The Italian's proposal

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Melody

“You’re pretty sick if you think I’m going to stay with you in this place.” she didn’t touch the glass, she had always heard about alcohol hurting babies.

“Sick or not, you’re still going to marry me,” he said taking another sip of his wine. “Do you know what you want to eat?”

“I haven’t even seen the menu, and I’m not really hungry anymore,” and it was true, her appetite was gone. That lunch was turning out to be fatal.

“Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. You must feed yourself for the sake of your child.”

“Don’t tell me what’s best for my son,” she glared angrily at him one more time and he smiled.

“From now on I am a part of your life Melody, we should run the party in peace, at least try to,” his voice was so seductive that Melody almost fell over.

Just as she was about to tell him where to stick his opinions a woman approached them.

She was stunning, luminous, moisturized skin, which you could tell from a distance she invested more than Melody earned at the coffee shop in going to spas and beauty salons, eyes as blue as two drops of water and her hair slicked back. She wore fitted to the body an apple green dress and stiletto heeled shoes almost as high as Melody herself.

“Honey, I didn’t know you were coming today,” the woman walked up to Timothy and planted a resounding kiss almost on his lips, not because this hadn’t been her intention, but because he turned his face away a second before. “It’s good to see you, mind you, I was thinking...”

“I’m busy. Are you blind?” he told her without even looking at the woman.

At least the bad mood was not just for her.

She was beginning to believe that anyone who crossed him would have an inconvenience with him.

“Don’t talk to me like that,” the woman pouted, and Melody wanted to slap her to stop her flirting.

Of course, she had no say there.

Timothy looked genuinely uncomfortable, though, to the point that she even felt sorry to see him so desperate. He gave her a furious look that changed her perspective on him a bit. He was eager to get out of the plastic blonde and she could tell.

“Excuse me, but if you can’t tell, we’re trying to get lunch,” she interjected tapping the woman’s hand, which was on the white tablecloth, so she could get her attention. She was wearing long, well-painted, pale pink nails. Even in that she was perfect.

“Easy dear, you’ll get on with your interview right away,” she said dismissively.

Melody clenched her fists. She didn’t give a damn about being pregnant, if she had to fly on top of that smug, arrogant woman, she would, she would rip out every hair on her head.

“Melody’s not on a job interview, Gia,” Timothy retorted coming to her defense. Which she was grateful for, because if he left it to her, she would easily end up beating her.

In her life she had seen many people who thought they were superior because they had more money than others, because they had a college degree, or because they had fancy cars. For Melody there were things that money couldn’t buy, and that woman lacked a few.

From the way she looked at Timothy, she could tell that the blonde was more than just a friend or employee, she looked at him with greed, with sensual heat. That irritated her because she could never have anything like that with Timothy. Because now he despised her. For a foolish thing, for not speaking up sooner.

But that didn’t stop the jealous woman in her from taking control of the situation.

“Will you sit with us? We’re finalizing the details of our wedding,” she gave her a fake smile, just as she was. Timothy looked at her and almost dropped his jaw in surprise. “Shall we find you a chair? I’m sure they have one stashed away somewhere.”

“Marry her!” the woman exclaimed, looking at Timothy. “You’re marrying that!” she pointed at Melody and that threw her off balance.

She got up from her chair making a clatter from the sudden movement. Fuck people staring at her. She needn’t put up with the offenses of that malicious, created woman.

“It’s time for you to go,” Melody told her. Although she wasn’t as tall as the blonde, if it came to it, she could give her one hell of a hair-pull. “Looks like you’re spare.”

“You’re not going to tell me what to do,” she retorted, smiling without getting the gesture in her eyes. “You’re not going to marry Timi, he loves me. We’ve just had a little difference.”

“Gia, go away,” this time it was Timothy who stood up from his chair and watched the woman with a look on his face. “Leave my fiancée alone. I don’t need, nor do I want anything coming from you. I think I’ve made that clear to you for months now.”

“This is a phase, honey. This will pass. Can’ t you see what a ridiculous, glib woman she is? You’ll trade me for that? Ridiculous!” the woman pointed her perfect two-hundred-dollar manicured fingernail at her again.

May the angels help her.

Melody grabbed the bottle on the table and without any finesse whatsoever poured it over the plastic blonde.

“You look like you could use a drink to loosen you up,” she set the bottle on the table and folded her arms. “Oops, looks like you got a little wet.”

The woman shrieked hysterically and looked at her as if she was going to turn into a demon from the underworld.

“You! You’re ruined! You hear me? Ruined!” she went off letting out an airy snort, walked past her and if Melody didn’t move a little bit, she’d shoulder her.

What an unbearable woman!

“Somebody get this poor lady a napkin!” she cried when she saw all eyes were on them.

A sense of triumph swept over her and gave her the courage she needed. She didn’t care what people thought.

At least not everyone.

But she did care what a blond-haired, blue-eyed man, the same one who kept his eyes on her, thought.

She sat down again and took the drink she earlier denied. One drink wouldn’t hurt her baby.

Timothy was still standing and gawking at her.

“What? You’re going after her? Fine by me. Let me finish my drink, then I’m leaving. I’m a little jumpy,” and it was true. She felt a little nervous and her hands were shaking. She never did anything like this

before. Not that she was cautious and thoughtful, not at all. She was known for being impulsive, for doing things and then thinking about them.

But throwing the entire content of the bottle at someone?

That woman had to wear everything branded, everything expensive and classy. You could tell it even in the way she breathed.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m where I’m supposed to be,” the comment surprised and delighted her, but she wanted to disguise it.

“I’m sorry I did that to your little friend. She’s mad. But you looked uncomfortable, and she was...”

“It’s not my little friend Melody,” Timothy said taking a seat and shaking out the napkin slowly, then placing it on his knees. “She’s my ex. You don’t have to apologize. You saved me.”

“I saw you a little...”

“Stunned?”

“Well, yes. I can’t stand the sight of her...”

“Because you love her,” she completed.

Although it hurt her heart just thinking about it, she had to accept the fact that the man she didn’t know, didn’t belong to her. He had a life outside her circle of almost two days. Melody just needed to accept that she was attracted to a man who hated her and considered her unpleasant.

And that he was in love with someone else. That was the end of it.

“That’s why you want to marry me. To hurt her?” Melody kept talking. It made sense. He wanted to show her that he was over her. “What did she do to you? What made you not want to be with her now?”

“Nothing. It’s none of your business. Nor is it subject to discussion,” he called the waiter over and ordered another wine of the same type. A young janitor mopped up the wine lying on the floor and Melody felt a little embarrassed to put him to work.

“Sorry,” she said to him as he walked past her retreating.

The young man looked at her as if she had two heads.

“What did I say?” she asked Timothy in confusion.

“No customer here apologizes for putting them to work. That’s what he gets paid for. You did and he’s not used to that.”

“Why should it be the garbage man’s turn to pick it up, you’re going to go spreading waste all over the street? Just because he’s going to pick it up and it’s his job? Isn’t there a thank you for those who don’t have a college degree?”

“I didn’t mean that Melody. I’m just saying that no one apologizes. That’s why his reaction,” Timothy stared at her, holding the menu between his long, tantalizing fingers, the kind of fingers a woman has wet dreams about, manicured and with neatly trimmed nails. Melody sighed and tried to concentrate.

For a moment she felt he was going to say something to her, but he shook his head as if dismissing the idea.

“What?”

“Nothing. Order something to eat. I’m sure that kid is already screaming out hunger at you.”

“I’m not feeling him yet.”

She ducked Timothy’s gaze, not wanting to see in his eyes what she already knew. He didn’t care if her son was moving or not.

That understood, she focused on looking at the menu.

But she didn’t understand a word of it.

“Melody?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t understand anything do you?”

“Why ask if you already know the answer?”

“I’d rather expect them to be honest with me, even if I already know the answer,” that had a double meaning, and it was palpable.

She closed the menu and placed it on the table.

She wasn’t going to put up with this.

Did she need the money and financial stability? Yes.

Was she going to put up with his meaningless and untruthful offenses? No. Of course she wasn’t.

She might not be financially stable, nor did she have the support of her parents or her sister, but she was not going to denigrate herself and put up with their mistreatment. She wasn’t that needy.

“Let’s get something straight. You want me to be your wife. For some strange reason you’re still interested, after knowing that I’m related to the man who embezzled from you. Why? Why do you want

me by your side if you think I’m so worthless?” guilt of hormones or whatever it was, her eyes filled with tears, and she thought she was going to burst into tears. But she found enough strength not to.

She had caused enough to talk about in that restaurant full of strangers and rich people.

It hurt her, more than she would have thought, to have Timothy look down on her like that.

And as sharp as she was, an idea popped into her head.

Was there something else behind it all?

“It doesn’t matter because I want it to. The important thing here is that you will be,” he replied sternly and without warm fuzzies. “Look on the bright side. You’ll have a good position in society. My family is quite well known, and we have businesses in much of the United States and Italy, when you graduate it will be easy for you to have your own veterinary clinic.”

“Have you even thought about that? I thought this was something of convenience, something mutual. Do you think I’ll be tied to you for more than six months?” when she had imagined herself married, she had thought it would be for love.

Completely in love with her partner, deciding to spend her life together with that person. She played for years with dolls, where she veiled them and carried them down the aisle. Uttering words of eternal love.

But this was not like that at all.

“I’m sorry for how I grabbed your hand before. I didn’t mean to hurt you. This is too much...” the apology touched her heart. She knew he wasn’t like that, she felt it in her heart. But she didn’t understand why he acted like he didn’t care about anything. “You...At times I don’t think you...”

He didn’t continue, and she didn’t prompt him.

They were better off.

“Recommend something to me. You seem to have come here plenty,” she said remembering the blonde bathed in red wine.

“Are you jealous of her?” he laughed for the first time since they’d arrived at the restaurant.

“It’s not funny,” she wasn’t going to deny it. There was no point. It was crystal clear, while she denied it, her eyes would confirm it.

Fucking gray eyes that said it all.

It was like having an enemy living in the house.

The more confident she thought she was, the quicker she was stabbed from the front.

“Stop laughing or I’ll throw that new bottle at you,” though she was starting to smile too. “How can you laugh at that? It’s childish.”

“No. Childish is you being jealous of a woman like Gia.”

“That’s her name?” she ruminated.

“Don’t pay any attention to her. Her threats are empty. She’ s never done anything to hurt anyone.”

“Who told you I’m afraid of her? If you want to give her my address. I’ll wait for her there with a bucket of hot water and pluck her like a chicken.”

Timothy burst out laughing and she told herself she preferred it that way.

That smiling and uninhibited. Not all grumpy like he had come to be. Not with his desire to hurt her.

“You’re quite something, Melody Redford.”

“I told you not to call me by my full name.”

“Are you going to tell me what happened with your parents? Why don’t they support you and get involved in your pregnancy?” he suddenly became serious and waited for her answer. He was tense, she could tell by the way a thin vein was growing on his forehead.

She wondered how big that vein could get if he got really pissed off.

“Melody?” he grabbed her hand, and she felt his warmth. A shiver ran down her spine and her eyes dilated. “I’m curious what you think when you stare at me like that.”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Oh yes I do. I assure you I do. There are things your face doesn’t tell me.”

“At least she’s hiding something, the damn thing.”

“You have a beautiful face. All of you are, cara,” the compliment caught Melody off guard, and she threw a coughing fit. “Get me some water, please,” he asked a waiter who immediately approached.

Two minutes later Melody regained her composure and shied away from Timothy’s gaze.

No one had ever called her that in her life.

Timothy was the first person to call her with affectionate nicknames and pay her such compliments. How could a man be so cold and warm at the same time?

What was he hiding behind that façade?

“Are you all right? I ordered you some pasta, I hope you like it.”

“When?” she hadn’t noticed.

“Never mind. It’s already ordered.”

Several minutes passed before either of them decided to say anything else.

Neither addressed the elephant in the restaurant.

Why gets married? Why go along with this ridiculous idea?

“Tell me why you want to marry me. It’s notorious that you could choose any beautiful woman, one of those with operated lips and a big ass.”

“Language,” he told her, though she almost saw the hint of a smile on his lips.

“Yes, sir,” she scoffed, “don’t dodge my question Timothy. I am not a pleasing person to you. I know I skipped telling you about Equilay...”

“You’re not going to spoil lunch Melody. We were already on the right track. But I’ll answer the question, so you’ll never bring it up again,” he took another sip of his wine, taking a long sip without taking his green eyes off her. “I need a wife in less than six months. That was my father’s ultimatum. Apparently, he thinks we’re in the medieval era and wants to secure my dowry.”

He smiled at the last comment.

“I know it’s stupid. You think so too,” he continued. “Don’t look at me like that. Anyone with any sense of reason would realize how backward it is to do this to me. But he’s my father. I’d do anything for them.”

“Why is it I feel like something is missing?” everything clicked for her, except the fact that she had to get married so quickly.

“My thirtieth birthday is coming up. If I’m not married before I’m thirty, I’ll lose the inheritance my grandfather left me.”

Melody looked at him curiously and he understood her silent question.

“We’re talking millions of dollars, not to mention properties in Italy and different parts of the country.” She almost felt her jaw unhinge.

She knew he had money, but this she hadn’t expected. Anyone would look for a wife if it was necessary to collect such a fortune.

All her grandfather left before he passed away was a debt with the mortgaged house and grandmother had been forced to go live with them at her parents’ house.

“I’ve worked hard enough for my family’s company, I won’t let a simple thing like a marriage cause me to lose everything I’ve killed myself for over the years,” his tone was unmistakably one of assurance and resentment.

He did not want to marry.

“If you don’t want to get married, why don’t you talk to your parents?” the food came at that moment and Melody was silent.

“Do you like it? We can order something else if this isn’t...”

“No!” she interrupted more effusively than she had intended, “everything is great. Thank you.”

“Perfetto,” he said in Italian. But that Melody understood.

Silence reigned at the table again, until they had both eaten their lunch and the waiter came by to remove the empty plates. For the first time in a long time, Melody ate something without her stomach

churning. She was secretly glad for that.

Score one for Melody, minus one for the vomiting and nausea.

“Does your mother know you’re marrying a stranger?”

“She doesn’t know, nor does she need to know. I hope you’ll keep this arrangement just between us.”

“Will you tell no one that you are marrying me for this? For your inheritance?”

“No one must know. It’s no one else’s life, just yours and mine. In the sight of my parents, the church, and the world you will be my wife,” he stressed, and Melody almost thought he was going to make her sign a blood covenant because of the intensity of his words. “You will be my wife by all means.”

“What’s in it for me? I still don’t understand why you want to marry me.”

“Last night I was doing it because I wanted to help you,” he said reaching over the table and haunting her to do the same. “Now I’m doing it because I want to make you pay for lying to me. I want you to feel and suffer, to pay for trying to steal from me.”

“Me?” Melody didn’t understand half a word. “Me, steal from you?”

“Are you going to deny it? Look your brother-in-law gave plenty of details. You don’t need to put on that innocent, unknowing face anymore. I am aware of all your trickery.”

“Trick... What? What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy? Did you talk to Equilay?”

“Don’t play dumb,” he reached into the suit, reaching into the inside of it and pulled out an envelope. “That’s the prenup. Of course, there are clauses that you must read carefully and take into consideration. In the end you will marry me, but I don’t want you to plead ignorance.”

Melody began to read the paper and felt her soul drop to the floor.

Her eyes filled with tears and she slowly let them fall.

Equilay was putting all the blame on her: for creating the plan to steal Giannato Enterprise from him, for approaching Timothy to convince him to be a helpless pregnant woman. He blamed her and her alone, placing absolute responsibility for the theft. Saying that he had only followed orders because he felt threatened, as she found a conversation with her lover and blackmailed him into telling his wife, Melody’s sister.

She could not believe what she read in the first few paragraphs.

Then she read: I therefore stand before the law in case I am required to go to trial and testify against Melody Redford. I plead guilty to succumbing to her threats so as not to harm my family, my pregnant wife and child need me. I’ll hand over all the money when Mr. Giannato requires it, my share is intact. Miss Redford must see to it that she does the same with hers. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

After that note she continued with the clauses Timothy had mentioned.

But she could not read any further.

The paper ended up all dripping with the tears she had shed while reading Equilay’s statements.

Her brother-in-law had sold her out.

He’d accused her of everything to protect his own skin.

She was screwed.