The remaining five messages, everything from job snafus to a request for a radio interview, didn’t need his attention today. He still had to call Alex, but first he had to get in touch with Catherine Fox and make sure they met ASAP. He had one chance to see Rita tonight, and he wasn’t going to miss it.
* * *
“LITTLE ITALY, PLEASE, Grand and Lafayette.” Catherine settled in the backseat of the yellow cab, reminding herself she had no control over the heavy New York traffic. To go from the United Nations building to her new home was exactly 5.3 miles, but it took at least twenty-five minutes to get there. If she was lucky.
She wasn’t lucky today.
The whole construction debacle had come as a shock. Not just that the project manager had acted as if he knew nothing about her revised restoration plans, but that she’d accepted a verbal agreement in the first place.
It had been completely out of character, but there’d been something about Joseph Paladino that she’d trusted immediately. At the same time, she wasn’t naive enough to think she didn’t need the amendment in writing. This home meant everything to her. What had she been thinking?
God, she could just scream.
Now, instead of hashing things out with Joseph, she had to deal with his son. Everything about it smelled rotten. This major snafu had caused her to be late returning from lunch, which meant she’d need to go back to work later. Worse than that, it felt like a bait and switch, which she was going to nip right in the bud. Despite all the recommendations and exceptional reviews of Paladino & Sons, they were not going to play her for a fool.
There were other contractors, though she really hoped this was a mix-up and she hadn’t been taken in by the very sincere-seeming Paladino, Sr. She of all people should be able to spot a con artist. Her job was dependent on her ability to read nuance and body language. But just in case, she’d already started to compile a list of alternatives.
They turned on Grand and she spotted Tony Paladino right away. Tall, dark haired and trim, he carried a black satchel and wore dark jeans and a white oxford shirt with no tie.
After paying the cabbie, she straightened her skirt as she approached where Tony stood facing her front door. The outside of the three-story town house was redbrick and beautiful, although there was definitely work to be done on her front stoop. Whether it would be done by this guy’s company remained to be seen.
He turned upon hearing her heels on the uneven sidewalk. “Hello,” he said, holding out his hand. “Tony Paladino.”
She met his chestnut-brown eyes and her heart started beating harder. “Catherine Fox,” she said, noting the strength of his handshake. “I must admit, I’m disappointed that your father couldn’t be here.”
“He would have been if he’d been able, I assure you.”
She took out her key and slid it into the lock. It gave her the moment she needed to think about something other than the fact that Tony was an unexpectedly good-looking man. Catherine turned the key just as a distasteful thought occurred to her. This might be exactly what she’d feared. Was Mr. Charm here supposed to distract her long enough for them to renege and have her sign off?
The hell with that. They would finish the job, all right. Exactly to her specifications. Just as Joseph Paladino had promised.
A moment later they were inside. The ground floor was where most of the building supplies were spread out, so they had to make their way past scaffolds, tarps and exposed pipes. The focus so far had been on the foundation, electrical and plumbing, basic work about which she wasn’t concerned. She led Tony up to the small suite she’d made her home base. It took up only a quarter of the second floor—which would eventually become her master suite and one guest room—but it was large enough for now.
Even though the work was loud and messy during the week, she hadn’t been around for most of it, leaving her to get used to the old place on the nights and weekends. She had a makeshift bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and small sitting area where she could watch television.
She put her purse on the table by the entrance, reminding herself to keep her cool. Smile. Act as if nothing was wrong—at least nothing that a polite conversation couldn’t fix. Drawing in a deep breath, she turned to him. “I have wine, coffee and tea. What can I get you?”
He truly was handsome. Not flashy, not a pretty boy. No, his looks leaned more toward the rugged side. But it was clear he was one of those guys who’d be as comfortable wearing a tux as he was wearing a tool belt. It didn’t hurt that she found his thick eyebrows over his striking eyes very sexy. Her gaze kept floating back down to his lips, though. They were both masculine and lush. A wonderful combination. And now, they were moving.
“If it’s no trouble, coffee would be great.”
She turned away quickly, not sure if she’d been caught staring. “No trouble at all. Have you been here before?”
“No, I’ve been working on a job for the mayor.”
“Ah.” She smiled at the way he’d worked in that little tidbit. Was she supposed to be impressed? She worked with heads of nations on a regular basis. He’d have to try harder.
“But I think you’ve met my brothers.” Tony had followed her to the kitchen, which consisted of a hot plate, small fridge, microwave, coffeemaker and sink. The area was a bit tight and she hadn’t expected him to move in this close. Just near enough to make her pulse quicken.
Which simply wouldn’t do.
“Yes, of course, Luca and...” She drew a blank. “Forgive me. I don’t remember your other brother’s name...”
“Dom,” Tony said, lips twitching.
“Ah, right.” She couldn’t imagine what he found so amusing. “Dom,” she said. “But it was your father with whom I had discussed the changes to my original contract.”
Something flickered and died in Tony Paladino’s eyes before she had a chance to interpret it, which was odd, because she could read most people in seconds.
“I understand,” he said slowly, with a fair dollop of condescension.
That had to stop, as well.
“Look, I know my father is the best in the business, but he trained me from the time I could hold a wrench. I’m not just taking over the work, but our commitment to excellence. If there was a misunderstanding we’ll fix it.”
Giving him a once-over she wasn’t shy about, Catherine couldn’t decide if she believed him or if she wanted to believe him. The company did have a good reputation. And while she didn’t think they meant to scam her, they were most likely booked up to their eyeballs and couldn’t afford the extra time for the restoration. Tearing down something and then slapping something else back up was quicker, easier and cheaper.
She opened up the coffee canister and started scooping the grounds into the pot. But her thoughts went straight back to Tony.
She guessed him to be in his early thirties, and his looks made it hard to believe he was all work and no play, but he was here and so far hadn’t made any slippery moves. If she didn’t count that sexy mouth of his. Well, it wasn’t as if he’d picked it out of a catalog.
“From what I understand, you and my father talked about restoring as much of the original building as possible?”
That he’d cut straight to the heart of the matter startled her. She nodded, and almost lost count of the scoops. “Yes. The last time we spoke, I explained my wishes explicitly. He said he’d type up the