Imagine Dario with his shirt on... or not :)

"How far is your house from here?" I asked Dario, who had been driving silently for the past ten minutes. His comment about my protection bothered me because of the way he said it. I was not a liability; he needed to be a part of our business as much as we needed his help to stay low.

"Forty minutes," he replied without looking at me. I sighed and decided to facetime Phoebe since I promised to call her. "Whomever you are calling, don't be too loud. I like phone conversations to be calming, not nerve-racking."

I rolled my eyes. "Can't promise you anything since my friend tends to be loud someti-" I did not get to finish my sentence, and Phoebe's face appeared on my screen.

"You are still alive! Hallelujah!" she yelled, and I laughed since that was precisely what Dario did not want. I did not feel sorry for him.

I glanced at his side and saw him glaring at the road. "Phoebe, it hadn't been an hour since I landed. You are being overdramatic," I replied calmly.

"I just missed you, Joe, and the company is falling apart without you here. We are dying!" Her expression was amusing. I looked at Dario again and saw him glance at my phone for a mere second. Phoebe was interesting; even a blind man would want to see the person behind this loud character.

"Now you are just funny in a not humorous way. Dad is there. You are there. I looked at the stocks and sales stats through my tablet, and everything is how I left it, dear. Completely normal and organized. Don't panic; if something terrible happens, you guys will fix it. I can count on you, and believe it or no, I trust the board members too. They can be sexists sometimes but know how to do their job regardless of their personal preferences. You know why I am here, Phoebe. So, don't stress me out whenever I call you, okay?"

"I was only joking. No need for the lecture. Anyways, did you meet Dario Romano? Are you in the car with him? Is he hot? Did he do something bad to you? If he did, I will book the next flight to Sicily and come rip his-"

"Phoebe!" I screamed, and she shut up. "He is driving the car and heard every damn word you just said. Say hi." I turned my phone to face Dario.

"Oh... well, he is damn hot."

I saw Dario's smirk appear, and I scoffed. "Don't feed his ego; he has enough of it already."

"What's wrong, Jolene? Are you mad at your friend for stating facts?" he asked as he took a right turn.

"Joe, I love you dearly, but you can't deny that he's handsome. Look at that side profile!" Phoebe just did not know when to shut up. I was not blind. Dario was good-looking, but his personality ruined it for him.

"Takes one to see one. Phoebe has brilliant taste in men, so thank you." His reply was made to irritate me, but it did not work. It was too shallow for me to get angry.

I chuckled and looked back at my phone. "Oh, Phoebe is a beauty queen, but here's the catch, Dario. Beauty is not just on the outside. She is also a queen of hearts. Her face and personality combined are what make her valuable. On the other hand, you need to work on your attitude because appearances expire."

Phoebe clapped. "Wow, my comment elevated this conversation to the philosophical sector. Anyway, I have to run. I need to sort some documents and buy food. It was nice talking to you, Dario. And always remember that Jolene has Phoebe backing her up, so don't you dare hurt her, handsome or not. Adios!" And she ended the call.

"You have quirky friends."

"Bold of you to assume I have more than one friend." I crossed my arms and waited for his reply.

He stopped at a red light and looked at me. "Mi dispiace," he said, and I arched my eyebrows in confusion. I did not speak Italian. He seemed to understand me because he apologized in English. "There is nothing wrong with having one loyal friend."

"I never complained, and you don't seem the type to have a group of besties, either," I replied, and he ran his hand through his dark brown hair, which, I had to admit, was kind of attractive.

He nodded. "You are right. I only have two good friends. However, I never use the term best on them because they'd have to follow certain expectations for being my best friends. They are humans. Hence, nobody can be the best at anything."

"There is nothing wrong with what I'm about to say, but you are more logical than emotional. Interesting..."

"Well, you are just being irrational." He scoffed.

I facepalmed. "I just said that there is nothing wrong with being logical! Can't a person have a normal conversation with you? Unbelievable!" I exclaimed and turned my face to the other side. It was like talking with a child.

"Anyway, we are here. Get out," Dario said as he parked the car in front of a massive house in the middle of nowhere.

"Thanks for being such a gentleman," I replied and stepped out.

"Sei la benvenuta, puttana." Dario knew I did not understand him based on his grin. I had to translate what he said, so I opened my phone, and my eyes widened. I looked at him, ready to hit him, but he was already in the house with my luggage.

"You son of a bitch," I muttered, grabbed my back bag, and walked inside. The house was spacious but empty, even with all the decorations and furniture. It was not cozy or homey. I would not be surprised if he only slept here occasionally because of the ghosts and roaches.

"My sister bought us pizza, and it's still fresh. Come eat." He called from what I assumed was the kitchen, so I put my bag on the floor and went to where his voice came from. "Do you want a plate and a knife or something?" he asked, and I washed my hands.

"No, thanks. I use my hands; a paper will do." He handed me a piece, and I dug in. It was delicious, and I did not realize I was hungry until I took that first bite. I took a second slice, and he was on his third. We ate in silence, but good thing he did not chew with his mouth open. Otherwise, my misophonia would be triggered.

"Why did you suddenly accept my offer after months of rejecting it?" he asked right before I took my last bite. So, I finished eating, washed my hands, cleaned my spot on the table, and sat on the chair.

"I don't want to talk about it. Not now, at least. I still don't trust you... Why did you want me to come to Italy and not dad if a business is what you want?" I asked in the same tone he did, and he washed his hands and grabbed a beer, offering me one. I declined, and he sat back down.

"I still don't trust you either. Why should I tell you my reason?"

"So, there is a reason other than 'I want to secure a safer future for my offsprings' bullshit." I placed my elbows on the table, and he chugged the beer.

"Maybe, it is too early to tell you anything. Let me show you your room, and before I forget, you will meet my sister tomorrow. She wants to see you," he said, and I nodded. I wanted to meet her too. A girl's presence was always welcome in an environment filled with men.

We walked upstairs, and I suddenly recalled that this was not our first encounter. "Do you remember when you were at our house 25 years ago? I don't; dad had to remind me."

He looked down at me and then resumed walking up. "Vaguely, I mostly remember your dog, Titan." He walked to a room, and I smiled.

"Titan was my best friend. Unlike your hypotheses, he was the best at everything he did! I miss that little fella. He died when I was 12."

Dario did not comment on that. Instead, he opened the door to a big room. It had a large bed, a nightstand, and a closet, which was enough for me, but what caught my attention made me jump in his arms unintentionally. "You do live in a dumpster, after all!" I shrieked as I wrapped my arms around his neck, fearing it might crawl up my pants. I saw enough movies to believe that it could actually happen.

"What?" he yelled, yet kept his hands around my body since I was not going to let go.

"I saw a mouse! A giant fat ugly mouse!" I shuddered, remembering the movie Phoebe had forced me to watch with her a few years ago.

"I don't see it." His gaze infuriated me because he was so calm.

"You are blind! It's right under that nightstand, eating something big! Oh, God. Get it out, now."

"How can I when you won't let go of me?" he asked, and I thought for a second.

"Okay, put me down... but in your room since it won't have animals, I hope." I kept looking at the mouse, and Dario sighed.

"I am rethinking my decision about insisting on doing business with you."

~~~

What do you think about their chemistry so far?

The next update will be up in about two weeks.