Rules and Roses

Chapter 3

“I just got the mail,” I whisper-shout into my phone, “they say we leave tomorrow.”

My answer is in the form of a high-pitched shriek on the line, “Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh this is the best day of my life!”

I have to roll my eyes at that and then start laughing again, “I have to go. I'm at my publisher's… bathroom break.”

“Okay, cool.

I hang up and go back into my publishing firm to complete my meetings with an editor on my new book, which will be released while I'm in Italy.

Shockingly, this actually feels like the best day of my life!

-

I grip the seat of the private plane and clench my teeth, hating the turbulence. Actually, I hate flying at all. It just really disturbs me. I've flown hundreds of times but that won't remove the feeling.

So I sit there as I suffer and as nerves wrack my innards on how I'm going to see Piero again after weeks. Just wonderful. By the time we arrive at the airport, (it had some weird long name) I am practically shaking in my leggings. From an outside view, it would have been hilarious.

Amazingly, some people just whisk away our bags through the airport crowd like it was nothing! Astounding what money can do. We were herded into sleek black cars and off we went! Through the Italian countryside, which was beautiful, and down to their family villa. Piero’s family villa, which was placed on a hill and was extremely beautiful.

It takes 15 minutes to get from the gate to the front door. Awesome! And a smiling and jolly Adolfo is there to greet us. I step out and automatically dart my eyes around to see if Piero is close by.

“He will join us at dinner, Marigold,” Adolfo says when he notices my little search.

I blush (even though I never blush) and walk over to him. I return his salutations and kisses and he ushers both Imelda and me into the mansion.

I thought the villa was magnificent from the outside but I'm in no way prepared for what I find inside the main mansion. Almost everything is either white or gold in the foyer and there are huge doors that lead to what I can only assume must be parlours. There is a huge gleaming white staircase (and I mean huge because it has to e at least fifteen feet wide) with golden balustrades that sweep up to a second floor. But this house has three massive floors from what I already saw outside.

Adolfo turns to us, “Dinner is usually served by 7pm. You will be shown to your rooms. They are adjoining because I guessed you might want to easily access each other.”

I haven’t even thanked Adolfo before we are whisked towards the stairs by some staff that just showed up out of nowhere without luggage. Well, I'm not going to complain. Those bags are pretty heavy.

We are led through the halls where I (obviously) lose every sense of direction I have and just f**k it. Finally, we end up at a white door identical to all the others I've passed and a woman dressed in one of those maid outfits you see in porn (but obviously you can't see her p***y when she bends) opens the door and asks us to come inside with a very strong Italian accent.

The room is gorgeous with white tiles streaked with gold, a white fur rug at the foot of the bed and you guessed it, white and gold furniture. I walk around to discover two doors, one leading to the awesome bathroom with a claw-footed tub and the other leading to the closet. On the far end of the room, there is a door which the maid tells us adjoins to Imelda’s room.

“This is so cool,” Imelda gawks. She has been silent all this time, choosing to grip my arm and stare instead, “I’m going to go to my room and marvel at how incredibly awesome this is.”

“Alright, I think I’m going to get some sleep.”

She leaves and I check the world clock I already have set up on my phone home screen. It’s around 4pm in Milan which means I have approximately three hours until dinner. Three hours until I have to see Piero again after Adolfo’s retirement party.

A shiver goes up my spine as I remember the anger in his eyes before he stormed out of the party without excusing himself. I had left the bathroom with Imelda and avoided eye contact with him. I had done as Imelda had advised and enjoyed myself. I danced, laughed, conversed and had made the mistake of meeting Piero’s gaze while eating a chocolate-covered strawberry. I almost dropped it because of the intense look in his eyes. Of course, his face was a mask of indifference as usual but his eyes… they were another different story entirely. He looked mad. Like mad-mad, not just might-forgive-you mad. It was the most emotion I had ever actually seen from him and it was startling. He tore his eyes away and stormed out of the party. Nobody saw him again after that. Adolfo hadn’t even known he had disappeared when I went to say goodbye.

So this is the first time I will see him again after that ordeal and I sincerely hope he’s no longer mad at me because if he is, then I'm in for a very awkward dinner.

It feels like my eyes have been closed for two seconds when a knock sounds at my door and wakes me up.

I grumble and get up to open the door. At the threshold stands the maid that showed me my room earlier.

“Sorry to disturb your sleep, signora,” she says in her beautiful accent, “I have been assigned to you. I came to inform you that it is almost time for dinner and see if you need assistance with anything else.”

Assigned to me? I don’t need a maid, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

I'm about to tell her she’s free to go when I remember that I can't even find my way to the dining room. So much for being able to take care of myself.

“Come in… what’s your name?”

“Abelie,” she replies and steps into the room.

“Abelie…” I repeat and almost swoon. Aren’t Italian names just the best? “I’m going to shower now and get ready for dinner. Please I’ll need your help to navigate this huge place.”

She gives me a small smile and nods. I grab jeans and an extra-large t-shirt from my suitcase on my bed and head into the bathroom.

When I'm done, I come out and my suitcases are nowhere to be seen, “Where are my stuff?”

Abelie, who is standing at the foot of my bed (has she been standing all this time?) smiles, “I put it all away in the closet for you, signora.”

I don’t know how I feel about this chick thumbing through my La Perla but oh well, “Thank you… I guess. Do you know where my friend is?”

“Signora Imelda is already downstairs speaking to Signore Adolfo and Signore Piero.”

Shit. I’m late. I grab my phone and see that it’s actually four minutes after 7pm.

“I didn’t realize it was so late. Can you take me to the dining room?” I ask Abelie.

“Gladly,” she replies and leads me out of the room.

We turn and turn once again until I lose track of where we are going. I'm going to have to draw a map of this place or I’ll always get lost. Everything literally looks the same but eventually, we get to the staircase and I can see the shiny foyer below. We head into one of the adjoining doors and enter a room with a round dining table and four table placements, three of those already occupied. Everybody raises their heads to look at me when I walk in and Abelie just seems to melt away.

I smile, “Hello, guys,” and take my seat. There’s a spread of delicious-looking food on the table, some I recognize and some I don’t but I'm going to try them anyway. Everyone answers me except Piero who just nods and snorts, earning a sharp look from Adolfo which is probably the only unpleasant expression I've ever seen on his face.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Marigold,” Adolfo says.

“I’m sorry, I slept off.”

“Ah, must be the jet lag. Well, Piero, please say the Grace so we may eat.”

Piero is saying the Grace but my mind is nowhere near pure and holy as I study him with his eyes closed and his lips moving in a way that almost calms me. The words wash over me as his deep voice caresses my nerves and I know this isn’t normal.

Before long, we dig in and the food is amazing. I'm basically on autopilot through the conversation that’s mostly Adolfo and Imelda because I’m too busy trying to sort out my fluttery insides thanks to Piero and Piero is too busy pointedly ignoring me. He excuses himself once he clears his plate but Adolfo stops him.

“What are you going to do, figlio?” he asks.

“Work and then rest,” Piero replies gruffly, “I have an early start tomorrow.”

“I’m sure what you have to do can wait till the office tomorrow,” Adolfo looks at me, “I was hoping you could show Marigold the stables. I recall her saying in one of her author’s notes that she loves horses.”

My eyes widen. There’s no way Piero would like that. Plus, it would probably be more awkward than this dinner.

“No, no, Adolfo,” I say quickly, “there’s no need for that. I'm sure Abelie can show me the stables tomorrow. I also have work to do tonight.”

“Who’s Abelie?” Adolfo asks then shakes his head, “anyway, that’s nonsense. Piero will show you and that’s final.”

I sag my shoulders and look at Imelda for support but the b***h just focuses her energy on chewing bread that I'm pretty sure had disappeared in her mouth by now.

“Very well,” Piero says and sits down. He looks sharply at me, “I’m waiting for you to finish your meal.”

The cold look in his eyes makes me nervous and I grab my glass of wine, downing it in one gulp and standing up, “I’m done.”