6

When Linda warned me that I would accompany Michael to the consiglieri’s house, I was surprised by that unexpected invitation. I’m here for days, and as kind as my future sister-in-law is, and as big as the house is, I feel more like a prisoner here than when I was in the convent. I look at myself in Linda’s closet mirror, which seems to analyze whether the dress I’m wearing would please Michael, and I hate it. Every time I see him, it’s always in tight dresses, and I don’t like to think that Villani himself is thinking I’m insinuating myself to him. The dress of the time is nude, an insinuating neckline and despite being a little above the knees, it is the kind of clothing that certainly makes Michael Villani look with interest.

As soon as I know he is waiting for me, I go to meet him, and I saw on one of the knees, smiling at Morgan as the girl told excited about something she learned in school. So when he looks directly at me, I can’t help but notice how elegant he looks. I notice that predatory look of him running through my body as I hear Linda telling me that she and Valerie had agreed to go shopping the next day, and that she would take Morgan to dinner with her grandmother. I think for a moment that I still do not know the mother of Michael and Linda, and I can not help but wonder how she must be disgusted with the idea that her son will marry me.

“Uncle Michael will take Giulia for a walk?” asked the girl to her mother.

“Yes, dear” Linda replied, carefree.

“Giulia is beautiful” the girl looked at me, and smiled.

“Thank you, Morgan” I smile back at her.

“Come on, Morgan?” Linda points to the stairs ‘we have to get ready for dinner with Grandma!”

The girl said goodbye and as she climbed the ladder, Michael approached me and we both heard the short Linda: "Mom, is Giulia Uncle Michael’s girlfriend?" If Michael managed to ignore the little girl’s whisper, the question made me feel my cheeks heating up. Our situation is so unusual that we cannot say that we have any relationship, what we have is an agreement. And as I leave the house of Linda Villani in the company of the man who in a few weeks will be my husband, I think there is no possibility of this working. Michael opens the door of the Maserati to me and gets into the car soon after, while driving, I notice his calm posture, in a way irritated as he ignores me, I think poor were the women who allowed themselves to be taken by his beauty.

Michael is obviously the kind who could destroy a woman’s heart, and it only now occurs to me that a man like him should have the attention of many of them, wherever he goes. I look forward when he supports his arm next to mine, the almost contact makes me uncomfortable, because I can feel his heat, and it makes me think that I will belong to him in a few weeks, unless I can avoid it.

We follow silently all the way, and after some time Michael stops the car in front of a large gate and seconds later his passage is authorized. The house where the consiglieri lives enters my field of vision after a winding curve to the right flanked by hedges that end in a beautiful garden in front of the house of modern architecture, and only then notice that a car follows us closely, and soon see that are Fabian and Ezio, this one, working for the Cavalieri, one of the Chicago men responsible for my safety.

Michael signals him to wait, gets out of the car and sees him having a few words with both of them, then he opens the car door by placing his hand gently on my back and guiding me to the main door of the house. When Chris Villani comes to greet us in the lobby, I happily feel the tension between us dissipating. He fulfills us in a relaxed way, and I can’t help but think how foolish I am when trying to imagine any Villani very devoid of charms and beauty. The consiglieri is a very handsome and kind man, and right after a brotherly hug at Michael, he turns to me.

!I can finally meet you, Ms. Cavalieri” a smile plays on his lips as he watches me “I think my cousin wanted to hide you from us!”

“It’s not like that...” - Michael talks, but I think he has tried to talk about it before, and does not want to continue the discussion.

“I’m delighted” he says, after kissing my hand, and offering me his arm as we go to the next room.

In the wide and comfortable room, as we talk about everyday matters, I see a young and exuberant woman coming down the stairs, wearing a fitted dress under a light coat. Her brown hair has blonde locks, and curls beautifully as she approaches, smiling and very talkative. She hugs Michael, and they exchange a few words, my impression is that they get along very well, and soon she approaches me.

“You must be Giulia!”she talks, excited “I’m Val!”

“Hello, Val, pleasure” I speak returning your brief, warmest embrace.

“Definitely, everything I heard about how you would be doesn’t do you justice!” she holds my hand “You’re beautiful!”

I keep thinking about how Michael has been talking about me, as the two brothers seem surprised to see me as he and Chris walk away towards the bar. I sit on the comfortable couch with Val next to me and the conversation is very pleasant, she married a loyal captain of the Villani, for whom she was enchanted while he did his security and drove for her. With her husband on a visit to Chicago, she was spending a few days at her brother’s house with her baby, because Chris did not like the idea of the two alone, even with all the security she received for being his sister.

I have the impression that she waited for the right time to go upstairs, where her daughter is, in a sure attempt at more privacy. Her buoyant tone fades, and despite quiet speech, I’m sure she’d like to tell me something that probably wouldn’t be well-liked, both by her brother and the capo. I am not the one who will take the first step, so I go with her to the room she is staying with the baby, who is quiet in the crib with a sleeping face. Val quickly talks to the nanny and then we leave the room.

“Do you want children, Giulia?” she asks, as we slowly walk down the corridor.

“I never seriously thought about it” I answer, I think she can only be curious, because surely Michael would ask me that if he was personally anxious to be a father.

“Weddings like our own... I think I can say ours, because soon you will marry Michael” she smiles, in a sweet and encouraging way, which made me realize that this idea makes me anxious, as if the days going by and I could not do anything to stop “what I mean, is that certainly expects-if you soon give him a child.”

“Oh... Well, I think at some point, it will be inevitable’ for the first time, it occurs to me that in a few weeks, I will occupy the same bed as Michael Villani, and this causes me tremors.