Broken Truth

by Beth Ashworth

  “Ciao Bella,” Marco said as he leaned in to kiss Charlie on both cheeks. “I hope you enjoy your time in Milan.”

  Charlie kept her eyes trained on the back of Marco as he made his way towards a private exit at the arrivals terminal rather than the main doorway everyone else appeared to be exiting through. Once he was out of sight, she turned towards her trolley and placed her handbag on top. Pulling out her mobile phone she flicked through her emails to find the details Imogen had sent her earlier. Refreshing herself on the instructions, she now knew that she had to locate her new roommate, Sophia, in the arrivals terminal.

  Pushing her trolley through the double doors into the main airport waiting area, Charlie scanned the various signs people were holding. She worked her way up the line until she finally spotted a tall, slim, blonde girl around early twenties holding a sign with her name emblazoned in purple lettering across the front.

  “Sophia?” Charlie approached the young girl nervously. She watched as Sophia focused on her, a wide smile stretching across her mouth.

  “You must be Charlie. I am so pleased to finally meet you,” Sophia gushed as she rushed forward and pulled her into a quick embrace. “I have heard nothing but wonderful things about you and I am very excited to be roommates for the next few months.”

  “Oh, you are English?” Charlie looked at her with slight surprise as she took in the young girl’s similar accent. She couldn’t recall Imogen ever mentioning that Sophia was also from the UK.

  Sophia bounced up and down on her toes excitedly. “Yep, I’m from Birmingham in the Midlands.”

  Charlie nodded as she finally placed the Brummy accent she could hear. “That’s it. That’s the accent I could hear,” she smiled.

  Sophia beamed. “I know right? Birmingham just has one of those accents that everyone remembers. But, to answer the question I can see burning away on your brain... I am half British and half Italian. I was born and raised in the UK, but I recently moved over to Milan around a year ago to be nearer to my grandparents.”

  Certainly from first impressions, Charlie thought she looked Italian. There was just something special and exotic about the way Sophia looked.

  “Okay, I guess we’d better make a move,” Sophia said, casting a glance at her mobile phone. “You need to unpack and get settled before work tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Charlie lifted her eyebrows.

  “Oh don’t worry, you won’t be working straight away. Boutiques in Milan rarely open on a Sunday unless there is a big event. They just requested you in the boutique so that they can start showing you around the place and stuff.” Sophia shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “You know, just to show you the ropes and get the paperwork filed before business on Monday. Then after work we have to get you registered with the local police station and town hall so that we can get your details in the system for employment.”

  “It’s a good job you know what needs to be done,” Charlie laughed.

  “That’s what I’m here for,” Sophia replied, nudging her out of the way to push her trolley.

  Thirty

  Waking up in her modest sized bedroom in the apartment she was now sharing with Sophia, Charlie put on her glasses and looked out of the window. She smiled to herself as her eyes took in the gorgeous city of Milan; a truly a breathtaking sight to see in the morning.

  “Knock! Knock!”

  Charlie sat up in bed as Sophia casually popped her head around the door.

  “Did you sleep alright,” she asked as she crossed the room to sit on the edge of Charlie’s bed.

  “Perfect. Thank you,” Charlie lied.

  It had been possibly one of the worst nights sleep she had endured since her breakup from Callum. She wasn’t sure whether it was the overfriendly banter with Marco at the airport or the extremely vivid dream she had while on the plane. Either way, Charlie had spent the best part of last night tossing and turning until sleep finally took pity on her exhaustion.

  “What time do we have to leave?” Charlie glanced around the room realising that she couldn’t see what time it was. She knew that they were expected at work early from what Sophia had told her yesterday, so she didn’t want to be late.

  “We have, like, an hour,” she replied, stretching her arms lazily above her head. “Did you want any help picking out something to wear? You know, with it being your sort of first day and all.”

  “That sounds like fun,” Charlie smiled, pushing the covers away from her body and getting out of bed. She hoped that clothes and work would help take her mind away from the one thing that plagued her continuously.

  Walking over to the fitted wardrobe, Charlie opened the louvre doors wide to accommodate space for the both of them. Thankfully she and Sophia had plenty of time last night to unpack and get things organised.

  “I think I know what you should wear,” Sophia squeaked, nudging her out of the way so that she could gain access. She flicked through the hangers until she found what she was after. “This,” she said, pulling out a fitted black and cream optical illusion dress. “This dress is the absolute shit. I noticed it when we were unpacking last night and I instantly fell in love. I think you should wear this today,” Sophia proudly advised as she passed her the hanger.

  Charlie held up the hanger and eyed the dress warily. She was right, it was a gorgeous dress, but she just wasn’t sure if it was too much for her first day. She wanted to make a good first impression, just not the kind that stayed on a person’s mind for the wrong reason.

  “You don’t like it?” Charlie guiltily watched as Sophia’s face fell.

  “No, it isn’t that. I think the dress is absolutely stunning as I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise in the first place. I’m just kind of on the fence as to whether I should wear it for a first day?”

  Sophia’s mouth formed a small O as she looked at the dress from Charlie’s perspective. “I totally get it,” she said, turning her attention back to the rows of hangers. “But, I still think you should wear something sexy.”

  Looking at the determination spread across Sophia’s face, Charlie sighed knowing that she wasn’t going to get away with wearing a moderately covered trouser suit today.

  “Holy shit. I feel like I have just stepped into the middle of high profile magazine shoot,” Charlie said, her mouth gaping open wide at the street Sophia had just navigated them down. She took in the breathtaking window displays that lined each and every building along the street with awe. It was a never ending parade of glass, lights and high fashion - she was in paradise.

  Sophia chuckled beside her. “Welcome to the Quadrilatero della moda or The Golden Rectangle as called by the locals. This is Milan’s main fashion district which has been deemed one of the most important shopping areas in the world.” She gestured with her hand towards the many streets that led into the centre of the quadrilateral shape. “In this particular area you will find that many of the world’s high profile fashion houses have boutiques-” Sophia paused suddenly and turned towards an extraordinary window display featuring a theme of black and chrome. “And this... This is our little home.”

  Charlie couldn’t help but let her jaw drop a little further as she took in the upper class shop front before her. She felt completely lost for words. There was no way that this was where she was working for the next six months. Everything just looked so large and shiny and new.

  “What do you think?”

  She turned to face Sophia, her face a mixture of shock and awe.

  “It hasn’t been open long, but already everyone that works here is like a family,” Sophia explained as she squeezed Charlie’s shoulder. “Are you ready to go in and meet them?”

  Charlie gulped nervously, but nodded her head in agreement as she followed Sophia through the doors of the boutique.

  The sudden chorus of welcomes startled Charlie somewhat as she took in her new surroundings and the people in it with amazement.

  “Buongiorno signorina!”

  “Ciao Sophia!”<
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  While she continued her visual exploration, Charlie heard Sophia conversing between the other employees in Italian. Although her pronunciation was amazing, Charlie could still hear the British twang in her accent which she found to be a comforting and reassuring sound.

  “Ahhhhh, so she is English like you?”

  Charlie’s eyes snapped up as Sophia placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Yes, she is. She is from a little further up north than I am, but still from England.”

  Charlie studied the young Italian man before her with piqued interest. Firstly, she noticed the unusual shade of mahogany coloured hair that had been spiked up artistically on the top of his head. Secondly, she was drawn towards the captivating russet colour of his eyes and the way that the dark brown and reddish-orange tints gleamed with unintentional seduction. Lastly, she took in his olive coloured skin and the way it complemented beautifully with the colours in his hair and eyes.

  “Buongiorno, my name is Emilio,” he smiled, holding out his hand towards her.

  “Charlie,” she replied, delicately placing her hand in his. She gasped as he unexpectedly lifted it to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss against her knuckles with a cheeky wink.

  “Oh my,” she mumbled, stepping backwards to seek safety where Sophia was stood. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable with the whole situation and how affectionate all of the Italian men she had encountered seemed to be.

  “Don’t worry about Emilio,” Sophia discreetly whispered. “He is like that with everyone he meets, but he is completely committed to his girlfriend and baby daughter.”

  Charlie laughed nervously and cast her gaze to the other side of the boutique. She admired the internal features along with the modern and clean vibe the place gave off as a whole. She knew looking around that she was going to enjoy working here and learning from everybody.

  “Emilio, is he here yet? I wanted to introduce Charlie this morning,” Sophia asked, flicking her eyes behind him towards what Charlie would assume to be the backroom and offices.

  “Si, he arrived and he is in his office, but be warned, he is still tired from his trip,” Emilio replied, nodding his head towards the direction Sophia’s eyes had earlier travelled. “You will like him,” he smiled knowingly in Charlie’s direction.

  “Faccia silenzio,” Sophia snapped, pushing past Emilio with Charlie following quickly in tow. “Stupid men,” she muttered as she rolled her eyes.

  She followed Sophia through the shop floor until they paused outside of a large chrome coloured metal door. Instantly, she knew that she was being introduced to the boss of the establishment. A small knot gently formed in the pit of her stomach as she ran her hands down the length of the skater style dress Sophia had forced upon her this morning.

  “Mi Scusi,” Sophia said, gently rapping on the metal door.

  “Si?”

  Sophia pushed open the door to reveal a small but contemporary looking office space. A black and stainless steel sofa sat across one wall whereas a black coloured desk made from glass sat opposite. She noticed the desk was filled with various papers and a sleek laptop that its owner was hurriedly typing onto.

  Nervously flicking her eyes up to the gentleman sat at the desk, Charlie’s stomach plummeted. “Marco,” she spoke quietly.

  Sophia looked between both Charlie and her boss in confusion. “Do you both know each other?”

  A smile fluttered briefly across Marco’s lips as he registered the girl stood before him. “Charlie,” he murmured, gesturing towards the sofa for the two girls to sit. He waited until they were both comfortable before continuing, “Now I didn’t expect the Charlie I met yesterday at the airport to be the Charlotte who will be working with us for the next six months.” He flicked his gaze up and down the length of her body before settling back at her eyes.

  Charlie felt her face begin to flush as an unpleasant heat started circling throughout her body. She placed her hands in the centre of her lap and tried to ignore the growing moisture on her palms.

  “Marco...” Sophia interrupted his lingering gaze. “I will have all of the necessary paperwork arranged for Charlie. Would it be acceptable to leave them on your desk to be signed? I assume she will be allowed to work from tomorrow?” Sophia shot him a questioning glare as he continued his visual assault. “Marco,” she pressed with annoyance.

  He shook his head slightly and turned towards Sophia. “Si, Charlotte will be acceptable to work from tomorrow. We will be open from tomorrow afternoon as there is a board meeting in the morning that you will all be required to attend. I will see you tomorrow,” he replied, waving his hand dismissively towards them.

  Charlie shot up immediately, taking that as the perfect cue for her to leave. As she hurried through the metal door, she realised Sophia was not following. “I’ll be a moment,” Sophia called as the door closed in front of Charlie’s face.

  She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was glad to be away from Marco’s scrutiny. As much she was looking forward to her new adventure, she feared for the interest and affection she was going to receive.

  Within the space of twenty four hours, she had shamelessly been flirted with by two men. It was an uncomfortable feeling knowing how upset Callum would have been had he seen her interactions on both of those occasions.

  She knew that she would have to stick to her guns here. She vowed that she wasn’t going to let anyone close enough to hurt her again. Meeting a man whilst in Milan was certainly not on her agenda at the moment.

  Thirty One

  “Did you want to talk about what happened last night?”

  Charlie lifted her finger and traced it around the rim of her cup with a sigh. She really didn’t want to talk about last night’s antics, but decided that Sophia deserved an explanation or at least a warning for future reference. “I really didn’t mean to wake you,” Charlie apologised. “It’s just...” She trailed off at the sight of a young couple entering the small coffee shop. She watched as they made their way past the table she and Sophia had occupied. Their eyes didn’t falter once from each other’s gaze.

  Threading her fingers through the handle of her cup, Charlie lifted it to her lips and took a sip of her tea. She was so absorbed in the interactions between the two people that she didn’t hear Sophia’s concerned comments across the table.

  Instead, she watched the way the gentleman placed a protective arm around the woman’s shoulders and pulled her close as they queued to order. She watched the way the woman looked up into the eyes of the man she loved. The adoration and love was evident and splashed across both of their faces. Unknowingly, Charlie’s fingers tightened around the cup in her hands as she watched the gentleman place two fingers under the woman’s chin and tenderly place a kiss across her smiling lips.

  “Charlie,” Sophia snapped impatiently. “What are you doing? Why are you eyeing up that couple over there?”

  Charlie’s eyelids fluttered slightly before she turned towards the concerned face of her roommate. It was an expression she had grown used to over the past few weeks as she had seen it on many occasions from Amelia and Lucy. It was a look of confusion, but also concern.

  “It’s nothing, they just caught my attention is all,” she said, fumbling through her response. She was still wary of making a full disclosure of everything to Sophia. After all they had only known each other for a few days, so the last thing she wanted to do was dump all of her problems and worries on the young girl.

  “So come on,” Sophia pressed. “You were about to tell me about why you woke me up with your loud moans and orgasmic screams at four in the morning.” She propped her elbows onto the table and rested her fists under her chin. “I’m interested,” she smirked.

  “Thanks,” Charlie muttered with a roll of her eyes. “You really know how to make someone feel even more embarrassed than they already do.”

  “Spill!”

  “Alright, alright,” Charlie said, releasing her iron grip around her cup. “I’ve been having dream
s about a part of my life that I’m finding really hard to let go of,” she confessed. “Although the dreams I have been having are good, they still affect me deeply because of who they are about.”

  Sensing her obvious discomfort, Sophia stretched her hand across the table. “It sounds like the next ten minutes are going to be angst filled.”

  “They are.”

  Charlie proceeded to explain the dreams she had been having the past few nights since landing in Milan. She felt good being able to talk it through with someone in the absence of Amelia and Lucy. For that, she found herself growing closer with her new and younger roommate.

  “It will be okay,” Sophia reassured after hearing her divulge on the past few weeks of her life at home.

  Charlie could tell that Sophia was feeling uncomfortable as her story regarding the heartbreak she endured in London along with the persistence of her lying, heartbroken lover continued. She could see it in the way her eyes held hers. They were caring and full of sympathy for the trauma she had experienced.

  “Right, that’s enough about me. When do we have to be in work?” Charlie pulled her mobile phone out of her bag to light up her home screen.

  “The board meeting starts in ten minutes, so we have to hurry,” Sophia giggled as she picked up her bag from the floor and slung it over her shoulder.

  Trying to tread quietly in the nude court shoes she wore, Charlie followed behind Sophia as they made their way towards the boardroom. She knew that they weren’t late, but the eerie quietness around the boutique had them both trying to minimise their steps.

  Sophia paused outside of another metal door similar to the one they entered yesterday for Marco’s office. “Are you ready to meet the whole team,” she asked, bracing her hand on the door’s smooth surface. This time, she didn’t knock before entering. Instead, she pushed the door open wide to reveal a long glass meeting table in black that was surrounded by ten black and chrome coloured seats. At one of the end of the room, a large projection screen and computer dominated, whereas the presence of Marco at the opposite end and a large stainless steel clock hanging above his head dominated the other side.