Free Lucca's Lust: The Luminara Series Book 3 by SJ Molloy Page B

and Armando both cock their heads, eyebrows lifting, lips curling up.
    “What’s in this pasta shit, Savio?” he asks.
    “Oh, just chicken.” I almost choke on my beer. Funny stuff. Lyle has to thud my back until I catch my breath. Chris would have an aneurism if he knew it was seafood. But by the looks of it, he has not got a clue. The daft fucker is eating it. Priceless.
    “Hmmm, tasty this pasta shit. You should sell it in your restaurant,” Chris suggests before wolfing down another forkful of tortellini. Savio and I exchange a silent look of hilarity.
    “Yeah, I might just do that,” Savio says calmly, hiding the obvious laughter in his voice.
    Once we are finished, Terence, Jonathon, and Andy sit outside on the alfresco area smoking cigars, enjoying a single malt. The rest of the lads head up to the top floor to the home cinema room with as much alcohol as they can carry and the cinnamon buns, chips, and dip before the game starts.
    I decline cigars and watch my alcohol intake as I have a flight to catch tomorrow, but the lads seem to be on a mission to get tanked tonight. I tell Savio I will be right up; I have a call to make first. Grabbing my phone, I head into my office and close the door. I have business to sort out.
    I casually stretch back in my chair, one leg across the other, and make a call which could potentially change my life forever, or at least I hope it will.
    “Hello, Mark speaking,” the guy answers.
    “Mark, this is Lucca Caruso, owner of Club di Energia. Are you free to have a quick chat?” I ask, firing up my desktop to quickly check my emails at the same time.
    “Eh, yes. How can I help you, Mr. Caruso?” he says with apprehension in his voice.
    “Please, call me Lucca. Nothing is wrong, just a courtesy call. Ronan gave me your number. I hope you do not mind me calling after hours. I have a trip scheduled tomorrow and wanted to catch you before I left.” I pick up some fundraising documents for the Jasmine Foundation, the cancer trials I support and donate to.
    “How can I help?”
    “Look, I would like to be direct with you. I was in the clinic today with lumbar back pain. Your colleague assessed me and encouraged me to book in another appointment. She suggested I book in with you, but the problem I have is, I very much want to book back in with her. I want her to treat me.” I tap my finger on the desk impatiently after I have neatly filed the documents in order.
    “Oh I see. Was it Jane or Lexi that saw you today?” he asks. I stare at the logo on top of the invoices, the small diamond sitting in the palm of a hand, and I rub my thumb over it, deep in contemplation.
    “Lexi.” It falls from my lips in an easy whisper. I like the way Lexi sounds on my tongue. I say it again just to enjoy the sound of her name. “Lexi saw me.”
    “Ah, she is my business partner. We were in placement together in the hospitals when we both first qualified. She is very good. Okay, if you would like to see her again, you will need to wait. She is going on holiday for three weeks. I can certainly treat you. I have free appointments at the end of this week and beginning of next,” he says, as if he is not hearing me or maybe I am not making myself clear enough. I place the documents down on the table, scratching my stubble with my thumb.
    “Her holiday … I hope she is going somewhere nice?” I would like to lighten the mood and create a good rapport with this Mark fellow.
    “I am sure it will be nice. She has been looking forward to going on this Tuscany trip for ages.” That got my attention. Home.
    “Sounds lovely. Italy is my native country. I might be biased, but I do love Tuscany and highly recommend it for sightseeing. Italy is a wonderful country, very beautiful, vibrant, and cultural. I have been lucky to travel all around it over the years.” Smiling, the air leaves my lungs for the second time today. I lift my hand and place it over my heart and think that maybe God is