wondered if he had been preparing for her . The supplies all looked so new, as though he had just purchased them after she told him she would be coming to Milan. Taking a seat on a birch wood stool, she picked up a thick paintbrush, dipped it in a can of peach paint, and spread the color liberally across the blank canvas.
Instantly, the canvas transformed from pale anemia to sheer vibrancy. Coretta sighed contentedly, unable to remember ever having felt this liberated during a painting session. A few times in New York, she had painted on a street corner or in Central Park, but there had been so many people and overwhelming noises. Now, the natural surroundings combined with the mild Italian climate stoked her imagination as she painted in blissful solitude. Every brushstroke swept across the canvas elegantly, creating an abstract flow of color.
For the next two hours, Coretta remained lost in her work and unaware of the time. Lunch hour passed, and she didn’t feel the slightest pang of hunger. She was to o absorbed in her artwork. As she mixed hues together on a palette, she hummed an Italian love song to herself. Her low humming and the gentle breeze were the only sounds that broke the silence…until a series of footsteps approached from the main studio, plodding insistently over the grass and startling Coretta out of her reverie.
With a sinking heart, she put the paintbrush down and held her breath while listening to the footsteps. She dared not look behind her for fear of coming face to face once again with the crazy janitor. In a flash of time, the footsteps were behind her, walking through the door as a figure hovered over her. Coretta gasped in terror as two large hands closed over her shoulders.
Chapter Six
“I see you’ve found the annex. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to show it to you yesterday.” Lorenzo’s rich voice came from behind as he gently massaged her shoulders.
Whirling around to gaze up at him, she burst out, “You scared me! I thought you were Angelo!”
“Angelo? Why would he be here? It’s Sunday. He won’t be back to clean until tomorrow,” Lorenzo replied, perceiving the fear on her face and stroking her hair soothingly.
Slowly, her heart rate returned to normal as she debated whether to tell him about how Angelo had indeed returned before his appointed time. She felt like a scaredy cat for fretting over the incident, but the story did bear repeating. Lorenzo needed to know that his employee had crossed boundaries.
“Well, he was here yesterday. He nearly scared me out of my wits.”
“I know, I’m sorry. He doesn’t make a very good first impression. He’s eccentric, but harmless.”
Confusion played over her features until the misunderstanding dawned on her. “I’m not talking about his first impression! I’m talking about his second impression! He came back yesterday after you left for Umbria.”
Lorenzo’s eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “He came back? But why?”
Coretta shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “I have no idea why. I just know that he barged in on me when I was in the main studio. I asked him what he was doing there, but he wouldn’t say a word. Nothing. He just kept staring at me.” Coretta shivered at the memory of the man’s little black eyes raking up and down her body.
“I’ll have to talk to him about this,” Lorenzo said tightly. “I’m so sorry he scared you like that. His wife died a few years ago, and I know he’s been very lonely, but that’s no excuse for frightening you like that. And don’t think I didn’t notice how he stared at you when I was there. I’m really sorry. It will not happen again.” Lorenzo continued to caress her hair as she melted into his touch, drinking up the tenderness like fresh water.
“I’ll be okay,” Coretta said softly. “How was your trip?”
“The delivery went fine, but the drive wasn’t very
Instantly, the canvas transformed from pale anemia to sheer vibrancy. Coretta sighed contentedly, unable to remember ever having felt this liberated during a painting session. A few times in New York, she had painted on a street corner or in Central Park, but there had been so many people and overwhelming noises. Now, the natural surroundings combined with the mild Italian climate stoked her imagination as she painted in blissful solitude. Every brushstroke swept across the canvas elegantly, creating an abstract flow of color.
For the next two hours, Coretta remained lost in her work and unaware of the time. Lunch hour passed, and she didn’t feel the slightest pang of hunger. She was to o absorbed in her artwork. As she mixed hues together on a palette, she hummed an Italian love song to herself. Her low humming and the gentle breeze were the only sounds that broke the silence…until a series of footsteps approached from the main studio, plodding insistently over the grass and startling Coretta out of her reverie.
With a sinking heart, she put the paintbrush down and held her breath while listening to the footsteps. She dared not look behind her for fear of coming face to face once again with the crazy janitor. In a flash of time, the footsteps were behind her, walking through the door as a figure hovered over her. Coretta gasped in terror as two large hands closed over her shoulders.
Chapter Six
“I see you’ve found the annex. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to show it to you yesterday.” Lorenzo’s rich voice came from behind as he gently massaged her shoulders.
Whirling around to gaze up at him, she burst out, “You scared me! I thought you were Angelo!”
“Angelo? Why would he be here? It’s Sunday. He won’t be back to clean until tomorrow,” Lorenzo replied, perceiving the fear on her face and stroking her hair soothingly.
Slowly, her heart rate returned to normal as she debated whether to tell him about how Angelo had indeed returned before his appointed time. She felt like a scaredy cat for fretting over the incident, but the story did bear repeating. Lorenzo needed to know that his employee had crossed boundaries.
“Well, he was here yesterday. He nearly scared me out of my wits.”
“I know, I’m sorry. He doesn’t make a very good first impression. He’s eccentric, but harmless.”
Confusion played over her features until the misunderstanding dawned on her. “I’m not talking about his first impression! I’m talking about his second impression! He came back yesterday after you left for Umbria.”
Lorenzo’s eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “He came back? But why?”
Coretta shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “I have no idea why. I just know that he barged in on me when I was in the main studio. I asked him what he was doing there, but he wouldn’t say a word. Nothing. He just kept staring at me.” Coretta shivered at the memory of the man’s little black eyes raking up and down her body.
“I’ll have to talk to him about this,” Lorenzo said tightly. “I’m so sorry he scared you like that. His wife died a few years ago, and I know he’s been very lonely, but that’s no excuse for frightening you like that. And don’t think I didn’t notice how he stared at you when I was there. I’m really sorry. It will not happen again.” Lorenzo continued to caress her hair as she melted into his touch, drinking up the tenderness like fresh water.
“I’ll be okay,” Coretta said softly. “How was your trip?”
“The delivery went fine, but the drive wasn’t very
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