~ Rosalina ~*
Work had been so hectic these past few weeks — probably because of the Salvatore Group's 25th anniversary coming up. Everyone in the building was moving faster, talking louder, and the lobby had started to look like a different place entirely with all the preparations going on.
Today happened to be Brian's check-up day. Betty had volunteered to take him for me, which I was grateful for.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when a message popped up on my phone. It was Betty. She said she was outside the Salvatore building with Brian.
Betty was after my life at this point, I said to myself.
I told Giorgio that Betty and Brian were here and that I wanted to go meet them downstairs. He said he would cover for me if Enzo called.
Enzo.
I had been calling him that in my mind lately, I thought.
I pushed the thought aside and thanked Giorgio. He had listened to one of my calls with Brian once — in his defense he had overheard it — and I had ended up telling him everything. About Brian's sickness, about the surgery, about how I was saving up. And since then, he had always asked after him. Giorgio was quietly one of the good ones.
I stepped into the elevator and made my way down to the lobby.
The lobby was bustling — people moving in every direction, decorators speaking to the events team, deliveries coming in through the side entrance. The anniversary preparations had taken over the entire ground floor. I said hi to Mrs. Williams at the reception and waved at a few other people on the floors I passed through — people I had gotten to know over time, mostly through Giorgio of course.
When I got outside I spotted them immediately.
Betty and Brian standing by the entrance, Brian looking around at the building with wide eyes.
I walked up to them and Brian turned to me with the biggest smile.
"Rosie," he said, "your company is huge. I promise to build a company as huge as this for you one day."
I smiled and crouched slightly to his level. "You promised right? Then you have to fulfill it."
Betty leaned in immediately. "And what about your Aunty Betty, big boy Brian?"
He looked at her very seriously and said, "Don't worry. I will build a big fashion house for you as well."
Betty burst into the widest smile and kissed his cheek. I shook my head quietly. Initially I had come downstairs ready to give Betty an earful — but Brian's words had made me completely forget about it.
I turned to Betty. "How was the check-up?"
She softened slightly. "It was fine. The doctor just said we need to make sure he keeps taking his medications for sustainability until the surgery." She paused. "Which he needs urgently, Rosa."
I nodded and swallowed that quietly. "Thank you Betty. I really have to get back now—"
"Wait wait wait," Betty said immediately, grabbing my arm. "Can I just have one glimpse of that Greek god you work for? Just one—"
I opened my mouth to shut that down completely.
"Rosalina!"
I turned around.
It was Luca, walking toward us from the entrance with that easy smile of his.
"Hi Rosalina," he said warmly.
"Hi Luca," I replied, then gestured between them. "Meet my best friend Betty and my brother Brian."
Luca turned to them without missing a beat. "Hi Betty." Then he looked at Brian and went straight for the fist bump. "Hi Brian."
Brian smiled the biggest smile. "Hi Luca, nice to meet you."
Betty had the widest grin on her face. "Hi Luca," she said in a voice that was entirely too enthusiastic and I could not even look at her.
I jumped in immediately. "They were just passing by and decided to say hi to me."
Luca smiled. "You could have let them inside—"
"It's fine Luca," I cut in quickly before Betty could say a single word. "They were just about to leave. Thank you by the way."
I turned and started gently pushing Betty and Brian away from the entrance.
"We'll talk when I get home," I said to them firmly. "Go. Both of you. Go."
Betty was laughing. Brian was waving.
I could feel Luca watching the whole thing from behind us with a smile on his face.
When they had finally gone I turned back and walked to meet Luca and we headed inside together.
"You could have let them in," he said as we crossed the lobby. "Are you scared of Enzo getting angry? You know, even though he's cold — he likes kids so much. I'm sure he would warm up to Brian."
"No it's fine, Luca," I said. "This is a place of work. I shouldn't overstep my boundaries."
We reached the elevator and I moved toward the public one out of habit. Luca stopped me.
"Come with me," he said, nodding toward the private elevator.
I shook my head. "That elevator is for Mr Salvatore and family. I am clearly not one."
Luca gave me a look and then smiled. "I'm asking you to ride with me. I'm also going to the top floor."
I hesitated. Then I sighed.
"Luca," I said as I stepped in beside him, "be prepared to get me a new job when I lose this one."
He laughed. "Enzo dares not — or I will kick his ass hard."
I laughed so hard the elevator doors had already closed before I realised it.
The elevator opened to the top floor to reveal Matteo and Giorgio deep in conversation by Giorgio's desk.
I had come to understand something about Giorgio over the past weeks — his loyalty was to Matteo and Matteo alone. There was nothing going on in this company that Matteo didn't know about, and Giorgio was always the reason why.
Matteo looked up from the conversation and stopped talking the moment he saw me.
"Rosalina!" he said, breaking into a wide smile. "I missed you."
I smiled back. "I missed you too Matteo."
He pointed to a large bag sitting on Giorgio's table. "I got something nice for you and Giorgio — something to wear to the anniversary."
I blinked. "Matteo—"
"I thought you and Aiden were supposed to be in the Maldives until next week," Luca said from beside me, raising an eyebrow.
Matteo shrugged easily. "We didn't want to miss the anniversary."
I walked over and peeped into the bag. Whatever was inside was beautiful. "Thank you Matteo, really."
"You're welcome," he said. "And don't worry — it's your size. Giorgio told me."
I turned slowly to look at Giorgio.
Giorgio had the most neutral expression on his face.
"No wonder you were asking me my size that day," I said to him. "I thought it was weird." I paused. "But wait — wasn't that before the Spain trip? Has Matteo been planning to buy this since then? And besides—" I turned back to Matteo, "—you could have just asked me yourself."
Matteo opened his mouth to respond.
The double doors at the end of the corridor swung open.
Enzo walked out.
He looked at Matteo and said without breaking stride — "You only come to this company to disrupt the peace of everyone."
Matteo turned to him completely unbothered. "Good afternoon to you too, brother." He smiled. "And yes — I came to visit my friends Giorgio and Rosalina. And I came bearing gifts."
Enzo's green eyes — that particular shade that was charming and entirely unique to him — moved from Matteo to me, then to the large bag sitting on Giorgio's table. He held my gaze for just a moment.
Then he turned and said to me, "Clear all my appointments for the day."
Luca looked up. "You're off somewhere?"
"Nanny Martha called," Enzo said, already moving. "Bam is sick. The doctor is already at the house but I need to go."
Matteo was already following his brother toward the elevator. "I'll come with you," he said, then turned and yelled across the corridor — "Bye Giorgio! Bye Rosalina!"
Luca smiled at me, gave a small wave, and followed them out.
The corridor went quiet.
Giorgio and I exchanged a glance.
Then we both went back to work.
Work ended and I made my way home.
But at the back of my mind, one thought stayed with me the whole way.
I hope Bam is fine.
Because I had seen the way Enzo moved the moment Nanny Martha called. No hesitation. No second thought. Just — go.
And I knew exactly how much that dog meant to him.
*******