Chapter 7 - Lily’s Birthday Wish
Three weeks later, Nora returned to the Aurelian.
Not for work.
Whitcomb had been fired, arrested, and charged.
Salvatore faced enough charges that even Marcus Bell stopped calculating how many years they might add up to.
Daniel Bell had gone home.
Marcus had resigned as Enzo’s lawyer.
Enzo had refused to accept it.
“You made an impossible choice,” he had told him.
Marcus replied, “I betrayed your trust.”
“Yes.”
Marcus looked up.
Enzo continued.
“So earn it back.”
The Castellani machine moved differently after that night.
More carefully.
Less arrogantly.
At least around Lily.
The second birthday party was smaller.
No business associates.
No whispered negotiations.
No men discussing territory while a little girl opened presents.
Just Enzo.
Lily.
Hargrove.
Marcus and Daniel.
A few family friends.
And Nora.
She entered the private dining room carrying a wrapped gift.
Lily screamed.
“Nora!”
She ran across the room.
Nora crouched.
“Birthday girl.”
“You came!”
“I promised.”
Lily hugged her.
Enzo stood near the table.
No black tie tonight.
Dark jacket.
Open collar.
The faint tattoos at his forearms visible where his sleeves were rolled.
Nora looked at the table.
A glass of lemonade sat at every place.
She stopped.
Enzo noticed.
“Too soon?”
She smiled.
“No.”
Lily grabbed Nora’s hand.
“Look!”
Every glass had a pink-and-white striped straw.
Nora laughed.
“You remembered.”
Lily looked offended.
“Of course.”
Enzo walked over.
“I was given very detailed instructions.”
“I told Daddy white straws are suspicious.”
Nora glanced at him.
“Smart policy.”
“Apparently.”
Lily opened Nora’s gift.
Inside was a small silver bracelet with a tiny lemon charm.
“I love it!”
Nora helped fasten it.
Lily hugged her again.
Then ran to show Marcus.
Enzo remained beside Nora.
“You look different.”
She frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“No uniform.”
“I don’t work here anymore.”
“You could.”
Nora looked at him.
“Whitcomb’s position is open.”
Her mouth fell slightly open.
“You want me to manage the Aurelian?”
“No.”
“Good, because I was about to ask whether you’d been poisoned too.”
Enzo laughed.
It surprised both of them.
“I bought the restaurant.”
Nora stared.
“You what?”
“The corporation wanted distance from the scandal.”
“And you bought the whole building?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Lily likes the cake.”
Nora gave him a look.
“That is the worst business explanation I’ve ever heard.”
“It isn’t the real one.”
“I assumed.”
He handed her a folder.
Nora opened it.
Director of Guest Security and Operations.
She stared at him.
“You’re serious?”
“Very.”
“I’m a waitress.”
“You were a waitress.”
“I don’t have security training.”
“Hargrove handles security.”
“Then why is that in the title?”
“Because Hargrove can identify six types of firearms from fifty feet.”
Hargrove, across the room, called out, “Seven.”
Enzo ignored him.
“But he once failed to notice Lily leave a ballroom because she was hiding beneath a dessert cart.”
Hargrove muttered, “One time.”
Enzo looked at Nora.
“You notice people.”
“I notice details.”
“Exactly.”
Nora closed the folder.
“Why me?”
His expression became serious.
“Because everyone in that room looked at you and saw someone disposable.”
Nora said nothing.
“I did too.”
That surprised her.
Enzo continued.
“For about thirty seconds.”
“At least you admit it.”
“You were frightened and still protected the evidence that could clear your name.”
“I was protecting Lily.”
“I know.”
His voice softened.
“That’s why I’m asking.”
Nora looked at the contract.
“What’s the catch?”
“You work with Hargrove.”
“That’s a catch.”
Hargrove called from across the room.
“I can hear you.”
“I know.”
Lily ran back.
“Did Nora say yes?”
Enzo sighed.
“You told her?”
“I tell her everything.”
Nora looked at Lily.
“Your father and I are still negotiating.”
Lily put her hands on her hips.
“You should work here.”
“Why?”
“Because Daddy needs somebody who tells him when he’s wrong.”
Marcus coughed into his drink.
Hargrove turned away to hide a smile.
Enzo looked at his daughter.
“Thank you, Lily.”
“You’re welcome.”
Nora laughed.
Then she looked at the contract again.
“Six-month trial.”
Enzo nodded.
“Done.”
“No weird loyalty tests.”
“Define weird.”
“Enzo.”
“Fine.”
“My staff gets fair wages.”
“Yes.”
“No firing people because they spill wine near you.”
“I’ve never done that.”
“Good.”
“And one more thing.”
“What?”
Nora looked toward Lily.
“No business meetings during her birthday parties.”
Enzo’s expression softened.
“Agreed.”
She held out her hand.
“Then I’ll try it.”
Enzo took it.
His grip was warm.
“Welcome to the Aurelian.”
Nora raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve worked here for two years.”
“Not like this.”
Lily appeared between them.
“Cake!”
Enzo released Nora’s hand.
They moved toward the table.
Six candles glowed in front of Lily.
She closed her eyes.
“Make a wish,” Nora said.
Lily opened one eye.
“You’re not supposed to tell people.”
“I know.”
Lily looked at her father.
Then at Nora.
She blew out the candles.
Everyone applauded.
Later, when the party had grown quieter, Nora found Lily near the window eating frosting directly from the edge of her cake.
“You’re going to get caught.”
Lily grinned.
“Don’t tell Daddy.”
“Your father has six security cameras in this room.”
Lily glanced upward.
“Seven.”
Nora laughed.
Then Lily leaned closer.
“I can tell you my wish now.”
“I thought that ruins it.”
“It already happened.”
Nora smiled.
“What did you wish for?”
Lily looked toward Enzo.
He was speaking with Marcus, but he kept glancing across the room toward them.
Then Lily whispered:
“I wished Daddy would stop looking lonely.”
Nora’s smile faded slightly.
Lily took another bite of cake.
“He looks different when you’re here.”
Nora glanced toward Enzo.
This time he caught her looking.
He raised his glass slightly.
Pink-striped straw and all.
Nora shook her head, smiling.
“Your father is complicated.”
Lily shrugged.
“He likes you.”
Nora nearly choked.
“Lily.”
“What?”
“You’re six.”
“Seven now.”
“Five minutes ago.”
“Still counts.”
Enzo approached.
“What are you two talking about?”
Lily smiled innocently.
“Nothing.”
Nora immediately said, “Your daughter is dangerous.”
Enzo looked down at Lily.
“I know.”
Lily ran off laughing.
Enzo stood beside Nora.
“What did she say?”
“Classified.”
“I own the building.”
“That doesn’t help.”
He looked at her for a moment.
“Nora.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For seeing the glass.”
She shook her head.
“I saw a straw.”
“No.”
Enzo looked toward Lily.
“You saw my daughter when the rest of us were looking for someone to blame.”
That silenced her.
Across the room, Lily laughed while Marcus tried unsuccessfully to keep frosting off his suit.
For once, Enzo’s guards were smiling.
Nobody was shouting.
Nobody was afraid.
Nora glanced at the lemonade in her hand.
Pink straw.
Clear glass.
Nothing hidden.
“Maybe,” she said, “people should pay more attention to waitresses.”
Enzo looked at her.
“I do now.”
Nora smiled.
“Good answer.”
Outside, Chicago continued exactly as it always had—loud, complicated, dangerous, beautiful.
Inside the Aurelian, Lily Castellani finished the birthday party someone had tried to steal from her.
Marcus got his son back.
Nora got her name back.
And Enzo Castellani discovered that the most valuable person in the room had never been the lawyer, the security chief, or the men everyone feared.
It had been the woman carrying the tray.
The one everybody had trained themselves not to see.
This time, when Nora sat at the table beside Lily, nobody asked her to serve anything.
And when Enzo lifted his glass, he looked directly at her.
“To noticing what matters.”
Nora lifted hers.
“To listening when your daughter says something tastes bitter.”
Lily raised her lemonade between them.
“And to pink straws.”
Enzo smiled.
“To pink straws.”
They clinked glasses.
And this time, the birthday ended exactly the way Lily had deserved from the beginning.
With cake.
May you like
With laughter.
And with everyone she cared about going home safe.
