by Patricia Mar
“So has your mother arrived at your house?” she asked Daniel, who had just concluded a phone call and hung up.
“Yes, this morning, she’s there waiting for us.”
“Great.”
“Do you want me to take you to your house first? Maybe you want to freshen up and you can join us later in your own time.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and waited for an answer while the late afternoon traffic in Rome swallowed up his Mercedes. “No, I’d rather come and meet her right away. And I would like to have dinner with you: I’ve got nothing in at home and I am sure that you, my darling chef, can prepare something miraculous with an egg, a carrot, and… a tomato.”
“Of course, I’m like a kitchen MacGyver. But joking aside, are you sure?”
“Of course, I really want to spend time with the pair of you, despite the fact that this is how I look and even plastic surgery wouldn’t improve things.”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “You’re fishing for compliments.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You are beautiful.”
“Stop it, I’m not fishing for compliments.”
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Well, yes, ok then, you can carry on for a little while…”
“It’s no coincidence that you’re soon going to become the wife of a model.”
“God, I’ll end up as vain as you are.”
“What a couple.”
Without hesitation, Daniel drove straight into the garage that he rented near his apartment. “Are you going to stay the night?”
“Don’t you think that maybe your mum might have something to say about that?”
“Sara, we’re getting married! What could possibly annoy her about it? And anyway, I want to hold you in my arms a little more.”
“Then that’s decided then, especially as Virginia isn’t coming home until tomorrow and I’d be alone – I’d rather be nice and warm with you.”
“Thank you so much for making that difficult choice,” laughed Daniel, as he got out of the car and took their suitcases from the trunk. A few minutes later they were climbing the stairs towards Daniel’s apartment. Sara was feeling even more nervous than before now and her heart was pounding violently, for a moment she forgot that, in order to walk, she needed to put one foot in front of the other, and stumbled. It all seemed to happen in slow motion: she found herself catapulted forward and as she grasped desperately around her for something to hold onto, she ended up grabbing her boyfriend and falling to her knees with her face right in front of Daniel’s closest friend – the one he had nicknamed Fritz.
“Honey, are you okay?”
“I just kneed my self-respect in the face but apart from that, yes!” Sara started to get up but she suddenly let out a cry. “Aaargh!” Damn it, her hair had got entangled in the zipper of Daniel’s jacket. She began to fumble frantically to try and free it without breaking any, accidentally knocking Fritz a couple of times as she went.
“Ouch! If you really wanted to make me happy, you could have waited until we got to the bedroom!” commented Daniel.
At that precise moment the door opened right in front of them. Sara froze, and felt every last drop of blood drain from her face. No, they couldn’t be in front of Daniel’s door. And the shape that was standing near them couldn’t be Elena. That would be so terribly unfair!
“Mum!” Daniel sounded as though he was trying to hold back a fit of the giggles. Sara tried to get up again, but her hair was still trapped in the zipper.
“It’s not what it looks like, honestly!”
“Have you ever seen Two Weeks Notice? Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant get into a situation just like this – I thought it was impossible, but apparently truth is stranger than fiction! Or else you’ve got a girlfriend who’ll go to whatever lengths to make you happy, my boy!”
“That’s what I say!” exclaimed Daniel, feeling more and more amused. Sara couldn’t wait any longer – she yanked her hair free with excruciating pain and fell backwards onto the floor. She looked up at the woman.
“Nice to meet you!”
“Mum, this is Sara,” said Daniel, who was no longer attempting to hide his laughter.
She would find a way to take her revenge, thought Sara – sooner or later.
Elena’s attentive eyes rested on her, and she felt her cheeks becoming hot as she blushed. Elena reached down to help her get up and she was immediately drawn into a warm, spontaneous embrace. And seeing how happy Daniel looked, she reciprocated. “It’s lovely to meet you, Sara. Please call me Elena.”
“Slow down, Mum – you’ll scare her!” said Daniel, feeling as though he were in seventh heaven.
“Daniel, don’t bother us! Can’t you see that we’re hugging?” said Sara, trying to make a joke of it, and surprised by the fact that such an embarrassing situation had turned into such a warm welcome.
A light pat on her shoulder reassured her. Mrs Sangemini had a sturdy grip as firm as a man’s. She was at least six feet tall and her hair was light brown and short, giving her a youthful air. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a dark grey, hooded sweatshirt. Her face was round, and she had skin like a young girl’s.
The two looked each other up and down.
“Finally, a woman who will keep you in line.”
Daniel laughed and shook his head then put his arms round both their shoulders and pulled them towards him. “The two women I love most in the world, both here with me. I’m at your service.” Like always when he was experiencing strong emotions, his English accent had become more pronounced.
“Come on, let’s get inside,” said Elena unceremoniously. “I want a hot chocolate.”
“Your mother and I are going to get along very well,” said Sara to Daniel, and then followed Elena into the apartment.
A familiar snarl greeted Sara. She rolled her eyes – Spank, that blessed mongrel that Daniel loved so much, had just jumped up, clawing her trousers and nibbling at them with her sharp teeth. Daniel bent down and picked up the dog, who decided it was better to stop and have a cuddle instead. “Spank,” he said, “Sara is our friend – instead of nibbling her clothes you should give her a lick.”
“Errrr, thanks but pawing my legs will do fine,” replied Sara with a grimace.
Raising her eyebrows, Elena entered the conversation. “You’re the first person Spank hasn’t liked!”
“What luck!” exclaimed Sara resignedly.
Elena took her by the arm and dragged her towards the kitchen. “Come on, let’s get this hot chocolate made.”
Sara turned to Daniel who winked at her and headed off towards the couch, continuing to cuddle Spank.
“So,” began Elena while she rummaged about in the kitchen cupboards. “It was about time we met.”
“Yes, it really was.”
“Daniel is always so busy travelling around the world that we practically only ever speak on the phone, but I’ll admit that this time I really wanted to meet you in person.”
Despite being a little overweight, Elena was light on her feet. The features of her face were severe, yet softened by her gentle expressiveness. It felt like a good sign to Sara, and she began to feel more at ease. If it hadn’t been for Spank… Once she’d sat down, she instinctively bent over to examine her trousers. Those sharp little teeth had left their mark.
“I’ll try to sort that out for you. She really likes them, eh?”
“You have no idea how many pairs of trousers Spank has chewed the hem of.”
Elena handed her the cup of steaming chocolate. “She knows you’re a threat.”
“I just think she really doesn’t like me.”
Elena sat down in front of her and brought the cup to her lips. It was absolutely boiling – didn’t it burn her lips? wondered Sara as she watched her.
“So, my son has serious intentions.”
“Apparently.”
“At thirty years old, he was still hanging around with
these social climbers that were only using him to get themselves seen.”
Sara was surprised. She certainly hadn’t been expecting such sincerity. “That’s exactly what I thought,” she laughed, feeling embarrassed. “Finally, a girlfriend of substance!”
“Daniel has always been good at judging people. That’s why I was so annoyed with him for the girlfriends that he chose. He was well aware of what they were like and despite that, he was still perfectly happy to parade about with them.”
Sara nodded, but preferred not to comment. If she could only have given her opinion on Delphina…
“But anyway, I was certain he would make the right choice eventually, and now here you are. I’ve never seen him so happy. When he talks about you, his eyes just light up. I hope you know that.”
Sara held the cup in her hands: the heat was comforting. She looked Elena straight in the eye and without hesitation said, “He’s the one who makes me happy just by being there. I would never have believed that I could be so lucky. For some absurd reason, Daniel has chosen me and I can’t imagine my future without him.” Realising that she might have said too much, she blushed. “You must think I’m a silly romantic.”
“I don’t see anything silly about the fact that you believe in your relationship,” replied Elena bluntly. She took another sip of chocolate. “You know, I was really keen to meet you. For many years I was afraid that the example of his father might have prevented him from having a real relationship – from being part of a couple, even getting married. His parents’ marriage wasn’t a success.”
She was speaking about herself in the third person. Sara figured it must be easier, but she was still taken aback by how frank Elena was, given that this was the first time they’d ever met. Elena’s naturalness suggested that they already knew each other very well, even though they’d never spoken to each other, not even on the phone. It was a strange, yet at the same time reassuring, feeling.
“When he told me that he’d asked you to marry him, for the first time I felt reassured. Having a famous son who travels around the world and meets hundreds of women without ever building anything constructive had started making me worry about him – about whether he’d ever be happy, you know? I can admit that to you.”
“Did Daniel ever suspect anything?”
“Suspect what?” asked Daniel with a curious expression on his face as he entered the kitchen. He had changed and was now wearing a t-shirt and jogging bottoms.
Elena stood up, poured some hot chocolate into a cup and held it out to her son, who instead of sitting down leaned against the kitchen unit, looking relaxed. “So you two are already confabulating behind my back?” He seemed very pleased by it all and made no attempt to hide how happy he was.
“Of course we are,” replied his mother, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.
Sara chuckled and when Daniel gave her a happy look, she melted like the sugar in her cup.
“Actually, I was just saying to Sara here that it was about time you got your act together and found yourself a nice girl.”
“And I have.”
“You took your time though. I couldn’t have handled having to meet another girl who sounded like a porn star or a type of bubble gum!”
Sara, who had been taking a sip from her cup, nearly choked on her chocolate with laughter, and Elena gave her a knowing smile.
Daniel went over to Sara and pummelled her on the back until she was breathing normally again. “Apparently I wasn’t looking for a serious commitment.”
“You let yourself be used and you know it! But now, my dear, you’ve got yourself a proper girlfriend – so just make sure you don’t mess it up!”
Sara stared at her and almost started choking again. Daniel slapped her on the back a couple more times and smiled at his mother. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave myself this time.”
“Bravo,” she concluded, getting up and putting her cup in the sink. “And don’t make me wait too long for a grandchild.”
Sara realised that there was no point her trying to finish her hot chocolate. She was sure that if she took another sip it would be the one that she choked on.
9
Opening New Doors
He’d fitted the room out as a gym and when he had the chance, he never missed an opportunity to put it to use for a workout. He certainly didn’t want to look like one of those guys who worked out all the time, though – all he wanted was for his body to look toned. The treadmill and the weights were his favourites and he hated the exercise bike. If he wanted to take a bike ride he preferred to do it round the historic town centre and not between four stifling walls.
Daniel was wearing a tight fitting black vest and a pair of shorts of the same colour which clung to his thighs and highlighted his backside. When he was in there, he switched his mind off and concentrated only upon himself and his body. He looked after himself, pampered himself and put himself to the test. It was rejuvenating, and afterwards, in the bathroom adjacent to the gym, he took a shower to get rid of all the toxins and sweat.
When he emerged from one of his workout sessions he always felt in great shape and ready to face the whole world. But if there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was being interrupted while he was in there. That was his time, the only time that really belonged to him, and he didn’t like having to share it with anyone. So when his phone started ringing, Daniel frowned irritably. It wasn’t the ringtone that he associated with Sara – a Bruno Mars song, When I Was Your Man, that had been the soundtrack of their first night together. He turned off the machine he was using, got down, threw a towel around his neck, and reluctantly picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey there!” The energetic singsong voice of Marc Casiraghi, his new American agent, came to him loud and clear. “Am I disturbing you?”
“I was just working out. So, what’s new?”
“Well, I’ve just spoken to Tony Price, the producer.”
Daniel sank into a chair in the corner of the room, feeling annoyed. It was a subject that he found prickly – too prickly.
“Ah. And?”
“He wants to see you, he wants you to audition for that part. A courier should be delivering you the script any moment now. It’s top secret, but you are going to love it.”
“Marc, I’m really not sure I want to do the audition.”
“Come on, Daniel, don’t talk nonsense – this is an incredible opportunity! We’re talking about a huge payday and a unique opportunity for your career! How much longer do you think you can be a model? You can’t afford to miss out on this opportunity.”
Daniel bit his tongue to hold back his reply. “I’m not decrepit yet, I’ve still got a few good years left in me.”
“Hey, don’t take it personally, I’m on your side. I’m just suggesting that you seriously consider an opportunity that will change your life.”
“But I’m not an actor! I never even acted in school, and I’ve no intention of looking like an idiot in some billion dollar Hollywood movie – that’s not an opportunity, that’s artistic suicide.”
“You can’t be sure of that until you try. In those commercials you did you found yourself acting more than once.”
Daniel laughed. “Sure, but that was just repeating a few lines and looking intense – that’s not acting, that’s being a jerk.”
“Listen, you don’t have to accept it, but at least read the script. It’s good stuff, it’s cool, it’s an action movie – very physical, lots of action. Read it and go to the audition. You don’t have to sign anything until you’re sure you want to do it.”
“I don’t understand why I have to let you talk me into it if I don’t want to act.”
“Read the script, that’s all I’m asking you to do, Daniel… Do you realise that you’ve already clipped my wings by turning down those photo shoots?”
“I told you, no nudity. Sara doesn’t like it, and I have no intention of making her suffer.”
“I know, an
d I respect your choice, I swear, but we can’t keep on saying no – otherwise, there will come a point when there will be no offers to turn down.”
Daniel snorted. Every time it ended up like this. There were times when he regretted having hired Marc, yet he knew he was good at his job, earned him a lot of money, and was good for his business. In his heart he was aware that no matter how much time he spent in the gym and how much more handsome the wrinkles around his eyes made him look, one day in the future he would have to deal with the issue of aging. He couldn’t be a model forever. Perhaps his agent was right: he had to open new doors, hunt down other possibilities. But acting?
“Ok, I’ll read the script.”
“Good lad, Daniel – you’ll like it, you’ll see.”
“I didn’t say I’d do it, I said…”
“I understand, but I’m sure you’ll accept. Anyway I’ve got an appointment with Tony in Los Angeles, in his studio, in a couple of weeks.”
“Marc!”
“First read the script, then talk to him and then you can decide.”
“How is it that I never end up telling you where to go?”
“Because you know I’m right and you know I’m the best.” And without giving him a chance to reply, Marc hung up.
“Shit.” The beneficial effects of the exercise vanished at the speed of light, replaced by a growing frustration.
“Daniel?” His mother’s voice came from behind the door.
He got up and went to speak to her. “Hey Mum, everything all right?”
“This parcel arrived for you,” said Elena, holding out a large, heavily padded envelope.
“That was quick,” grunted Daniel, taking the envelope.
“What is it?”
“A film script.”
“A what?” Elena put her hands on her hips and looked at him intently.
“You don’t mean to tell me…”
“I could do with a drink.”