The Vindication Gents

Chapter 2.4

Christina Dobulski’s POV

“So, what is your name again?” Antonio asked me as I was gulping at his question.

“Christina, sir,” I mumbled.

“Speak up,” he said as I was jumping from my seat.

“Christina, sir,” I said a little too loud as I cleared my throat. Antonio was arching his eyebrows at me before he laughed out loud. I blushed like I was making a fool out of myself.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so commanding with my voice. Old habits die hard. Let’s start over, shall we? Hi, my name is Antonio, but you can call me Tony. My friends call me that,” he said as he was offering his hand to me. I stared at it as I was looking back into his handsome face.

The high cheekbones, the long lashes that covered his eyes, the straight, aristocratic nose, and those pink, kissable lips. I think I can die and go to heaven if I just have one taste of his lips.

Get your head out of the gutter, Christina. You’re about to work with him and he is your soon to be boss! I gave a slap on my face, on my head, as I was smiling at him and took his hand.

Electricity ran through my fingers into my bones. It was chilling.

“Yes, hi. Nice to meet you, Tony. I’m Christina,” I said as I was shaking his hand. He was smiling at me and them for a moment later, he was eyeing our hands before I just remembered that I had held them far too long for comfort.

“Well, now that we have established that. Let’s start, but I wanted you to think of this as a normal conversation, not an interview. I hate it when I have to do this thing, but I wanted us to be friends at work, because if you are chosen, we will work closely. So, I don’t want any formal gestures between us. Capiche?” He said as he went to sit on the side of the table.

I smiled at him as I nodded. I know it is important for the employer and employee to keep their boundaries with each other, but now, I think I don’t want that with Tony. He seemed nice and friendly and I think I can trust him.

“So, where are you from, Christina?” He asked and said my name before my stomach turned as I was clearing my throat.

“I was born and raised in Hungary, sir,” I said before he turned sharply at me.

“I told you, you can call me Tony,” he said as he was smiling at me. I smiled back at him.

“Yes, of course. Sorry. This is all kind of new to me,” I said as I was chuckling.

“So, how can you speak Italian fluently?” He asked before he was crossing his hands over his chest. I think I have died and gone to heaven. He was so lean and toned that I wanted to run my hands over his chest.

What the heck! Get your head in the game, girl!

“Well, I took Italian as my third language in high school and college. I have always been dreaming of coming to Italy and maybe working here,” I said as I was staring at him working, even though the truth was that I asked my tutors to teach me when I was younger. He was analyzing me as I was talking too animatedly about myself. I should not have done that.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I mean, of course, I love my home country but my parents were so controlling that sometimes, I felt like I was suffocating,” I said as I was looking at him. He arched his eyebrows at me and I just realized that I was being too chatty.

“Sorry, I guess that was too much information for my potential employer,” I said as I was tucking my hair behind my ears. I always did that when I was nervous.

“No, no. I would get it. I was once like that but now I’m on my own two feet, I don’t have to listen to them anymore,” Tony said as he chuckled at me. I was arching my eyebrows at him before he shook his head.

“Well, enough of that. So, what’s your major in college?” He asked me as I was fidgeting my fingers. Another trait I had was that I was nervous.

“I was majoring in Fashion Design and Marketing. I was interested in making my dresses and gowns but I was also interested in interacting with people and talking to them. So, that’s probably why I did both of those,” I said as I was looking at my hands.

“Then, why did you apply for my PA position then?” Tony asked before I looked at him. I smiled as he was staring at me under his warm light brown eyes.

“Well, I wanted to gain experience from one of the best wedding planners in Italy. Maybe I will learn from you about something related to fashion design and do my networking,” I said as I was smoothing my palms over my laps. Tony was silent and I think my answer was not that good.

Lord, help me!

“Well, that was unorthodox,” he said and my heart was beating so loud that I was sure he could listen to it.

“But I think it was practical. You were ready to make some changes as you dared to move from Hungary to be here, right? Have you got any friends or relatives in this country?” He asked me as I was looking into his caramel orbs.

“No, I just got here last night, but I can assure you I have accommodation at the hotel near the boutique so I was good for another 2 weeks before I become homeless,” I said before his eyes were showing some emotions. I blinked and it was gone.

“Is that so?” He said as he walked away to the window to stare outside. It was an eerie silence again and I was fidgeting with my hands right then.

“Well, the good news is, you’re hired,” he said as he turned to look at me. I turned sharply at him, as I did not mistake that word. I blinked my eyes at him.

“I’m sorry, what?” I said, as I needed to confirm what I had just heard. Did he say I was hired?

“You’re hired. Congratulations, Christina! You got the job,” he said as he was smiling at me. I was overwhelmed and before I knew it, I was running up to my boss and hugging him. He was taken back before he was hugging me. I snaked my hands around his neck as I was looking into his eyes.

“Thank you, thank you! You don’t know how happy I am,” I said as I was looking into his eyes. After that, I realized that I was grazing my bosom to his chest and our hot breaths mingled. We were so close that I could smell his signature perfume.

Acqua Di Gio, so him. So Tony.

“Hmm, mmm,” someone cleared their throat before I released my hold onto Tony. I was embarrassed as Nina was smirking at us and our closeness.

“What is it, Nina? And stop smirking at us,” Tony said as he was walking toward the desk and took a seat. I was standing awkwardly as I was looking at the floor.

“Christina, can you make tea please?” Tony asked me as I turned to look at him.

“Sure, how do you like it?” I asked as I was getting his cup from earlier.

“Earl Grey with lemon. Just a cube of sugar,” he said as I was trying to remember that. I can do this.

“Um, where’s the pantry?” I asked before Nina directed me to the left of the office. I went out of the office as I closed the door. I wondered what they were talking about.

Antonio Romano’s POV

“Well, you’re happy. I can see it in your eyes,” Nina said as she was giving me some papers to sign for the materials and flowers for Giovanni’s reception.

“It’s none of your business,” I grunted as I was looking at the closed door that Christina had just disappeared through. After that chat with her, I was happy to know that she had it rough as well in Hungary. Maybe that’s why she came to escape from Italy. She was just like me before I was at the top of the food chain. I need to help her.

“Will that be all?” I asked her, as she was amused by my temper right now.

“Yes, that would be all, sir,” Nina called to me as I was frowning at her.

“You know you don’t have to call me that,”

“Oh, but I wanted to. It irritates you so I really must keep calling you that,” Nina said as I flipped her off before the door opened. I looked at Christina who was disheveled with her blouse wet from something and her hair was covered with some white powder.

Did she make tea or plant a tea tree?

“Sorry, I was still not familiar with the stuff in the pantry,” she said as she carried the tray to my side. The tea looked normal, so that would be a good sign.

“Well, excuse me,” Nina said as she fled the scene. She knew that this was my test for my new PA. If Christina got it wrong, I don’t know what I would do with her afterward.

I took a sip of the tea and something cracked inside me. What the hell was that?! I never taste anything as disgusting as this. I thought she knew how to make tea. I even instructed her.

“Was it bad?” Christina asked me as I was trying to hold the tea in my mouth. I needed to get to the bathroom but I swallowed it. I never swallowed my previous PA’s failed tea. But for her, I made an exception.

I wondered why I did that.

“Well, it was—“

“Yes?” She asked excitedly.

“Awful,” I said as I knotted my eyebrows together as I looked at Christina. The blood had drained from her face as she knew that she had failed me on the first day of her work.

And I think I don’t want to see that look on her ever again.