Bruschetta and wine were placed on the table. Tony ordered for both of them, leaving Joy free to glance around the room, studying tourists and the food.
“It smells delicious.” Joy forced a smile. She wanted to put off talking about Tiffany and the failed marriage as long as she could. “Dina and Vito are—”
“Tiffany called my office today.” Tony leaned forward with both elbows resting on the table. He clasped his hands together as if in prayer.
“Why?” Joy crinkled her brow.
“Who knows.” He shook his head. “She probably wants the art in my office.”
Joy tilted her head, trying to remember what art he had on the walls. She knew of the Degas sketches framed on the wall and the Kusama pumpkin sculptures on the table in the corner. But other than that . . . “Didn’t you sign a prenup?”
He huffed. “Of course I did. Otherwise, she’d get half of the business. Everything.”
“Then why are you worried?” Joy took a bite of the bruschetta, relishing the taste of olive oil, basil, and tomatoes.
“I don’t know.” He hugged himself. “Paranoid, I guess.”
After a sip of wine, Joy relaxed. “I wouldn’t worry about it.” She swallowed a bit of courage. “So what happened?”
Tony sipped his wine too. “She came into the hotel room in Milan two weeks ago and told me she no longer loved me. And that was that.” He set down his glass, then adjusted his napkin.
“I’m so sorry.” Joy thought about it. “There were no clues or anything?” But then she remembered how he had left her no clues before he walked out on her.
“No. Nothing. She seemed very happy.” Tony leaned forward again and rubbed his face. “That’s not true.”
Joy raised an eyebrow.
“She wanted to start a family.” He smirked.
Joy rolled her eyes. “You mean you two didn’t talk about this before the wedding?”
He shook his head. “We did, but nothing was settled. I thought I could . . .”
“Talk her out of it?” Joy sipped more wine, studying his stressed face.
“Yes. Or maybe postpone it a while longer until I could show her how free we were to travel and have beautiful things in the house and—”
“Oh, Tony. You didn’t?” She glared at him.
He lowered his eyes.
“We had a lovely house with nice things when Jaime was little.”
“I know, I know.” He rubbed his forehead as if it ached. “Look, I’m almost sixty. I don’t want to start another family. I told her I was concerned about that. I don’t want to be a new father and grandfather at the same time.”
“I guess I don’t blame you.” She shrugged. “We’re both getting older.”
“And I bet Jaime and Michael will start a family right away. Can you imagine if she and Tiffany were pregnant at the same time?”
“No offense, but I never imagine Tiffany at all.” Joy glanced away.
“Sorry.”
“Anyway, when is the divorce final?”
“I don’t know yet. Charlie is drawing up the papers now. You remember Charlie, right?”
She frowned.
How could she forget her husband’s divorce attorney who had tried to justify Tony’s actions by labeling her a terrible wife and mother?
“Yes. I remember him.” She raised a sardonic eyebrow.
“Sorry.” Tony shifted in his chair. “Anyway, Tiffany and I should probably have the marriage annulled.” He stared at the ground. “I’m such a fool.”
Joy curled her lip. “Well . . .” She chuckled. “You won’t get an argument from me.”
“Ha ha.” Tony sipped more wine. “I can’t believe I threw away something that was perfect to go after something that only appeared to be perfect.”
She set down the bruschetta and wiped her hands as she chewed. “We weren’t perfect, Tony. Nothing is perfect.”
He leaned in close. “We were pretty darn close.”
Then why did you cheat and leave me? Joy wanted to scream. Instead, she inhaled and slowly exhaled. I’m here as a friend. I choose to talk to him as a friend. “We made Jaime, and that was the best part.” She smiled and drank the last bit of wine in her glass.
“True.” Tony ran his finger along the wine glass. “Joy, I owe you so much.”
She coughed up some wine. “Excuse me?”
