The Artist's Love (Her Perfect Man Contemporary Romance)

by Z. L. Arkadie

“And he looks rich, which is just your type,” Juanita says.

  Everyone except Maria and me chuckles.

  “Um, Liza, is it?” Gabriella asks.

  I clear my throat. “Yes.”

  “Lorenzo and I watched your program on Castello di Guardi. It was so special. How did you know so much about this place?”

  “Actually, I’ve been trying to land an interview and tour for at least a year.”

  “Gianfranco, what made you finally say yes?”

  Before he can answer, the first course arrives.

  The chef stands at the end of the table. “We have Lagane pasta tossed with olive oil, garlic, and chickpeas sautéed in Marsala wine.”

  “Grazie,” Gianfranco says.

  The chef bows and backs away from the table. He leaves through a doorway that leads to one of the four kitchens in the castle.

  A delicious scent rises from my plate. My mouth waters, and one of the racecar drivers, who has already taken his first bite, compliments the flavors.

  “So, Gianfranco,” Gabriella says with a forkful of pasta in front of her mouth. “You must answer the question.”

  He shifts in his seat. “I remembered she asked for a tour on the night of the accident.”

  I frown. “What accident?”

  “It was minor. Remember, you drove off the road?”

  I part my lips to speak, but then I remember Saturday night when I was on my way to meet Salvatore for dinner. “Yes, right after…” I stop, realizing I’m on the verge of spilling the most personal and embarrassing details of my life to strangers. Instead I glare at Salvatore, who’s whispering to Maria—both are clearly choosing not to participate in the conversation. “I mean, right before meeting someone for dinner.”

  Salvatore still doesn’t acknowledge me.

  I must’ve been in shock after my car spiraled out of control and into oncoming traffic, then came to a stop. That night, I rolled down my window to speak to my potential victim, and I barely remember the man’s face.

  I turn to face Gianfranco. “Was that you?”

  His smile is slow to form. “Yes.”

  “It’s like that movie Crash,” Juanita says.

  “Nah, not Crash,” Chris, the tech millionaire, says. “That movie was way more cynical than what they’re talking about.”

  Juanita grunts thoughtfully. “I guess so.”

  “Plus there was no crash,” Annie says.

  Everyone chuckles as Gianfranco and I keep our softened expressions on each other.

  “Oh, Gianfranco, how is Fixation coming?” Lara, the flamenco dancer, asks.

  Other than Salvatore asking if Maria has ever modeled in New York, the group turns dead quiet. Anticipation hangs in the air.

  Gianfranco opens and closes his mouth. He looks at me in a very odd manner, then looks down to put food on his fork. “It is…” He flops a hand back and forth. “Moving the way it wants to.”

  Guests are waiting to hear more, but he puts the food in his mouth, and it becomes apparent that he won’t say more. Penelope asks Raul and Lara if they’ll dance tonight, and they both agree in a dramatic fashion.

  After that, everyone breaks off into smaller conversations. Juanita is in talks with the tech billionaire and Penelope about a charity fashion show and concert in Milan. Maria is across the table, running down a list of all the countries she’s lived in and all the places she’s visited. It’s as if Salvatore is trying to find the one place she’s never been and offer it to her. I shake my head. He’s found a new woman to pursue, and the “I love you,” “I need you,” and “I can’t live without you” have gone down the toilet with the rest of his BS.

  “What are you thinking?” Gianfranco says in my ear.

  I jump. He was talking to his uncle about painting a portrait for a politician whose politics he doesn’t agree with, and I didn’t expect him to start talking to me.

  I narrow my eyes one more time at Salvatore, shake my head, and say, “Nothing. And thank you so much for the wonderful dinner.” I pick up my glass. “And wine.”

  “Then you like the food?”

  “It’s some of the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Is that so?”

  “And I’ve tasted a lot of good food.”

  “Gianfranco, my love, you are so far away and I miss you terribly,” Maria says with a pout.

  Gianfranco frowns at her, then smiles before turning back to me. Of course his reaction is strange.

  “Is she your girlfriend?” I ask.

  “No. I am not involved with any woman.”

  My heart flutters. “Oh.”

  The chef walks in and takes his place at the head. He announces the second course, a seafood stew.

  As soon as the chef leaves, Gianfranco asks me where I’m from. Pretty soon we’re eating while I tell him all about growing up with my brother and my dad.

  “And your mother?” he asks.

  I shrug. “She’s around. We’re not close.”

  He studies my expression and grunts curiously.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “You are sad in the eyes.”

  Caught up in his gaze, I spread a hand on the side of my face as words from deep inside knock on my lips, clamoring to get out. But can I confess this? Is he safe? I look around the table. The only person who’s paying attention to us is Maria, though she’s pretending to be thoroughly charmed by Salvatore as he continues to put the moves on her.

  I turn to face his beautiful, deep eyes again. “That’s because I am sad,” I whisper so only he can hear me.

  He opens his mouth to speak but stops. What’s happening between us? I want him to kiss me. For some reason, I feel his lips on mine will help make my pain go away. I want to confess all about how I was married to the man who killed my father, how embarrassed I am about it.

  “I can—” Gianfranco starts to say, but the chef is back, introducing the third course of the night.

  After the food is served, Gianfranco’s uncle takes his attention and Juanita pulls me into her conversation. No matter what I’m saying, who I’m talking to, I feel deep energy emanating from Gianfranco. I’m so confused by it. Perhaps Alessandro was right after all. There’s something between us. As the night continues, Gianfranco and I pass each other slight smiles.

  After dessert, Raul and Lara sing and dance. Raul’s song is of lost loves, lost lives, and the curse of death. I work very hard to keep my composure as Lara jerks and claps, twists and stomps to his lamentations.

  After the third song, we all get up and dance. Gianfranco immediately wraps his arm around my waist, walks me to the open floor, and pulls me against him. He leads me in a dance of turns and twists. Where I’m from, swing dancing is popular, so I know enough to keep up with him. He draws me against him, and I hike up a leg as he drags me across the floor. His breath touches my lips. My head is spinning. Should we kiss? I want to kiss him.

  His erection presses against me. He wants to make love. Should we make love? I want to. I wait for him to let me go, but he doesn’t. We stare into each other’s eyes. The song comes to an end, and suddenly I’m free.

  Gianfranco steps backward. I’m breathing heavily because I must’ve forgotten to do it when he held me so close. He turns his back, walks out, and never comes back.

  Somehow everyone knows that it’s time to leave after he disappears. Juanita tells me that he’s gone to work.

  “You’ve inspired him, Liza Patrick.” She winks.

  I don’t believe it. The more I get to know Gianfranco, the weirder he gets.

  During the ride home, Salvatore and I are as silent as church mice. Frankly, I can’t get away from him fast enough. I don’t ever want to see him again. I wonder if Juanita was telling the truth, or was she being as cynical. Did I really inspire the great artist with my dancing?

  No way.

  But if I did, then wow.

  When we make it to my house, Salvatore drives around the turnabout and parks in front of my door.<
br />
  “Good night,” I say without looking at him.

  He hops out of the car too.

  I turn to look at him. “Where are you going?”

  “It’s late. I will sleep with you tonight.”

  I flinch, taken aback. “No, you will not.” I turn my back on him. “Go home. Stay far away from me.”

  Salvatore stops. “What are you angry about? You are the one who made a fool of yourself.”

  I make it to the door and lift a hand. “Have a nice life.”

  I open, shut, and lock the door. I stand there for a moment and wait to hear the car start up again. He honks like a madman before skidding away.

  Jerk.

  I don’t even wish him the best.

  I go kiss Aiden before heading to bed. I can’t wait to dream of my last dance with Gianfranco.

  12

  I curl up on my side and pick apart every encounter with Gianfranco. Dancing with me and then disappearing was so weird. Perhaps the rumors are true, and he has gone crazy. I flip on my back with a sigh. Although he did nothing crazy leading up to that last moment we were together. All night, he was perfect. And the energy between us… I could die and go to heaven or hell—preferably heaven—because tonight, I experienced attraction as I’ve never felt it.

  I close my eyes to run through the night’s events one more time, starting from the moment he walked onto the terrace. I intended to go all the way until when Gianfranco strangely bowed out on his dinner guests, but I fall asleep before reaching the end.

  On Monday morning, Elsa shows up in my office, asking to hear all about the dinner. Since I’ve replayed the story so many times, the events of the night flow from my memory like wine from an uncorked bottle.

  “Then he does like you?”

  I tilt my head curiously. “Is that what you got out of that story?”

  “That is how you told it.”

  “Humph.” I look off thoughtfully. “That’s what I thought too, but I don’t know. I sort of think he was just using me to appease himself. I doubt I’ll ever hear from him again.”

  Elsa studies me scrupulously.

  “What?” I say, already antsy about her probing eyes.

  “Not all men will use you, Liza. You are a beautiful woman on the inside and out. You are smart, engaging, and exciting. Only a fool will not see your worth.”

  I fall back in my seat with a sigh and steeple my hands before me. “Then that means John and Salvatore are fools.”

  “No, they are rats. Not even fools.”

  And to solidify her claim, I tell her all about Salvatore’s behavior that night.

  Elsa throws her head back. “Aye yai yai, and you will now stay away from him?”

  I dust my hands off. “Salvatore is a mistake of the past.”

  “That is good.” She stands. “Now, we have so many interview requests that you will turn them away and not the other way.”

  I smile. “Around.”

  Elsa grimaces as if she’s confused.

  “The other way around. You forgot to say around.”

  She rolls her eyes. “I will let you have that.” She winks. “One day you will shed your inner American, and then what need will we have to argue?”

  I grin at her. “There will be no need.”

  We chuckle.

  “Happy hunting for interviews,” she says.

  I give her a thumbs-up, and she rolls her eyes again. We’ve had a whole debate about that gesture before. I told her it’s a positive one, but she wishes Americans would stop doing it.

  “Oh,” she says before disappearing completely, “we should start taping the interviews as early as tomorrow. Let’s not lose traction.”

  I show her a thumbs-up with my other hand. She rolls her eyes again, so I blow her a kiss.

  “Thank you for being who you are,” I say.

  She blows me a kiss. “Il bacio mi piace.”

  “I like the kiss too.”

  We smile at each other again before she goes back to her desk to run the station.

  All day long, I book interviews, making sure they’re estates that I already have tons of research for. I book the baroness of fashion Nina Ricci’s home in Naples, and Penelope Hughs’s place. Penelope’s estate is extra special because she has a rental cottage the size of a large home in America.

  Since I have one estate with a rental property, I book another, the Castillo di Alessandro, which is owned by an American oil baron. I have my assistant, Clara, go through my research notes and compile a list of estates with a rental. I think we can use that angle to make the show even more appealing to tourists and countrymen alike.

  For the next two weeks, I’m in fifth gear. I get up early, kiss Aiden good-bye while he’s asleep, and head out. On some days, we drive hours to get to Naples, Tuscany, and other cities looking to increase tourism, and we spend up to five hours taping each tour and interview. By the time we make it back to the station, it’s around six o’clock. Thankfully, working all hours of the night isn’t the norm in Italy. So we drop off the van, upload the video to the editing bay, and let Alessandro work his magic. I’m home to have dinner and play with Aiden before he goes to bed.

  I’ve being going so fast that I let myself forget all about Gianfranco. I mean, why would he want me when he has Maria? She’s so beautiful, and as a visual artist, that must be what he appreciates in a woman.

  Regardless, it’s Wednesday of week three since dinner at Gianfranco’s house. That’s how I mark my life these days—pre and post dinner at Gianfranco’s. I think it’s because I feel something changed in me that night. Perhaps because I made the choice to dump a man who was bad for me. Jeez, it was so liberating to tell Salvatore to go to hell.

  I’ve been watching the video of the last interview I did, and I rub my tired eyes. Tomorrow is giorno di riposo here at the station, and even though I’m happy with my work, I can sure use the day of rest. I’m so tired that my body is shaking. Yesterday, I taped my fourteenth interview in three weeks, and our show only airs twice a week, two fourteen-minute segments per show. That means I have at least four weeks’ worth of content all cued up and ready to go. The show goes on hiatus for four months after that, and during the time we’re off, the government tourism agency will determine whether to extend our grant.

  I shut off my computer and take my purse out of my desk drawer. My desk phone rings, and since it’s from Giulia, the receptionist, I answer.

  “Ciao, Giulia.”

  “Ciao. You have a call from Juanita Smith.”

  I jerk, surprised. “Sure, put her through.”

  “Allora,” Giulia says.

  I wait a second. “Hello, Juanita,” I say as soon as the call goes through.

  “That’s right, we’re two American girls. We can say hello!”

  I smile. “Yes, we can. It’s so strange hearing from you. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine, darling. Listen, I tracked you down for one reason and one reason only. I want you to come to my masquerade party. It’s Saturday at il colosseo di mare.”

  “Oh,” I say, impressed by the picturesque venue along the sea.

  “Can you come?”

  I think about the time I’ll lose with Aiden on Saturday night. “What time?”

  “Nine thirty until sunrise!” she sings.

  That’s perfect. Aiden will be in bed by then. “I guess I can go.”

  “Come, and this time don’t bring a date. Instead, wear the sexiest gown you can find and a mask.”

  I smile. “Okay, will do.”

  “And… Gianfranco will be there.”

  “Oh?” I say, even more intrigued than I was a second ago.

  “Yes, and he’ll be waiting for you. Until then, darling.” She hangs up.

  My mouth is caught open. I didn’t have anything to say, but I’m nervous about the possibility—no, the high probability—of seeing Gianfranco again.

  13

  I arrive at the masquerade party and hand my
key to the first valet I see. People are milling around all over the place. The building looks contemporary, and it’s rather large. I gaze off at the ocean in the distance. The smell of salt is strong tonight. It makes me want to rip off my dress, dive into the ocean naked, and wade in its smooth current.

  “Here is your ticket, signora,” says the valet.

  I take the tag. “Grazie.”

  When I get inside, I’m surrounded by a lively scene. The large ballroom, and what looks to be a couple of rooms off on the sides, is full of well-dressed guests wearing masks. How I’m going to find anybody is a mystery, but I put one foot in front of the other, trusting that if he’s here, we’ll find one another.

  I bump through the congested crowd, gazing into faces curiously but I don’t stare for long. The search to find Gianfranco seems endless. There must be three or four hundred people in front of the stage alone.

  After a brief peek into the rooms off to the sides and perusing the large patio, I head back into the ballroom. Near the entrance, I see Juanita. She’s wearing a gorgeous yellow sequined dress that doesn’t look a whole lot different than mine.

  I raise my hand, trying to flag her. I can see that she isn’t looking in my direction, and I doubt she’s going to see me before venturing into the crowd. I strut off in hopes of catching her before she leaves her perch, all the while waving my hand in the air like a crazy person. Shouting would do me no good—it’s way too loud in here. I already look like a lunatic with yellow feathers around my eyes flapping through a crowd of people. While on my way, I feel something tear. I stop and look down. There’s a six-inch slit along the side of my dress.

  “Shit,” I say.

  “Scusami?” a voice says.

  I look at the grimacing person behind me.

  “My apologies,” I say with a dismissive wave while hunched and pinching closed the gaping seam on my dress.

  The stranger looks at my thigh and, behind his mask, I see his eyes roll before walking away.

  Dammit. I feel as though my chances of catching Gianfranco have all but disappeared. There’s no way I can stay now. My ass is hanging out! I stand tall, walk directly to the door, and look for the nearest valet.