The Twelve Vitali Ch. 05

Authors note: Hello everyone. This story is a spinoff of the Twelve Tables series I wrote a while ago. I hope you enjoy this series despite its differences to the original story. Thank you once again to Paul who continues to be my second set of eyes. ~ellie.

The Twelve Vitalis

Chapter 5

Cat woke up and stretched. The bed was luxurious, and she hated the thought of getting up and starting her day for the briefest of moments. Then she remembered why she was here in the first place, as well as the fact that Matteo was sleeping on the couch in the other room while all of his clothes were in here with her. She rolled over and twisted up into a sitting position, placing her feet on the floor. She rolled her neck on her shoulders, working out the kinks of a restless night sleep and looked at the closed bedroom door. She had to stop thinking about Mr-tall-dark-and-handsome, Matteo. Despite the unusual proposal he had presented her with last night, this was her time to do something for herself, and she needed a clear head for her meeting with Lucia and Peri Donati today.

Hunger and the need for a bathroom drove her from the bedroom, and she padded through the apartment toward the bathroom, trying to be quiet in case Matteo was still asleep. She didn't think he would have left already, particularly as his clothes had been unpacked and hung in the bedroom wardrobe. She'd found them last night as she had explored the room. Five perfectly tailored suits hung with two shirts for each in the wardrobe. They were different in colour, as well as style, and she had fingered the expensive tailored material as she had explored the room last night. He seemed to have packed no casual wear at all, which only made her wonder about him even more. Was he an all work and no play type of man? She ran her fingers through her hair after washing her hands, trying to tame its wildness, and went out to the kitchen wondering what she could make for breakfast. Her mind went through an inventory of what she could remember of the refrigerator from the day before. If nothing else she would make toast with the bread she had seen on the bench.

"Good morning," Matteo greeted her from the small kitchen bench where he stood sipping coffee. "I just made a fresh pot, would you like some?" He offered, as he took in her sleep-tousled hair that she had obviously combed with her fingers rather than a brush, the soft pyjama top that did nothing to hide her braless state beneath it and the matching feminine boxer short shorts she wore exposing her long slim legs.

"Yes, please, with milk, no sugar," she nodded but slowed her walk as she saw the look in his eyes and the way they roamed over her. She became self-conscious of the way she was dressed and wished she had have taken the time to get dressed or had bought a robe when she had gone shopping for this trip. Not that she would trade in her new leather jacket for one. Remembering that this man could be seeing a whole lot more of her eventually, she gave a mental shrug and rather than hiding she straightened her posture and walked steadily toward him, feeling the bounce of her unfettered breasts beneath her pyjama top, and was pleased when he seemed to grimace and look away. She never ceased to be amused at the power of having breasts.

"I better get dressed or I'm going to be late," he said after pushing a cup of coffee across the bench to her. As she reached for it their fingers accidentally touched, and Matteo seemed to pull his hand back as if he had been burnt, making her frown. He walked away without another word, leaving her staring after him.

Cat busied herself in the now empty kitchen, taking eggs and milk from the fridge along with cheese and butter, and set to work making omelettes for breakfast. She made toast to go with them, and by the time Matteo emerged from the bedroom again she had set the table and invited him to sit.

"You can cook," he commented, raising his eyebrows.

"The basics only, don't get too excited," she said conversationally, placing an omelette and toast in front of him with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Thank you," he murmured, dragging his eyes away from her body to the plate before him. He took a bite and murmured appreciatively. "It's good. Shouldn't you be getting ready for your meeting too?" he asked.

"The car isn't picking me up until ten," she shrugged. "I have plenty of time."

"Do you?" Matteo raised an eyebrow. Then he slid his phone across the table toward Cat and tapped the screen which showed eight forty-five on the screen. "I think you might have slept longer than you realised."

"It won't take me an hour to get ready," she scoffed. "I know you're used to beautiful starlets who probably need hours of pampering before leaving the house, but, trust me, I am not one of them," she gave a self-depreciating laugh. "As you can tell," she took another mouthful of her omelette and chewed.

"You, Miss Leone, are an unusual woman, I agree," he chuckled. "Unfortunately, some of us have an earlier start to the day, and I have had to conduct one meeting already by phone this morning as you have kidnapped my wardrobe. Now that I am dressed, however, I'll leave you to get ready in your own time." He stood, having wolfed down his omelette and taken a large sip of the coffee. "I will talk to D. about finding you alternative accommodations today. We'll talk this afternoon, try to make lunch if you can. Good luck for your meeting," he gave her a genuine smile.

"Good luck with what you have to do today," she responded, watching him walk away and enjoying the sight of his broad shoulders under the pinstriped suit jacket. He'd been all business, but that was okay with her, it was what she was considering signing up for, after all.

Cat considered him as he left. Maybe she should get ready earlier, he obviously knew the Donatis' a lot better than her, and they may expect her to look more professional than she had thought from the friendly phone calls she had shared with both Lucia and Peri. Out of habit, she cleaned the kitchen before going to change and put on a little make-up for her meeting, and at ten she was down in the lobby when the car pulled up, and the driver got out to open the door for her.

"Thank you," she said, feeling awkward, and slid into the back seat of the car. She stared out of the window during the short drive, taking in the sights of a new city and thinking it was much the same as the city she had come from. Not that she had ventured into the city heart very often from her home in the outer suburbs. They seemed to drive past all the flashy buildings and shopping malls and into a warehouse district, although she was sure she was still, if not in the heart of the city at least close to it. The car pulled up in front of a regal old building that proclaimed it to be the House of Lorraine. It took her less than a minute to realise that this was an auction house, and she turned to the driver.

"I think there has been some mistake," she gathered her wits about her. "I'm not..."

"Mrs. Donati has an office here. She will be waiting for you," he said helpfully. He smiled encouragingly to diffuse her concerns that he, of all people, might not know where he was supposed to bring the young woman. The Donatis' were good people, and if Peri had wanted to meet with this young woman then she, by extension, was in all likelihood good in some way too.

Cat walked slowly inside the building. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but the grandeur of this place wasn't lost on her. She had known the Donatis' were rich and as well connected as the Vitalis', but she definitely didn't belong here in this place surrounded by priceless heirlooms and people dressed in suits and business attire. She smoothed her hands down over the flowing floral print dress she had considered quite appropriate for this meeting until walking into the old-world charm of this place. She was so self-conscious, she was glad she had taken the time to put on a little make-up and braid her long hair into a semblance of minor sophistication.

"You must be Catriona Leone," a man in a suit and an easy smile walked toward her. "I'm Darius, one of Mrs. Donati's assistants," he said in a friendly tone, and she tried to relax the stiffness in her posture as she took his hand.

"That would be me," she quipped and smiled back at him, swallowing her fear and trying to put her best foot forward. This job meant a lot to her in terms of freedom and independence to make choices about her future.

"Excellent, follow me, Peri is very excited to meet you," he came to her side and, with a hand hovering but not touching behind her back, he guided her through the auction house to a rear office. Cat walked in, and even as Darius was announcing her name she was being embraced by Lucia Battaglia.

"I'm so glad you're here, at last," Lucia said. "This is my sister-in-law, Peri," she introduced the other woman in the office. "I'm so sorry about the mix-up with the apartment, we'll get that sorted out today, won't we, D.?" she turned to look at the man sitting behind the desk.

"It was entirely my fault," Dante admitted. "I'd totally forgotten that you were flying in last night, and, with that said, I have some work to do, so I will let you girls have my office to yourselves for a little while. I hope you enjoy your stay, Miss Leone," Dante addressed Cat with a similar friendly tone to that she had received from Darius. This interview was going nothing like she had expected.

"Please, have a seat," Peri invited, as Lucia disengaged from Cat and went to take the seat vacated by Dante.

"I need to go and make a call, I'll let you two talk for a bit, and then you and I will have lunch and really spend some time with each other," Lucia grinned. "I really am so glad you are here."

"I'd like to discuss a project I'm working on with you." Peri began, as Lucia closed the door behind her. She pulled a folder of papers that had been sitting on the desk toward her side, opening it up and looking at the documents with pursed lips. "First let's get the unpleasant things out of the way."

"Unpleasant things?" Cat's eyes widened in stunned surprise. This was an interview, and she felt like she had been called to the principal's office at school again when her mother couldn't be located and her brother had gotten into trouble for fighting again. The well-meaning principal had seen through her charade then, and now she felt like an imposter here in this elegant office and prepared to make her apologies and leave.

"Don't worry, there's nothing truly unpleasant in here," Peri hastily reassured the young woman. "It's just that we are an intensely private family and like to protect our children and home life as best we can, so before I talk to you about the project I am working on I'd like you to sign a non-disclosure statement." Peri took a piece of paper from the top of the folder and slid it across the table. "My parents-in-law were murdered a few years ago, and my husband insists on a certain level of security around public knowledge of our family."

"I see," Cat said in such a small voice it was barely heard as she picked up the piece of paper and glanced over it. "I'm a fairly private person myself, so I understand not wanting the world to know your business. I would never betray a client though, if you hire me, you have my assurance on that."

"Take a minute or two to read through it, it's all very standard stuff. Can I get you some coffee or tea?" Peri offered.

"Water would be good if you have it," Cat used the same quiet voice, her eyes skimming over the document she held. Once she was sure it was exactly what Peri had said it was, and that there was nothing hidden in there that said she was selling her soul or first-born child to the devil, she put it on the desk and signed it. Who would she tell anyway? She didn't know anyone in this town. She picked up the glass of water she'd forgotten she asked for and took a sip while Peri countersigned the document and placed it back into the folder.

"Now for the fun part," Peri took another piece of paper from the folder. This one brightly coloured, and she placed it on the table facing toward Cat. "I absolutely adore this piece! Dante saw it the last time he was in Melbourne, so when I travelled down there recently with Josh we had a look at it ourselves."

"This?" Cat asked in astonishment. "This is the reason you asked to meet with me?"

"Initially, I just loved this, but when I checked out your website and found out that a few buildings had pieces of yours, I contacted the interior designer on those projects and found out some more details," Peri said enthusiastically. She was nothing if not thorough in all her research.

"Now I'm the one who feels like they need a non-disclosure statement," Cat laughed, overcoming her initial nervousness and relaxing into her usual friendly mode.

"Dante saw and told you about this?" Cat asked, finding herself relieved that the Vitalis' had not somehow manoeuvred this interview for her in an attempt to get her out of town and further away from Ricco when they still saw each other strictly as friends.

"A family friend has this hanging in their entertainment room," Peri laughed. "Which is just a nice way to put the room where he and his mates watch Friday night football and drink far too much beer. Can you tell me about it?"

"Wow," Cat said gathering her thoughts. "Your family friend coached that team. It was my brother's team. That's him there," she pointed to one of the sagging depleted men in the painting. "They had just lost the grand final. The first grand final the club had made it to in over a decade."

"No wonder there is so much raw emotion in the scene. You were there to witness it, I assume," Peri nodded.

"Yeah, it was a tough day. All the platitudes about making to the final game itself didn't help in the slightest. A lot of them, including David, hung their boots up after that," Cat said sadly.

"David is your brother?" Peri prodded. "You're close, I take it?"

"Yeah, but for better or worse we are both spreading our wings a little this year and flying solo without a net. He's got a great job that looks like it will lead to a great career, and I am off on new adventures in an effort to get my art taken seriously," she looked at Peri. "Sorry, that was probably too much information. I tend to chatter when I get nervous."

"Chatter away, I can already tell we're going to be friends," Peri said warmly. "Now that I know a little about you, let me tell you about my family and see if you feel the same way and if you feel like you would like to work with us."

For the next hour, Peri told her about herself and the relationship she had with twelve of the Donati men, starting with her love affair with two of the brothers, Josh and Dante. Legally she was married to Joshua, but unofficially he was just as committed to her relationship with Dante. Both men encouraged and embraced the situation, and they all lived together with their children in a big country house which was their main residence, and a large penthouse when they were here in the city.

Cat was intrigued and asked blunt questions, to which she got equally open answers. The triplets that were nearing their third birthday were definitely Joshua's children, but the twin babies could be either man's children, and there would never be a paternity test to prove one way or the other who the real father was because they were a single family unit and the children were theirs as a family.

Cats mind boggled at the idea, but who was she to judge, families came in all shapes and sizes. She guessed it was better to have three parents than none, like she had mostly grown up with. Her unreliable, addict mother was barely conscious for much of her life. Peri went on to talk about the other Donati men and their families. Cat could tell how much these people meant to Peri, and she smiled thinking that it was strange to find a woman with such a huge heart that held such deep love for so many people. Peri had been right; Cat did like her, and believed they could be friends, good friends.

"What I want," Peri said at the end of her story, "Is a picture like this. Not the football context, but a group portrait in a context that would suit them, we can debate that once you have met them all. I want a portrait of the twelve men relaxed in a moment where it shows their love and affection, their friendship and camaraderie. I want something that shows they are a family who would move heaven and earth for each other."

"Not an easy task without a context or getting to know them well. I can tell you about most of those guys in this painting like I could talk about my brother. I knew them all very well," Cat said, pointing out the difficulties and jabbing a finger at the picture of her painting.

"That's to be expected, and why I would like you to take the time to get to know my family," Peri agreed. "I understand that a project of this magnitude could take months, or even a year to complete. I am not expecting miracles overnight," she said in a soft voice and saw the young woman relax in front of her.

"Please take what I am about to offer you in the spirit it is intended and not as an insult," Peri took a deep breath as Cat looked up at her sharply. "I told you I didn't just look at your website, I really looked into who you were as an artist. I feel like I have known you for months rather than just meeting you for the first time. I'm sure you are exactly what I want and need for this project, but I want you to be comfortable with the situations I will be putting you in to get to know these men so you can do the painting with the passion you did this one with."

Cat sighed as she realised that Peri knew she came from welfare alley and had nothing and no one of value in her life except her brother.

"There are several events set up for the next couple of weeks; this is a very busy time for our family. There is an annual family gathering where hundreds of Donati relatives descend on us. It used to be held in April, but the memorials have made us move the dates, which means it is crazy trying to get things done at this time of year. Luckily for me, I have the most wonderful sisters-in- law who will do all the heavy lifting for several of the events this year because the babies are so young," she put her hand to her forehead and did a mock swoon, making Cat giggle. "I would like you to be part of that mayhem so you can see the men interact with each other in both formal and more relaxed settings."

"That would make trying to come up with a context and capturing a moment easier," Cat agreed. "I'm not sure why you were worried about telling me this," she frowned knowing more was coming.

"The thing is, there will be several charity balls and formal dinners here in the city before we all go out to the country house for two weeks. I hate to be indelicate, but I'm not sure you have the finances or where-with-all to shop for so many evening gowns and cocktail dresses, so I would like you to let me purchase you a wardrobe for the duration of your time here with my family. Call it the tools and equipment you need to do the job I am asking of you, if it makes you feel better. My mother is an expert personal shopper who will keep true to your creative persona and hit all the factory outlets to save us some money. I promise you will not be beholden to me, and everything we purchase will be yours to keep, on top of the fee for accepting the project."

"You're right," Cat nodded. "I've never even owned a formal evening gown, and I am sure my idea of what a cocktail dress should be and yours are entirely different," she considered the woman sitting across from her. "I guess we could call them tools of the trade, and I could accept them along with the paint and brushes and sketch pads I will need to do some preliminary drawings." The woman was rich and was offering her this bonus. She didn't want to be a charity case, but this didn't feel like accepting a hand-out, it felt more like, as Peri had put it, a necessary evil to get the job done. She was a girl from welfare alley, and she had to accept helping hands when they were offered in this way. She considered what this would mean if she also took on Matteo's proposal and his hinted at preferences for a makeover.