Chapter 72: Lunchtime

At the restaurant, my father awaits Dante and me at the table by the window. Without thinking twice, I immediately go to the table, followed by Dante. My father and Carlo have ordered their lunch, so Dante and I are the only ones left to order. Once we have finished ordering, I stay silent and watch the blue sky outside. As I watch the moving clouds, I suddenly remember something: the vacation. I need to ask my father about that now, before the day comes.

"Sooo, can I go on the vacation?" I ask. My father stares back at me with nothing but a strict look on his face.

"No," my father says.

Alright. I need to do a little convincing again. To be real, I don't even know what I have to say to make him agree, so I'll say whatever I said before. Perhaps I can word it differently and pray to god that my father will actually agree this time.

"You know why I want to go, right?" I say.

"Yes," my father says.

"Then why won't you let me go?" I ask.

"The risk outweighs the reward. It's not worth it," my father says.

"How? It'll be just like when I stayed at the Ricci's. It's not that different. Besides, I've already packed more clothes for it. So, if you don't agree to my leaving, then it'll be wasted effort," I say.

"Still a no," my father says.

Oh god. He's still saying no. What should I say now? I'll say whatever comes to mind. Hopefully, one of them will stick and make my father change his mind. I really need him to let me go. He should let me do my damn job.

"Come on. It's not like I'll be alone with Antonio. Dante and Carlo will come with us," I say.

"No," my father says. Exasperated, I sigh and roll my eyes at my father's unchanging answer. Despite his stubbornness, I'm not ready to give up my plan just yet. I need to fight for what I want. I can't let him win.

"Why, father? Why?" I ask.

"To be frank, I'm doubtful about your plan. Snitching to you about his family sounds like bullshit," my father says.

"Father!" I say.

So, he doesn't believe in me and my plans? Well, my plan is rather not well-prepared, so I understand. However, he could've believed in me more and let me do what I think is right. Isn't that what he's always wanted? For me to be more involved in the family's business?

Gosh. If he keeps acting like this, then I'd better give up on my plan and just run away. I don't think he will kill Dante now that he's my father's second-in-command. He's not that stupid to throw away someone as valuable as Dante. Why should I be here any longer if I'm no longer useful to my father? I would only be a waste of space.

"It's the truth," my father says.

"Why won't you have a little faith in me? I'll make him. As you already know, I've spent some time with Antonio while I was at the Ricci. I didn't only notice his nervousness once but twice. All those times, he looked like he wanted to say something, but kept holding himself back. I just want to get whatever the fuck he has out of him. As simple as that. Isn't that worth trying?" I ask.

If what I say still won't convince him, I swear to god I'll actually leave and won't come back. Fuck it if the Romanos or someone else gets me. I don't care anymore. I'm sick of everything and not getting what I want.

"How long are you planning to go?" my father asks.

"From Saturday and maybe until Monday. So, three days and two nights," I say. I don't want it to be longer than that. If Antonio ends up wanting to be with me for more than three nights, I'll still leave anyway, with or without his confession. What matters most is to make Antonio speak his mind. If I fail, then there's nothing else I can do. I might have to do something with him first, but hopefully it doesn't have to come to that.

"Any idea what he wants to say?" my father asks.

"Probably a secret his family has been keeping from us. It might not be as big as Fabio being involved with the Romanos, but it's worth listening to, no?" I ask.

My first guess is that Antonio will let me know that his father is planning something for my family. That's all I can think of for now. I don't think Antonio will let me know about the big stuff just yet. He probably only wants to warn me, and that's it. That's how a person who's in love is: wants to keep their loved ones safe. In my case, Antonio wants to protect me because, despite our relationship being fake, his feelings toward me are real. Just like how I end up liking him a bit, even though I know his family is up to no good.

"Alright. You can go, but you'd better come back with something new for me. I'll wait for the new information," my father says.

"Got it," I say, nodding to my father.

Yes! He finally lets me go! Now I can calm down while I think of something for Antonio.

"Alessandra? Mr Benetti?"

When I turn my head around, my eyes immediately catch Antonio's light brown eyes. The sight before me makes my heart beat faster as anxiety rushes through my body. My father's and my conversation... Did Antonio hear it? God. I hope not. If he knows, my plan is fucking ruined, and his confession will be out of my reach.

"Antonio. What a coincidence. How are you doing?" my father asks. He gets on his feet and shakes hands with Antonio. Carlo, Dante, and I also get on our feet, watching the interaction in silence. I look at Antonio, my heart still hammering against my chest.

"I'm good. How about you? It is indeed a coincidence that we meet here," Antonio says. It's absolutely not a coincidence.

We're here for you, Antonio. Too bad we can't let him know about it just yet since it must be a surprise. I know that he's not stupid, though. He definitely knows why we're here. He's just playing along with us and our little game.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" my father asks.

"Just a quick getaway with my family. I think they're planning something for me. A birthday surprise of sorts. Just like any other year," Antonio says, shrugging at the idea.

See? He already knows about the surprise. Just like what he said to me the last day I was at his house. On Monday, Antonio asked me to come here with his family, but I rejected his invitation. I told him I was busy with my father, but in reality, it was because my father wouldn't let me leave. That time, I was so ready to send Antonio's gift to his house instead of bringing it to him, but thankfully, my father finally agreed to go to Antonio's birthday yesterday.

"Your birthday? My apologies. I forgot it's this month. When is it again?" my father asks, pretending to forget about Antonio's birthday, knowing well it's tomorrow since we've been invited a few days ago by his family.

"It's tomorrow," Antonio says, smiling at my father. My father grins and then pulls him into a quick embrace, patting Antonio on his back.

"Happy birthday. May all your wishes come true. I'll send you a gift soon," my father says.

"Thank you, but you don't have to," Antonio says.

"It's the least I can do," my father says.

"Anyway, are you serious? None of you knows about it? My family didn't invite you or anything?" Antonio asks, looking back and forth between my father and me. I shake my head and frown.

"No. No one told us about whatever they're planning. I only know it's your birthday because you told me last week," I say. Antonio frowns at my response.

Oh. He genuinely looks disappointed. Does he actually believe his family didn't invite us to his birthday? Poor guy. If he really thinks we're not invited, then he'll be up for one hell of a surprise tomorrow.

"Oh, well, I'd ask you to come, but it's a surprise, so I'm not sure where my family will take me," Antonio says, smiling apologetically.

"Don't worry about us. Maybe they only want you to celebrate with them for now. Have fun with them for me, though," I say.

"I will," Antonio says. He then turns to my father, looking nervous all of a sudden. "And uh, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away," my father says.

"So, as you may have already known, I invited Alessandra to go to Amalfi Coast with me. Is it okay if she goes with me?" Antonio asks.

Yes. I know my father already approved my leave, but having Antonio ask about it, too, will set everything in stone. My father won't have the chance to back out this time. He must let me go. There's no other choice for him.

"Sure. Absolutely. Just make sure she comes back on Monday at the latest, okay?" my father says. He's still adamant about me not leaving for too long, but it's okay. At least he gave me the chance to get Antonio to talk. That's what truly matters for now. Besides, I don't want to be alone with Antonio for too long, so thank god for the time limit.

"Yes, sir. Thank you for giving us your permission. How long will you be here?" Antonio asks.

"Just until Saturday," my father says. Antonio's grin becomes wider at the news. He knows that if we're here until Saturday, we can go to the villa together. I'm still not sure if I really want to go with him or not, though. The thought of being alone with him in a car for hours sounds excrutiatingly painful. I'd rather go with Carlo and Dante instead than with Antonio.

"I'll be here until Saturday, too. Why don't we go together?" Antonio asks.

"Sure, that's a good idea. However, just like I've told you before, Dante and Carlo will come with us," I say.

"Okay. Just let me know when you're ready. I'll be waiting for you in the lobby on Saturday," Antonio says.

The lobby? Good. I don't want him to come knocking at my door and find Dante and me sleeping in the same room together. It might cause a bit of a problem between us, and that cannot happen. I need to be on Antonio's good side for the rest of the week until Monday comes. If he knows Dante and I are sleeping together, he might hesitates to confess his thoughts.

"Okay. I'll let you know then," I say.

"Good. I'll see you around. Please enjoy your lunch. I'll be on another table with my brother," Antonio says, pointing at another table where Giorgio is sitting. Giorgio waves at us, and I wave back at him. He winks at me, and I only smile back at him. Our plan is going smooth so far. It seems like Antonio has fallen into our surprise trap.

"Enjoy your lunch too," I say. Antonio smiles at me one more time before heading towards his table. All of us get back to sit and wait for our food to come.

One more day before Antonio's birthday. Just as Valeria suggested, I made Antonio a handmade gift. It's not something crazy, just a cute scrapbook. It takes a lot of effort to make, so I hope it'll impress Antonio enough. I wish a heartfelt gift will be enough to make Antonio lets his guard down even more when he's with me.