Page 197 of Valentino

“No, I’m not being patient. From here on in I’m being realistic. We didn’t have something, because if we did, he would have professed his feelings or fought for me…hell, at the very least listened to my side of the story. Both he and Carlo were only using me to get to each other.”

She squeezes my hand in hers. “I’m sorry.” She twists her lips.

“Me too.” I smile sadly. “But the good news is, I finally woke up and have decided on trying something new.”

“Like what?” She smiles.

“I’m moving.”

“To where?”

“I don’t know yet. But I’ve resigned from work and I’ve given notice on my apartment.” I sip my wine, filled with hope. “I leave in twenty-one days.”

“That soon.” Her face falls. “I feel like I caused this.”

You kind of did….

“I’ll still speak to you all the time.”

Her eyes fill with tears. “Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

“I love you.” She pulls me in for a hug. “I couldn’t stand to lose you.”

“Good, because you never will. I love you, too.”

5 months later.

VALENTINO.

The ghost of her echoes around every corner.

No matter how hard or how far I run from it, somehow it always finds me.

It’s between every woman’s legs, and at the bottom of every bottle of scotch.

It blocks the sun and steals the oxygen from my lungs.

“Hurry up, baby,” she calls. “We’re waiting.”

My eyes linger over the three beautiful women in my bed.

“Just a minute.” I get up and go to my bathroom and open the wall mirror, I throw down a few blue pills with the last of my scotch and grab a handful of condoms.

Splashing water on my face, I look up to stare at the empty man in the mirror.

Rock. Bottom.

12 months later.

VALENTINO

“A toast.” Giuliano raises his glass.

We all smile from our places at the table and raise our glasses.

“To our team.” Giuliano looks around to us all. “The hardest-working, most loyal, incredible team. Thank you for everything that you do. I’m so proud of you, my Ferrara family.” He raises his glass higher. “Merry Christmas, my dear friends. I love you.”