STEFANO {Published/Sample Only}

33

Only my fucking famiglia. "Come on!"

Sofia threw her hand to her face, smacking her own cheek. "I can't believe this is happening! I knew I should have handled it personally!" She was distraught, as she had been since we got the news this morning. She sighed again, slowly moving closer to Luca who was opening his arm for her.

"It's fine... we'll survive," Giorgia grumbled under her breath, forcing a smile while closing in on Luca's other side so he swung his arm up, wrapping it around her, holding both of them close at his sides.

Here we go. "Seriously, can we..."

"We're Romano's," Luca cleared his throat, squeezing the girls tight before flashing his eyes over to me. "We've faced and handled worse. We'll get through this together." The girls nodded in agreement, resting their heads against Luca's chest.

Jesus Christ. "Just get on the fucking plane. It's just a commercial flight." I waved my arm over to the line of passengers already boarding.

"Just..." Sofia snapped back as the attendant took to the microphone.

"Last call for first class passengers boarding flight 621 to San Diego."

"That's us!" I waved them forward. "Principessa Sofia, Giorgia."

Sofia huffed, walking towards the gate, leaving her bag behind for the staff that didn't exist here so Luca grabbed it, rolling it with his as Giorgia followed.

"Anne's fired!" He grumbled, stepping up next to me as we walked onto the plane. "How do you confuse booking First American Charter with first class on American Airlines."

"I fly commercial when I travel, you'll survive." I patted his back, gesturing him to the first row. "This is us."

I took the window seat and Luca dropped down into the seat next to me, fidgeting dramatically, trying to get comfortable while the girls settled into the seats across the aisle.

In six hours we'd be in Cali, finally meeting the twins... and I'd be in the same city as him. Not that it mattered.

"Can I get you something before take off?"

I looked from the window to the guy standing at Luca's side.

"Who are you?" Luca adjusted his jacket, not even bothering to look up at the guy.

"I'm the first class flight attendant."

Luca's face shot up. "Flight attendant? You're a dude?"

"Yes..." the guy sighed. "Can I..."

"No." Luca flicked his wrist, waving him away. "Bring me a stewardess?"

I held my tongue, watching Luca's mini panic, first no private jet- now no private hand picked crew.

The guy forced a smile. "I'm the only one working the first class cabin for this flight."

Luca twisted his face over to mine. "Anne's fucking fired."

Funny, I wanted to give her a raise. Seeing his meltdown was priceless.

Then a woman walked by, tray in hand with Luca's eyes following. "What about her?"

"She's servicing economy on the other side of that curtain sir," the guy groaned.

"Well tell her to come service Luca Romano on this side of the curtain!"

Jesus Christ...

"Excuse me!" The attendant flashed his eyes to Luca, but Luca wasn't going to back down.