The Summer Villa

by Melissa Hill

  ‘Me too,’ Kim replied absently, and couldn’t help but think: rotten timing too.

  Then she chided herself for worrying more about the launch instead of her own flesh and blood.

  ‘I’ve got some echinacea with me and gave it to her just now,’ Gabriel continued. ‘Hopefully nip anything in the bud before it starts.’

  ‘Great idea.’ He was such an amazing father. Echinacea, dental appointments, vaccinations, horse-riding lessons, you name it … Gabe was on top of it all when it came to Lily. Sometimes Kim couldn’t believe all the stuff he did on top of his career as a fashion photographer. He’d gone freelance since Lily’s arrival, with their nanny picking up childcare duties whenever he was out on a job.

  ‘How long do you think before the train leaves Naples? So I can time the pick-up.’

  ‘Next one’s due in five.’

  Her phone beeped then, distorting what Gabriel was saying. ‘Babe, can you hold on a second? I’ve got another call coming in.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Hey, Chloe, what’s up?’ Kim asked her assistant, who was based in her office back in the States.

  ‘Sorry to bother you, Kim, but Hank Bingham is on the line. He says he needs to speak to you urgently.’

  What does the Head of Legal want? she asked herself as she waited for the call to be put through. And why now?

  ‘Kim?’

  ‘Hey, Hank. What’s up?’

  ‘Are you sitting down?’

  ‘No. Do I need to?’ she asked, but automatically moved back into her room and plopped down on the corner of the bed.

  ‘You might.’

  ‘Well, I’m sitting now. Tell me what’s going on.’

  ‘A day ago we received an email from someone who claims that some stuff in The Sweet Life Guide is plagiarised. She says she can prove it.’

  Kim’s heart stopped for a moment. She couldn’t even breathe as the words replayed in her mind.

  ‘What? Why would someone say that?’ she asked, nervously fumbling with the sheets.

  ‘Hell if I know. She says some of the chapter headings in the book are directly lifted from some old family journal she has or something, I dunno. I know they’re originally from your social media but because they were reproduced in the book, and thus used for profit, she reckons it’s clear-cut plagiarism.’

  Plagiarism …

  ‘A family journal? Does she have proof?’

  ‘I don’t know yet. Obviously I’m requesting all the information now, and not taking anything seriously until I see it. I just thought I’d better give you the heads-up, given the timing.’

  Interesting timing for sure, Kim thought.

  ‘OK, I have to admit I’m a bit blindsided by all this …’

  But was she really? This wasn’t the first time someone had accused her of being dishonest, she realised, thinking about the more recent negative social media comments.

  The Sweet Life … Don’t you mean The FAKE Life?

  She swallowed hard. Could this be connected somehow?

  Hank was still talking. ‘Of course this is probably just bullshit, but I have to ask. Could any of the quotes have been lifted? I mean, I don’t know much about all that social media stuff and I guess anything goes, but you know, for the book we would have signed a publisher’s release about rights ownership and all that … I’m sorry. I have to ask. It’s my job. I’m sure it’s just nothing but …’

  ‘Of course,’ Kim said, neatly avoiding a direct answer. ‘Look, maybe find out exactly what they have and what they want. Who is this person? Where’s she from? Everything.’

  ‘Sure. I’ll call you back as soon as I have more.’

  As soon as they disconnected, Kim threw the phone on the bed and put her head in her hands. How in the hell was this happening? And now?

  ‘Oh shoot,’ she exclaimed when she remembered her husband was still on the other line. ‘Gabe? I’m so sorry. It was the office and I got caught up …’

  He laughed good-naturedly. ‘Hey, it’s not as if it’s the first time.’ Though his tone was light, there was an edge of disappointment in his voice that made Kim feel like an absolute heel.

  ‘I’m so sorry. It’s not like I forgot you—’

  ‘You kinda did. Admit it. Anyway, I just wanted to say that we’ve just got on the train and Lily is really excited. I’d better go.’

  ‘I’m so sorry again, honey,’ she repeated. ‘And I’m getting in the car right now. See you guys at the station.’

  ‘Don’t forget the car seat, OK? Or us, for that matter,’ he added, chuckling. ‘Lily’s putting on a brave face, but I know she’s tired after the flight.’

  Feeling guilty afresh, Kim hung up the call and grabbed her bag and car keys. Her head had begun to pound the moment Hank told her about the accusation and had got even worse when she’d ended up disappointing her husband in the process.

  This was a big deal. It was Lily’s first visit to Italy and the first time the three of them would be away together as a family in over a year.

  Yes, the launch was important, but Kim wanted to make this time special for the people she loved, too. Especially in light of her conversation with Antonio. Gabe and Lily had had to put up with way too many absences over the last couple of years.

  Heading out to the hotel parking area, she climbed into the driver’s seat of her rented BMW convertible and pulled away, her mind still reeling from what she’d been told.

  She rested her head on one hand against the door while she steered with the other.

  Why all this negative stuff now? Merely a week away from the grand launch of the villa, the pinnacle of The Sweet Life brand and important tribute to its inspiration.

  And that’s all those quotes had been – inspiration. It wasn’t – couldn’t be – considered plagiarism, could it? Not when it was just some dumb stuff scribbled in an old journal.

  Maybe it was just sour grapes? Or this person was just fishing. Much like the social media haters and trolls she’d become accustomed to over the years.

  This was something more, though, Kim knew it in her bones. This was escalating.

  A few negative comments here and there were par for the course with a social media presence of her size, and especially since the book was published and she became more visible in the media.

  There was also somewhat of a general backlash against the so-called ‘Influencer’ concept now in general, and lots of bad press and shady dealings. But Kim hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Had she?

  A sickening tug in her gut brought her back to reality.

  OK, so she had co-opted some of those quotes in the journal, turned them into social media captions and then subsequently sold this so-called wisdom on to others.

  But she’d never intended it that way, had never set out to deceive or (she cringed at the word) plagiarise. And it was really Antonio and Emilia that had taken the whole thing to another level. Didn’t that count for something?

  A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as she drove and she reached the station before she knew it. She stayed in the car, waiting for Gabriel to call when the train pulled in.

  Kim closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat, lifting it up to the warm sun. If it went any further and the truth came out, it would ruin not only next week’s launch but perhaps even the entire brand.

  A potential suit meant her book would be pulled from the shelves. The big-brand collaborations she’d worked so hard to cultivate would automatically cut ties. Her business and livelihood would be gone.

  What would Gabriel think when he discovered she’d been keeping this from him throughout their entire relationship? On top of the awful truth about how she truly felt about being a mother.

  Despite Antonio’s advice, there was no way she could have a full and frank conversation with her husband about that.

  Not now.

  ‘He’d never forgive me,’ she muttered out loud, unbeknownst to herself.

  �
��Who’d never forgive you?’ Gabriel’s smooth voice appeared in her ear then and Kim jumped in her seat. Her husband laughed as he jokingly raised an apologetic arm in the air, their three-year-old’s hand held firmly in the other as they both grinned at her.

  ‘Mommy!’ Lily cried out with a big toothy smile.

  ‘Hey, baby.’ Kim jumped out of the car and went to hug them both.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Gabriel asked. ‘You looked so spooked when we walked up. We didn’t mean to scare you like that. You looked like you were sleeping. I know this whole thing has been wearing you down …’

  He had no idea.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Kim lied. ‘I was just thinking. I didn’t notice you guys walk up.’

  ‘You sure?’ he questioned as he studied her carefully. Her husband knew her as well as anyone, but he also respected when she didn’t want to talk.

  She nodded. ‘Yep. I’m fine.’

  ‘OK. Then pop the trunk and let me get these bags in. You remembered to bring the car seat?’

  Kim put a hand to her mouth. ‘Oh fu—’

  Gabriel shook his head but there was a smile on his face. ‘Lucky I brought a back-up.’ He wrestled with a zip on one of the suitcases and produced a child’s blow-up travel seat.

  Again, Kim felt like the worst mother in the world. Unsure what else to say – what was there to say? – she picked up her daughter and pulled her close for a hug.

  Lily clung to her neck like a limpet, making her feel even guiltier, and combined with the strain she was under and the afternoon heat, Kim felt as if she was suffocating.

  She pulled her daughter’s hands away, gently lifting her into the rear of the car as Gabriel wrestled with the car seat. Once Lily was buckled up, Kim got back in front and he came around to sit beside her in the passenger seat.

  ‘Sure you don’t want me to drive?’ he asked before putting on his seatbelt. ‘You do look pretty beat.’

  ‘I’m sure.’ Kim started the engine, eager to get going, desperate to feel the sea breeze on her face once again to cool her a little.

  ‘Wait a second, slow down.’ Gabriel leaned over to kiss her. ‘I missed you.’

  The sensation of his lips on hers had an immediate calming effect. No one had ever kissed her like he did. His lips were always gentle, never rushed or seeking, but patient when she needed him to be. It was as if he could read her so completely and know just what was necessary at any given moment. She didn’t want to lose that. She didn’t want to lose him.

  Gabriel’s hand remained against her cheek as their lips parted. His thoughtful blue eyes looked at her lovingly.

  ‘I’m here now so talk to me,’ he reassured. ‘I know that things have been stressful and you need an outlet. And I know you think you can do everything alone. Just because we’re separated by an ocean, it doesn’t mean that I’m not there for you. I am. And I always will be.’

  The words were so timely it was a soothing balm to Kim’s panicked heart.

  His brow furrowed as he seemed to realise there really was something other than last-minute launch jitters affecting her mood. ‘Kim, what’s going on?’

  Lily’s hot and bothered cries interrupted the conversation then and Kim was grateful. She didn’t want to answer, couldn’t answer his question just then. She couldn’t tell Gabriel what was going on, not yet. Not when she didn’t really know herself.

  She pushed the button to lift the convertible hood back up and give her daughter some shade.

  ‘Everything’s fine. Let’s get going. Lily needs to rest.’

  Chapter 20

  Then

  ‘Aren’t you getting in? The water’s amazing …’ Colette, her translucent skin dripping in sea water, ran up to where Kim lay on a towel on the beach. She was dressed in a yellow-and-white polka dot swimsuit she’d borrowed from Annie, which really accentuated her figure.

  A week had passed since Kim had found that little journal full of motivational quotes and interesting titbits, and since then she’d been dipping in and out of it, finding more stuff of interest to use for her social media captions.

  And it seemed to be working. Whether it was the photographs or the captions, the new account was getting loads of engagement. Of course the fact that Natasha, who had a huge social media following herself, was interacting with it probably accounted for much of that.

  Kim had to smile when she realised that some of her actual real-life friends from home were now following The Sweet Life account, and she guessed it had to be because of the content, as during their last interaction, Tash had again been sworn to keep Kim’s location secret.

  In the meantime, she had again been in touch with Spencer, calling him from Annie’s mobile phone so as to conceal her location.

  ‘Hey, it’s Kim. I need to talk to you,’ she said as her heart began to race in her chest. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, but she was.

  She was setting herself free.

  ‘I’m sorry but I need to be honest. I won’t be coming to stay with you guys at all this summer. I’m not interested in this so-called arrangement our parents have,’ she blurted out abruptly. ‘I barely know you. I don’t care how much money your folks have or about your titles. I just want to live my own life. I want to be happy. Do you understand?’

  Kim waited for the response. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but what she received surprised her.

  ‘Well, I don’t particularly want this either. I never did.’

  ‘You didn’t?’ Her heart lifted.

  ‘Of course not. I already have a girlfriend, and this whole affair was something your parents and mine hatched together. I must say, I’m glad to hear you’re not so keen either. My mother said you were all for it …’

  Kim’s eyes widened. To think that he believed she was eager to nab him – because of his status. Ugh.

  She was glad now that she’d had the good sense to take off. What kind of women was this guy used to? The kind Kim’s parents thought she was, obviously.

  ‘Well, I hope your folks aren’t too inconvenienced,’ she told him.

  ‘And I hope yours come round.’

  Unlikely, she thought. ‘They’ll get over it.’

  ‘Indeed. Well, thanks for ringing, Kim, and best of luck with … whatever you’re doing,’ Spencer said, before ending the call.

  ‘Thanks.’

  Just what the hell was she doing? Kim wondered now. She stared out at the twinkling water, watching Colette and Annie frolic in the waves.

  The three had decided that it was a perfect day for a trip to the beach. They were at Fornillo, the smaller sister to Spiaggia Grande, the bigger and much more touristy beach in the centre of Positano.

  Up till now, they’d spent their days together wandering through the streets and alleyways of the practically vertical town, and visited some of the other popular tourist sites along the coast, as well as a couple of local art galleries.

  Well, she and Colette did; Annie told them right from the beginning that she wasn’t in the least bit interested in culture or sightseeing, and was far more concerned with getting a tan, which was why she in turn spent most of her days at the villa soaking up the sunshine by the pool.

  But today, Kim and Colette had dragged Annie out, and down the perilous 400-or-so-step descent to the beach. Unlike the soft underfoot of, say, the Hamptons back home, the ‘sand’ at Fornillo consisted primarily of sharp rock pebbles and was volcanic in origin, making it hot as hell to walk on.

  ‘Are you coming in or what?’ Annie chimed in now, as she approached. The brunette was wearing a light pink swimsuit that flattered her hourglass figure.

  Kim looked at her own shape. She knew she was model-thin with a pretty decent body, but Annie had the shape that every woman wanted, and by the looks she was getting from guys on the beach, one that men appreciated, too.

  ‘Must be a real page-turner,’ Colette commented, nodding at the paperback. Kim flinched a little, thinking she’d spotted the little journal slo
tted within the pages, but no, Colette was referring to the thriller she was reading.

  For some reason, Kim hadn’t let the others know about her accidental find at the villa. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to keep the mysterious journal to herself, at least until she’d got through reading it. Then maybe they could ask Valentina, the villa caretaker, who it might belong to. A previous guest, most likely. Or even the villa’s original owner.

  In any case, it was an interesting diversion for Kim and she was more than happy to sit on the beach reading motivational quotes and life lessons while she pondered her next move, namely plucking up the courage to call her parents and confess where she was.

  But the others seemed determined to get her in the water.

  ‘Maybe later,’ she mumbled to Colette. ‘I’m still pretty beat after the trek down here. And last night.’

  The three had hit some of Positano’s hotspots again the night before and it was becoming a bit of a habit. One that Kim would need to nip in the bud if she was to have any cash left to continue funding her great Italian escape.

  ‘I was tired, too, but the saltwater really brushes off the cobwebs.’ Colette shivered a little as a light breeze hit her drenched skin. ‘I’m going back in before I freeze. Coming?’ she said to Annie, who nodded.

  ‘In a bit. Just getting a drink.’ She reached for a bottle of water beneath her things as Colette ran back towards the water.

  ‘I really like her,’ Kim chuckled as she watched Colette tumble into the waves. ‘A real breath of fresh air.’

  ‘So do I. I have to admit, in the beginning, I wasn’t so sure about you, but I was wrong,’ Annie admitted.

  Kim was surprised, not at her candour – she’d learned very quickly that Annie spoke her mind and called it as she saw it – but at the admission itself. ‘Really? Why?’

  She shrugged. ‘Dunno. I suppose I thought you were this stuck-up trust-funder who looked down on people.’

  Kim sat quietly. She hadn’t expected the bluntness, but she would’ve been lying if she said she hadn’t heard the same before. People always thought they knew who she was – the irony was she barely knew herself.