Chapter 81 - Eighty-one

"What are you talking about now?" Nikita immediately frowned. "I have not yet been selfish with you anywhere." 

"Did you not have Silvano and Isabelle talk me into about giving you a job?" She kept the plate down and straightened her back to act firm. 

Nikita immediately felt angry. "Oh, come on! Do you have any idea how desperate I am here?!"

"So boot-licking is the only option, now?" Alexis frowned at her behaviour. "You could have asked about it when I would have brought it up this weekend. I would not have said no Nikita."

"It was the weekend," Nikita stressed the word. "I was going to die by then. Now I can help you with everything that comes your way." She, very merrily, said so.

"I love flattery, I honestly enjoy it but Nikita you're family now. So if, ever, you need something just ask okay?" Alexis went forward to hold her arm and give a light squeeze to it. "You helped once and I know that I avoided loads of horrifying punishments that were coming my way. I have more money in my account that I can dream of and it's all because of you." 

"You helped men and I am not going to let you hang dry." 

Nikita's shoulders slouched as she heard Alexis. "I guess, I became desperate." She sighed, this was the worst feeling. She sighed and looked down. Then she decided to let it all out. 

"My father had worked in the top tier all his life, so naturally, we never had to lift a finger for any damn thing. Till I was twenty-one, I had school so I busied myself there but now when we talk about it, I understood what my mother felt because she was busy in either making my father's life perfect in every aspect or she makes sure that her children were perfect as well. She was just busy doing something." Her eyes felt glassy a bit. "I just felt like her. Lonely and useless. I cannot help Silvano because I would not have any deniability if I know things and other jobs were difficult if didn't want to pull some strings. I'm after all an undergraduate." 

For the first time, Alexis felt pity for someone. Usually, she didn't bother but today, she knew what Nikita was talking about. She didn't want to end up like her mother.

"I want to go out and do something worth it. Not throwing parties or going to lunches.."

"..like Isobel." Alexis finished for her. "You two don't seem to agree on this."

"Many topics you could find there," Nikita gave her a scoff, "she was a waitress. Now she tips the wait staff, you see the difference in her behaviour now. Vincenzo's happy, he wanted a trophy wife and he got one."

"He wanted a trophy wife?" Alexis asked feeling intrigued. 

"Not really. He wanted someone outgoing and friendly. Isobel knew every possible high society couple and it helps him. She is a socialite but also, humble unless provoked." 

Alexis sipped on her iced tea which was now at room temperature. Not bothering for it, she drank it in one go. Wanting to change the gloomy environment, she broke the silence. "I am going to offer you a partnership of Twenty-five per cent profit. Are you in?"

"Yes!" Nikita immediately jumped up. This was great for a start. "What about the rest?"

"I was thinking about the winery women for it. But I do plan to expand it as well, so this is the only time they will be getting it." Alexis had a smile on her face. It wasn't the one of malice but a professional one. She was dealing with a business like she was made for it. She had a gentle smile on her face but was rude while doing it.

"When are you going to make the call?" Nikita asked Alexis who was paging Agatha to her the table cleaned.

"Right away actually," she went back to her desk and took out the card. "Anything else? You might be bored, I don't have anything decided of yet."

"I can look the designers for the interior if you want." She perked up immediately, wanting to work immediately.

"Sure," saying so, she dialled the number on the phone.

"Hello?" Someone spoke in Italian.

"Hello, it's Alexis." She smiled as she talked but frowned when she heard Nikita. 

"Say your full name!" Nikita immediately whispered. "His name too." 

"I meant Alexis De'alassandro." She corrected herself not comfortable with her change of name yet.

The woman on the phone gasped loudly and started speaking rapid Italian to each other. "Hello, Donna. I cannot believe you called! Is it for the business your talk about?" The grammar was rusty and the accent was thick, yet Alexis had not a problem understanding it. 

"Yes, yes it is." She agreed to smile on the other side. "Are you available for it?"

"Yes! Donna we are." The woman seemed hyperactive and spoke loudly. "Oh, I am Catalina. I should introduce myself before."

"Hello Catalina," she chuckled. "Are you head of the business?"

"Si—yes, I am."

"I am going to offer you a profit percentage of twenty in the restaurant business. Would you like that?"

"Yes, Donna that seems fair to us." She agreed. "but how will we do business? Like the signing and ..other things.." She hesitated. "We do not take partnership."

"Isabelle is still there. I can ask her to assist us from there." She offered a solution. "I will send you the contract of both the wine supply and the profit percentage. We will talk then, alright?"

"Yes, Donna. Good day."

Saying a thank you, she hung up. Nikita was busy talking to someone on the phone. Alexis sighed and got up. Her phone pinged and she looked down at it. It was a message from Angelo.

''Parker, Pearson and Wilton.' My recently acquired firm. The lawyers will help you with the restaurant.'

In that instant, Alexis had goosebumps. She felt her heart come up to her throat.

The man was more powerful than she thought.