Loe raamatut: «Tempted In The City»

1

“WHERE THE HELL have you been?”

Tony Paladino stopped in his tracks as Gina, his cousin and the office manager at Paladino & Sons, came at him waving a wad of pink message slips. He held his hand up to stop her as he checked the text on his cell phone.

Sure enough, Rita wanted to meet later, after work. She was in town only for tonight, and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of seeing her. He hadn’t had sex in too damn long, and Rita was just the ticket. Uncomplicated, didn’t even live in New York, and she wanted nothing from him but some hot action with a wave goodbye after. Perfect.

He answered her text in very few words, and the moment he hit Send, Gina pounced.

“You were supposed to be here two hours ago. Alex, the plumber on the Ortega job, says the whole system needs replacing from the ground up, and that was not in his budget, so he wants his money up front.

“Also, Sal is going crazy at Catherine Fox’s house. He says she’s insane and if you don’t call him back right away, he’s going to pack it up and go home.”

“Well, that’s just great.” Tony shook his head. The hits just kept on coming.

“I’m not finished,” Gina said. “The mayor’s assistant is trying to get hold of your father to ask him to dinner as thanks for the remodel of his offices. And Leo’s truck broke down in Park Slope so he hasn’t gotten to the Walkers’ brownstone yet. There’s a bunch more, but those are the calls you need to get to right away.”

“Sounds about right after the morning I’ve had. Thanks, Gina.”

She put a hand on her hip and gave him the stink eye.

“Hey, I told you I had to go to Aunt Miriam’s house.”

“You were there this whole time?”

“She made me physically verify every item on her final punch list while the project manager drank coffee and ate biscotti, because suddenly I’m the only one she trusts.”

“Oh. Well, it wouldn’t have killed you to text me back.”

“I forgot to turn my cell phone back on. But you’re right. I’ll try not to do that again. I tell you, Miriam is—”

“A lunatic with too much time on her hands.” Gina gave him one of her best “all is forgiven” smiles when she handed him the messages. “I thought maybe you weren’t so anxious to get here. This being the first day and all.”

“Nah, why delay the inevitable?” he said, shrugging, though anxiety had tightened his chest a few times.

“Congratulations, Tony. You’re going to do your father proud taking over the company. I left some files on his desk but that’s it. I didn’t touch anything. I figured you’d want to fix things up yourself.”

“I don’t think that office will ever feel like anything but Dad’s. I’ll do my best and we’ll take it one day at a time. And by the way, let’s stop with the pink slips, huh? We can do all of this on our tablets.”

“Thank God,” she said. “Chasing down you and your brothers is like herding cats. This way, I won’t get blamed when the three of you screw up.”

“Gee thanks,” Tony said, slowly making his way past the reception area. “But I’m pretty sure we’ll find a way to blame you, anyway.”

Gina laughed. It made her look younger, prettier, although that might have been the result of her new hairstyle. It used to be dark and big, and now it was lighter and smaller. He liked it.

“Do me a favor? Call Leo. Make sure he’s got his truck taken care of and see if Dom can get over to the Walker’s place?”

She nodded, already dialing her cell phone.

Once in his office, Tony sat down in his father’s black leather chair behind the massive oak desk and looked around the room. Everything about it reminded him that he had large shoes to fill. Joe had run Paladino & Sons Construction and Renovation for so many years the office still held a hint of the Aqua Net hair spray he swore he didn’t use.

As the eldest son, Tony had been with the company since he’d graduated from NYU back in 2004. Unofficially, he’d been with the company since the minute he could walk. It wasn’t the work that felt daunting. What scared him was being in charge of the Paladino legacy. Their name meant something. You wanted a job done right, on time and on budget, you called the Paladinos. They kept their word. They also kept the heart of New York’s Little Italy intact in more ways than anyone who wasn’t immediate family knew.

They’d looked out for the people in the nine blocks on the Lower East Side. Had done so since 1912, when the first Paladino had come over from Sicily.

At least—thank God—his father was still with them after last week’s scare. Joe’s second heart attack had been a near miss. But even with strict orders from his doctor to retire, Joe would probably sneak into the office from time to time. Not that Tony would blame him. Construction ran in the Paladinos’ blood.

He called Sal, an old friend and one of their best project managers. He’d handled a lot of difficult clients in the past, so what was making him nuts about the Fox project?

“About time you called,” Sal said after one ring. “Your client is insane.”

“Why?”

“Okay, so she says we’re supposed to avoid damaging anything that might be original to the house. Art deco, she says, that was the agreement. She wants it all restored, from tile work to crown moldings. First of all, there’s nothing like that in the contract. Second, how are we supposed to know what the hell is original in this place? It was built in 1902. Look, Tony, I’m sorry to put this on you on your first day as boss, man, but you know the schedule we’re running here, and there’s a list of jobs a mile long waiting for me. So what do you want me to do?”

Tony opened his eyes. He hadn’t even realized he’d been cringing. The Fox contract had been one of the last his father had done. He’d started making mistakes a couple months before that, and while Tony had caught most of them, he hadn’t paid much attention to the Fox job because he trusted Sal. But this was a big project, a complete remodel from foundation to roof, and not something he could fix over the phone.

“Look, just keep working in the areas that aren’t in question. I’ll contact Catherine Fox and find out what she’s talking about and get back to you, okay?”

“Okay. But, Tony, this needs to be settled by tomorrow. I have another job right in back of this one, and we’re supposed to be taking down walls as soon as we get the nod from the inspectors.”

“I know. I’ll handle it.”

“Yeah. And, Tony. I’m sorry about your dad.”

“Thanks, Sal. He’ll be okay.” When Tony hung up, Gina stood at the edge of his door. “What about the whiteboard?”

The huge board was in the main office. It listed every job, its current stage and who was in charge of the operation. Joe hadn’t been big on tech. He’d done things the way his father and grandfather had. Those methods had taken them through a lot of rocky financial years, kept them, their relatives, employees and all the regular subcontractors working when a lot of other companies had gone belly-up. Tony wasn’t going to make too many changes at once.

“Why don’t we leave it for now.”

“So your dad will feel better when he sneaks back to visit?” Gina said, her fondness not hidden by the teasing words.

“Actually, yeah.”

“Good thinking,” she said.

“Hey, were my brothers here?”

Gina nodded.

“See if you can reschedule our meeting for tomorrow.”

“Already done. Luca will be here for sure. Dom hasn’t texted me back, but he’ll make time. They were disappointed you weren’t here, so they couldn’t make a fuss out of you moving over to your dad’s office. Dom brought doughnuts.”

“Don’t tell me he actually paid for them.”

Gina laughed. “He got them from that silly Carveccio girl.”

“Of course he did,” Tony said, more to himself than Gina. He looked down at the other pink slips on the desk. The top message was from Angie, his ex-wife. He could put that off, but not for long. Better to get the last of the financial settlement over with, even if things would be tight until they got more caught up with their receivables. The Paladinos had always adjusted the family salaries to make their payments, and never thought of touching the money in the trust. Tony wasn’t going to change that now.

The remaining five messages, everything from job snafus to a request for a radio interview, didn’t need his attention today. He still had to call Alex, but first he had to get in touch with Catherine Fox and make sure they met ASAP. He had one chance to see Rita tonight, and he wasn’t going to miss it.

* * *

“LITTLE ITALY, PLEASE, Grand and Lafayette.” Catherine settled in the backseat of the yellow cab, reminding herself she had no control over the heavy New York traffic. To go from the United Nations building to her new home was exactly 5.3 miles, but it took at least twenty-five minutes to get there. If she was lucky.

She wasn’t lucky today.

The whole construction debacle had come as a shock. Not just that the project manager had acted as if he knew nothing about her revised restoration plans, but that she’d accepted a verbal agreement in the first place.

It had been completely out of character, but there’d been something about Joseph Paladino that she’d trusted immediately. At the same time, she wasn’t naive enough to think she didn’t need the amendment in writing. This home meant everything to her. What had she been thinking?

God, she could just scream.

Now, instead of hashing things out with Joseph, she had to deal with his son. Everything about it smelled rotten. This major snafu had caused her to be late returning from lunch, which meant she’d need to go back to work later. Worse than that, it felt like a bait and switch, which she was going to nip right in the bud. Despite all the recommendations and exceptional reviews of Paladino & Sons, they were not going to play her for a fool.

There were other contractors, though she really hoped this was a mix-up and she hadn’t been taken in by the very sincere-seeming Paladino, Sr. She of all people should be able to spot a con artist. Her job was dependent on her ability to read nuance and body language. But just in case, she’d already started to compile a list of alternatives.

They turned on Grand and she spotted Tony Paladino right away. Tall, dark haired and trim, he carried a black satchel and wore dark jeans and a white oxford shirt with no tie.

After paying the cabbie, she straightened her skirt as she approached where Tony stood facing her front door. The outside of the three-story town house was redbrick and beautiful, although there was definitely work to be done on her front stoop. Whether it would be done by this guy’s company remained to be seen.

He turned upon hearing her heels on the uneven sidewalk. “Hello,” he said, holding out his hand. “Tony Paladino.”

She met his chestnut-brown eyes and her heart started beating harder. “Catherine Fox,” she said, noting the strength of his handshake. “I must admit, I’m disappointed that your father couldn’t be here.”

“He would have been if he’d been able, I assure you.”

She took out her key and slid it into the lock. It gave her the moment she needed to think about something other than the fact that Tony was an unexpectedly good-looking man. Catherine turned the key just as a distasteful thought occurred to her. This might be exactly what she’d feared. Was Mr. Charm here supposed to distract her long enough for them to renege and have her sign off?

The hell with that. They would finish the job, all right. Exactly to her specifications. Just as Joseph Paladino had promised.

A moment later they were inside. The ground floor was where most of the building supplies were spread out, so they had to make their way past scaffolds, tarps and exposed pipes. The focus so far had been on the foundation, electrical and plumbing, basic work about which she wasn’t concerned. She led Tony up to the small suite she’d made her home base. It took up only a quarter of the second floor—which would eventually become her master suite and one guest room—but it was large enough for now.

Even though the work was loud and messy during the week, she hadn’t been around for most of it, leaving her to get used to the old place on the nights and weekends. She had a makeshift bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and small sitting area where she could watch television.

She put her purse on the table by the entrance, reminding herself to keep her cool. Smile. Act as if nothing was wrong—at least nothing that a polite conversation couldn’t fix. Drawing in a deep breath, she turned to him. “I have wine, coffee and tea. What can I get you?”

He truly was handsome. Not flashy, not a pretty boy. No, his looks leaned more toward the rugged side. But it was clear he was one of those guys who’d be as comfortable wearing a tux as he was wearing a tool belt. It didn’t hurt that she found his thick eyebrows over his striking eyes very sexy. Her gaze kept floating back down to his lips, though. They were both masculine and lush. A wonderful combination. And now, they were moving.

“If it’s no trouble, coffee would be great.”

She turned away quickly, not sure if she’d been caught staring. “No trouble at all. Have you been here before?”

“No, I’ve been working on a job for the mayor.”

“Ah.” She smiled at the way he’d worked in that little tidbit. Was she supposed to be impressed? She worked with heads of nations on a regular basis. He’d have to try harder.

“But I think you’ve met my brothers.” Tony had followed her to the kitchen, which consisted of a hot plate, small fridge, microwave, coffeemaker and sink. The area was a bit tight and she hadn’t expected him to move in this close. Just near enough to make her pulse quicken.

Which simply wouldn’t do.

“Yes, of course, Luca and...” She drew a blank. “Forgive me. I don’t remember your other brother’s name...”

“Dom,” Tony said, lips twitching.

“Ah, right.” She couldn’t imagine what he found so amusing. “Dom,” she said. “But it was your father with whom I had discussed the changes to my original contract.”

Something flickered and died in Tony Paladino’s eyes before she had a chance to interpret it, which was odd, because she could read most people in seconds.

“I understand,” he said slowly, with a fair dollop of condescension.

That had to stop, as well.

“Look, I know my father is the best in the business, but he trained me from the time I could hold a wrench. I’m not just taking over the work, but our commitment to excellence. If there was a misunderstanding we’ll fix it.”

Giving him a once-over she wasn’t shy about, Catherine couldn’t decide if she believed him or if she wanted to believe him. The company did have a good reputation. And while she didn’t think they meant to scam her, they were most likely booked up to their eyeballs and couldn’t afford the extra time for the restoration. Tearing down something and then slapping something else back up was quicker, easier and cheaper.

She opened up the coffee canister and started scooping the grounds into the pot. But her thoughts went straight back to Tony.

She guessed him to be in his early thirties, and his looks made it hard to believe he was all work and no play, but he was here and so far hadn’t made any slippery moves. If she didn’t count that sexy mouth of his. Well, it wasn’t as if he’d picked it out of a catalog.

“From what I understand, you and my father talked about restoring as much of the original building as possible?”

That he’d cut straight to the heart of the matter startled her. She nodded, and almost lost count of the scoops. “Yes. The last time we spoke, I explained my wishes explicitly. He said he’d type up the notes and add them to the original contract, and that he’d find the right person to supervise the project. I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with the art deco and art nouveau of the 1930s, and I know there are remnants all over the building.

“Your father pointed out the dumbwaiter, fireplaces, crown molding, old tile patterns, the staircase and some of the door arches. And that was just a cursory look. I’ve seen wall plates and drawer pulls that I want to keep.” She dumped in the last of the grounds and glanced back at him. “Don’t get me wrong, I do want modern conveniences, of course, but if we could bring back the glamour of the bronze and silver accoutrements,” she said, using the French pronunciation of one of her favorite words, “I’d be thrilled.”

Tony looked around the room for a moment, then settled his gaze on her. He didn’t speak, though, and it was becoming a little awkward, but she made it a point not to turn away first.

“All right,” he said, finally, with a mysterious little smile. “I’ll look for his notes, but even if I can’t find them, I’ll make sure you get what you want.”

Catherine sighed with relief. While she was fully prepared to stand up for herself, she didn’t enjoy confrontations. And if she were to be completely honest, she would’ve hated for Joseph or his son to disappoint her. Part of what had drawn her to this small community was the people and their culture. One she’d come to love because of her late nanny.

Belaflore Calabrese had grown up in Little Italy, and had started working for her family as a housekeeper when Catherine’s parents lived in New York. She’d traveled with them to Europe and had practically raised Catherine. Belaflore had told her stories of this very house and Little Italy that Catherine still recalled with great fondness.

“The first order of business will be to take a full inventory of all the architectural details,” Tony said. “We’ll do that while Sal finishes up with the structural repairs. We’ll see what we can find. Not everything hidden is going to be a gem.” Tony frowned, took a quick look at his watch. “My father didn’t give you a quote, did he?”

All her hope and faith vanished in an instant. This was where they had her all tied up in a neat little bow. They could name any price they wanted. A figure so great they would dissuade her from the project, or make a sizable profit even if they had to push back other clients.

Catherine sighed. Much as she hated the thought, it seemed the charming Tony Paladino and his father would disappoint her, after all.