“Water, please…” Vanessa's voice was as hoarse as if she´d been eating sand.
“Yep, sure, coming up.” Kat jumped up from the couch and came back with a glass of fresh made orange juice. “Here you go.”
Ok, something was up. Vanessa had been waking up from a hard night's partying on Kat’s couch before and never had she been treated like a guest at a five star hotel.
“What’s going on Kat?” She asked as she tried to ignore her unrelenting misery of a headache.
“Nothing”, Kat tweedled.
“What’s that?” Vanessa pointed at the crumbled paper Kat just had pushed under the sofa with her foot.
“What’s what?” Kat said innocently.
Oh no, Vanessa suddenly remembered. The gossip magazine, the kiosk, her crashing into the newsstand, and making all the magazines land on the wet sidewalk. She threw herself to the floor and grabbed magazine from beneath Kat´s well-pedicured toes. She shouldn’t had moved that quickly, the room started to spin, and she felt that she was about to faint. She laid down and closed her eyes.
“Please read it Kat. I can take it. I just can’t sit up and I can’t open my eyes. But apart from that, I’m fine. Just hit me!”
Kat looked concerned but did as she was told and began reading out loud from the article.
Prince dating young and upcoming movie star. A source close to the couple, tells the magazine they're in love and are going to visit European royals in the coming week. Which was the tradition when preparing for a Royal wedding.
A source, Vanessa thought dryly. She was 100 % sure that source name was Gian-Carlo Brunetti.
“Who’s that movie star anyway? Kat said.
“I have no idea,” Vanessa didn’t recognized her but it probably was someone really rich, famous and gorgeous person Alex had fallen in love with, she thought miserably.
“Hmm, she can’t be that famous if you never heard of her? I mean you could after all take out a doctor's degree in gossip-science by now, if such existed.”
“Surely it doesn’t exist, Vanessa said with self-pity in her voice. “ So you can count that knowledge of mine into all the other failures in my life.”
“Nah, come on Green. It’s very useful knowledge, and you’re not a failure. Rather the opposite.”
“You always set your mind to succeed in everything you do and you have a great career awaiting you, you just had a slight sat back with that silly Prince.”
“I am though” Vanessa wasn’t ready to stop feeling sorry for herself. “I never trust anyone, and I had problems with trusting Alex and it led me to do that really stupid detective thing.”
“I know sweetheart, and I’ve tried to help you with that tiny issue of yours. However, you never wanted to talk about it.
“I’m sorry Kat” Vanessa gave her friend a hug. “And sorry for throwing that self-help
book about fear of rejection at you.
“That was a bit unthankful I have to say,” Kat said with a smile. “But it was a crappy birthday gift, I admit that.”
“It was, especially since I don’t have a fear of rejection,” Vanessa said with ice in her voice.
“Right,” Kat decided not to push the subject any further.
To try to ease things up Kat pointed at a celebrity in the fashion section of the magazine. “Oh, Nicole Kidman, I love her.
“Yeah, I saw her in Cannes, Vanessa mumbled not very interested, to focused on giving her aching head a massage.
“You did not!” Kat squealed with excitement.
“Well, actually I’m not one hundred percent sure it was Nicole to be honest, but it could have been.”
“Duh,” Kat sighed, “Haven’t you met anyone famous over there?”
“No,” Vanessa said and Kat sighed again.
This was what everyone had kept asking her since she got back from France. Aunt Steffie, uncle Marty, mum, even dad had asked about whether Vanessa had met Princess Grace of Monaco. Vanessa was tired of saying; No, I haven’t met anyone famous, when the truth was she had met someone extremely famous. She knew she’d promised to keep it a secret but Kat was her best friend, telling a best friend didn’t count and why should she keep any promises to Alex anyway? He was after all getting on with his life, first firing her for leaving when he himself was the reason for her not been able to stay with that horrible cocaine party, and now he was dating and preparing to marry some unknown movie star.
“Kat,” Vanessa said, lowering her voice. “If I tell you something, you can’t tell a soul. Not anyone and especially not you mum. I’m serious.
“I promise,” Kat said with her eyes wide. “What is it?”
“I met someone famous.”
“Who? Tell me Vanessa!”
“Michelangelo DeLeo.”
“Mich DeLeo?” Kat sat straight up. “Oh, my god!” You never told me that!”
“I’m telling you now! But I didn’t just meet him…”
Kat was the best to share stuff with. As Vanessa told her about Mitch being Alex best friend and about how he came on to her so she had to defend herself with some karate moves from Kat’s self-protection course, she gasped and put her hand to her mouth and said; No way, several times. When Vanessa came to the part when she was observing Mitch, Alex and Brunetti from under a table at the scruffy motel, Kat was so excited she stood jumping up and down on the couch.
“...and I promised not to tell anyone,” Vanessa concluded.
“Well, I won’t blab,” Kat said at once.
“But it’s so weird,” Kat added, her brow creased in thought. “I can’t believe it. Why would a big movie star like him, need to push himself on to women? He must have hundreds to choose from every night.”
“I haven’t told you everything yet,” Vanessa said and motioned for Kat to sit down.
Vanessa told her all about the strange conversation she overheard between Brunetti and Mitch, in which it was clear that Brunetti had talked Mitch into behaving like a douchebag to scare her off, as Brunetti didn’t think she was good enough for a Prince.
“That's awful,” Kat is taken a back when she heard how Brunetti had intrigued with Mitch to get rid of Vanessa. “And to manipulate that poor guy, he’s obviously in poor mental health.”
“Oh he IS.” Vanessa couldn’t help herself and so she spilled out the whole story of Mitch’s breakdown as well. “But now he’s in rehab so that’s all good.”
“Yeah,” Kat agreed, “Anyway what was he like?”
“Just bloated and out of shape really, stressed out looking. I hardly spoke to him. Just told him that I forgave him at which he broke down in tears. It was not nice.” Vanessa shrugged at the memory of poor Mitch crying his eyes out on Brunetti's coat.
“He’s not in good shape you know,” Kat said.
“Apparently his latest movie is beset with problems. Its millions over budget and the buzz aren’t good. He’s taken on the role as a producer for the first time, but he’s bitten of more than he can chew.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes” Kat nodded knowledgeable. “Insiders on the set claim the star’s drinking and bad behavior has made him enemies among the crew, No wonder he’s stressed out. “
“Yeah, but still, binge eating all those magic mushrooms in Copenhagen, that was crazy.”
“It was.” Kat nodded and looked out in space as she tried to figure out what caused Mitch to break down.
Vanessa suddenly realized how odd it was that Kat knew all this facts about a movie star.
“Kat, how do you know all this stuff?” Have you been reading my gossip magazines?” Vanessa said severely. “The same ones you have told me are as bad for me as drugs…”
“Well, I’ve got to do something while my best friend is all depressed and to tell you the truth, I haven’t been very happy for quite some time now, I’m tired of meeting all these poor excuses for men. I want to feel what you did for Alex,” Kat sounded disconsolate.
“If I can’t have that, at lea
st I can read about it in your stupid magz!” She gave a sudden gusty sigh. “Oh, Green, I know it’s weird but I’m envious of you for at least having felt that feeling of being in love.”
“Envious?” Vanessa stared at her, “How can you be envious of me, I had the worst experience ever, I never want to be in love again!”
Now when Vanessa thinks of it Kat had been quite gloomy lately, not at all her shiny self and she could agree with Kat that she didn’t have the best track record when it came to men.
“What about the guy from yesterday, from the bar?”
“Oh, don’t remind me,” Kat groaned. “He was an aspiring actor and all he did was talking about his part as an extra in some commercial, supposedly his big breakthrough…”
“Right,” Vanessa gave her friend a small hug again since it seemed she needed one.
“We’re really messed up aren’t we?” Kat said with a short laugh.
“Definitely. Really messed up.”
“You know what we should do?” Kat suddenly sounded upbeat.
“What?” Vanessa said and already felt suspicious..
“We should go to rehab!”
“Rehab? Are you insane? We can’t go to rehab, that's for alcoholics and drug addicts. We’re in perfect health compared to them. They won’t even let us in.” This was the worst idea Kat had ever had Vanessa thought to herself, and Kat had come up with many bad ideas.
“Look here,” Kat pulled out her iPad and scribbled frantically on the screen. “This is supposed to be the number one place if you want to find inner peace, and who doesn’t? Everyone I know has been there.”
“Everyone you know?” Vanessa wasn’t convinced. “You mean all your mums rich friends with so called shopping and spending issues?” Which was not even a real issue for them because they had so much money it didn’t matter how much they spent.
“Well, yes. However, not only them, it’s the A-listers go-to place at the moment. They can treat all kind of disorders.
“First of all, we don’t suffer from any disorders Kat, and second of all, I’ve heard of that place.”
Everyone who’s ever read a gossip magazine had heard of the Garden of Peace. It was the place where they wore bracelets and did yoga, where celebrities dried out and then pretended they had just been a little tired.
“Vanessa,” Kat said with a serious voice. “We do have issues, and it’s not just a rehab place, it’s a place where you can go to relax. I heard of a friend whose friend was a terrible hoarder. It was ruining her life. She went to the Garden of Peace and they really sorted out her issues.”
“Hmm, is that so...”Vanessa said without much enthusiasm.
“I bet they can fix that heart ache of yours in a snap.” Kat sounded all convinced.
Vanessa still didn’t feel convinced, but she had to admit it sounded quite blissful being away at a retreat, hanging out at the beach and lounging in Kayoba-Hammocks and perhaps even do some yoga exercises.
“Well, I might have a bit of an issue with that part of my life, but other than that I have nothing that needs to be fixed, ok. But no therapy or get to know your inner self-crap because then I'm out.”
“Absolutely not! So it’s settled then,” Kat leaped happily up from the couch. “I’ll do some calls and see when we can go.”
That was another thing that made hanging out with Kat so much fun, she knew everyone. Everyone. There was not a nightclub, restaurant, or premiere she couldn’t get into if she sat her mind to it. Often she wasn’t interested in those kinds of events but a few times she had brought Vanessa to some openings and it had been a lot of fun.
“OK, let’s go packing. I guess we’ll need a lot of yoga pants.”
“Nope, We don’t need to bring anything. Just our poor souls.” Kat said in a dramatic voice after hanging up her call. We’’ll find everything we might need over there. I told you it’s not just some rehab center.”
Chapter 9
“Namaste! Or maybe Satnam?” Vanessa greeted Kat with a big smile as she rolled out her yoga mat and sat down next to her on the sun deck.
The Garden of Peace had embraced them both with quiet sincerity and had offered them a soothing escape as they had signed up for a program that promised to give them life-changing experiences. The accommodation on a hilltop above the ocean was completely off grid with solar panels, compostable toilets and a garden, which provided fruit and vegetables. Yoga took place daily on a deck overlooking the beach and classes for your own choosing of disorder followed after.
“It’s Namaste, Green,” Kat whispered. “And would you please keep it down, I’m trying to focus!”
“Oh, Sorry.”
Vanessa began warming up by doing some shoulder mobility exercises she had learned the other day. Then the group was instructed to close their eyes and go search for their Inner Happy Place. Vanessa closed her eyes but couldn’t resist opening one eye to peek at her fellow yogis.
Kat was sitting on her mat with her legs crossed and her hands palm side up on her thighs. Her eyes were closed, and she drew in slow, easy breaths through her nose. There was some serious soul-searching going on there. Vanessa tried hard to quiet her mind and keep thoughts out in the same way she had been instructed on the crash-course yesterday, but found she couldn’t stay focused. Her mind just wouldn't stop chattering.
Vanessa gave up on her mediation and looked out over the people who laid on the deck. Everyone in different yoga poses. They actually looked quite funny and she couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ouch,” Kat elbowed her and hushed.
Why was she so tense? This inner peace thing was supposed to make her feel... well peaceful. They had been attending the Garden of Peace for two days now and even though Vanessa felt relaxed, it hadn't transformed her life as it had promised in the brochure. She was careful not to mention this to Kat though, who was a bit sensitive to any kind of, what she called “criticism of the healing.” Kat had signed up for all the mind-freeing classes she could find. Sometimes Vanessa had woken up late at night when Kat came back dripping in sweat from one of her night-classes. At one point, she had even woken up early in the morning and got quite the shock when she saw Kat doing the sun salutation pose while standing butt naked on a stool. Although Vanessa had tried to indulge herself in the search for her inner peace, she couldn’t get into it as easy as Kat... However, this was normal. Kat was always trying out different ways of looking on life, while Vanessa was suspicious about everything that she classified as “New age mumbo jumbo.” And The Garden of Peace definitely went into mumbo jumbo category. She preferred science. Nevertheless, she had taken in lots of spiritual, “yoga words” and tried to use them in conversations as much as she could.
The Garden of Peace was a huge site on the coast, just south of NY. It used to be a hilltop farm, but now it was all low buildings and Koi-lakes. They had settled for a cottage at the upscale LUXE Inner-Peace Area, but one could choose from a whole range of different kinds of accommodations. Like small cozy cabins to the gated Ultra-Lux Ultimate-Inner-Peace cabins. Rumors had it; it was where all the celebrities stayed. There was a hiking track and a running track, which Vanessa totally intended to use sometime. In addition, they sold fresh healthy juices and served vegetarian meals, and there was free yoga at lunchtime on the beach. In the evenings, they showed inspirational movies outside in the garden while everyone lolled on beanbags. Actually, she never wanted to leave.
“Who’s that?” Kat whispered in her ear. Vanessa tried to localize whom she meant but all she could see were legs and arms pointing in odd directions from the people on the mats.
“Who’s who?” Vanessa whispered back, intrigued. Was it someone famous?
“That guy over there,” Kat gave a nod towards a man standing in the Happy Baby Position.
“Oh, the guy doing the Ananda Balasana pose, I do recognize him!” Vanessa felt excited, finally someone famous.
She couldn’t figure out who it was though, but whoever he was, he was i
n great shape. He was dressed in the typical Garden of Peace-Attire, loose yoga pants and a crop top if you were female. This guy didn’t wear anything more than his loose pants, which he had rolled up over his muscular thighs. He was tanned, and his yoga-sweat shimmered on his body as if he was smothered in oil. On a closer look, he was probably smothered in oil, the glow seemed a bit too perfect to be coming from pure sweat. Suddenly the guy changed his position into the snake and his face turned towards them. Vanessa gasped. She couldn’t believe this. It was Mitch! Of course it was. He was going to Garden of Peace that's why it had sounded so familiar to her when Kat suggested that they should go. She had thought it was because she had read so much about it lately.
Romance: My Italian Prince, Undercover Love: Sweet Romantic Comedy Page 6