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I kept scanning around until my eyes shot past a familiar figure. I looked back in the direction my eyes had just passed, positive that my eyes were playing a trick on me. I found the man again, standing alone, head and shoulders above everyone beside him. Michael.
MICHAEL!
My jaw dropped in shock, and Giorgio ceased to exist in my mind. How did he get here? At first, I wondered if he had followed me, but discarded it as unlikely. Whatever his reason for being here, I didn’t care. He was my most likely means of escaping Giorgio.
“Sorry,” I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. “I need to see someone.” I brushed past him, and he protested, following behind as I walked toward Michael. He didn’t see me until I spoke, calling his attention to me.
“Amore mio! Where have you been, my love?” He turned to look at me, and his eyes flew wide open in shock. His eyes shot from Giorgio to me, and they asked me a million questions.
He must have seen the urgency in my eyes, pleading with him to play along. “Babe, I must have lost you in the crowd.” He nodded at Giorgio. “Who’s your friend?”
I put my arm around him and turned to face Giorgio. “Looks like I took your advice after all, Giorgio. Please meet my partner.”
Michael stared at me with shock, and I smiled nervously at him again. He grunted but went along with it. He turned to face Giorgio, smiling. “Nice to meet you.”
Giorgio looked from me to Michael, then back to me, before huffing indignantly and walking away. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to have dodged that bullet in the meantime. I remembered Michael belatedly, turning to find him staring daggers at me.
6
Michael
The guts of this woman!
I was completely furious with Alessia. I felt my eyes boring red, hot holes through her as I glared. She wilted and seemed to dissolve under my gaze. I wanted to yell and throw a fit, but I didn’t have the words to say.
I had gotten to the party feeling bummed out. I was still reeling from the fact that Alessia had left me so abruptly. After I had caught up on work and put out a few corporate fires, I stayed in the hotel an extra day. I wandered through the establishment, hoping there had been some sort of mistake. I lingered in all her usual spots, but she didn’t show up. She was gone with the wind.
Thale called me later in the day to ask if I had received any news about her. “Nothing yet?” he asked, worried.
“Not a glimpse, nothing,” I replied, exhausted and frustrated. “I went down to the reception area, and they confirmed what the housekeeper said. I described her, and they assured me a woman matching her description had left very early in the morning.
“I may have suggested that the receptionist gave me her contact details for a little fee. Not my proudest moment.”
Thale guffawed loudly through the receiver. And I hated him for it. “I’m sorry,” he said, still snickering. “Did you get it?”
“Of course not!” I retorted. “What do you think? They looked at me like some crazy person and declined politely. Tough luck, but she’s gone, man.”
“Look, I am sure there are tons of beautiful women out there in Milan, hoping for your time and attention,” Thale said, trying to cheer me up, but he only made things worse.
“Gotta go, man,” I said. “I will let you know if anything turns up.”
I hung up and tossed back my whiskey, signaling the bartender for a refill. I felt empty, sitting alone at the hotel bar and drinking by myself. I looked to my right and saw two beautiful women staring at me and giggling between themselves. One of them waved at me, and I raised my glass in salute. They gestured to the empty seats beside me, and I thought about it briefly.
Smiling, I shook my head and downed the rest of my drink. I paid for my drink and then a few more, covering enough for the beautiful girls for a week. Thale was wrong. I didn’t need another beautiful girl to warm my sheets. I needed Alessia. I had never felt this way about a woman before, and I was having a rough time processing what I was going through.
I got up to my suite, and it seemed entirely too big, what I would have given for one more night with Alessia. I got into bed early, hoping to sleep away the pain. I tossed and turned for several hours before finally settling into a very fitful sleep that left me feeling worse when I woke up.
I couldn’t shake her from my mind, even as I tried to work and be productive. She was the only thing I thought of during my journey to Tuscany. When I told Enzo about my experience, he laughed at me mercilessly for several long moments.
“Be careful with Italian women, my friend. They will eat your heart out for dinner if you let them.” He patted me on the back. “Come on, eat something. Drink as much as you like. Forget your phantom woman for a few hours.”
After that, I spent the afternoon pretty much all by myself; Enzo had to help with the party. The wine was superb, and I commandeered a bottle, refilling my glass at my discretion.
That was when I saw Alessia. I had seen her pass by in a blur, but I was sure it was her. I turned around so fast that I almost got a whiplash, trying to get another glimpse of her. I tried, unsuccessfully, to find her, but there were just too many people around. And then, just as I gave up, I heard her beautiful voice behind me.
I turned, confused, and found her with another man in tow. I didn’t need to be a shrink to know that the man with her was an obvious jerk. I couldn’t tell what he wanted from her, but it was obvious she needed help. And then she called me her partner! I nearly lost my mind. A small part of me craved petty revenge and wanted to deny and leave her as stranded as she had left me. She looked truly desperate, though, her eyes filled with panic. I played along and watched the little man leave.
Now that we were alone, my anger returned with a vengeance. My throat clamped shut with anger, and I couldn’t bring myself to say any of the things I desperately needed to get off my chest.
