Honeymoon For One by Lily Zante Read Free Book Online

Nico.
    “Silvia,”
said Nico coldly, still holding onto his paper. He put it down for a brief moment
and would have carried on reading but he caught sight of the little girl who
was now sitting beside him.
    “Good morning Mr. Cazale,” she said. The hard gaze
reserved only for Silvia, now softened as Nico looked at the beautiful little
girl with bright green eyes and a shy expression on her face.
    “Hello Alessa, and how are you today? How’s your
bear?” he asked, folding his newspaper and placing it on the table, next to his
espresso. He leaned in and gave the teddy bear a little tug on his paw.
    Alessa smiled back, lifting her eyes to Nico’s
face before lowering them shyly and moving back into her seat. Nico smiled at
her, happy to spend time with the little girl and not wanting to waste any more
time with the girl’s mother.
    “Darling! So cold?” said Silvia, giving Nico an
icy smile that made him wince. He felt annoyed that she had imposed herself on
him. All he had wanted was to take some quiet time away, and now that his
father was out of town he could take that time. He wanted to wait for Ava and
to enjoy a paper and a coffee in the meantime. But now Silvia had swooped upon
him.
    “Out shopping again Silvia?” he asked, looking
into his espresso cup and downing the strong shot of coffee in one gulp. He
called the waiter over and ordered another one. Silvia placed her snakeskin
handbag carefully on her lap and sat back. She was perfectly made up, in full
make up and dressed as if she was going to a fashion show and sitting in the
front row.
    Nico’s eyes narrowed as he watched her. “Did you
have anything you needed to see me for? Because I was hoping to have a pleasant
day today, without any interruptions.”
    “I was shopping Darling, and then I saw you from
across the square. But tell me, what’s going on? I know something is, Nico? You never take a day off.  Of course, now I find myself wondering what
could Nico Cazale possibly be doing sitting outside sipping espresso?” She
crossed her long legs and slid further back into the chair, as her luminous
orange nails tapped lightly on the arm rest.
    Alessa was too pre-occupied in her make believe
world with her teddy bear to take any notice of the two adults.
    Nico eyed Silvia coldly wondering how to get rid
of her quickly. He was sure Ava would be along soon enough and he didn’t want
the two to meet.
    “Nothing that is any of your business, Silvia.” He
turned to the waiter and took a second cup of espresso. His jaw was tight and
his steely grip on the tiny cup handle betrayed the turbulence beneath his
quiet exterior.
    “Really?” replied Silvia, she tilted her head
upwards, then leaned forward towards him. “Your father has you working very
hard at the moment, I hear? This is not the Nico that I knew from many years
ago. You were just a playboy when I met you. Properly met you, I mean.”
    “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone, Silvia,”
he said coolly. “I know the facts, as do you.” He looked over at Alessa and
smiled. She was a beautiful little girl and it was impossible to resist her
cute little face.
    “We’ll see about that Nico. We’ll see.” Silvia
knew she had provoked him and she so enjoyed doing that.
    Refusing to rise to the bait, Nico softened his
tone, for Alessa’s sake, “I know we go back a long way Silvia. But enough is
enough. And soon the facts will speak for themselves.” He knew these words
would not sit well with Silvia but he didn’t even hear what she said in reply
because he saw Ava rushing down the street with her head down, just as she
slipped her sunglasses on. But he had already seen her tear stained face and he
knew she had been crying. He looked up to catch her eye, but she was so caught
up in her thoughts, that she didn’t notice him and slipped away.
    Silvia glanced at Nico then turned to look at what
had caught his attention all of a sudden. She saw the back of Ava who was