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Chapter Twenty-Eight
- Noemi -
THE DRESS FOR THE BALLwas phenomenal. I had never worn anything like it. My stomach curled up and waves of anxious nausea took over. Dear Lord, it was too much. Cecile was the only one so far to answer my questions. She was bluntly honest when I asked her where we were. I suspected a tropical island, naturally, but having never been in the tropics before, I wasn’t sure which one we were on.
“Miss, I would love to tell you, but you might as well stop asking. Mr. Calegari has given specific instructions. We are not to reveal your location. The Grand Tropican staff value our positions too much to make him, or management, angry. We see much here and are very well compensated. You seem like a nice woman, and you are not here against your will, so no, I will not tell you where you are.”
“Because Dante Calegari said so?”
“Yes,” she answered matter-of-factly.
I sighed but gave up. I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could figure out where we were. There had to be literature, restaurants, shops. Even if I had to walk off the resort to find them. But I also wasn’t that adventurous. Apart from my run-in with that tourist earlier, I felt perfectly safe. I didn’t need to go wandering around a jungle or any other unfamiliar territory when I was content where I was. I put my faith and trust in Dante. I needed to leave it there.
“What you should be thinking about,” Cecile added as she worked on applying my makeup, “is the ball tonight.”
I looked over my shoulder at the toga style dress we had chosen for the night. The pale blue silk draped over one shoulder and fell loosely to mid-thigh. With my hair up, I looked like a Grecian goddess.
“Are you sure this dress is right for a ball? Is it long enough?” I was already a nervous wreck. I didn’t want to embarrass myself or Dante by being underdressed for the occasion.
Cecile shook her head as she applied my mascara. “No. It will be fine. It’s called a ball, but it’s really a fancy dinner with some music and dancing. Some of the guests will wear masks for... a variety of reasons. The hotel hosts one event every week. Most of our guests come here for privacy and the seclusion we offer. The ball is one of the few chances they have to interact with others, but even then, most people choose to keep to themselves.”
That was odd, but at the same, her information helped to settle my nerves. I didn’t enjoy being the center of attention and I hated making small talk with strangers. My biggest fear was that Dante would take me to the ball, eat with me, then disappear as he’d done since we boarded the plane. Maybe he wouldn’t abandon me tonight. After all, wasn’t this the night his teasing would end? I wasn’t sure about his specific plans, but mine included doing everything I could to make sure that our agreement was consummated tonight.
Cecile laughed as she opened a tube of lipstick. “If the look on your face is anything to go by, you and Mr. Calegari are going to have a special evening.”
My skin heated. “Is it that obvious?”
She nodded with a smile. “Yes. I can’t say that I blame you. Mr. Calegari is a very handsome man. And so charming.”
I nearly choked. I know I had a thing for his domineering attitude, but I have never known Dante to be “charming.”
“Is that how you see him? Have you known him long?”
“He’s a frequent visitor to our resort, which you have probably already guessed.”
I suspected it but hadn’t had time to think about the idea. If Cecile shared that much, how much more could I get her to reveal?
“How often?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Maybe once a year, but he’s been coming here for as long as I have worked at the Grand Tropican.”
“How long is that?”
“Close to ten years.”
I fiddled with the edge of the satin dressing robe Cecile had provided for me. “And does he... come alone?”
Sympathy filled her eyes as they met mine in the mirror. “No. He’s never alone.”
I sucked in a breath. I shouldn’t have been disappointed. Dante was an incredible man. It was only natural that he’d had other women in his life, but Cecile’s revelation was painful. It meant my presence at the resort wasn’t special. It was just standard procedure for Dante Calegari.
An ache spread through my chest. “No expectations.” When was I going to get that through my head? He never promised me anything, but around every corner and every gesture, I had to face the realization that I was nothing special to Dante. Just a means to an end. He wanted me, certainly, and I gave him the means to have me. It was no more complicated than that. Not to him. My once in a lifetime experience was just another night in the sack for Dante.
“I will tell you this, then we need to move on to selecting shoes. Mr. Calegari will be here for you shortly.” She cupped her hands over my shoulders. “All of this? The dresses. The shoes. Thelingerie,” she stressed. “He’s never ordered any of this before. This,” she waved her hand around the room, “this is all just for you.”
I wanted to think that meant something. I looked around at the boxes of lingerie and the wrack of clothes that were now mine, according to Cecile, and took a deep breath. Stuff. It was all money spent to impress, but did it mean anything? Dante knew I didn’t have dresses and summer clothing available to me. He didn’t want to be embarrassed here on his dream island. The other women he brought here were probably sophisticated, maybe wealthy in their own right. Maybe they already had an amazing wardrobe that would make them suitable to attend a ball on the arm of Dante Calegari.
I fought the rising waves of panic. I didn’t belong there. I was just the girl-next-door who made a man an offer he couldn’t resist.
