Monique picked up one of the glossies, “Oh where do I start?”
“I usually like the best and worst dressed, and then I see if I agreed with the marks of out ten”
“Oh I do that too Carrie”
They all debated the outfits of choice and who deserved to sack the stylist.
“Well they must thank the lord for tit tape that’s all I can say! Some of those dresses, it’s not just gravity that keeps them up”
Carrie couldn’t stop laughing at Tansie’s comments.
“Laughter, it’s the best medicine darling, well next to champagne” Belle said handing Carrie a handkerchief.
The next glossy magazine had an exclusive interview with Lea. The cover a black and white picture of her perfectly arched body on a ruffled bed. She was posing in a two piece swimsuit or lingerie. Carrie couldn’t tell which. The headline ‘My Life with My Playboy Lover!”
“Remember Carrie, these articles are written months in advance, I wouldn’t read much into it, whatever she is trying to tell them” Belle tried to take the magazine back.
“No, it’s okay Belle, I will read it later,” she put it aside not wanting her friends to witness any potential embarrassment.
The nurse interrupted their chat advising that Carrie was going for some tests. Monique promising to return the following day and Carrie told her she wanted an update on Ted. Tansie wouldn’t make it as the Inn was starting its preparation for the weekend nuptials. She would need to find out when she could go home as the Inn was fully booked from Friday or she would ask Terri to recommend somewhere to stay.
As soon as they left the room her hand was drawn to the magazine. She found the article. Turned the pages with her bandaged hands. Lea wore the same black two pieces as the front cover, it was lingerie. Agent provocateur were given the credit. The same shot from the cover, lying on a bed, the sheets ruffled.
“I’m madly in love with Nico,” was one of the sub titles. She described their jet set lifestyle that enabled her to carry out fashion shoots wherever they were. It gave a brief bio of their romance. Nico the billionaire playboy and head of Devanti Group. A small insert picture of them hand and hand at some event.
Was that jealousy she was feeling? But she continued to read the story.
“Everyone has to grow up sometimes, and that time is now for us,”
Flick of the paper as she turned the page. Another lingerie shot but this time Lea was posing on a desk. The bra and panties covered up with a man’s shirt the monogram NVD. Nico’s initials. A large old fashioned calendar to one side and a lamp to the other. The interviewer had asked what did Nico think of the racy poses for today’s shoot.
“Nico loves me for me and it will be fun to look back at these pictures when we have a baby and we can remember I had a hot body”
A baby? Hot body? Madly in love together?
Carrie closed the magazine and flung it to the side. What had her aunt said the article was probably written months ago? Well she would be asking Nico for his opinion later.
“Flowers for you Carrie, aren’t they beautiful” a large vase of white roses and peonies. The attendant handed her a card.
“The scent of these flowers remind me of you, Nico x”
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Nico returned later in the afternoon. He had stopped by the nurse’s desk for an update and checked with the security team that there had been no incidents in his absence. Carrie was sleeping in the room when he opened the door but despite his best attempts his arrival awoke her. “Hello you,” he kissed her on the lips and sat down, “I see you got my flowers, how are you feeling?”
“I feel okay, a bit queasy but that’s passing. Thank you for the lovely flowers. How has your day been?”
“I think my Dad is kicking ass as we speak but we could do with Belle back on the team, she is still saying she ‘resigned’,”
“I will speak with her later but if she has made her mind up Nico, I can’t change that”
“Okay.” He spotted the jar of blondies.
“Go ahead, they are delicious Tansie made them. She visited earlier with Monique”
He unscrewed the lid of the mason jar. “I know it’s disloyal to Terri but I think Tansie should open her own bakery, she makes the most amazing cookies for the inn”
“Wow, they are delicious”
They spoke for a while and Nico told her he took Beau for a walk earlier. That the puppy was looking for her at their usual spot.
“You told me that you had finished things with Lea but this week’s headline story says different” she passed the magazine over towards him.
Nico was silent as he read the article.
“Carrie this is a load of trash, I’m sure the interview was given months ago but I will have my people check,”
“Nico I don’t need your people to check it I just need you to tell me if there is any truth to it”
“Here’s the unvarnished truth. I’ve been dating Lea for around two years. It was an arrangement that has suited us both. I ended the arrangement last week. Babies, we never discussed it. Marriage, never an option. Tell her I love her? Never. The only women I have told them I love them are my Mother, Sister and Grandma. No one else.”
He was emphatic in his response and she believed him. Never was a strong word to use. Strong enough to make her believe him.
“In black and white it seems real, I feel as though we were cheating on her but I understand there was nothing to cheat on if your relationship was over”
“Carrie it suited us both. It helped her career and I had a girlfriend when I needed one. It was convenient. Yes I bought a new apartment in Tribeca as the article says but not as a home with her. I wanted a place of my own when I’m in New York. She has never stayed there I only closed the deal last month after narrowing down the search for the last six months.”
“I don’t even have the right to ask you these questions, I felt a little foolish reading the article,” she didn’t add that she felt a little jealous too.
“You have nothing to feel foolish about,”
Nico stayed for a couple of hours and Carrie assured him that she would be fine on her own that night. No need for him to stay with her. Belle was visiting later so she wouldn’t be short of visitors. When Belle arrived she had kindly bought Carrie some new pyjamas much to her relief. She placed them in a drawer and handed the magazine article for Belle to read through.
“We talked about it; I don’t have any rights with him Belle. I am the one with all the emotional issues but I still smarted reading it.”
“Are you okay with what he told you?”
“Yeah Belle, I’m not completely naïve to think that he doesn’t have a past but it’s a recent past. I don’t know what direction our relationship is going or what will happen when I get out of here and back home. I have to take things day by day just now. Did the Doctor tell you when I can get out of here?”
“He said a three to five days depending on your progress, why?”
“I’ve been thinking about my plans for going home. Terri has a wedding at the Inn this weekend the rooms are all booked out solid. I only asked for my room to be kept on until Thursday as I was due to fly home then. Whenever I get out of here I will need to find somewhere to stay until I can fly”
“Don’t worry about that we will get something sorted,”
“Okay, sorry Belle, I feel a bit sick, the room is spinning a little,”
“Do you want me to get a Doctor or Nurse?”
“No no, I’m just going to lie flat and hope the room stops to spin,”
Despite her protests Belle got one of the nurses and they asked her to leave the room whilst they examined Carrie. A short while later they allowed her back in having given Carrie an anti-sickness jag to help with the nausea and dizziness. Relieved that it was nothing more serious Belle sat with Carrie.
“Oh Carrie, you had me worried there”
“Sorry Belle, I thought it would pass. I feel much bet
ter but so sleepy. I’ve been wondering, what are you going to do about LA are you going back to the Esperanza?”
“I resigned Carrie, that ship has sailed darling”
“Do you know Gino has gone out to LA in Nico’s place?”
“No, when did this happen?”
“He flew out this morning, Nico asked him to go,”
“What? I didn’t think Gino was hands on, I thought the golf course occupied his time,”
“I don’t think that matters, he still founded the company and Nico says he is very aware of what projects they are working on”
“I said I would speak with you and discuss if you wanted to return or not. It’s your call Belle,”
“It’s a bit of a pickle I guess but I have enjoyed working not just with Nico but the Devanti team at the Esperanza. I do love a challenge”
“Don’t worry about me, go I will be fine,”
“We will see about that, you are still on the road to recovery and I’m not bailing out now”
Belle left promising to contact back home. She could tell that Carrie needed her rest and reluctantly left. Still undecided about a return to LA.
Dr Petersen continued examining Carrie and reading through her notes, “I think you are on the road to recovery Carrie we could look at discharging you tomorrow. The headaches have lessened along with the dizzy spells”
“That’s great news but when do you think I will be fit to fly home?”
“Another week, give or take a day or two, I wouldn’t rush to make that long flight but you will know if you feel that your symptoms have significantly reduced”
She thanked him and contemplated this latest update. It was Thursday, the day she was due to fly home and the day that her booking had ended at the Inn. Fortunately Terri had kept the room on until Friday for her but it was needed for Saturday. It was doable. She could go back to the Inn, pack and find somewhere else to stay. Simple.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“What?”
“You are not fit to stay on your own, in some unfamiliar hotel,”
“Nico, I will be fine, I have managed the last twenty eight years of my life”
“Belle, talk some sense into her,”
Carrie was explaining her plans for her proposed discharge from hospital tomorrow.
“No way Carrie are you going to a hotel, I won’t allow it”
“I beg your pardon Nico but since when did you become the boss of me? I’m an adult and I decide where I am going, not you”
“Carrie darling, you can’t stay in some flea pit for another week or so”
“Belle, I’ve already thought of that Terri has a couple of places she has recommended for me that she uses if she is fully booked. She already feels terrible about it but it’s no one’s fault. She has a business to run and needs the rooms. I trust her recommendations that there will be no flea pit involved”
Carrie settled back in the bed and continued, “If Dr Petersen says I am well enough to leave I will be going”
“If you won’t listen to reason, you will have to stay with me”
“What! No way, I am not staying with you; I am perfectly capable of going to a hotel”
“Belle, cover your ears,” he instructed a warning, “Oh like the other day, how will you manage in the shower?”
“Nico, it’s different now that I don’t have the drip or my hands bandaged as much as before, I have more mobility, I only have to wear the sling for my wrist for a few weeks”
Their debate raged on and Carrie finally conceded to staying in one of the guest houses on the property, not in the main house. Belle also agreed to return to LA and free Nico’s father from the Esperanza. The hotel was back on track after some tough negotiations with Gino and the project teams.
Belle had packed Carrie’s belongings from the Inn and they were moved to the guest house. She had brought Carrie some clothes to wear and had called home to explain where Carrie would be staying for the next week. A conversation she hadn’t shared much with Carrie. She downplayed it saying Carrie was staying at their generous suggestion given the accommodation dilemma at the Inn. No mention of any romance between Carrie and Nico.
Dr Petersen was happy with Carries progress and left her with some words of advice. “Your body has gone through quite a traumatic experience Carrie. Take plenty of naps during the day if you feel tired or fatigued. It’s perfectly normal to feel frustrated that you can’t snap back into your routine. Your body will let you know. So plenty of rest, I need you to drink lots of fluids and try to keep up your carbs and sugar levels. It’s all part of your recovery”
“Thank you Dr Petersen I appreciate all that you and the staff have done for me here”
Carrie was dressed in the soft black leggings, a white vest and long shirt that Belle had packed. She stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom of her hospital room. She had left her hair down and loose. It covered the bruise and scratch on her cheek when her hair fell forward. The little butterfly dressing removed from her cheek. The dressings on her hands were just pads not as bulky as before but they were slowly healing. The grit had done its damage. She still needed the support of the sling for her wrist but it too was on the mend. The technicolour glory of the bruise on her shoulder was spectacular in its vivid shades of purple and yellow. It was tender to touch but it looked far worse that it was. She pulled the shirt back over her collar bone. Her attempt at looking as normal as possible for leaving the hospital included a spray of her perfume and some of the lip balm.
Nico was waiting. Dressed as she was accompanied to seeing him during this down time of jeans, boots and a loose t-shirt. The citrus scent of his cologne that was so familiar to her.
Was that her heart beating faster at seeing him? Oh she had it bad.
“Hello” and kissed her on the lips. Their first ‘proper’ kiss since she had been admitted to hospital. His hand sweeping up and down her back, pulling her closer.
“Hello you,”
“So you are back to wearing kissable vanilla then?” She laughed knowing he was referring to her lip balm and its kissable lips promise.
“Indeed I am and it seems to be working”
“Are you ready to leave?”
She nodded and picked up her bulky tote bag which she had attempted to clean the blood from. It was sadly beyond repair. One of her last links with Rob. She tucked it under her good arm.
Carrie signed the discharge papers, collected the x-rays and paperwork that were hers to take home.
“The bill, can I have that please?”
“Mrs Reynolds-Davies, your bill has already been settled by Mr Devanti”
“I told you that I would take care of the bill, I asked for you to be moved to a private room. No arguing”
The guest house or beach house as Carrie thought of it was like a little bungalow home. A single story building with weathered deck boards leading from the large ceiling to floor windows and doors. It had magnificent views of the bay that could be admired from the chairs on the decking or from the comfort of the large living area. Two overstuffed sofas surrounded the stone fire place. A stack of logs in a basket. All ready for use.
“There are two bedrooms along the corridor, Belle arranged for your things to be unpacked in one of the rooms.”
The kitchen was equipped with everything you would need. Cream shaker style cabinets and a wooden counter top in an L shape. Cooker, fridge, dishwasher anything that you could need from a home from home.
“I’ve had the fridge stocked but let me know if there is anything missing and I will have it ordered for you.”
“Thank you Nico, for everything, I know I have been a bit of a grouch, sorry”
“You haven’t been Carrie, you look tired, come on. I think you should get some rest,”
“I need to see Belle before she leaves for LA”
“She’s on her way over now, go on get yourself settled and I will make you some tea.”
“Tea?”
/> “Yes, that stuff you love from back home”
She ran over and kissed him.
“Oh thanks, I really need a cuppa”
Walking along the corridor she quickly found the master bed room of the two guest rooms. The room was decorated in shades of cream and white complimenting the relaxed style of the beach house. A large bed dominated the room but her eyes were drawn to the oversized chair by the window with views of the Bay. It looked inviting to snuggle with a throw. A definite for later. Her clothes had been unpacked, her toiletries in the bathroom. She looked for her pyjamas but instead found a drawer full of beautiful satin La Perla pyjamas. Surely they didn’t provide these for guests?
She called out to Nico.
“Where are my pyjamas?”
“Carrie, I thought you might like some new ones as you have been in the hospital? They are for you, no-one else; if you prefer your own they are in another drawer.”
Running her hand on the soft silk of the La Perla she couldn’t resist picking a pair in a soft charcoal. When she returned to the living area Nico had her tea ready.
“How did you know how I like my tea?”
“I asked Belle”
“Thank you, this is a nice comfort from home. You have given me some lovely gifts with the gown for the dance but this tea is a lovely gesture.” Feeling a little teary, she took a sip as a distraction. “I’m gutted to miss my sister’s birthday today; I had planned on baking some red velvet cupcakes. They are her favourite. This year was going to be so different,” She had texted Claire a happy birthday that morning and promised to call before they were leaving for their family dinner.
“So you like to bake?”
“Yeah I do, I like to cook but baking is better,”
“You will have to do some baking then. But not today. Come here, and lie down on the sofa,”
“I’m not an invalid, Nico”
“No you are not but I can see you are tired, remember what Dr Petersen said you need to rest”
BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY Page 30