Читать книгу A Little Holiday Temptation - Janice Sims - Страница 11

Chapter 2

“Let me drive!” Ana exclaimed, running her hand along the driver’s side of Erik’s sleek, black Corvette the next morning. Erik couldn’t hold back a laugh her face was so animated with pure delight.

She looked fresh and stylish in jeans, a cotton shirt open at the neck, a thick brown jacket to guard against the cold and brown suede boots. Her thick hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Erik also wore jeans, but had paired them with athletic shoes, an MIT T-shirt, and his favorite black leather jacket.

“I’ve barely had her out on the road myself since I bought her,” he said, chuckling and holding the car keys high above his head out of her reach. Ana pressed her chest to his as she stretched on tiptoe, trying her best to snatch the keys from his grasp.

“Come on, I’ll be good, I promise. No more than, five, ten miles over the speed limit.”

“This is not Europe, and we don’t have an autobahn,” Erik reminded her as he handed over the keys. She had him at a disadvantage. Her close proximity—her breasts against his chest, the subtle erotic, utterly feminine scent she exuded—were causing an all too familiar physical reaction in him. Better to relent and let her drive.

Ana clutched the keys in her hand and let out a whoop. “You choose the music, and let’s roll!”

Erik got in and buckled up. He watched as Ana slid into the driver’s side, automatically adjusted the seat to her proportions, then fastened her seat belt.

She turned and smiled at him as she turned the key in the ignition. He could have sworn she got pleasure from the purring of the engine. He’d never known a woman who loved to drive as much as she did. He had to admit, she was a good driver. Yes, there was that one time when they got pulled over for speeding, but even the officer stated that she hadn’t been driving recklessly, just over the speed limit. He had let her off with a warning.

Ana consulted the GPS and pulled into the early-morning Manhattan traffic. “Tell me more about the Barones.”

Erik was riffling through the CDs. He selected a Howlin’ Wolf album and put it in the CD player. “Well, the business was started by Leo’s grandfather, Alphonse, in the early 1900s. He and his wife, Lucia, were from Salerno, Italy. Leo’s father, Leo, Senior, took over in the sixties and left the business to Leo when he died in the eighties.”

“Doesn’t Leo have any children to leave the business to?” asked Ana. It made no sense to her that Leo would sell the family business, even if he were having financial troubles, when the tradition in the Barone family was for the children to inherit the business. The Corellis’ clothing-manufacturing business was also an inherited family business.

“They had a son, but the boy was killed in a diving accident when he was nineteen.”

“That’s terrible,” said Ana sympathetically.

“They still have a daughter. She’s sixteen now.”

“What a blessing. She doesn’t show any interest in the business?”

“From what I’m told, she’s more into soccer. Her team was the state champs last year.”

“You seem to know a lot about them.”

“I make it my business to know whom I’m dealing with,” Erik said matter-of-factly. “Besides, Leo likes to talk about his family.”

“What about his wife?”

“He met her in Rome when he visited the old country for the first time, is how he put it. It was love at first sight. He learned Italian in order to communicate with her.”

“You mean he’s Italian and didn’t speak Italian?”

“Italian was the language his grandfather spoke, and he never quite mastered. But when he met Teresa she refused to speak English so he had to learn it.”

“Smart woman,” said Ana laughing softly.

“Yes, he later found out she could speak English all along.”

“Very smart woman,” she added as she nodded her head to the beat of the music. “Who is that?”

“Howlin’ Wolf,” Erik told her. “He was known for classic Chicago blues. Like Muddy Waters.”

He knew Ana was slowly working her way through American blues singers. She loved the gutbucket blues the best, the rough-and-ready singers who got under your skin with the emotion in their voices.

“He’s got a gritty, sexy tone to his voice,” she said. “I could listen to him all night.”

Erik grinned, “Are you blushing?”

“No,” she denied, eyes on the road. “Tell me more about him.”

“He was a big guy,” Erik said, “six-six and almost three hundred pounds.”

“He sounds big,” Ana said.

“He and Muddy Waters were rivals. I don’t know why, exactly, but they reportedly didn’t like each other much.”

“Probably a professional rivalry,” Ana suggested. “They competed for jobs, maybe record deals, maybe even women.”

“They probably didn’t have to compete for women. Women love musicians. There were undoubtedly enough to go around.”

“Who knows, maybe they were in love with the same woman,” Ana countered. “Men have feuded over women since the beginning of time. Remember Helen of Troy?”

Erik laughed. “The blues is usually about a broken romance,” he said. “You could be right.”

They talked about the blues and listened to it the entire trip. It was nearly noon when Ana turned onto the long driveway that led to the Barone house, a three-story Tudor-style mansion on the outskirts of Bridgeport. There were three other late-model cars parked on the circular drive.

Ana parked the Corvette and turned off the engine. Shy by nature, she was always a little apprehensive about meeting new people. “Here we are,” she said to Erik hesitantly.

Before they could get out of the car, the Barones, looking relaxed in their casual weekend clothes and warm jackets, came out of the house, welcoming smiles on their faces.

“Oh my God, it is Ana Corelli!” Julianna Barone cried, sprinting to the driver’s side and pulling open the door. “When Daddy said Mr. Whitaker was bringing his lady friend, Ana Corelli, I thought to myself, ‘Not the Ana Corelli!’ But it is you!”

Ana got out and was immediately enveloped in Julianna’s arms. Ana hugged her back. Then they peered into each other’s faces. “It’s good to meet you…” Ana began.

“Julianna. I’m sorry. Where’re my manners?” Juliana said.

“I was wondering that myself,” said Teresa Barone. She was in her early fifties, five-six and curvy with tanned skin. Her dark brown hair was cut short and framed her lovely face nicely.

“This is my mom, Teresa,” said Julianna.

“Welcome to our home,” said Teresa in Italian, having noticed Ana’s accent. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ana.”

Ana smiled, loving the way the language tripped off the other woman’s tongue. It had been a while since anyone other than her family had spoken in Italian to her. She answered in Italian and soon the two of them were speaking rapidly in the language. Teresa took her by the arm and led her inside with Leo, Erik and Julianna following.

“Forgive her,” said Leo to Erik, commenting on the fact that his wife had totally ignored him in favor of Ana. “It isn’t often she meets someone who speaks her native tongue as fluently as she does. It goes to her head. How was your trip?”

Erik told him they’d had a pleasant drive. He looked around him, at the beautiful house and acres of greenery. “Is that a stable?” he asked about the outlying building east of the house.

“It is,” Leo told him. He shaded his eyes with a hand as he looked across the field at the well-kept stables. “In good weather, Teresa and I ride every day. We’re trying to interest Julianna.”

“But I’m scared of horses,” Julianna finished for her father. She smiled up at Erik. She was taller than her mother, but had the same chestnut hair. However hers was long and fell nearly to her waist in waves. Her complexion was also somewhere between her mother’s dark skin and her father’s fairer skin. She and her father were nearly the same height at around five-nine.

She and Leo stood aside as Erik retrieved his and Ana’s luggage from the car’s trunk.

“Yes, well, I’ve never gotten used to them myself,” Erik told her. “My father raises horses. These days he calls himself a gentleman farmer, and horses are one of his obsessions.”

“Finally,” Julianna said, “someone else who doesn’t think horses are the noble beasts my parents think they are. Those things are big! They’ve got hard hooves and they bite!”

“They don’t bite,” Leo said, chuckling. “Well, I’ve never been bitten by one, anyway.”

“You’ve been lucky,” his daughter said.

Leo suggested they put the luggage in the foyer closet until after lunch.

By the time they got into the kitchen where Teresa had led Ana, the two women were already putting lunch on the table while chattering away.

Teresa looked up at her husband when they came into the room. “Ana tells me that her mother is Natalie Davis-Corelli. Do you remember we saw her onstage in Rome over twenty-five years ago?”

“I do,” said Leo. He regarded Ana with an amazed look on his face. “I didn’t care much for opera at that time. It was your mother who changed that for me. I’d never heard a voice so pure, so clear, or so emotional. Is she still singing?”

“She performs on special occasions,” Ana told him, “but mostly she teaches voice lessons.”

After years of singing, she gets a lot of joy out of helping other singers reach their full potential.

Leo, Erik and Julianna sat on stools around the granite-topped island in the middle of the large stylish kitchen while Teresa and Ana put the dishes Teresa had prepared earlier in the center of the island. The smells to Ana were reminiscent of home.

“You come from a family of musicians,” Leo said to Ana. He smiled at his wife. “Being married to an opera expert, I’ve picked up a little knowledge over the years.” He returned his attention to Ana. “If your mother is Natalie Davis-Corelli that means your grandmother was Renata Corelli.”

“Yes,” Ana said, pleased to know he knew of her grandmother who had died several years ago and was still sorely missed.

“I never saw her perform live,” Leo said regrettably. “But I’ve seen her in films. She was amazing.”

Ana couldn’t think of her grandmother without getting a little choked up. She swallowed a lump in her throat, and softly said, “She was happiest when she was performing.”

Leo continued, excitedly. “No wonder your brother is a composer, his mother and his grandmother—two world-renowned singers. It was in his blood. What about you, do you have musical talent?”

Ana laughed shortly. “Not a bit. Musical talent skipped me and my sister, Sophia. Neither of us can carry a tune. Or play an instrument with any proficiency. We went into fashion, like our father. Sophia works with him in his clothing business and I became a model.”

“You sound so modest,” Teresa said, smiling warmly. “You did more than just became a model. You’re very successful at it.”

“I’ve been lucky,” Ana admitted.

“And very hard-working,” Erik put in fondly.

“There’s no substitution for hard work,” Leo said. He gave his daughter a meaningful look. “That’s what I’ve been trying to drive home with our soccer fanatic here. You have to burn the midnight oil to get anywhere.”

“We were state champs this year,” Julianna said a bit defensively.

“Yes, but a girl can’t live by soccer alone,” her father countered. “In order to get into a good college, you’ll need more than just a good athletic record. You’re too single minded. What about academics and other extracurricular activities? You have to be well-rounded.”

“Ana was single-minded in her career,” Julianna pointed out. “If she hadn’t been focused on becoming the best model she could be, she wouldn’t be where she is today.”

“Ana?” Leo said, obviously looking for an ally in this argument. “Tell us, please, is that true?”

“My parents insisted I get a college degree,” Ana told Julianna. “I have a bachelor’s degree in business. And I’ve been taking art classes for years.”

“See?” cried Teresa. “Beauty and brains!”

“That is so cool,” said Julianna. “Don’t take this the wrong way but I always thought of models as self-absorbed airheads.”

“You can find self-absorbed airheads in any career,” Ana said, to which everyone laughed.

They all sat down and soon were enjoying a lunch of Teresa’s native southern Italian cuisine—a seafood soup with fresh tomatoes and savory herbs, hot crusty bread and peach gelato for dessert.

“You’re a great cook,” Ana said to Teresa. “This soup reminds me of my father’s seafood soup.”

“That’s why I married her,” Leo said cheerfully.

Teresa, who was sitting beside her husband, reached over and tousled his too-long dark hair. He was graying at the temples, which gave him a sexy, rugged appearance as far as she was concerned. She adored him and it was reflected in the way her eyes caressed his face. “One of the reasons, anyway,” she said, then winked at him.

“Behave,” their daughter said with a laugh. “We’ve got company.” Then she turned to Erik and said, “Mr. Whitaker, Dad says you want to buy the family business. I searched your company on Google and found out you’ve bought several companies that were having problems.”

“I don’t think this is the time to discuss business,” Leo said abruptly, obviously surprised by his daughter’s comment.

“Dad, isn’t that why you invited Mr. Whitaker and Ana here this weekend?”

“Please, call me Erik,” said Erik with a smile.

“What I wanted to say,” Julianna continued calmly, “is that if Dad is going to sell the family business, I hope it’s to a company like yours. You’re environmentally responsible. You have a good record when it comes to keeping the employees who’re dependent on the companies you acquire to make a living.” She regarded her father. “I know you’re worried about that, Dad. That’s why I decided to do a little research. Not that you haven’t already done that, but I wanted to reassure myself. I know you think I don’t have any interest in the business, but I do. I keep my ears and eyes open.”

Leo looked at her with such pride that, seeing his expression, Teresa got emotional and had to wipe a tear away. “My baby,” she said in a whisper.

“Dad, I’m sorry if it seems I’m being disrespectful, I don’t mean to. But if you remember, I’ve tried to talk to you about the business for weeks now and you always tell me not to worry about it.”

Leo didn’t know what to say. He thought Julianna lived in her own world of soccer, her friends and the internet, in that order. That she had made an effort to find out what sort of company Whitaker Enterprises was made him wonder if perhaps he’d been too quick to call it a day where the company was concerned. Maybe there was a Barone who looked forward to running it one day. If he redoubled his efforts there was a possibility that with an infusion of new ideas, and investors, the Barone Shoe Company, whose slogan had always been Quality Italian Shoes Made in America, could remain in the family.

“I’m listening,” he said to his daughter.

“Before you sell the family business,” Julianna said, “I just want to make sure that’s what you really want to do, or is it because Leo, Jr.’s in heaven and you don’t think a woman could run the company after you retire?” She was all seriousness, her gaze unwavering. “Or maybe there’s something you’re not telling me—like you’re sick and that’s why you’re selling the company and retiring at sixty.”

Leo got up and pulled his daughter into his arms. “No, sweetheart, no to both of your questions,” he said. “I know that if you put your mind to it, you’re capable of anything. I just didn’t know you were interested in working with me. And I’m as healthy as a horse!”

Julianna laughed. “You know I don’t like horses.”

“Okay, I’m as healthy as David Beckham,” said Leo.

“That’s better,” said Julianna.

“Let’s sit,” said Leo. Once they were both seated, Leo turned to Erik. “It looks like we have a lot to talk about this weekend, after all. I was ready to sign, but now I’m having sudden misgivings.”

Erik had been listening with interest. This wasn’t the first time a deal had come this close to being finalized and had fallen through…if that’s where this was going. He had learned to roll with the punches. “I’m sure we can work something out that will be agreeable to both of us. We’re not in the business of trying to force anyone to sell. We only approached you because you had decided that selling might be an option out of your financial crunch. However we’re willing to work with you. If you want to remain the company’s CEO and train Julianna to eventually replace you with us as an investor, you can go that way. It’s your decision. We like Barone Shoes and we think you can once again be a major competitor in the shoe market.”

Leo regarded his wife. “Do you think we can postpone our months-long tour of Italy a few more years until Julianna’s ready to assume control of the business?”

Teresa in turn regarded Julianna. “Baby, you’re only sixteen. How can you be so sure you want to run the business one day?”

“Because it’s my family,” Julianna said firmly. “I’m a Barone. Like Grandpa and Dad before me. Plus, I feel a connection with Leo, Jr.—as if we’d be doing it together. I know I never knew him, but I love him anyway.”

Teresa had tears in her eyes when she told her husband, “Okay, I can wait a few years. Give her a chance.”

“Let’s talk about taking you all on as investors,” Leo said to Erik and offered him his hand across the table. Erik took it and firmly shook it.

“I’m sure we can work something out,” Erik agreed.

After lunch, Erik and Leo, went into the family library and hammered out a deal that would give Whitaker Enterprises a quarter interest in Barone Shoes in exchange for a healthy loan. Erik felt confident that Whitaker Enterprises had made a good investment. And Leo felt he could trust Whitaker Enterprises to support them, but not interfere in the day-to-day running of Barone Shoes. However, Erik made one stipulation: Barone Shoes had to submit to Whitaker Enterprises’ efficiency experts and accountants in order to insure that the company was being run in the black from now on. Whitaker Enterprises didn’t invest in a losing proposition. They wouldn’t be the powerhouse they were today if they did. Leo wholeheartedly agreed.

The two men stood and shook on it. “Since that’s settled, Ana and I should be getting back on the road,” Erik said.

“No, please stay the night,” Leo said. He grinned. “We had planned a party for you tonight and invited some of the employees so they could meet you, the new owner. Now they can meet the new investor. Stay, won’t you?”

Erik would like nothing better than to spend the rest of the day and the weekend with Ana. After last night, he was looking forward to some alone time with her. However, Ana had been promised a weekend in Connecticut and he hated disappointing her. Plus, it might be a good idea to meet some of Leo’s employees. “All right,” he said. “I’d like that.”