“Oh no, Madame. I will not tell Monsieur that, he would be very upset.”
“Whatever,” Vanessa snarled. “But can you please tell me which airport is the closest one from here and also have international flights?”
Raffi looked miserable and stood shifting his weight from one foot to the other for a few seconds before making his mind up. “The closest one from Monte-Carlo must be Nice. But please don’t go Madame!”
Vanessa ignored Raffi's helpless try to convince her to go with him to the yacht and instead she headed for the Taxi Lane.
“Madame!” Raffi came up on her side. “If you’re totally sure you want to go to the airport I’ll help you to go there. I will not leave you, Monsieur told me to look after you, and I will!” He sounded so serious and sincere Vanessa almost began to cry again.
Before she could halt one of the cabs on the street, Raffi had fished up his cell phone and yelled something in French to someone on the other line.
“I’ll borrow my friend’s car so I can drive you,” Raffi said and looked very pleased with himself.
“Ok, great,” Vanessa said without enthusiasm and sat down on a nearby bench.
When Raffi's friend showed up after half an hour and what felt like half a lifetime, Vanessa had tried to escape Raffi's watchful eyes several times. However, every time she had been forced by Raffi's gentle hands to sit down at the bench again. She also had time to change her mind at least 100 times, on what she should be doing. At one point, she even asked Raffi to bring her back to Alex´s yacht. This had made him so happy that he started to run like a lightning bolt towards the small motor boat. Half there he had turned around and seen Vanessa sitting straight down on the sidewalk like an unruly child. She had changed her mind again. She would never go back! Raffi had sighed and legged it back, helped her up and placed her on the bench again. Alex had even called Raffi once and asked what was going on, why weren’t they back yet? Vanessa had gesticulated death-threats in wild Mafioso style to poor Raffi who had begun looking quite pale from all the drama. He had spoken to Alex in rapid French and she had stood jumping next to him eager to hear what they’ve said.
“Does Alex know I’m leaving?”
“Sure, of course!” Raffi sounded upbeat and honest. Vanessa came to think that perhaps he wasn’t as good in English as he pretended to be.
“What did he say?” Vanessa talked slow and articulated every word with care.
“He said it was your decision.”
“Right…”
Vanessa sunk down on the bench like a balloon who just lost all its air. She felt hurt. It was my decision. What kind of lame response was that? Why didn’t he say; My God, this is awful. I don’t know why she wants to leave but do whatever it takes to stop her!
“So what’s your decision?” Raffi prompted with a hopeful expression.
Does he even need to ask? Vanessa thought.
“Let’s go to the airport. I’ll leave France and Alex, never to return!” Perhaps a quiet overdramatic and Shakespearian response, she knew that, but for the moment, it felt right.
Raffi’s friend drove fast to the Nice Airport. In what Vanessa believed must be the scruffiest car at the whole Riviera. It was very different from the rides she had gotten used to being with Alex but despite its broken seat lining, smell of cigarette smoke and a dangling Madonna in the rear mirror she appreciated the feeling of getting back to reality. She felt comforted by its scruffiness as it reminded her of home. This was the kind of vehicles lining the streets of her childhood neighborhood. She suddenly ached for hugging her parents and even being ushered around by her mom and helping out in the family’s deli. Having cousins and relatives over for barbecues and go shopping in the second hand store at her street, and then having lunch at her Auntie Steffie and Uncle Marty’s Pizza joint. Life was easy without money, just as Kat always had told her. She hadn’t believed her and was quite put off by it as Vanessa's family was somewhat poor in comparison to Kats. They never had enough money for any extra luxuries and vacations. Sometimes they even had a hard time paying all the bills. All she had wanted when she grew up was to become someone who earned enough money to have a house and a car, just enough to be able to provide for herself and an eventual family. Now she had seen the other side of the coin. What it meant to be filthy rich, and she didn’t like it. Not one bit. She could easily settle for a simpler lifestyle it if it meant not being inside a cocaine and playboy-bunny scandal. She was fed up with royals, movie stars, and their constant drama. Happy as she was getting back to her normal standards of life, she had to admit it was handy with a best friend who had a No-limit credit card. Kat had a ticket waiting for her at the international desk and had even made sure Vanessa should travel in comfort as the ticket was in business-class.
“Raffi, I can’t thank you enough for helping me out!” Vanessa hugged the younger man who smiled shyly and handed over her purse with a small bow.
He had been very prompt about carrying it for her as he followed her to the security check-in. He had looked so disappointed for the lack of luggage to help her with so she handed him her purse. He had carried it as it was loaded with uranium.
“Here’s your luggage Madame,” Raffi said in a strained voice, drying his eyes with the back of his uniform clad arm.
They had become quite close during that half an hour in the harbor. Vanessa had gone through all emotional stages one person could up bring in a lifetime, but Raffi had been a rock and had dried her eyes with a serviette from the Ice-cream shop. At some point Vanessa had gotten a sudden urge for chocolate ice cream and Raffi had been quick to fix some for her.
“What shall I tell Monsieur?”
“You don’t need to tell him anything just hand him this.”
Vanessa placed a crinkled note in his uniform breast pocket. She had written it during the car ride and she trusted Raffi to give it to Alex. After what she’d put him through today, she would trust this man with her life.
“Au Revoir, Madame Vanessa,“ Raffi now had a hard time holding his voice steady.
Vanessa placed a kiss on each of Raffi’s cheeks and gave him a last hug. “Au Revoir, Raffi.”
Au Revoir France, Au revoir Alessandro Di Savoy, she thought as she put her tiny purse on the luggage band.
Chapter 6
Numbly Vanessa turned her steps towards the gate. The airport was noisy and crowded with travelers. The fluorescent lights, air condition, and the blaring announcements made her flinch. She made her way to a kiosk selling bottled water when her mobile vibrated again. She pulled it out and looked at the display. Fifteen missed calls and another fifteen voice messages from Alex. He’d left the last one about twenty minutes ago. Vanessa hesitated, her heart pounding with nerves, then with a resolute punch she pressed ‘1’ to listen.
“Jesus Christ, Vanessa, where are you?” He didn’t sound apologetic anymore, he sounded stressed.
Vanessa felt prickles of dread all over her body. What if he had an explanation and she had left without talking to him.
“We’re having an emergency here, it’s about the party yesterday, and somehow the paparazzi’s knew I was there. Some crazy pics of me are circulating. It’s all gone viral, it’s world news.” He paused. “Anyway, I’ll tell you all about it when you get back to the yacht. I can’t wait to go to the village again with you.”
By every message, Alex voice was getting more and more stressed.
“Please just get back here now. Call me!”
In the last one, she could hear Alex sigh before he hanged up. Vanessa didn't move, she felt paralyzed. Black spots were dancing in front of her eyes. Nausea rose up inside of her. The entire world knew about Alex´s cocaine and bunny scandal? And there she had been just the week before beaming into the cameras hanging like a bimbo on Alex arm on the red carpet. She was probably laughed at around the world right now. People would be calling each other, Facebooking and twittering the news in horrified glee. And they would all feel pity for her, the stupi
d American nurse who thought she could change Alessandro Di Savoy.
Vanessa was one of the first to board the plane with her first class ticket and she sunk into her seat.
“Refreshments?” A flight attendant pushing a trolley appeared and gave her a friendly smile. “Hot and cold sandwiches, teas and coffees, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages?”
“The last one, please.” She tried not to sound too desperate. ” A double of... anything.”
After a while, Vanessa's heart rate had gradually subsided, but she had a throbbing headache. She sat with one hand over one eye, trying to block out the light.
“Do you want me to help you dim the lights for you, ma'am?” She jumped when the flight attendant voice came up right behind her ear. She felt like a mental wreck.
“Yes, please. That would be lovely,” Vanessa mumbled and closed her eyes.
“Ladies and Gentlemen…” The pilot's voice crackled over the loudspeaker. “Unfortunately we have one last minute passenger…”
Vanessa couldn’t follow what he was saying, her mind began to race. What had he just said, a last minute passenger? Could it be Alex who was coming to find her, talk her into not leaving him, promise to never let her down again and it all had been one big mistake, the pictures were manipulated, photo shopped, falsified. They would kiss and all the passengers on the plane would applaud. They might even get a lifetime of free plane rides with the airline. She’d heard that happened when people delivered babies on board, which was not quite the same thing as reconcile with your boyfriend but you never knew… Her heart was thumping again and her thoughts were all confused. Her brain was skittering about so madly. Could he already had got her letter from Raffi? No, that would be impossible. Perhaps he had been on his way to the airport to find her and ran into Raffi, got the letter and… Or Raffi looked at the letter and called Alex to tell him to go find her. Her mind kept racing on different scenarios.
The loudspeaker began to crackle again, she could hear cheering sounds, and random applauds from passengers in the commercial section. Oh, that’s right. Alex didn’t know she was in first class. She quickly got up and peeked out from behind the draped textile fabric hanging as a curtain between the first-class section and the regular passengers. She couldn’t see him.
She could see an older man being led to his seat with a helping hand from a flight attendant. But no Alex in sight. Passengers around her cheered and applauded as the man was buckled up. The flight attendant suddenly saw her face looking out from behind the curtain.
“Something wrong Madame?”
“No, no, I’m just looking for the last minute passenger. I think he’s come to find me.”
“Oh, in that case. I’ll take you to him,” With no time to protest the stewardess reached for her arm and pulled her out from her hiding behind the curtain, pushed her along the tiny space between rows of seats.
“Here you go. Is he a relative of yours?”
Vanessa had no idea what to say, she just stared at the old man who by now sat neatly packed in his seat looking at her with expectancy in his eyes.
“Can I help you dear?” The old man smiled up at her.
“Oh no, I’m sorry it’s been a mistake. I thought you were someone else.”
The disappointment was so harsh her eyes were tearing up. She couldn't help herself.
“Oh, don’t be upset, dear. Everyone can make mistakes. I for one should know.” He laughed a little. I just went to the wrong gate, I’m lucky someone found me and helped me onboard.”
Vanessa tried hard to blink her tears away as she with heavy steps got back to her seat. She waved to the flight attendant and ordered another double of...anything alcoholic, drank it all in one go and dimed out the lights. She needed to face reality, this wasn’t a bad dream she could wake up from.
Chapter 7
“So look.” Vanessa spread a magazine cover out on the bed for Kat to see. “Isn’t this crazy?”
Two weeks had gone since Vanessa jumped on a flight back to New York and she and Kat were laying on the bed in Kat’s giant open floor apartment in Manhattan reading gossip magazines. It was almost as it used to be in the old days when they’d shared an apartment in Brooklyn. Except that in those days, they’d been lolling on an old second hand bedspread covered in cigarette burns and smelled of incense sticks. Today they were instead lolling on a white leather Deluxe Danish design Lounge Sofa bed with chromed legs.
Kat was Vanessa's oldest and best friend in the world and she was ridiculously rich. She lived in the up-scaled artsy neighborhood of Tribeca. Ever since her Grandfather who was the founder of the world famous and also one of the oldest Toy Stores in the United States, FAO Schwarz, had died her family had had inherited tons of money and was now New York Socialite Elite. Kat could have been Queen Bee in school and very posh but she was pretty much the opposite of that. Down to earth and headstrong going her on way which meant coloring her hair purple, work at an tattoo parlor and travel the world to ride on dolphins and hanging out with yoga gurus. Or something like that, Vanessa had only listened halfheartedly when Kat began describing her life-changing moments after learning how to breathe from her belly. Vanessa was allergic to any kind of self-help and considered all this yoga and breathing retreats as new-age hippie talk.
“It is crazy.” Kat answered after eyeing the article Vanessa had shown her. “But the craziest part of it all is that you actually bought this magazine! It’s in Hebrew for god’s sake. Since when do you read Hebrew?”
“I don’t need to read the words, I just look at the pictures.” Vanessa explained slowly as for a child.
“Yeah, yeah I know what you’re going to say, A picture says more than a thousand words, you told me that when you googled all those Finnish gossip sites online,” Kat’s brows crumpled.
“Exactly, that’s the point. I need to be on top of things here, don’t you see that. I have to keep updated on Alex so I won’t land in a state of shock if he suddenly decides to reach out to me”
Kat didn't’ seem to understand this at all. “But doesn't all these magazines from around the world cost you a lot of money?”
“Money?” Vanessa echoed incredulously. “Kat, how can you even relate this to a money issue? This is investing in my future.”
“How can spend a fortune on international gossip magazines be investing in your future? Vanessa, I mean it, you need to let this go. You need to let Alex go. Get over him.”
Vanessa stared at her, perplexed. Hadn't she been following what she was saying?
“I am getting over him, this is instead of therapy. You for one should see that it's a good thing going outside the box to find inner peace. That’s what you do when breathing with whales and all that stuff. And for you knowledge I have been budgeting around these costs and it is actually really a good saving compared to seeing a therapist.”
“Mm,” Kat didn’t seem convinced but Vanessa ignored her.
She had done a thorough budgeting on her spending’s and she had to admit that she was a tiny, tiny bit over her credit card limit by now, but when it came to health care one couldn’t count nickels.
“Please explain that budgeting of your for me Vanessa because I don’t really see this adding up?”
“Well, it’s not complicated, look here” Vanessa pointed at a sheet with graphs she just pulled out from under a pile of coffee stained Spanish !Hola!.
“I can see only one graph here and its titled Medicine and Health-care? And if that’s the real number I see, you’re in deep trouble Green!”
“Of course it’s been booked under medical treatment. That’s what it counts as. Regarding the numbers, it’s correct and perhaps a bit much but as I’ve told you. One should never cut down on your health care, right!”
Vanessa could see that Kat was about to raise another objection, so she carried on hurriedly.
“And anyway, all this therapy has made me feel much better so I think I might be able to clean up at home and go through that pale of
mail that you been buggering me about.“
Vanessa smiled. She knew that would make Kat pleased. Ever since she had got home, Vanessa had been in such a state she had let her apartment flood with half-eaten take-away Chinese food compartments and pizza boxes. She knew she had been a slob but she hadn’t had the strength to clean. But when she’d come home late last night after staying with Kat for the weekend, she had to climb a mountain of unopened mail in the hallway and realized she had to end her mourning period and get a hold of herself.
“Ooh.” Kat perked up, that's’ great. Let’s go over to your place right now and I’ll help you clean.”
On their way to Vanessa's apartment, they popped in at her mum and dad's Organic food Deli to stock up on cleaning products.
Romance: My Italian Prince, Undercover Love: Sweet Romantic Comedy Page 4