Panzina's Passion

by Teresa D. Patterson

She was hurt to the core, blind with pain. Trevor had used her in the worst way. She felt like a complete idiot. She never wanted to lay eyes on Mr. Casanova again!

  She went home and unplugged the phone, but worried that TJ might call, so she plugged it back in. If Trevor tried to call she just wouldn’t be available. Thank goodness for caller ID, so she could sort the calls she wanted from those she didn’t. The last thing she wanted was for Trevor to see her so distraught. She had too much pride to let him know that he’d hurt her.

  For a week, Panzina refused to leave the house. She pulled the blinds closed tightly and would not answer the door, even when Telvin showed up for his doomsday visit. She got so tired of hearing the phone ring that she turned on the answering machine to catch it on the first ring. Between Trevor and Telvin, her phone stayed busy.

  She eventually received a message from Telvin saying that he’d stopped by but no one had answered his knock. Over the machine he broke their engagement with a simple statement: “We’re not meant for each other. It just wouldn’t work out.” It was just like him to end things that way. He was so insensitive. Telvin was a selfish jerk and she was better off without him. She was glad that she didn’t have to face him

  There were several messages from Trevor, which she fast-forwarded past. He had even called her from Tennessee several times. It hurt to even listen to his voice.

  Only one message in general caught her attention. Mrs. Stearns had recommended her for a position in another city. She needed someone to housesit for an elderly couple that was going on vacation. The job would be for two months. Panzina had already made up her mind before she picked up the phone to call Mrs. Stearns and accept.

  * * *

  Panzina loaded several suitcases into the trunk of the rented sport, utility vehicle. She didn’t want to put the extra miles on her new car. She watered her plants one last time before she headed out. It saddened her that the beautiful flowers would be dead by the time she returned, if she returned at all. To her, losing her plants were like losing a child and watching a sprout bud and grow was like watching a newborn infant develop.

  On the way out the door she retrieved the letter that she’d placed on top of the television. It had taken her several attempts to write it, but finally it was complete. She held her letter of resignation. She would leave it, along with the keys to L’ Fragrance, with Trevor’s secretary. She wanted no part of that man. The sooner she did what she had to she could get him out of her system.

  Once on the road, Panzina thought that she would feel a sense of relief but in actuality she felt as though she’d lost something. She missed a piece of herself. Her heart had been broken and left behind with Trevor Grant.

  She arrived at her destination, too drained to do much of anything. She left the suitcases on the bed. She wouldn’t bother with unpacking them until later. The homeowners had left a note asking her to eat the food in the house so it wouldn’t go bad. She fixed herself some soup and a sandwich with the groceries she found, and then toured the place.

  The couple had a beautiful, beach home. Panzina couldn’t see why they needed to go away for a vacation. In her opinion, they had it all. Inside, there was a small arcade. In one of the rooms Panzina found a sauna. Another room had been converted into a gym. She saw some expensive exercise equipment that would probably make Gold’s Gym jealous. Outside, she discovered a huge, heated pool. The wealthy couple even had their own tennis court. The large, spacious grounds were well kept, a picture perfect scene.

  After she’d inspected the place, she sat down on the veranda with a book and a cold glass of lemonade. If anyone had gazed at her from a distance, they would have thought that the pretty girl with the flowing, brown hair was at peace. Up close, she fought hard to control the tears that threatened to come. It wasn’t long before she lost the battle.

  “Damn you Trevor!” she whispered. “Damn you to hell!” She put her head down, hugging her knees as the sobs shook her body.

  Later that night Panzina swam in the ocean. It brought back memories of the time that she and Trevor had almost made love in the sand. No matter how hard she tried to dispel all thoughts of him, she couldn’t. Everything reminded her of him.

  She felt stinging tears behind her eyelids when she thought about the secret he had kept hidden. If only he had mentioned Gayle, even casually, she would have been better able to deal with the situation. As for him sleeping with Marshayla and denying it, she could never forgive him for that selfish act.

  * * *

  Panzina couldn’t make herself awaken from the dream. She wore a white, flowing gown on her wedding day. As she glanced around, she saw that every face belonged to Marshayla Forbes! She looked about in total confusion. As the Bride’s Waltz played, the flowers began to wilt and dry up. Panzina screamed when she approached Trevor, her groom. For in plain sight, attached to the front of his tuxedo collar was a big tag with “Gayle” embroidered on it.

  Fear jolted her awake. She clutched her pillow tightly. Perspiration drenched her body. She couldn’t shake the vision of the dream from her head.

  Once her heart rate returned to normal, Panzina pattered to the kitchen on bare feet to get something cold to drink. Need less to say, that first night in a strange city, ninety miles away from Trevor Grant she couldn’t sleep a wink. Trevor was on her mind, in her heart, and he haunted her dreams. Would she ever be rid of him?

  CHAPTER NINE

  When Trevor returned from Tennessee, he felt a desperate need to see Panzina. He’d tried several times to reach her but got a mechanical voice that stated the number was no longer in service.

  He knew that she was mad about something, or she wouldn’t have left the other night without her overnight bag. The bag told him that she had planned on staying, but when he came out of the shower and she was nowhere to be seen, he knew that something must be wrong.

  His sister’s funeral had been draining. Not only did he have to deal with burying his sister, but there were probably a hundred relatives that he hadn’t seen in a while that all vied for his attention. All he wanted was to hold Panzina and find out what happened a week ago. Whatever was bothering her, they would work it out. In Memphis he had made up his mind about something very important. He’d decided to reveal his true feelings to her. He felt anxious, but confident. It wouldn’t take long to convince Panzina that Telvin was not the man for her; he was.

  True, he’d suffered great loss. Gayle’s death had affected him immensely. The recent demise of his sister had also hit hard. Yet, he remained determined not to give up on love.

  “You can either get busy dying, or get busy living,” his mother had told him after LeTicia’s burial. “And you have a lot of life left in you, son. I can still see that spark”

  His mother’s words had renewed his spirits and given him hope. He could envision a future that included Panzina. He couldn’t wait to look into her eyes and say those three little words that held such a magnitude of importance.

  Trevor sighed in exasperation and gave up trying to reach Panzina by phone. He left the airport’s parking lot and drove straight towards his office.

  * * *

  Trevor’s secretary, Grace Mobley, stood up and came from behind her desk as soon as she saw him.

  “Mr. Grant, I’m afraid I have bad news.” She wore a white, crisp, long-sleeved blouse with a gray, business skirt that stretched well past her knees. Her hair, which was graying near the edges, was styled in a neat French roll. She stared at him over her glasses and frowned.

  “What is it, Grace?” he said in a voice laced with tiredness.

  “You won’t like it at all,” she said, straightforward and to the point.

  “After what I’ve dealt with, I’m sure I can handle just about anything,” he told her.

  She went back to her desk, opened a drawer and pulled something out. “Here you go. Panzina asked that I give this to you, personally.” She handed him a key and an envelope.

  Trevor’s look of confusion turned
to disbelief as he tore open the letter and read it. He held the second key to the flower shop in his shaky hand.

  “What is this?” he exclaimed. He didn’t really expect an answer from Grace. “I really don’t understand.” He stared at the older woman who had been his secretary from the beginning. She shook her head and shrugged.

  “I don’t understand it either,” she said. “I read the letter. I had assumed that the two of you had grown close. You’ve been keeping each other company for quite a while.”

  Trevor should have known that Grace wouldn’t have missed a beat. He’d tried to hide what he felt for Panzina, but even his secretary could see the difference in him. He had started to appear more relaxed since Panzina had entered his life. Love had done that for him.

  He could tell that Grace felt genuinely sorry for him. He was completely baffled.

  “Well, thank you, Grace, for giving this to me,” he said finally. “Hold all of my calls. I’ll be in my office.”

  Trevor sat down in the leather office chair. He still couldn’t understand why Panzina hadn’t met him at his place before he’d left for Tennessee. She had agreed to spend the night the last time they’d spoken. He had assumed that she’d had a change of heart and didn’t know how to relay it to him. After all, she had been a virgin when they first made love. Maybe she was still nervous about being with him.

  However, that didn’t explain the overnight bag she’d left in the entryway. Finding it, but no Panzina caused him to fear the worse. Maybe, she didn’t really love him after all. She’d had a change of heart and rushed out, leaving her bag in the process.

  He could understand Panzina having some reservations about their sudden relationship. He could also understand if she needed some time to figure out what she really wanted. However, the last thing he had expected was a letter of resignation from her.

  “Why would she resign with no warning?” he wondered aloud. “It’s her damn shop and she loves working there. I have to find out what’s going on.” He got up from the chair and hurried out. “Grace, I’ll be back shortly,” he said in passing.

  Grace nodded and stared after him with a sympathetic expression in her eyes before she answered the next incoming call.

  * * *

  When Trevor didn’t get an answer after pounding on Panzina’s door for ten minutes, he lost all patience. The door crashed open with a loud thud as the doorknob smashed into the wall. He had lunged into it with all of his weight. He rubbed his shoulder as he stepped into the living room and stared around.

  The air in the room smelled stale, and a fine layer of dust covered most surfaces. He could see specks of it floating in the sunlight. The sticky, sweet scent of dead flowers lingered heavily, and that bothered him the most. Trevor noticed that most of the flowers were bent over, dripping fragments onto the cream carpet. His heart constricted. Panzina would never let her plants go to waste like this.

  He remained puzzled as he traveled from room to room shaking his head as he went. Once he reached her bedroom he surveyed it critically. The bed was neatly made as though it hadn’t been slept in for quite some time. He walked over to the closet and found his answer.

  Panzina was gone! Her closet was empty except for a few articles of clothing resting dejectedly on hangers. What if she’d—

  He put an abrupt stop to his thoughts. As close as they’d come in the past few months, he trusted Panzina to honor her word. He knew in his heart she’d never betray that trust. He just couldn’t put a finger on what had happened.

  He thought back to the day when he’d found Panzina’s abandoned overnight bag. He groaned aloud when realization dawned. How could he have forgotten about Marshayla? She’d dropped by unannounced on that very same day. She had to be behind Panzina’s abrupt disappearance.

  He felt desolate as he drove back to the office. He had to pull it together. He had a conference with Marshayla in an hour. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him in a vulnerable state. He didn’t have the mood for Marshayla and her overtures. He felt relief because in less than a month, her modeling contract with him would expire. The last two years of her hounding him relentlessly over the right to wear Gayle’s clothing line had nearly drained him of all patience.

  Grace, answering a call, couldn’t warn Trevor that Marshayla had arrived early. When she hung up she turned to her assistant, Marissa.

  “Mr. Grant didn’t look too happy. I tried to get that annoying woman to wait in the lobby but she strutted right past me with her nose in the air.”

  “I think Mrs. Forbes will regret that she didn’t listen to you and wait out here.”

  “I don’t normally dislike people, but she’s such a snotty, cold person.”

  “I know what you mean. I really don’t care for her that much either. For her to be a model, I can’t see any beauty in her for the life of me. She’s one of those models that have the right body, but there’s something off when it comes to her face. I think she’s a high classed snob. “

  “I have to agree with you on that,” Grace said. “And I won’t hesitate in telling Mr. Grant exactly how I feel. Panzina, on the other hand, is such a dear, sweet girl. I liked her instantly. I tell Mr. Grant about it every chance I get. She’s full of warmth and she’s so caring. She even brought me some plants to cheer up this office.” She took a spray bottle out of her bottom drawer and spritzed the leaved just as Panzina had taught her.

  “I know. I love those plants,” Marissa said glancing toward the hibiscus and cactus.

  “I certainly hope that Trevor can work out his differences and walk that girl down the aisle. It’s about time that he re-marries and have some happiness in his life.” She looked at Marissa. “I don’t think you’ve been here long enough to remember Gayle.”

  “His wife who died from cancer?” Marissa shook her head. “No, I wasn’t here but I’ve heard about her. Everyone speaks so highly of her.”

  “Yes. Gayle was a dear, also. It took Trevor some time to get past the pain of her death then he was thrown another hardball. His sister got shot.”

  “How awful.” Marissa was surprised to find Mrs. Mobley so chatty. Grace Mobley wasn’t one to indulge in idle gossip. If Grace thought it warranted talking about then it had to be something important.

  “I can’t imagine losing a sibling. It had to be so hard on him. He certainly deserves some happiness and I feel that Panzina is just the one who can give it to him.”

  Marissa shook her head in agreement. “I know that in a few minutes Marshayla is going to be sorry. Mr. Grant had a look of fury on his face when he came back.”

  “I’m glad that we won’t be the ones to experience his wrath. But, who else would be a better candidate than Marshayla Forbes?”

  “It’s about time she got knocked off her high horse! Maybe the day has finally come.” Grace smiled at the comment and answered another line. Marissa took that as a clue to get back to work so she did.

  Trevor entered the office to find Marshayla draped over his desk like Catwoman. She’d squeezed into a form-fitting, black bodysuit. Her makeup and nails were impeccable. She wore colors that contrasted the contours of her face. Her long, woven, tresses flowed over her shoulders. She could be considered beautiful, in a fake sort of way. Her sensual, full lips formed in a seductive pout when she saw Trevor.

  “Marshayla, how many times have I asked you to wait in the lobby when I’m not here?” he asked a bit harshly. “You cannot enter my office as though you own it. And get off my desk!”

  Marshayla batted her fake eyelashes at him, feigning innocence. “Your secretary has known me for years, Trevor. She suggested that I wait for you here,” Marshayla lied. “She was rather concerned about me disturbing your customers, being that I am dressed rather, er, casual, so to speak.”

  “Marshayla, cut the crap! Grace would never send you to my office, even if you were butt naked. She knows how I feel about you,” he snapped, forgetting about being nice.

  “What do you mean?” Marsh
ayla sat up and removed herself from his desk.

  “I won’t beat around the bush. As you know, your contract with me will expire next month.” Trevor didn’t know how to tell her in a manner that would spare her feeling, not that she had any. He decided to be blunt and to the point. “I’ve decided not to rehire you, Marshayla. Your services will no longer be needed,” he ended.

  “What!” Marshayla spat. “What exactly do you mean?” She lost all pretense of being civil. She stood up to her full five feet eleven inches and approached Trevor. Her eyes blazed. “Why?” she demanded to know.

  “I’ve decided on a new line of designs. They are more conservative, innocent. Certainly, not your style,” he said without any malicious intent.

  “Oh, really?” she exclaimed. “I guess you’ll be hiring someone like little Miss What’s Her Name- Panzina, to model your dreadful, boring designs?” Her eyes flashed fire and ice.

  The mention of Panzina’s name was like a douse of cold water in his face. Trevor’s eyes burned into Marshayla’s. “Since when have you concerned yourself with Panzina?” He noticed that Marshayla’s gaze wavered. She couldn’t stare him in the eye, confirming his earlier suspicions. She must have done something to be acting so guilty.

  “You must care for her a lot,” Marshayla pouted. “I don’t know why.”

  “Marshayla, is there something you should tell me?” he demanded. “If Panzina’s disappearance has anything to do with you, so help me-”

  “It’s no big deal.” Marshayla shrugged her shoulders.

  Her nonchalant attitude made Trevor’s temper rise.

  “Woman, you’re making me want to shake you! Tell me what you’ve done,” he all but shouted.

  “She’s such a mouse,” Marshayla said. “After I told her about us, she scurried off in a hurry.” Marshayla downplayed her cruel act.

  “Told her about us? What exactly did you tell her? Spit it out Marshayla, or you’ll be sorry that you ever met me! Don’t forget that I have a lot of pull in the fashion industry. I know you’ll want to continue working.”