Clandestine Affairs, Part Nine
Ani finds something unexpected before her big mission.
Catch up on the previous chapters of Clandestine Affairs before diving in!
Noelle and Chuck all but push Rhys and I into a car for our “date” at Re Maurì. I barely have time to grab my clutch before they are telling us they won’t wait up (all with a wink). They’re acting like parents, and I can’t say I’m mad or embarrassed about it. It’s nice having that, since I haven’t seen my own mother in a long time and considering I haven’t seen my father in years. They aren’t old enough to be my parents, Chuck and Noelle, but they are the only people who have truly been looking out for me for a while now.
Rhys and I sit in silence for the first half of the forty-five minute drive to Re Maurì, unsure of what to say to each other. I gaze out the tinted window at the blinking lights up and down the coastline — the yachts, sailboats, and cargo ships coming in for the night. The tension is palpable, but maybe it’s just one-sided. In fact, I’m really unsure of what Rhys already knows about me, now that he’ll be involved with this mission. And I’m not exactly keen to elaborate to a stranger about the weight this has on my shoulders. I don’t want to be the first one to break the silence, either, so I continue to stare out into the horizon. I’m honestly a little startled when he begins to speak.
“So, Ani… I understand you’ve been working with Chuck for quite some time now?”
Shop talk. What else could there be?
“That’s right. Going on a few years. How long have you known him?”
“Oh, well it… it feels like a lifetime. He’s been more than colleague over the years to me. I suppose that happens when you work with someone enough. Tell me, do you trust him?”
“Getting right to it, are we?”
He laughs. “Might as well, and honestly, I’d rather get this part out of the way so I can spend our dinner getting to know you a bit better. Since we’ll be working together on this,” he adds hastily. “And, I mean… what I meant to say is, you can trust him. He’s never, not once, led me astray or was unable to extract me from a complicated situation. I trust him with my life.”
“Yes, he’s quite good at that, isn’t he?” I ask, unable to stop my lips curling into a small smile. I look back out the window before I continue. “I do trust him. Noelle too.”
“That he is. And I’m glad to be here to help, the timing couldn’t have worked out better. That leads me to… Look, Ani, I understand this is a complicated matter all around, this assignment. I’m sure we’ll get back to that though, no need to rush through that tonight.” He pauses, as if he’s waiting for me to tell him it’s okay to talk about it. When I don’t, he continues. “Anyway… Lisette Holmes is the one who introduced you to this life?”
“She is. But I haven’t really seen her since, all but once or twice after she introduced me to the man — Dominic something — who assigned me to Chuck. I haven’t seen that man since, either.”
“Must have been quite the surprise, running into her earlier today. How did you handle it, if I may ask?”
I wonder if Chuck told him, or if he’s just trying to make his own call on how to run this. “Well, it was certainly a surprise, but I was immediately skeptical, you know. I thought, there’s no way this is a coincidence. We ended up having a quick cup of coffee on the terrace of the Raito and I saw her phone screen light up with an incoming message from “VR” — that’s when she said she had to run. Seemed fishy. What do you think?” I ask, pretty sure I knew exactly what he thought. In this business, we have a certain mindset. I call it ABS. Always Be Skeptical. Typically, nothing is as it seems.
“Probably not. Good instincts. Chuck did tell me that about you,” he says reassuringly.
Not that I need the reassurance, but I have to admit, it’s nice to hear from someone other than Chuck and Noelle. It makes my confidence soar.
He continues. “What do you think Lisette knows about you being here?”
“I’m not sure. What I do know is, she’s aware of my family dynamic. She used that against me to get me to agree to join the firm.”
“If she’s working with Carmine and Vanessa, she’s most certainly mentioned running into you. Don’t you think?”
“Definitely. Which is why I’m on edge about tomorrow, obviously. I really don’t want any more surprises…”
“I’ll do my best to help with that. I wonder what the other scenario is, who else she is working with. I think we agree, though — there is no way she’s here on holiday.”
“Exactly.” I pause and decide to take the opportunity to ask him about his angle. “So, what are you thinking for tomorrow?”
“Not quite sure yet. We have the basics covered — the location, the team who will be in place well before you arrive. I’m not interested in dictating how the outing goes, given all the unknowns at this juncture.” He thoughtfully taps his knee with his left hand.
“Well, I’m sure you are aware…” I start, preparing to echo Noelle’s caution. “Lisette is a liability.”
“That I am, Ani. I’ve heard quite a few stories about this one. I want to handle it delicately, because I cannot let anything happen to you.”
“That’s awful sweet of you, Rhys, but you barely know me,” I say with a small laugh.
He turns, looking at me with the utmost sincerity, with a seriousness washing over his face. His eyes are brilliantly blue, despite the dim interior of the car. “Chuck and Noelle think highly of you, Ani — that’s enough for me. By all accounts, you’re an irreplaceable asset and I will not let that be jeopardized if I’m involved.” He places his right hand on my left shoulder. He looks past me, out the window at the shoreline, which has become increasingly brighter with the lights of Salerno. “We’re almost to Re Maurì. What do you say we table the work discussion until tomorrow morning?”
I nod, eager to unplug for a few hours. My shoulders suddenly relax. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel an immediate comfort being in the company of Rhys Wilder.
We’re seated at a small table on the edge of the terrace at Re Maurì with a bottle of champagne on ice next to us. We ordered some appetizers and pushed the food around our plates, since neither of us were hungry after dinner at the villa. Which was a shame, because this menu was outstanding. For the most part, the place was empty — which wasn’t terribly surprising for it being just an hour before they close. It was in our best interest to be here this late, in order to better control our surroundings. It would be harder for Lisette or someone she’s with to blend in when there’s no one on the terrace but us.
Taking advantage of the privacy, Rhys and I get to know each other a little bit, careful to avoid conversing about the reason we’re both here. He’s a few years older than me and has slowed down on the freelance work in recent years, after having made some enemies in several corners of the globe. “I prefer to stay amongst the shadows these days,” he says, polishing off his second glass of champagne. “Hiding out in the Italian hills is much more my speed these days. Besides, when you get to stare at a coastline like this, how could you not be happy?”
At this rate, we’ll be through the bottle in another twenty minutes. Not that I’m complaining — it was a good bottle and I was starting to feel lubricated enough to open up a bit more. Dangerous. Before I can empty the last of it into my glass, he orders another one for us.
“When in Rome?” I ask with a slight giggle. Oops. The bubbles were already going to my head.
“Something like that,” he winks. “Are you enjoying yourself, Ani?”
“Yeah, this is nice.” I look toward the sea and try to get myself back to a solid state, sipping some water. I don’t want to be hungover tomorrow but I also want to enjoy myself before shit hits the fan. Quite the dilemma, I think. I almost start talking about something as bland as the weather but opt to take another sip instead.
Suddenly, Rhys leans in toward me and points out toward the water before us. “You see those blinking lights?”
“Which ones? Dead ahead?”
“Right. Cargo ships. Handy way to get things into Central Italy. Especially if you know a guy, if you know what I mean.”
“Let me guess — you know a guy, or two?”
“I do, yes. And so do some people who are attempting to smuggle antiques, among other things, in and out of this country. Helps me stay in the loop. I can’t quite quit this life, I’m sure you’ve gathered.”
He hasn’t leaned away yet. “I thought we were tabling the work talk tonight?” I ask in a low voice.
A smile spreads across his lips and faster than I realize, he leans over to kiss my cheek. Softly. Slowly. Butterflies erupt in my belly and he lingers. I am intoxicated by the mixture of his cologne and aftershave. Everything slows down and I want nothing more to see what happens next, against my better judgement.
Not a moment later, he whispers in my ear. “We’ve got company. Follow my lead.”
Rhys puts his arm around me, pulling me into him. I rest my head on his shoulder and gaze out to the sea, staying silent, waiting for him to share what we’re doing next. I hear footsteps behind us on the terrace and try to concentrate on my breathing. I shouldn’t have had so much champagne. He squeezes my shoulder and I straighten my back. Before I know it, he’s pulling me close again and our lips meet. And I lose myself, kissing him back. We break away from each other a moment later and he asks, a bit louder than before, “ready to go back to the room, my love?”
I giggle and nod, for two reasons. First (and because it’s a habit when playing these games, foremost), I know this is a part of a sudden exit strategy. But for the second reason, I am ready to go anywhere with him after that kiss.
Snap out of it, I scold myself, be a professional.
We finish our glasses and I stand up when he motions, as if to say after you. He extends his hand, grabbing mine. We interlock fingers and walk back inside, leaving the restaurant to enter the Lloyds Baia Hotel. I lean on him a little too much, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He tells the server they can send the bottle up to the room instead. “Just leave it at the door, we’ll grab it,” he assures her.
He leads us to the elevator inside the hotel and presses the button. We make small talk about the fantastic dinner until the doors open and reveal no one inside. We enter, quickly press the button to close the doors, and he presses the button for three different floors. We stand in silence for a moment until the elevator comes to halt before one of the floors he selected. He grabs me and starts kissing me, passionately, in the back corner of the elevator. An older couple looks shocked to see us in such an embrace and quickly step back, apologize, and say they will take the next elevator. We laugh and turn back to each other as the man smiles, whispering to his wife with a wink, amanti, before the door closes.
Rhys smiles, mischievously. “Lovers, eh?”
“Well, we certainly look the part,” I say, slightly blushing at our reflection in the elevator mirrored walls. To my surprise, he kisses me again, this time slower, softly. I nearly lose my balance.
“Hmm. Lovers,” he says thoughtfully, squeezing my hand as we look straight ahead.
His accent makes me weak.
The elevator comes to a slow halt at the next floor and he grabs my hand again. “Come along, my dear, let’s get out of here before we find we’re being followed.”
We make a break for the stairwell on the opposite side of the hotel and the car we arrived in is waiting. We jump in and speed off, looking behind us to make sure no one is following. The driver weaves through the winding streets of Salerno, just to be safe, for about twenty minutes before asking Rhys where we’d like to go.
“Take us back to my villa, please.” He turns to me. “I don’t want to chance giving up Chuck and Noelle’s location. Is that okay with you, Ani?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” I say with a shrug as I pull my phone out of my clutch to check my messages. I’m not sure where this night is going to lead, but I’m highly interested in finding out. “I’ll let Noelle know so they don’t wait up.”
“Wonderful. Then, we can strategize tomorrow. I promise won’t keep you up too late,” he says with a playful grin.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. As long as you have some decent coffee in the morning, I’ll be good to go.”
He puts his arm around me and we ride back to his villa in a comfortable silence.
I wake up just after sunrise and find Rhys sleeping soundly next to me. I peek under the covers to find us both clothed and while I’m slightly disappointed, I smile knowing what a gentleman he is. I know we stayed up for a few more hours after arriving last night and had a few more drinks, and I remember dancing with him, barefoot on his balcony, to the most beautiful Italian music. I don’t think we went further than kissing, but the details are foggy and frankly, so am I, thanks to the additional drinks. And I’m desperate for some coffee. I don’t want to wake him yet so I slowly, quietly, lean over to pick up my phone off the nightstand but in doing so, Rhys stirs. I wonder if he’s used to sleeping next to someone. I know I’m not.
“Mmm, good morning my dear.” He runs a hand through his hair, yawning. “Sleep okay?”
“Yes, thank you. This bed feels like a cloud, I wish I didn’t have to leave.”
“And why would you have to leave?” he asks, reaching over to pull me closer to him.
“You’re right. Let’s call the whole job off and just stay here.” I let myself snuggle into his shoulder and he wraps his arms around me. “That sounds much better.”
“Atta girl,” he laughs, kissing my forehead. “What time is it?”
“Just after seven. Please, make good on the offer of decent coffee. It’s going to be a long day.”
“You got it, coming right up.” He picks up the phone next to the bed and makes a call, presumably to villa staff. “Yes, can you send up some coffee, and maybe some yogurt and fruit, please?” He whispers, “do you want anything else?”
I shake my head and tell him thank you. When he finishes the call, he rolls over to face me, propping himself up on his elbow. “It will be up soon. What do you need to get ready for the day?”
“I would love a shower and a fresh change of clothes. But I don’t even know where we are, Rhys, do we have time to get back to Chuck’s?”
“We could, but… I can take care of all of that for you and we can make the most of our limited time here this morning, before we get the main event underway. Will that work for you?”
I contemplate the offer before flashing a smile and nodding.
“A woman of few words, I see,” he laughs.
“No, I mean — look, I’m just going to be honest, I’m a bit flustered here. I normally wouldn’t admit that, either. I just… I don’t do… this,” I say, gesturing toward him. He doesn’t say anything so I continue. “I don’t make it a habit to spend the night with people I’m working with, or someone I’ve known for what, less than fifteen hours?”
“And you think I do?” He’s somehow still charming albeit slightly offended.
“I honestly don’t know, Rhys — we just met, remember?” I smile, sheepishly.
He caresses my face with his right hand, pulling me in for a kiss. “I don’t either, Ani. Not unless I think it’s worth it.”
“Well, that’s reassuring,” I say, kissing him back. Before it goes too far, there’s a knock on the door. “Caffè, signore,” a voice calls out from the other side.
“Please, Lucia, come in.”
A woman walks in with the tray of coffee, fresh fruit, and two small bowls with what I assume is the yogurt. “Buongiorno, Mr. Wilder, Miss. Do you need anything else?” She asks.
“No, grazie, Lucia. Grazie.” She smiles and gives a small nod before seeing herself out, without any judgement, I might add. I’m relieved.
I sit up but before I can get out of bed, Rhys tells me to stay put. “I’ll bring it to you. How do you take your coffee, my dear?”
“Black is fine. Thank you.”
He hands me the small porcelain mug and I take in the smell. “You’re right, this is good coffee,” I smile and say even before taking my first sip.
“Told you.” He opens the curtains to reveal a full view of the sea just beyond the hills we’re situated between.
I climb out of bed and join him by the window. “So, forgive me for being forward, but, is this your place or just somewhere you crash?”
“Yes, it’s mine. I bought it a few years ago. I have been coming to the Ravello Festival for several years and it just made sense to get a place of my own here. I find myself spending more time here, especially during the summer. But as of late, it’s become more of a home than London. Tell me, Ani, where do you call home?”
“Home… you know, I’m not really sure I have one anymore. Hasn’t felt like it for a few years, anyway. I don’t really mind it, though.”
“You don’t?”
“Nah. I like the travel. I don’t really need much to do what I do, either, makes it easier to move, you know? I have stuff back in the States in a storage unit and at my mom’s, but… I never go there.”
“Because you don’t want to, or because you can’t?”
“Well, look who’s being forward now?” He’s a straight shooter and while I don’t necessarily know how much I want to tell him, I feel an urge to tell him everything. I want him to know everything about me… and I want to know everything about him. Is this what it’s like to let your guard down? I honestly can’t remember. It’s been since… well, since I first met Bryan did I let myself be so open. See where that got me?
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to pry. Truly.” He leaves room for me to respond..
“It’s okay. It’s because I can’t. I’m not exactly running, but I’m also not not running. If you know what I mean?”
He nods in solemn agreement. “I presume you got into this line of work like most of us… Someone pulls you in with an offer you simply cannot refuse, and most likely after you’ve done something questionable, so they can hold that over your head to ensure you are all in. Am I on the right path?”
“Sounds like you know all too well...”
He nods and we fall silent, staring at the sea while we finish our coffee. I move closer to him, leaning against his arm ever so slightly, and he puts his arm around me. “You can tell me whenever you’re ready. I hope I can do the same, Ani.”
“Definitely.”
