laid, so it's not a total waste of time!

My mind takes me back to when I met her; breathtakingly beautiful was my first thought. My second, she's fierce, brave, and bold. They were qualities I hadn't seen before in a woman. Instantly she had me intrigued. I found myself wanting to know her.