We Italians called men like this, “mammones.” They were mama’s boys who lived at home, sponging off mama’s cooking and cleaning until they were in their forties.
I liked my men a little more rugged and independent.
I thought of Ryder, and a surge of lust raced through me. Damn. That was unexpected. I snuck a glance around the room and spotted James. It was probably his fault, as well.
“Don’t you think, Miss Santella?”
Shit. The mayor had asked me something. I raised an eyebrow and gave a noncommittal shrug.
Fuck. What had he asked. I looked at Dante, and he didn’t seem alarmed so my response must have been okay.
Just then, thank God, someone else walked up and Dante introduced me. At the same time, someone pulled the mayor aside.
“Jackie Fong meet Gia Santella. Jackie is head of the City by the Bay Hospitality Group. Gia and I are business partners.”
Jackie Fong had a chic silver bob and a warm smile. She wore wide-leg silk pants and had layers of wooden beaded necklaces looped around her neck. I liked her instantly.
“Nice to meet you,” I said and meant it.
“I’m so glad you are coming on board,” Jackie said. “Ever since Tiana left, I’ve been swimming upstream around here. There’s way too much testosterone in this room for my liking,” she said and winked. “I’m not talking about you, Dante.”
“Hey! Gay men have plenty of testosterone. Trust me.”
She ignored him and grasped both of my hands.
“I’m in charge of securing sponsorships for the gala. Let me know if you have any ideas. I’m pretty much set, but a new take on the city and its offerings is always welcome. We tend to approach the same organizations year after year. Sooo boring. We need to reach more businesses owned by women. I’m sick of the old guard being the only ones showcased at this gala. This is the year it’s going to be different.”
“Of course,” I said.
“She’s right,” Dante said. “Hollingsworth is the last of the old guard on this committee. This is the first year we’re shaking it up.”
“Thank God, Dante is in more of a leadership role this year. It’s changed everything. Let’s talk more later, Gia. I have to run,” she said, leaning forward and air kissing me. “I have a meeting with the governor. He’s in town for the weekend.”
And then she was gone.
“She’s a force,” I said to Dante as we both watched her get into the elevator.
“She used to run a Fortune 500 company. She retired and bought another company—a Silicon Valley startup—but that apparently doesn’t keep her busy enough, so she runs the hospitality group now too.”
“I like her,” I said.
“Me too,” he said. “By the way, you were rude to the mayor.”
“I was?”
“Yes. You need to be nice to him. He can make our life here as hotel owners miserable if he wants.”
“Oh.”
Then Dante introduced me to Carl Rosenbloom.
He was head of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. He had a slight paunch and thinning hair, but his smile was genuine and his eyes seemed kind behind his wire-rimmed glasses. But as soon as we were introduced, his phone buzzed.
He glanced down at it and then frowned. After that, he wouldn’t meet my eyes. He kept looking off past me, over my shoulder. So much so that I actually turned to look if there was something behind me. There wasn’t. Just a view of South San Francisco.
“Well, it was nice to meet you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he said and then realized what he was saying. “I’m sorry. I’m a little distracted today.”
He finally met my eyes. I smiled. I could forgive that. We all have tough days.
“No problem,” I said. “Looking forward to working with you in the future.”
“Likewise,” he said. And then he was gone.
“That was weird,” I said.
“Yeah,” Dante said and frowned. “He’s usually more congenial. I think he must have a lot on his mind. I heard that the chamber of commerce is really getting a lot of heat from people protesting the opera. He’s sort of in the hot seat since he’s head of the chamber, on this committee, and also CEO of a company that was accused of anti-Semitism a few years back after a Jewish man was fired.”
“Oh shit,” I said. “No wonder he was distracted. Do you think he’s anti-Semitic?”
“No way,” Dante said. “He doesn’t defend himself publicly, but his wife is Jewish.”
“Well, there you have it,” I said. “Why doesn’t he tell people who accuse him of being anti-Semitic that.”
Dante shrugged. “No clue.”
“Can we go?”
“Soon. You’ve met the biggest movers and shakers, but let’s introduce you to everyone else just briefly.”
“Seriously?” I shot a glance at the bar. “Can’t I have a drink?”
“Later,” Dante said and then introduced me to everyone else.
Finally, I’d met everyone. I was about to sneak over to the bar while Dante had his back turned when James appeared before me.
Madame Butterfly stood beside him, looking annoyed.
“When are we going to get together?” he said. “I need to know everything. We need to catch up on ten years.”
“Definitely,” I said. “Give me your phone.”
He laughed. He punched in his code and handed it to me. “What are you going to do? Snap me?”
“You have Snap?” I said, referring to Snapchat.
“Hello. I have a seventeen-year-old,” he said.
“Yeah,” I said. “Rose made me get it too.”
“How is Rose?”
I was surprised. “She hasn’t kept in touch?”
James had been a father figure to Rose for a long time. Every once in a while, when she was growing up, she’d tell me she’d heard from him. I’d assumed they’d kept in touch.
“We lost touch a few years ago. I figured I was just a pest, so I didn’t press the issue when she stopped responding to my texts,” he frowned. “Maybe that was the wrong thing to do.”
My heart hurt suddenly. Rose was so good at pushing
