going?’
‘I bought one of the last old buildings on Giudecca.’
‘Giudecca?’
‘One of the islands in the lagoon.’
‘Can’t wait,’ she said, excitement glittering in her eyes.
He shook his head. Sienna really was like no other woman he’d ever met. If he’d suggested a day at the building site to any other women he’d dated, she’d have thought him insane.
It took less than half an hour to arrive on site. His foreman met them and fitted them with hard hats.
‘We’re demolishing the west spire today,’ the foreman said escorting them inside to what would obviously be the hotel lobby.
‘What!’ Sienna exclaimed, horror gripping her features. ‘Why?’
The builder looked from her to Antonio as if asking permission to answer. Antonio nodded. ‘We’re putting in a rooftop infinity pool.’
‘But that’ll ruin the roofline of the whole building.’
Antonio stared at her. She appeared genuinely upset. ‘Infinity pools are expected in this class of hotel,’ he said, patting her arm.
‘There must be a better place for it,’ she said, sounding desperate.
The foreman laughed. ‘Antonio hired Alberto Ricci to design this project,’ he said, as if speaking to a child. ‘He’s one of Italy’s best.’
‘Obviously not good enough,’ Sienna muttered.
The builder snorted and tramped ahead.
‘Are those the plans?’ Sienna asked, walking to a series of noticeboards covered with detailed architectural drawings.
‘Yes,’ Antonio said, joining her at the wall of paper. ‘You understand building plans?’
‘I completed four years of my degree before I had to give it up,’ she said, as she ran her finger over the pages until she tapped the spot where the pool was marked.
Antonio stood, intrigued, as she studied every inch of the plans.
‘Back in a sec,’ she said, running out of the building the way they’d come.
‘We don’t have time for this,’ the foreman said. ‘I want to get that spire down today.’
‘Sure,’ Antonio said. ‘When she gets back, we’ll press on.’
Sienna walked slowly back into the building, her face a picture of concentration. Without a word, she walked back to the plans and placed her finger on the paper.
‘Here,’ she said. ‘The pool should go here.’
‘And how do you figure that?’ the foreman asked derisively.
Antonio shot the man a dark look. Sienna might be holding things up a bit, but she was his fiancée after all. ‘Let’s hear what she has to say, shall we?’ he said, a warning clear in his voice.
‘
Naturalmente
.’ The foreman faced the plans. ‘So, why there?’
‘It faces south,’ Sienna said emphatically.
‘It’s an infinity pool. The view is important. This position gives an unobstructed view of St Mark’s.’
‘Yes. But if you sited the pool here and aligned it . . . Have you got a pencil?’
The foreman grimaced. ‘No.’
‘Here,’ Antonio said, pulling a pen from his jacket pocket.
Sienna hesitated, clearly worried about defacing the plans.
‘Don’t worry,’ Antonio said. ‘We can print more.’
Sienna proceeded to draw the pool in a new location. ‘If the pool goes here, you don’t have to demolish any of the front facade, you get a better view of St Mark’s and you’ll capture the sun for longer.’ She stepped back. ‘But the most important thing is that you retain the integrity of the building.’
‘These designs have been in the planning for two years and Antonio approved every detail,’ the foreman said, without looking at Sienna’s newly inked alterations. ‘We can’t change them now.’
Antonio stepped in close and examined the drawings. He shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. ‘
Mannaggia
! You’re right.’ He stepped back and looked at the foreman. ‘She’s right.’
The foreman threw his hands up. ‘It doesn’t matter. The plans are approved. The crane is in place. The spire must come down today.’
Antonio prided himself on developing the best hotels in
‘I bought one of the last old buildings on Giudecca.’
‘Giudecca?’
‘One of the islands in the lagoon.’
‘Can’t wait,’ she said, excitement glittering in her eyes.
He shook his head. Sienna really was like no other woman he’d ever met. If he’d suggested a day at the building site to any other women he’d dated, she’d have thought him insane.
It took less than half an hour to arrive on site. His foreman met them and fitted them with hard hats.
‘We’re demolishing the west spire today,’ the foreman said escorting them inside to what would obviously be the hotel lobby.
‘What!’ Sienna exclaimed, horror gripping her features. ‘Why?’
The builder looked from her to Antonio as if asking permission to answer. Antonio nodded. ‘We’re putting in a rooftop infinity pool.’
‘But that’ll ruin the roofline of the whole building.’
Antonio stared at her. She appeared genuinely upset. ‘Infinity pools are expected in this class of hotel,’ he said, patting her arm.
‘There must be a better place for it,’ she said, sounding desperate.
The foreman laughed. ‘Antonio hired Alberto Ricci to design this project,’ he said, as if speaking to a child. ‘He’s one of Italy’s best.’
‘Obviously not good enough,’ Sienna muttered.
The builder snorted and tramped ahead.
‘Are those the plans?’ Sienna asked, walking to a series of noticeboards covered with detailed architectural drawings.
‘Yes,’ Antonio said, joining her at the wall of paper. ‘You understand building plans?’
‘I completed four years of my degree before I had to give it up,’ she said, as she ran her finger over the pages until she tapped the spot where the pool was marked.
Antonio stood, intrigued, as she studied every inch of the plans.
‘Back in a sec,’ she said, running out of the building the way they’d come.
‘We don’t have time for this,’ the foreman said. ‘I want to get that spire down today.’
‘Sure,’ Antonio said. ‘When she gets back, we’ll press on.’
Sienna walked slowly back into the building, her face a picture of concentration. Without a word, she walked back to the plans and placed her finger on the paper.
‘Here,’ she said. ‘The pool should go here.’
‘And how do you figure that?’ the foreman asked derisively.
Antonio shot the man a dark look. Sienna might be holding things up a bit, but she was his fiancée after all. ‘Let’s hear what she has to say, shall we?’ he said, a warning clear in his voice.
‘
Naturalmente
.’ The foreman faced the plans. ‘So, why there?’
‘It faces south,’ Sienna said emphatically.
‘It’s an infinity pool. The view is important. This position gives an unobstructed view of St Mark’s.’
‘Yes. But if you sited the pool here and aligned it . . . Have you got a pencil?’
The foreman grimaced. ‘No.’
‘Here,’ Antonio said, pulling a pen from his jacket pocket.
Sienna hesitated, clearly worried about defacing the plans.
‘Don’t worry,’ Antonio said. ‘We can print more.’
Sienna proceeded to draw the pool in a new location. ‘If the pool goes here, you don’t have to demolish any of the front facade, you get a better view of St Mark’s and you’ll capture the sun for longer.’ She stepped back. ‘But the most important thing is that you retain the integrity of the building.’
‘These designs have been in the planning for two years and Antonio approved every detail,’ the foreman said, without looking at Sienna’s newly inked alterations. ‘We can’t change them now.’
Antonio stepped in close and examined the drawings. He shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. ‘
Mannaggia
! You’re right.’ He stepped back and looked at the foreman. ‘She’s right.’
The foreman threw his hands up. ‘It doesn’t matter. The plans are approved. The crane is in place. The spire must come down today.’
Antonio prided himself on developing the best hotels in
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