Renzo (The Ciprianos of Kellington) (4 page)

“Now a desk lamp, I
have some of those around here. Well, I do have one around here somewhere. I
had three of them, actually, if I remember. Oh here they are…over on this desk
here. I also have one on that table right there and another on that mahogany
desk.” She pointed over toward them as he saw the three in question.

They were all beautiful
pieces in their own right, yet he still had a hard time figuring out which one he
wanted to get. “Pick one.”

“What?”

“Pick one out. I told
you I wasn’t good at picking out furniture and stuff. Now anything dealing with
food I’m all good. But interior stuff like this, I’m totally clueless.”

She laughed. “It’s
unusual I get to pick out a piece. I mean sure I give people my input on
certain items we have here, but most of the time my customers know what they
want.”

If she only knew what I
really wanted, Renzo thought as she picked up a desk lamp with a beautiful blue
lampshade. “I like this one because it’s stained glass. This is an antique
banker’s desk lamp. I like the pretty flowers and the dragonfly…see. The blue
is an unusual color.” She walked over to him with lamp in hand. He should have
been looking at the lamp, but Renzo was too busy looking at her beautiful hair.
He had a sudden urge to touch it, run his fingers through it and take a deep
whiff to see just how it smelled.

Steady,
old man, easy before you do something stupid.

“Do you think this will
look nice on your desk?” she asked.

“Since it’s as lovely
as you, Jaslyn, it will make a nice addition to my office,” he said watching a
silly smirk spread across her lips turn into a cute giggle.

“I’m sorry for giggling.
Let’s go up front and I’ll write you up a ticket.” She walked away leaving him
there as he smacked his own head for saying such an asinine comment. Boy, did
he feel like the village idiot while walking back toward the front.

* * * *

Jaslyn knew she was
wrong for laughing at his comment, but she couldn’t help it. She figured the
real reason for him coming to the store was to see her and she thought it was
adorable. She had been too busy with new clients, thanks to Mrs.
Cipriano,
she never got the chance to thank him for the
flowers. When he came into the shop, she had to compose herself. It seemed
since she last saw him, he had gotten more handsome. “I can box it up for you
and have it delivered to your place or you can just take it as it is.”

“Umm, can you have it
delivered then?”

“Address, please.”

“Yes, it’s 9812
Thomason Way. Can you have it delivered around noon? I should be home by that
time. Anytime afterwards I won’t be home.”

“Where are you going to
be?”

“Family get together,
it’s been a long time since we’ve had one so it should be good.”

She liked it when he
smiled. It made those eyes of his sparkle and the fact he had dimples made him
even cuter.
Who the hell would fuck up the chance of being with this man?
What is his ex, a ditz or something?

“How long has it been?”
The smile was gone and Jaslyn realized she had completely caught him off guard
by her line of questioning.

“What do you mean by
that?”

“Let me be a bit more
specific. How long has it been since your divorce that you’ve been with a
woman?” She watched his lips form a gorgeous grin.

“It’s been too long,
I’m afraid to say.”

“Well, I’m afraid to
inform you that even though you may have been without a woman’s affection, I’m
not the one to give it to you.”

“But,
Jaslyn.”

“I know all about you
and your brothers’ escapades. How you get with any woman you want. Ever since
I’ve been in this town, it seems like I’m on the single men’s radar or
something. I’ve had many guys come in here with flowers and such trying to woo
me. And then you come in here in your business suit, looking handsome as hell.
But I have to remember in the back of my head you are a Cipriano and can get
whoever you want. Honestly, do you think I’m easy pickings or something?”

“No, I don’t think
you’re easy. Listen, I know how my brothers and I have a rep with women. But I
am nothing like that…maybe when I was younger and didn’t give a damn. I am not
that type of man anymore. Jaslyn, I’ve completely changed. Hell, I haven’t been
with a woman since my divorce. I just want to get to know you and let you know
me. Wait just a minute, did you say I was handsome?”

His smile was so broad
she knew she’d opened up a big can of peacock-pride in him.

“You must know that you
are handsome. I mean you have women swooning over you all the time.” She
watched him shake his head.

“You have me all wrong,
Jaslyn, you are going by gossip and not by truth,” he said.

She wasn’t hearing it
at all. “That will be one-hundred thirty-seven fifty-four.”

“Can I at least take
you out to dinner sometime?”

She ripped the ticket
from the book and put it down on the counter, sliding it toward him without
saying another word. He looked defeated, but she was going to put a stop to
this before it even started. Going into his back pocket, he pulled out his
wallet and got out his credit card. She ran it through the machine. Not another
word was said as the slip of paper for him to sign came up and with another rip
she handed it to him for his signature. “It will be delivered to your home at
noon. Have a wonderful day, Mr. Cipriano.”

“So that’s it then,
you’re not going to accept my invite for dinner?”

“I’m sorry, but no, I
can’t have dinner with you, Mr. Cipriano. I just can’t get over the fact I’d
just be another notch on your belt of women.”

He nodded taking his
receipt and walking toward the door. Delia walked inside and smiled when she
saw him coming out. But when she noticed the somber look on his face as he
walked past her, Delia immediately walked over toward Jaslyn saying, “What’s
happened?”

“Nothing.
Absolutely nothing happened at all.” Jaslyn walked to the back office and
closed the door behind her. Leaning up against it, she took a deep breath
remembering the look in his eyes when she turned him down. He looked like a poor
wounded animal when she said she wouldn’t have dinner with him. At least it
wouldn’t be her getting hurt instead. The pounding on the door made her open it
to find Delia staring at her. “What did you do?”

“Nothing
at all, dammit.
Get off my case, Delia!”

“Not until you tell me
what the hell happened, Jaslyn. What did you do to Renzo?”

“He came in here,
bought a lamp, and tried to ask me out. I told him flat out no.”

“Why would you do that,
Jaslyn? My God when was the last time you had a man like that come through the
door and show any interest in you? He obviously likes you. He sent you flowers,
came in, and bought something only to get the chance to see you.”

“I’m not going to be
made to look like a fool, Delia. Hell, there’s no telling what I would get
myself into if I had decided to go to dinner with him. Wining and dining, then
hot sex and then being the talk of the town. I would be just another conquest
for a Cipriano. Besides, I would be a fool to fall for every man who sent me
flowers. It will mess up my business and I can’t have that,” she argued. She
had no doubt what she did was right.

Why
in the hell does it feel so wrong?

“Jaslyn, hon, when will
you ever have the chance to have love come walking through your door like that?
He likes you a lot, what are you so scared of?”

“Getting
hurt.
I don’t plan on making another mistake like I did
before.”

Delia hugged her close.
It was very much welcomed. Jaslyn laughed at first, but eventually the tears fell.
Part of the reason why she moved to Kellington was to get away from her ex who
was nothing more than a player and abuser wrapped up in a pair of tight jeans
and fully loaded six pack abs. She’d never dealt with such heartache until him.
Her mother had told her time and time again he was no good, but of course she
fell too deep into his smooth words of love and promises of a better life.

Only to have it all end
with her being in the hospital for a month with broken bones and reconstructive
surgery. Then there were the years of therapy. It took everything could think
of to get her brother to promise he wouldn’t do anything stupid to get himself
in trouble. However, one of her brother’s friends decided to pay her ex a visit
for which the outcome of their meeting ended with her ex found dead in a field
fifty miles from town. That caused her to have a nervous breakdown and three
months of therapy for depression.

“Sweetheart, you can’t
beat yourself up. Why don’t you give him a call tomorrow and let him know that
you’d like to have lunch with him here in the shop. I can make a place over in
the corner just for the two of you. That way you can feel safe because I’ll be
nearby. I think you are just scared of meeting someone new, but you have to
understand about Renzo. He’s a good man, Jaslyn. He has plenty to offer, since
he’s been hurt too. Not to the same degree as you have, but hurt nonetheless,”
Delia said, grabbing a tissue from the box on her desk and handing it to
Jaslyn.

She wiped her eyes and
blew her nose and nodded. She needed some time to think.

Chapter Three

Renzo
didn’t know what to think when he looked back at the shop. He didn’t know
whether to go back inside, grab hold of her and shake her until she heard him
out or just forget about her altogether.

No,
he wasn’t about to give up on this one.

Looking
at his watch, he only had two hours before the lamp would be delivered to his
place. He had hoped that maybe she would be the one to bring it, and maybe they
could actually talk. But for now, he had to go to the restaurant and make sure
things would be fine before he headed back home.

Unfortunately
when he did get there, his brother Gianni was flirting with Linda at the podium
up front. Renzo gave him a quick smack to the back of his head.

“
Vieni su
, Renzo.”

“I
need your help in the back. Stop flirting with Linda, she’s taken.” This was
the reason Jaslyn wanted nothing to do with him. When he got to his office, he
plopped down in his chair with a heavy sigh. Never had he been so frustrated
before in his life and over a woman of all things.

“What
is wrong with you? I know Linda is taken. I just like messing with her. You
didn’t have to smack me upside the head.”

Renzo
muttered something under his breath while shaking his head at him. “Mom needs
some things from the back. Here is the list. Just pick out what’s needed and
take them to her.” Gianni snatched it from his hand.

“What
happened?”

“I
swear I don’t even know why I bother with women.”

“You
found a woman you’re interested in?” Gianni smiled leaning up against his desk.
“What does she look like, is she hot?”

“Oh
no, dear brother, I don’t plan on letting this one out of the bag for you guys
to be spying and trying to take hold of her. In any case, she’s not interested
in any Cipriano brother whatsoever.”

“Well
damn, that’s a bummer. Listen, I just want to get a look at her. I know you
want her. I’m not like the others. It’s been a long time since you’ve been
interested in any woman. I’m happy for ya because you need someone in your life
right now. So who is she?”

“Her
name is Jaslyn. She owns the antique shop where we got Mom’s statue from. God,
Gianni, she’s a sight to be seen, absolutely gorgeous with nice shapely legs
and hips and eyes like honey.” He remembered how beautiful her eyes were and he
caught himself smiling a bit.

“Brother,
you are smitten. Now I really have to meet this girl, if she’s all that you say
she is. And I can use something for my office at home. What’s the name of the
place?”

“Timeless
Treasures but, brother, before you go, you must know that she’s a bit of a
spitfire so beware.”

Gianni
took the list and laughed. “Brother, you know spitfires are my specialty.” With
a wink he was gone, leaving Renzo to deal with the papers on his desk.

* * * *

Delia
had made some tea and they decided since it was slow, they would sit and chat.
She enjoyed times like this, when no one came into the shop and they could
relax for a moment. Delia surprised her with some of her favorite cookies from
the bakery down the street. She needed a bit of a break after what transpired
earlier between her and Renzo. Dipping her cookie into the tea, she quickly
took a bite before it melted into her cup, tasting the buttery flavor of the
cookie mixed with the vanilla of the tea.

“I
swear I’ll have to do ten minutes on the treadmill after eating these cookies,”
Delia said.

Jaslyn
snickered. “I could eat about a dozen or more of these God-forsaken things. They
are too good. We are supposed to be having another shipment of three desks
along with a beautiful antique rug and some paintings coming in next week. I can’t
seem to keep stuff in ever since Mrs. Cipriano came in here. Most of her
friends have called or come by ordering things from us. Thanksgiving and
Christmas are going to be good. What are your plans?”

“I
haven’t a clue. Thanksgiving is a month or so away. I’ll probably spend it with
Andrew and his wife unless I have found other plans. What about you?”

“Same
here, but I’ll be spending Christmas alone this year. Mom is going to Henry’s.
I don’t get along with his wife, so it’s best for me not to go.”

“Oh
my God, do you still hate on each other?” Delia snickered.

Jaslyn
rolled her eyes. “I love my brother and my two nieces, but that doesn’t mean I
have to love his wife. She gave me so much grief while I was in recovery. I
think she’s part of the reason why I wanted to hurry up and be able to walk
straight.”

“Why
do you say that?”

“Because
every time I would start walking, I would see her at the end of the bars and I
would slowly but surely get to the end thinking about wringing her scrawny
little neck.” Both ladies died laughing. Jaslyn took another sip of tea when
she recovered. “The doctors were all amazed at how quickly I started walking
again. If they only knew what my motivation was.”

Delia
snorted causing Jaslyn to cackle even more. They both couldn’t stop laughing
even when the bell over the door rang. Jaslyn finally regained her composure
and took note of the man wearing nothing more than a crisp, white, long sleeved
shirt that was unbuttoned a bit in the front. His dark blue jeans fit him
perfectly. He was the spitting image of Renzo with hair a bit longer and pulled
back in a ponytail. When Jaslyn saw his smile, there was no denying, he was a
Cipriano.

“I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude on your conversation,” he said apologetically
coming closer to them. “Or disturb your tea.”

“Oh
that’s alright, Gianni, what brings you here?” Delia said with a smile.

He
looked at her puzzled for a moment. She stood up in front of him. “It’s me,
Delia, Andrew’s little sister.”

“Oh
my God, Delia. That can’t be you.” Giving her a hug and laugh, he looked back
at her again. “I didn’t recognize you. How’s Andrew doing?”

“Doing
well, actually I’m doing really
good
. I’ll tell him I
saw you when I talk with him. What brings you here?”

“Well
I need a desk for my office. The one I have now is starting to break along the
sides. So I’m looking for something a bit different and nicer than what I
already have. So that must mean you are Jaslyn.”

“Yes,
I am.” She smiled. “Did you need a big or small desk?”

“
A nice, big, mahogany desk, something nice and sturdy like
my old one. I’m sorry I should have brought the measurements for the desk. I
can visualize what I want if I saw what you have here. If it’s what I want,
then I will buy it from you,” he said as they headed to the middle of the shop.

“Did
Renzo tell you to come and see me?” she asked.

“No,
not really, but he did tell me about your shop when I told him I needed a
desk.”

“I
have two desks, but both are cherry. We are supposed to get a shipment in, but
not for another two weeks. I can see if I can get you a mahogany desk from a
good friend of mine in New York who also deals with antiques if you like?”

“Yeah,
I want mahogany. The one I have now is mahogany and I’ve had it for over
fifteen years.” Going into his pocket, he pulled out a silver business card
holder. Once he took one out, he handed it to her with a smile. “Please get in
touch with me when you do, Ms. Jaslyn. It was nice meeting you and I love your
shop. I can see you have some very unique pieces here.”

“Thank
you. I’ll give you a call when I find out about that desk.” She smiled.

They
walked to the front and he said goodbye to Delia then went out the door.

“I
didn’t know that you knew the Ciprianos personally.”

“Yeah,
Andrew is good friends with all of them. He would go over to their house and
play or they would come over to our house. As they got older, they got more
handsome and into a lot of trouble with girls. Hell, you only saw Renzo and
Gianni. You haven’t even met the other two. I had the biggest crush on Simone
growing up. My brother ended up telling him I had a crush and he thought it was
the sweetest thing. He took me out on my very first date and even took me to
homecoming. But things happened between us and we moved on with our lives, but
still remained friends plus I’m too into Rodger and things have been going
pretty good,” Delia said with a wink.

Jaslyn
smiled. “Well, I better get started on looking for his desk and you need to
pack that lamp for Renzo.”

* * * *

Renzo was talking with
one of the waiters when Gianni walked in. He was wondering what he had thought
about Jaslyn. Once he was through with the waiter, Renzo pulled his brother
toward his office in the back and closed the door. “Well, what did you think of
her?”

Gianni laughed while he
grabbed his brother and vigorously shook him. “Yeah, my brother you are going
to have a time with her for sure, she’s a beauty but very smart. She kind of
figured I was there to check her out for you even though I told her I needed a
desk. But she didn’t pull any punches with me, she was very direct and to the
point with me at all times. But all in all brother, I think she’s a perfect
match for you.”

Breathing a huge sigh
of relief, Renzo patted his brother’s shoulder. “Thanks, now I just have to
figure out what I need to do. I tried to get her to go out to dinner with me…she
turned me down big time. Told me she’d heard about our escapades. Now she
doesn’t want a thing to do with me because she thinks she’ll be another notch
on my belt of women.”

Gianni gave a deep sigh
and patted his back. “The words of gossiping hens are always the downfall of
men. Go back after she has cooled down. Ask her out again in about a week. I’ll
see you at Mom’s.” Gianni left him alone again.

“I’ll give her one week,”
he said to himself as he left the office, closing the door behind him. Just one
week and maybe then she would listen to him. Maybe she would deliver the lamp
he bought from her today. He could only hope so, he thought while walking through
the dining room of the restaurant, saying goodbye to Linda as he headed out the
door. He made his way toward his car in the parking lot and headed home. He
couldn’t get Jaslyn and her beautiful smile off his mind.

When he got home, Renzo
took a shower to freshen up. He wanted to look his best when she came to bring
him the lamp. After going through his closet, he finally decided upon a navy
blue polo shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. As he was combing out his hair,
he heard the doorbell ring and his heart jumped in his chest. Making his way
down the steps, he took a deep breath before he opened the door. His heart sank
when he saw Delia. “Hi, Delia, let me get that for you.” Grabbing the box from
her arms, he said once more, “Thanks for bringing me the lamp.”

“You’re welcome. I hope
it looks nice in your office.” She smiled.

He returned a
halfhearted one. “It will make a lovely addition.”

“Can I talk with you
for a moment?” she asked.

He motioned her toward
the dining room table, where he put down the box. Pulling out the chair for
her, she sat down while he grabbed a chair himself and sat across from her. “I
know that you and Jaslyn had words before I came into the shop. She told me
that you tried to ask her out and she turned you down.”

“Told me she heard
about the rumors. I tried to tell her what she heard and who I really am are
two different things. She didn’t want to hear it. I hate that she believes all
that.”

“Let me tell you
something about Jaslyn that might help you understand why she is the way she
is. Before I got her to move here, she was in a relationship with a very
abusive man. He made her life a living hell to the point that he broke her
down—literally. He ended up beating her so
badly,
she
was in the hospital for a month in a body cast. Therapy lasted even longer. The
guy who beat the shit out of her however ended up dead. She asked her brother
not to do anything to him, but one of his friends who thought of her as a
sister decided to do the job. She was wracked with guilt. After she got herself
back together, I suggested coming here and making a new start. She agreed and
brought her antiques with her since she had a shop before. Of course, being the
new girl in town, a lot of guys tried dating her. She went out on dates, but
none were what she wanted. She’s never been able to have a long term
relationship with a man, Ren, so don’t think it’s you. I think you two would
make a great couple. It’s just that she’s so damn stubborn at times and the
rumors are no help. You have to prove to her that you are not what the rumors
say you are.”

Renzo couldn’t believe
what he was hearing. Now he knew why she acted the way she did. The poor girl,
he thought, she had been hurt so badly. No wonder she didn’t want to be with
someone like him. “Damn, I didn’t know this happened to her.”

“No one in this town
knows of this, only you and I. I told her that she should call you tomorrow and
ask you to lunch at the shop. If you get her in her comfort zone then I think
you will be all right. That way you both can talk in a place where she is more
comfortable. I just want to see her happy and I know you will make her very
happy.”