SWNOVELS Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Mackenna tried to focus on the work in front of her, but she was irritated. Her lawyer had called her this morning. Her soon-to-be ex-husband was being a pain in the backside.
Regardless of the fact she had not asked for one penny of alimony and not one dime towards her legal costs, Alessandro was contesting the divorce. Her lawyer had not only refused to divulge her current address, citing client-attorney confidence and she requested a petition from the court to keep it out of Alessandro's hands. She had advised her client was in the United States, she was employed and had provided her tax assessment information as the
evidence.
Since the night she'd run out of the hotel, he'd been a man possessed. After reading the signed testimonies of her grandparents, their neighbors, Mackenna's lawyer and her family and her law clerks, concerning his actions and his constant pestering for her location, the judge had signed the petition to keep her personal information confidential.
He had become enraged and had called the judge at home and demanded she recant the restriction. The judge had not only refused but had told him if he continued in the manner he
was, she would have him thrown in jail with charges, among other things of stalking. Then on the day her lawyer had tried to have him sign the papers Alessandro had
apparently walked out the meeting after instructing her attorney to call her client back home
because they would be in court for a long time. He was not going down without a fight. -Mac,II Savannah poked her head into the office. I need food. Do you want to come with me?II
Savannah was almost finished her internship at the trauma center of the clinic where they
against the door as if completely exhausted.
Mackenna looked at her with a sad smile. -Yeah, I could use some food. II She glanced at her watch. I can't believe you're still here.II
-Oh well one of the other intern's kid brought home the flu bug from school. He's been puking for hours now. I stayed on to cover his shift. II She pushed off the door as Mackenna moved to lock it behind them -How come you look so upset?II
-How much do you think it would cost to hire a hit man?II Mackenna glowered as she was reminded again of Alessandro's foolishness. —Camille called. He's still contesting the divorce. He has requested a meeting with our lawyers present but Camille told him I'd returned to the States. Then my grandmother called to say he showed up and essentially threatened to make
friends from middle school here in the States who said he'd called her house at four in the morning to see if I'd been in contact with her. She flipped out at him because she has an infant she'd just settled down to sleep and told him even if it was a matter of life and death, she wouldn't tell him where I was because obviously, he's a nut calling
-Italy would be what, six hours ahead?II Savannah grimaced. I think if someone called my house at four in the morning for something so asinine, I'd strangle him through the phone.II She gave a sad smile. -And I don't think you can afford a hit man.II
Mackenna rolled her eyes as they moved into the tiny eatery and took a place in line. She grabbed a tray and smiled at the hair-net sporting woman behind the food bar. Just the vegetable soup please. II She turned to Savannah. What I really want is a loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese and bottle of wine, to drown my bloody misery but I'll stick to my diet, and I'll eat the soup.II
Savannah laughed at her, tell you what, you have the soup now and tonight, we'll splurge and go out for dinner. I can't believe you put on seven pounds in three days in Italy.II
-My Nonna made my favorites every blasted day. II She groaned and rubbed her tummy appreciatively, her blue eyes glistening with the memory. -Homemade breads and fresh pastas. It was heaven but it's taken me the last three weeks to lose five of those seven pounds. It all went to my rear end too. Having an office job is not conducive to anything other
than a big bottom.II
-Well, I can promise you, Derrick was seriously enjoying watching those extra pounds every time you climbed the stairs ahead of him.II Savannah teased; her green eyes enhanced by her green scrubs. She groaned as she twisted her long blonde hair up over her head in a knot so it wouldn't fall into her soup.
Mackenna laughed at her comment. I might admit to putting a little extra wiggle in my step. He's a cutie. II She was forcing herself to forget her horrible night with Alessandro. She had to focus on starting a new life. It was imperative to her mental wellbeing.
-That he is.II Savannah grinned slyly. I may have accidentally on purpose told him this morning you flew to Italy to start your divorce proceedings. He said he's going to ask you out. II -Really?II Mackenna blushed. I wish you wouldn't do stuff like this. It makes me seem desperate. He probably thinks I told you to tell him or something.II
-He knows you wouldn't do that. He knows you're a classy dame, II Savannah kicked her feet up onto an empty chair and took a long drink of her scalding hot coffee before setting it on Mackenna laughed at the stretched-out position Savannah had assumed, holding her soup bowl over her chest, and drinking right from the dish. -Yeah, classy. It's the company keep.II
Savannah belched into her palm and then grinned. —I'm a doctor. I don't have to be classy.
My lovers want me just because I have an M.D after my name.II
Mackenna couldn't help it and laughed aloud at the words her friend spoke. -Yeah, and the fact you're a former beauty pageant winner doesn't hurt either.II
-Hey, pageants helped me get tuition money and I'm still grateful for my foster mother for pushing me into it. I still say instead of dancing, I should have been allowed to belch the alphabet for my talent.II Savannah's smile grew tenfold as she looked past Mackenna's
shoulder. Here comes Doctor Derrick 'Sexy-ass' Portman now. Mm, mm,II she licked her lips as the man got closer. He is a sweet piece of cherry pie, isn't he?II
-Would you shut up?II Mackenna hissed as she sunk into her seat and covered her flaming
cheeks with her hands. —If there is a God, he'll call me home now.II
-I'm atheist, II Savannah was laughing now, but I do believe people can die of embarrassment if it helps.II
-Doctor Kirkland, Mackenna,II Derrick smiled down at them, his blue eyes lingering on
Mackenna. Is there enough room at this table for one more?II
-I don't know, Doc,II Savannah grinned at him. My feet are pretty comfy on this chair. Derrick eyed Mackenna who was now a brilliant shade of red. You don't like all orthopedic surgeons or just one in particular.II
-I never said I didn't like orthopedic surgeons. II Mackenna glared furiously at her friend who was eating her Jell-o as if it were the last thing she'd ever be allowed to consume again.- Breathe when you eat, would you? You're the doctor. I cannot do the Heimlich on you!II
-So, then you do like me. II Derrick played right into Savannah's direction with a cocky grin.
Mackenna groaned and dropped her face into her palms. —I feel like I'm being tag-teamed. Nah, II Derrick teased her. —I'm not into group things.II
Savannah choked on her gelatin as Mackenna sat back in shock as the man chuckled at his joke and took a bite of his sandwich. -Nice one, doc.II Savannah nodded her appreciation of -Thanks,II he flashed a big smile in her direction as he met her hand in a high-five.
-You two are horrible. II Mackenna pushed her empty soup bowl away and scowled. I'm still hungry. II Derrick held up the half of his sandwich, but she shook her head. —No, I can't eat hospital bread after having my Nonna's. It's like going back to five-dollar wine when you,,ve been drinking the hundred-dollar bottle. Not good at all. II
-You like wine, Mac?II Derrick asked her with his blue eyes curious as he studied her.
She wondered how it was Savannah's shortening of her name had been picked up by every staff member of the hospital. Nobody called her by her full name anymore. -lam Italian, well half Italian.II She pulled a face as she pushed her spoon around the empty bowl. It's a requirement.II
-Do you like pasta? II Derrick led her into the direction he wanted the conversation to go.
Mackenna missed the smug look on Savannah's face and assumed he was just making conversation. -Yes, I love pasta but so do my hips and the pasta loves them back. II The pasta loved her so much she was currently starving to get it to leave.
-Well then pasta and I have something in common, II he watched as her blush returned to her cheeks and then he laughed. So tonight, I'm preparing for a surgery I'm doing tomorrow but how about on Thursday night, you have dinner with me, and I'll cook you an authentic pasta dish.III
It was then she saw Savannah's wide smirk and almost groaned. -Derrick, I don't know. II She'd played right into their hands.
-Savannah said you filed your divorce, so you have no excuse not to come with me. II His blue eyes were daring.
-Did she mention he's contesting the divorce and I have to go back to Milan in two weeks to face him in court?II She asked with her eyebrows raised in his direction. It'll be like facing the devil to ask for my soul back. She muttered angrily. -Stupid cheating swine. I can't believe he's fighting this.II
-I'd fight it too. II Derrick leaned into his chair. -You're a sweet, kind woman with a heart of
gold and you're sexy to boot. He knows he's been a fool for letting you go.II
-What do you know?II Mackenna glowered at him. He's simply an Italian man who thinks the entire universe revolves around him and I must be out of my mind to have walked out on him. He actually told my lawyer to offer me cash to come home and provide an heir. II She shivered with disgust. Even Camille had been surprised by the arrogance. What an arrogant
-Provide an heir? What did you do, marry a billionaire or something?II Derrick asked eyeing her sideways.
-A billionaire and something, II she muttered, and the something is demon-spawn.II It wasn't so far off; his grandfather was a cad.
Savannah grinned. She married one of the wealthiest men in all of Italy and apparently he doesn't believe in divorce.II
-But he believes in screwing his protégé.II She mumbled now as she eyed the sandwich Derrick was eating.
-He cheated on you?II Derrick realized it was the second time she'd said it in minutes and wondered if the man had a brain in his head. Maybe he'd been born into the money.
-Depends on who you ask,II she looked up with an annoyed smile on her face. If you ask him, it was my overactive jealous imagination reading too much into the tabloids. If you ask her, they've been sleeping together since the night they met. If you ask any of the people who work with them, he's a saint but she's the devil and she's simply impossible to resist so who
can blame him?II She took one of the two apples off Derrick's tray. -Can I have this?II
-Only if you don't believe the old adage it's going to keep me away. II He grinned at her laugh. So let me get this straight, everyone, including you, knew they were sleeping together but he denies it.II -No, he doesn't deny it.II Mackenna saw his confused expression. —He refuses to address my insulting accusations because they don't deserve the effort to even think of a way to convince me I'm wrong.II She said the words with her thickest Italian accent in a perfect mockery of her soon-to-be ex-husband. She bit the apple furiously. And for the record, I was quoting there. He actually said those exact words to me.II
-How long ago was this?II Derrick paused in his question as Savannah snored loudly in her chair. She needs to get her septum repaired I think.II
-Try sleeping the room next to her,II Mackenna grinned at Savannah who had crashed out on the two chairs. It's like sleeping next to a freight train.II She knew he was waiting for an answer, so she shrugged. It was five years yesterday. I can't even go back to
Italy to visit my grandparents. I didn't even tell them where I moved, and they couldn't visit me. I gave them my
cell number and that was it. They didn't know if I lived in Florida, California, or Maine.II
-Are you afraid of this guy?II He suddenly had visions of Italian mafia or
something. Mobbi Alessandro's wasn't one of them. He was far more dangerous because those families had rules and code of ethics. He had none.