Part 2/7

Did I mention that of course this will be Leo/Riario?

This is S1 Leo with S2 Vanessa, S3 Lorenzo and the everlasting Zo. Of course Giuliano is S1 too because, you know. Riario is a mixture of S1 and S3 because he's sassy that way.

Leo is worried when Lorenzo shows up fifteen minutes before his shift is to end. When it first started happening weeks before, he was outraged that Lorenzo didn't trust him to properly close up the shop—blow up one espresso maker and they never forget, and the arson inspector had ruled the other fire from the steamed milk was probably faulty wiring—but then he realized Lorenzo was just really lonely since Clarice had taken the kids and left town. He was doubly lonely since Lucrezia and Ippolita and all the other women who Clarice had found out about had apparently spread the word and he was persona non grata among all the women in town. Leo privately thinks that Lorenzo's massive grief beard, as he and Zo have named it, doesn't help matters with the ladies.

Lorenzo putters around the shop, rearranging all the things that Vanessa and Zo have carefully displayed, and talks to Leo if there aren't any customers. A few minutes of the large man with the disheveled beard wandering around the tables, shuffling napkin dispensers and sticking his hand in the cookie display, and the shop is always bereft of customers by the time Leo turns the door sign to closed. He supposes he should consider Lorenzo a blessing in that regard—he hasn't had to kick any lingering patrons out for ages—but it still irks him a little.

Leo already has things cleaned up for the night once Lorenzo makes his appearance, and he is only impatiently waiting for the official time clock to turn to 8. He leans his elbows on the counter and tunes out Lorenzo's mournful complaints about Lucrezia and Clarice and all the other women who have done him wrong. Leo wonders what will happen when Riario shows up, if he shows up (who is he kidding, who would turn down a dinner date with Leo), and if Lorenzo will go batshit crazy despite the glaze in his eyes that suggests he is trying yet another self-medicating cure to forget his problems.

As soon as the chime sounds on his phone, Leo vaults the counter—another move that drives the girls and boys insane and has resulted in far less property damage since Zo permanently moved the syrups to the other side of the register—and heads to the door. He peers into the dark street as he turns the sign over, and a sleek car pulls smoothly to the curb, right in front of him. He grins and makes a hand motion designed to say "Don't come in, I'll be right out, wait there, I'm coming." It must succeed because the driver doesn't get out, and Leo hurries to the back room to clock out.

"Night, Lorenzo, take care," he yells as he grabs his leather jacket then remembers to remove his apron and leave it behind.

A sob answers him. Leo stops and squeezes his eyes shut. Maybe he misheard that. Maybe it wasn't a sob. Maybe if he just leaves silently, he can pretend he didn't hear anything and therefore isn't responsible for his boss's mental health.

"Good night," Lorenzo calls back, but it's going to be harder to ignore the wavering voice and sniffle.

"What's wrong now?" Leo approaches the table he's slumped over, head in his hands as he cries harder. Leo starts a text to Giuliano to come and rescue his brother, but only gets a couple confusing emojis in reply.

When Leo gingerly pats Lorenzo's shoulder, the waterworks get even louder and Leo is reduced to murmuring, "There, there," as comfortingly as he knows how. He looks out the large front window but the glare from the interior lights makes him unable to see the car outside. He shrugs and makes another hand gesture meaning, "I swear I'm coming, please wait, it'll just be a second."

"Come on, Lorenzo, what's going on?"

"My life is a failure. I'll die alone," he finally wails and his head slumps to the table.

Leo heroically doesn't point out that if Lorenzo hadn't been double-, triple- and more timing his very lovely wife, he might not be in the position he is now. It doesn't seem right to kick the man when he's down, and he is very, very down.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" Leo ventures.

"No, you've already cleaned up the place for the night. You're a good employee, Leonardo. I don't deserve you either." Lorenzo grabs his arm in a tight grip, and Leo knows he's definitely under the influence of something because there is no way in heaven or hell that anyone would consider him a igood/i employee.

"Now, now, it's all right," Leo tries. "Why don't we get you outside? Giuliano is on his way to get you." He hopes.

"Oh," Lorenzo straightens up and tries to focus on Leo. "Of course, you have plans. I'm sure you and Zoroaster have something special planned."

"Why does everyone seem to believe that Zo and I are dating?"

"You aren't? When did you break up?" Lorenzo looks genuinely confused and concerned so Leo doesn't let his pique show.

"It's fine, Lorenzo, everything is fine. Let's get you up and ready for Giuliano." Leo takes his arm and helps him stumble out of the chair and into his coat. Leo escorts him to the door, practically pushing him outside, then locks up behind them. He aborts another hand motion to the car when Lorenzo turns on him suddenly.

"Thank you for all your help, Leonardo. You are like a brother to me," and Lorenzo is crying again. Leo wants to sit him down on the public bench in front of the shop and leave him, but even he knows that's wrong. So, he sits him down and waits beside him. The car doesn't speed away, and Riario doesn't get out. Leo bites his tongue and lets Lorenzo talk about how he and Clarice had inherited the coffee shop and it was their first home and job after they were married and now everything was failing because her family pulled out their money when they found out about Lorenzo's cheating.

It seems like an eternity until Giuliano's car skids to a stop in front of Riario's car. He and Vanessa get out—Leo knew there was something going on between them but Vanessa just shrugs apologetically—and carefully escort Lorenzo into the backseat. Leo breathes out a sigh of relief when they're gone then grins. He jogs over to the waiting car and slides in without bothering to check if it is Riario.