by Krista Lakes
“I can't imagine,” Sabrina said, rubbing the tops of his hands affectionately. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“Me too,” he said, gazing into her eyes. A flicker of a smile touched his lips. “But getting it off of my chest actually made me feel a tiny bit better.”
“Are you and your dad close?” she asked.
Marco nodded, as a tear slid down his cheek. “Yes. Very close. I look up to him for everything. He's the one person in my life that I know would have my back no matter what.”
“He sounds like a great guy,” Sabrina said, still touching the top of Marco's hands.
Even though the news was terrible, she enjoyed the fact that Marco was opening up to her. His vulnerability made him even more attractive to Sabrina. Marco was man enough to cry.
“My father is an amazing human being,” Marco said, blinking away a few more tears as they filled his eyes. “I pray that everything turns out okay for him.”
Sabrina nodded and then sat back in her chair, breaking her touch from Marco. She wanted to hug him and hold him in his time of need, but was still unsure where the line was with their professional relationship.
“You said his surgery is next month?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes,” Marco said, as he aimlessly pushed his food around the plate in front of him. “Only a few weeks away.”
“I'm assuming that changes things regarding your vacation,” she said, feeling her heart sink at the thought.
It was selfish, but this job was her one shot at making enough money to go to college. If it was cut short, there's no way she'd make enough. She'd be stuck back in Memphis, getting a waitress job. Her dreams of freedom would vanish.
“I hate to say it, but yes, my vacation plans have changed,” he said. “It's getting cut short. I'd still like to travel to Hawaii, but after a week there I'm afraid I'll have to head home. I need to be there when my father goes to surgery.”
Sabrina nodded understandingly, but didn't know what to say. She felt horrible for Marco, but was devastated for her own reasons at the same time.
“I'll be here to help until you leave,” she said, with an assuring smile.
“You're so sweet,” Marco said. “I understand that you need the money from this job and I'm not going to let my father's illness affect us both. So even though you won't be working the full length of time that we had agreed upon, I want you to know that I'm going to pay you in full regardless.”
Sabrina's jaw dropped so hard that it practically hit the top of the table. It was the most generous offer anyone had ever extended her.
“Are you serious?” she asked. “You're going to pay me for the whole summer, even though I'll only be helping you for a few weeks?”
Marco nodded. “I'm a man of my word, Sabrina. And like I said, I won't let my problems have an ill effect on your life as well. It's not your fault that I must return home early.”
Sabrina teared up, overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Thank you so much, Marco,” she said. “Seriously, thank you.”
“It is I who should be thanking you,” he replied. “I feel like a ton of stones has been lifted from my shoulders. I appreciate you listening.”
“I appreciate you telling me what's going on,” she said. “I want you to know how sorry I am to hear about your dad, but if he's anything like you, I'm positive that he'll be fine. He sounds like a strong person.”
Marco took a sip from his coffee. “Yes, I think you're right. He'll be fine. In fact, I'm probably more upset about this whole thing than he is. He's probably sitting back, reading a book and not even worried about it. Meanwhile, I'm over here in the States losing my mind.”
Sabrina chuckled, relieved that the mood between them had lifted some. Still, though, there were so many emotions inside of her. She was happy that the money situation wouldn't change for her, but also saddened that the trip would be ending much sooner than expected. She was really enjoying getting to know Marco, and had been looking forward to a long summer with him. Now all she had was a few rushed weeks.
Maybe it's for the best, she thought. Maybe a short trip will keep me from getting into trouble with Marco. God knows it would only be a matter of time before I fell for him. I mean, my first night drinking with him and I try to kiss him. Who know what three months could have brought.
The two ate in silence for a few minutes. They only got about halfway through their beignets before looking up at each other.
“I might have to save the rest of this for later,” Sabrina said. “My stomach still isn't one hundred perfect from the alcohol last night.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Marco said. “Next time we'll get drinks that don't have so much sugar in them. I'd wager a guess that it's part of the reason we're not feeling so well this morning.”
They stood up from the table and Sabrina ran inside to get a couple of to-go containers. She came back out and boxed up their food and then faced Marco. His dark eyes were sad and her heart swelled as she looked at him.
He's a rich, Mediterranean playboy. But underneath all of that, he's just an amazingly sensitive guy, she thought.
She couldn't help herself. The pain on his face made her do it. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a deep hug, squeezing him as tightly as she could. He responded well, embracing her affectionately.
“I'm sorry you're struggling, Marco,” she said. “Truly.”
Sabrina realized that she had nothing in common with Marco. He was rich, she was poor. He was worldly, she was sheltered. He was everything she was not. And yet, something inside of him felt familiar to her. Something about him felt like home. It was safe and comfortable, and resonated with the most passionate parts of her being. Maybe they weren't so different after all.
They held each other in embrace for only a few moments, before a bright flash filled Sabrina's vision. At first, she thought it must have been the sun's reflection off of a car's windshield. But when she looked over and focused her eyes, she saw a man in a flannel shirt standing near the edge of the patio. He was holding a giant, expensive-looking camera. It was in front of his face as he pressed the button on top, causing it to flash again. Immediately after, he glanced over to a nearby woman, who was holding a similar type of camera.
“Hey, it really is him!” the man shouted, clicking his camera furiously.
Within seconds, the woman had joined him. They were blatantly taking pictures of Sabrina and Marco. They seemed to have no shame at all.
“We need to get out of here,” Marco said, grabbing Sabrina's hand. “Come on, let's hurry.”
Marco pulled Sabrina away from the patio before she fully realized what was happening. Her hip hit the table, causing the to-go boxes to spill onto the concrete. The extra powdered sugar on their beignets exploded into a dust cloud.
Good thing I'm wearing tennis shoes, she thought, as she squeezed Marco's hand and quickened her pace, leaving the beignets behind.
The two ran as fast as they could down the sidewalk, away from the cameras. Sabrina had no clue where the people had come from or how they had found out that Marco was at the coffee shop. He'd been wearing his hat and sunglasses, but apparently it hadn't been enough to disguise him from the invasive eyes of the paparazzi. She wondered yet again who he was that other people knew who he was. She wished she could just look him up rather than staying true to her contract, but that wasn't her.
Her adrenaline was pumping. It wasn't like they were in physical danger. But regardless, they were most certainly being chased and that was enough to set off her survival instincts. Her chest burned and her pupils became pinpoints.
“Marco, our hotel is right here,” Sabrina panted, still running. “Should we go in?”
“No, no,” he said. “That won't work. We can't let them know where I'm staying. Just keep running.”
Sabrina glanced over her shoulder to find that the strangers were gaining on them. She couldn't believe how fast they could run, especially considering t
he cameras they carried.
Valetta wasn't joking when she said the paparazzi was serious, she thought. I had no idea.
“Marco, we have to hurry,” she said, speeding up her pace even further. “They're catching up”
Marco dropped Sabrina's hand. Then the two of them turned their run into an all-out sprint, giving it everything they had to get away from the camera-carrying strangers that followed them. They got to the end of the block and then turned the corner. Halfway down was an alley way.
“Come on,” he said. “Follow me.”
They made their way down the sidewalk and to the entrance of the alley. Once there, Marco grabbed Sabrina's hand and pulled her into it.
“We can lose them in here,” he said, his words broken up by his panting. “We need to hide for a moment.”
Sabrina glanced behind her as she followed Marco into the alleyway. The paparazzi hadn't turned the corner yet, so if they could get hidden in the alley, there was a chance that they wouldn't be found. The only problem was that there didn't seem to be any great placed to hide, with the exception of a lonely green dumpster.
“Where do we go?” Sabrina asked, panic stricken.
Marco walked quickly, leading Sabrina down the dimly lit alley. On either side of them were towering high-rises, which shaded the area. It had probably been years since that concrete had seen actual sunlight.
“Over here,” Marco said.
There was a doorway into one of the buildings. He tried the door, but it was locked. It didn't matter, though. The doorway was indented a foot or so into the wall of the building, just enough space for the two of them to step into. It was tight, but they didn't have much of a choice.
“Come here,” he said, pulling Sabrina toward him.
She scooted as closely as possible, shrinking up so as to limit the possibility of being seen from the street. Her face was pressed against Marco's muscular chest, which rose and fell in cadence with his breathing. She could hear his heartbeat as it pounded against his rib cage. The sweet smell of his sweat mixed with his cologne filled her nose.
Outside of the alley, they heard the footsteps of the paparazzi approach and then slow down to a stop.
“Where in the hell did they go?” the man asked, his voice echoing down the quiet alleyway to where Sabrina and Marco were huddled.
“I don't know,” the woman responded. “I don't see them down here. They must have gone further down the road. We'll catch them, we just need to hurry.”
Sabrina held her breath until the footsteps of their pursuers faded away. Then she looked up at Marco, who was still holding her close. He looked back, flashing a playful smile of relief.
“That was close,” he whispered. “I believe they're gone now, though. Hopefully anyway.”
Sabrina took a moment to catch her breath. She didn't release Marco, though. She didn't want to. Standing there next to him made her feel safe.
“Are you sure they're gone?” she asked.
Marco poked his head out into the alley and looked both ways. “I don't see them.”
“I never thought I'd say something like this, but thank God for this sketchy alleyway,” Sabrina said, still speaking quietly out of fear that the paparazzi might be nearby.
Marco laughed softly and nodded in agreement. His hands were still clamped firmly onto the top of Sabrina's hips. It was as though neither of them really wanted to leave that spot. Their eyes were locked and they were embraced like a loving couple.
“I have no idea how they found out we were at that coffee shop,” she said, lifting a hand and pushed her hair back over her ear. “I need to be more careful.”
“It's not your fault,” Marco said. “These things happen. Besides, I had intended on going for a morning jog anyway. It appears that I just got that chore out of the way.”
Sabrina smiled, her eyes fixated on Marco. They were silent for a moment. The only sound in the alley was their breathing, which was slowly dropping to a normal rate.
What happened next was something that Sabrina couldn't have predicted. Marco, with his hands still on her sides, leaned in and brought his lips to hers. She froze, as the entire world faded into oblivion and the only thing left was the two of them. Her lips were stiff at first, as she was not expecting the kiss. But Marco didn't break away and within a second, Sabrina relaxed.
His soft lips were pressed against hers in the most passionate embrace she had ever felt. Maybe it was the excitement of the paparazzi escape or maybe it was just the fact that this kiss was the expression of all of the feelings that had been repressed between them. Sabrina didn't know. All she knew, was that it felt incredible. Every cell in her body exploded with a tingling sensation that made her weak at the knees.
Marco slowly pulled away and looked into Sabrina's eyes, but just for a moment. Then he resumed the kiss. Their hands drifted all over each others’ bodies as passion filled the air. Sabrina parted her lips and Marco's tongue darted into her mouth. The sugar from the beignets was still on his breath.
Sabrina pressed her body into Marco's, pressing her hips toward him. They made out deeply and passionately for a while, as though they were long lost lovers, finally in each others’ arms again. The truth, though, was that they were just two people making out in an alleyway behind a hotel in New York City. But Sabrina was quickly realizing that love can find someone in the most unusual of places.
After a few minutes, Marco slowly pulled away. He gazed into Sabrina's eyes.
“You're incredible,” he whispered, as he brought his hand up to cradle her chin.
She was about to respond, but Marco gave her a peck on the lips before she could. When he pulled away, he was smiling.
“What do you say we get out of this alleyway and go find something fun to do today?” he asked, as he poked his head out to make sure the coast was clear.
“Okay, that sounds good,” Sabrina said. “What are you thinking?”
Her words came out slowly. She was still in shock over the kiss they had just had and organized thought was evading her.
“I'm not entirely sure,” Marco said. “I'll investigate the options and figure something out.”
He took a step into the alley and offered Sabrina his hand, which she happily took. They exited the alleyway at the opposite end from where they had entered. Luckily, there weren't any camera-clicking crazy people in sight. But they didn't dilly dally. They went straight back to the hotel. Marco went to his room and Sabrina went to hers.
As soon as her door closed and she was alone, she jumped up and down in excitement. She felt like a school girl who had just kissed the star quarterback of the football team. She danced around her room, spinning in circles and humming to herself.
I can't believe that we kissed, she thought. It felt so natural. It was like we had both been waiting for that perfect moment and it finally came.
She was fascinated by the natural chemistry between them. Her lips still tingled from the kiss and she savored it as long as possible, not wanting the sensation to ever go away.
That was amazing. I want more, she thought. I just hope that this guy isn't messing with me, though. I hope that this isn't something he does with all the girls he meets. Or hires.
In the very back of her mind, there was still a tiny bit of hesitation about getting too close to Marco. Partly, because she feared how it would look on a professional level. But mostly because she didn't want to get hurt.
Sabrina danced around for a little longer, giddy as could be. But when she calmed down, she remembered that she still had a job to do. Marco's room needed cleaning and there was laundry to be done. She decided to take care of the chores while Marco figured out what he wanted to do later that day. And she did it with a smile on her face. Which wasn't that difficult, being that the most amazing kiss she'd ever experienced was still fresh on her mind.
Chapter 9
Marco
Marco and Sabrina sat in the back of the car as their driver chauffeured them across the city.
After the fiasco that morning with the paparazzi, Marco was ready to do something fun and relaxing. So while Sabrina cleaned up the hotel room and folded his laundry, he sifted through New York traveling pamphlets and researched online.
Finding his own itinerary wasn't something he usually did. Valetta took care of these sort of things. She usually got him the best of everything, but today, he wanted to do it. He wanted to choose something for him and Sabrina to do without Valetta's help.
It took the better part of an hour, but he finally found something that he thought would be enjoyable, not only for him, but also for Sabrina. Even though he was excited about it, though, he didn't tell her what he had in mind. He considered surprises to be much more fun than a boring schedule of events.
“Sir, we're here,” the driver said, as he pulled out of traffic and parked next to the curb. “Just send me a text or give me a call when you're done and I'll pick you up right here.”
“We're in Greenwich Village?” Marco wanted to make absolutely sure that they were in the right place, so as not to make a fool out of himself in front of Sabrina.
“Yes, sir.”
“Perfect. I imagine this will take about an hour, but I'll call you when we're done,” Marco said, before turning to face Sabrina. “Are you ready, Sabrina?”
She looked over and shrugged. “I don't really know where we are or what we're doing, so I'm not sure how to answer that.”
“You just need to trust me,” Marco said, hopping out of the back seat of the cab. When he got to Sabrina's side, he opened the door for her and took her hand to help her out. “It's a surprise. But I do believe that you're going to love it.”
A rush of energy surged through him as he admired Sabrina in her yellow summer dress. The thin material clung tightly to her, accentuating her womanly curves. His eyes were drawn to her hips and then back up to her supple breasts. He looked quickly, trying to make it seem more like a natural glance than a sexual stare. He didn't want her to think of him as some kind of sex-crazed man, but he was having a difficult time keeping his desires in check, especially after the amazingly passionate kiss that they had shared in the alley way just hours before.