Love, International Style

by Alexia Adams

  “I’m sure that’s not the case,” she tried to placate Leslie.

  “I’m not blind, darling. I see how people look at me. But you know what? It’s all a goddamned show. The drinking, the flirting … I do it in the hope that my own husband will notice me. He hasn’t. Not once said a word. Never said, ‘Leslie, can you please stop grabbing other men’s asses while I’m standing in front of you?’ He can spend hours staring at a pile of rubble and see the potential. But he can’t spend five minutes with me without turning on the TV or checking his phone for messages.”

  Sophia shaded her eyes with her hand. Luca and Chet were on the far hill, surveying the village from a height. Luca had his arms spread wide as though he was embracing the whole valley. The fluttering in her stomach increased. How could she bear not to join him here? How could she not fight for her marriage—give up her dream and follow his?

  And then what will I have when he gets bored with me?

  “Why did you give up your legal career?” She turned her attention back to Leslie. Silent tears were coursing down the American woman’s cheeks. Sophia searched in her bag for a tissue.

  “Chet travels a lot. Scouting out locations for new properties or visiting the ones he already has. I couldn’t go with him as I was up to my eyeballs in work. We were always apart. One day, a trial cancelled at the last minute; the two parties reconciled or something. Anyway, with no case to present, I suddenly had a week free. So I jetted off to join my husband. I didn’t tell him I was coming; it was going to be a surprise. Well, I was the one surprised as I walked in on him in bed with his personal assistant.”

  “I’m so sorry.” It was the lamest thing to say, but she couldn’t think of a more appropriate response.

  “Yeah, so was he. Sorry he got caught. But Chet begged me to give him another chance. Said all the time apart was killing him. So to save my marriage I gave up my career and started following him around the world.”

  “Surely Chet realized the sacrifice you made to be with him.”

  “You’d think, but no. He’s so obsessed with his blasted hotels, they’re more important to him than me. Some days, I wonder if he’d even notice if I left. Do you know the last time my husband made love to me?”

  “I hope that’s a rhetorical question,” Sophia replied.

  Leslie laughed, a bitter, horrible sound that echoed off the broken walls, throwing the sound back to them in shattered waves. “No, really. I was hoping you’d remember. Because I sure as hell don’t.” Her gaze flicked to the two men on the hill. “But I’m guessing you don’t have that problem. Yet.”

  No, Luca was an incredible lover. Always making sure she was satisfied first, bringing her to the edge of ecstasy time and again until she begged him to take her. He liked hearing her scream his name as she climaxed. Except last night. She thought he’d forgone the lovemaking in deference to her pretend headache. But what if it was the excitement of being so close to his precious deal that made him want to bask in that glow instead?

  “Maybe you could convince him to take some time off. You two could reconnect. Talk,” Sophia suggested.

  “Trust me, I’ve tried. But there’s always one more building, one more site, one more whatever. It never ends. Business is his passion.”

  “Are you going to go back to the law?”

  “Who wants to hire a washed-up fifty-eight-year-old lawyer with a drinking problem? No, the best I can hope for is Chet settles one of his beachfront houses on me. Then I can hire a pool boy who won’t mind me ogling him as he skims the palm fronds from the water.”

  “That doesn’t sound fair.”

  “It’s not. I gambled my career on my marriage and lost both.”

  Sophia leaned over the wall and threw up her breakfast.

  • • •

  Luca could fly down the hill. He couldn’t wait to tell Sophia. Chet had decided on Teramo and wanted construction to begin as soon as the contracts were signed. Castellioni’s was going to be the biggest restoration firm in Italy. And this was just the beginning.

  He slowed to keep pace with the older man.

  “You have a classy wife,” Chet said. It was the first personal remark Luca had heard the other man say.

  “Yes, we are very happy.”

  “Well, I hope you can make it last. Leslie used to be classy.”

  There was no reply to that.

  When they finally made it back to the village, Luca searched for Sophia. He’d seen her sat on a wall chatting to Leslie, but now she was nowhere to be found.

  “If you’re looking for Sophia, she’s laying down in the truck.” Leslie appeared from behind a bush, squeezing some hand sanitizer into her palm.

  “Is she okay?” Luca didn’t wait for the answer and jogged back to where he’d parked the Land Rover.

  As he got closer he could see the passenger seat reclined, both front doors open for some cross-breeze. Her eyes were closed, her breathing soft and gentle. Another wave of warmth filled his chest. He didn’t want to wake her but needed to know if she was all right.

  “Sophia?” He caressed her cheek. As her green eyes fluttered open he sucked in a breath. She was so beautiful.

  “Hi.” Her voice sounded raw and her face was blotchy. Had she been crying?

  “Are you sick? Shall I take you back to the hotel?”

  “No, I’m okay. Just needed to lay down. The sun is really powerful in the valley, and I forgot my hat.”

  He wasn’t convinced that was all that was wrong but couldn’t challenge her here. Chet and Leslie were about five meters away. “I have a surprise for you. Are you sure you are all right to keep going?”

  She smiled, a faint replica of her usual full mega-watt grin. His chest tightened again.

  “Feeling better, darling?” Leslie’s saccharine endearment made his skin crawl.

  “Yes, thank you, Leslie. Luca has a surprise for us. Are you all done here?”

  “Yup. It’s going to be the most amazing hotel in my portfolio. Your husband is a visionary, Sophia. If this turns out half as good as he says, I see a bright future for our two companies.”

  Sophia swallowed at Chet’s announcement. “Yes, he’s brilliant. He sees the potential in things that others miss.” She put the chair back into its upright position and exited the vehicle. “I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next.”

  She resumed her seat in the back and Chet climbed in the front. Luca tried to check on her through the rear-view mirror but she kept her head turned to the side, looking out the window. He wished he hadn’t arranged for the surprise now. Sophia looked like she could do with some downtime away from Leslie … and he could do with some private time with his wife.

  The road grew more rutted as he drove. There was no way a regular car would make it down here. He made a mental note to order some gravel before construction got underway. After twenty minutes he finally pulled up in front of a two-story stone cottage, set against the hillside. He shut off the engine and the only sound to be heard was the trickle of a waterfall and birds singing in the trees.

  “What’s this?” Leslie asked.

  Luca turned around in his seat to see Sophia’s face. “This is the house I rented, in case Chet and I were able to come to an agreement. One of the restaurants in Teramo has prepared a meal for us. Come, this is my surprise.”

  Sophia stared out the windscreen at the house then did a long, slow blink. The kind of blink that said she wasn’t sure what he expected her to say. After two months of marriage, he was finally learning her tells. He could almost see her acting mask slip back into place.

  She got out of the Land Rover and stood beside him. Luca tried to see the cottage through her eyes. It was a bit sad looking, not having been lived in for over a year. But the gardeners and cleaners he’d hired had tidied the place nicely. The curtains and windows were clean, and the bramble had been cut back from the path. With a fresh coat of paint on the shutters and a little maintenance here and there, it would be a cozy ho
me for the two of them.

  “What do you think?” he finally asked, unable to bear her silence any longer.

  “It looks charming,” she said, with only a slight hitch in her voice.

  “Did you say there was food? I’m starving.” Leslie’s voice grated down his spine.

  “Yes, of course. Please follow me.” Luca led them around the side of the house to where a picnic table had been set up. A white-coated man stood at attention, sweeping away the lids covering the food as they arrived. A young woman appeared from inside the house, carrying a tray with glasses of chilled Prosecco.

  “I’ll say one thing about you Italians, you sure know how to eat,” Leslie said as she snagged a glass of the sparkling wine.

  Sophia declined the wine when offered and asked for a glass of water instead.

  “Are you sure you are all right?” Luca put a finger under her chin and examined her face. She was a little pale, but the smile she gave him was a bit more real.

  “Yes, of course. I just don’t feel like wine so early in the day,” she said quietly, her eyes darting toward Leslie.

  “Chet, Leslie, do you mind starting? I want to show Sophia the cottage.”

  “Of course, go right ahead,” Chet answered. He picked up a plate and loaded it with olives, pickled mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and cheeses.

  Luca took Sophia’s hand in his and led her into the cottage. Sheltered by the mountain behind, it was cooler than outside. He glanced around, pleased that the place appeared neat and clean. The cottage had a rustic charm he was sure the designer in Sophia could appreciate.

  “I know it is tiny compared to the villa. As it is just the two of us, I did not think we really needed a lot of room.” He stared at her face, waiting for some indication of what she was thinking.

  “It’s very pretty. It’s nice how they’ve kept all the original features.”

  “One family has owned it for 200 years. They do not want to sell, but neither does anyone want to live here, so it is available for as long as we want.”

  She pulled her hand out of his and wandered over to the stone sink, running her finger along its bumpy surface in a long caress.

  “If you want, I can hire a cook and gardener to come from Teramo.”

  She raised her eyes to his but still didn’t say anything. A shimmer of dampness appeared and she quickly blinked it away. He was such an idiot. She wasn’t well. He should have taken her back to the hotel, not sprung this surprise on her.

  “Come upstairs, I think you will like the view from the bedroom.”

  He took her hand in his again and led the way up the narrow stone steps. If he carried her to bed he’d have to be very careful not to bump her head. Of course, with no one around for miles, they didn’t necessarily have to wait until they made it to the bedroom to enjoy each other.

  Sophia stuck her head through the doorway of the two small bedrooms. The furniture upstairs had been in such bad shape that he’d had the owner’s permission to get rid of it. He figured Sophia would enjoy finding new pieces. Even though it was only a temporary home, she’d probably feel better if she could stamp some of her own personality on it, as she’d done with the villa, which now had the heart and soul it had been lacking before she’d come to live there.

  “This is the master bedroom,” Luca said as he flung open a door at the end of the small hallway. It had probably been two or even three rooms originally, judging by the ceiling. But at some time in the past fifty years, it had been turned into a cozy room with attached bathroom. “Come look at the claw-foot tub. I thought you would enjoy that.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered at last.

  Luca pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and rubbed his hands up and down her back until he felt her relax.

  “We will come back tomorrow, or next week, when you are feeling better. Then we can look for some furniture, and new curtains, and anything else you think we need. I want you to be happy here, Sophia. Whatever it takes, it is yours.”

  She clung to him tightly for a few more minutes, and his heart rate accelerated. He’d never seen her like this. Even when she’d told him of her family and her past, she’d been more animated.

  Her stomach rumbled, and he gave himself another mental kick up the ass. He was making a disaster of this husband role. “You must be starving. We can eat now and discuss all that needs to be done later.”

  He led her back down the stairs and out into the sunshine. Three empty glasses of wine sat on the tray, and Chet still had his next to him. What had happened to Leslie that she’d gone from classy to trashy?

  “Sit here, amore. I will get you a plate.” He hurried over to the buffet and picked out her favorites.

  She gave him a warm smile as he handed her the plate and he managed a deep breath, the pressure in his chest releasing a little. He still hadn’t shown her the cottage’s best feature, and he was trying to decide whether to wait until the Wilkinses weren’t with them or show them all after lunch.

  Sophia picked at her food but downed three glasses of water. After everyone said they were done eating, Luca stood.

  “I have one more surprise. If you do not mind a little walk after eating, follow me.”

  He took Sophia’s hand and made sure to slow his walk so she didn’t get out of breath. It was the perfect day to show her the view. They wound their way through a forested path. A small bridge spanned a creek, which tumbled over some rocks further down in a picturesque waterfall near the house. He’d make sure there was a comfortable chair there for Sophia to read in.

  After about ten minutes, the trees thinned and they emerged onto a little plateau. A slate terrace and a pergola covered in roses graced the center. They all wandered over and stared at the view. In the far distance the blue Aegean Sea shimmered in the early-summer sunshine. But it was the magnificent view of the medieval village they would be turning into a world-class spa hotel that was the real prize.

  “See, from here you will be able to watch as we turn the past into the future. I plan to take a photo every day when it is not raining and create a slideshow of our progress.”

  “What a great idea,” Chet said. “It will make great marketing material.”

  “The view is beautiful,” Sophia agreed.

  Leslie huffed. “I’m sure Rapunzel said the same thing when she looked out of her tower.”

  Chapter 14

  Sophia leaned her head against the cool tile wall of the hotel bathroom, hoping to quell the rising nausea. Luca and Chet had gone off to a meeting with the regional planning committee to discuss the restoration of the village and its transformation into a hotel complex. They didn’t expect any opposition to their plans as the tax revenue and local employment benefits were substantial. Leslie had pleaded a headache and decided to stay in the hotel, so Sophia had been relieved of her chaperone duties.

  Now she could vomit in peace, without Luca hovering over her. He’d been really sweet at the cottage, almost carrying her down the hill in the end. And for the drive back to Teramo, he’d insisted that she sit up front with him, relegating the billionaire Chet to the backseat, next to his wife.

  Sophia had pretended to sleep while Luca and Chet discussed the initial construction phase. They were going to start with the smallest houses, which were to serve as accommodation for the workers while they rebuilt the larger structures. She and Luca were to live at the cottage for at least the first year, although Chet acknowledged that Luca had other projects that would require his attention so he didn’t need to be onsite every day. Luca already had someone who would take over from him in Milan, dealing with the day-to-day business aspects of his company.

  Next they talked about other places in Italy and southern France where they could possibly replicate the project. At that point, Sophia stopped listening. Leslie was right. There was always one more deal.

  Her mother’s pinched face loomed before her mind. The disillusion, the drudger
y, the despair of giving up on her dreams had haunted Janice Stevens until there was no light left within her to shine on her children. Sophia couldn’t, wouldn’t let that happen to her. But could she really be so selfish as to pursue her dream at the cost of Luca’s? Isabella had said that she put her husband’s happiness before her own, knowing that he did the same. If it was always the one person giving up their happiness, however, could the marriage last? And would Luca soon lose interest in her, as Chet had done with Leslie, if she had nothing to bring to the relationship?

  The turmoil of her thoughts echoed in her stomach.

  Her mobile phone rang in the other room and she hurried to answer it, although if it was Luca, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to speak to him just yet.

  “Ciao, Isabella,” Sophia said, seeing her friend’s name on the call display.

  “Sophia, I have the great news. But first, did Luca get the job?”

  “Yes. He is meeting with the officials now to get started on the paperwork.”

  “You do not sound happy.” Trust Isabella to pick up on that hundreds of kilometers away when her husband hadn’t been able to work it out while standing in the same tiny room in a cottage.

  “It means Luca has to move down here for at least a year, probably two.” Sophia’s stomach roiled again and she took a drink of water.

  “Oh, I see. Then that makes my news of no matter.”

  “What’s your news?”

  “You remember my friend from school who works with a company that rents houses to English tourists?”

  “Yes, we met her at lunch a few days ago.”

  “Well, her company is looking to redecorate all twenty of their properties. They want to combine local Italian features with some English style so the guests will feel more at home. She wants us to bid on the contract. She believes you will be a top contender to be the chief designer as you know both cultures. But if you will not be living in the area … ” The excitement in Isabella’s voice faded away.

  “How much is the contract worth?” she swallowed again.

  “Fifty thousand euros. And that would be just our commission. The total budget for the redecoration is 200,000.” Her dream come true. Dare she take it?