My Italian Prince: Clean Romance

by Jasmin Jacobs

  She tossed her hair to one side of her shoulders, just the way Kat had told her was the bulletproof way of hoovering in a man and peeked up at him. Alex didn't make a move and continued to stare into the sky. They stood like that for a while and as Vanessa moved closer to him, she could feel his scent. The sweet smell of his aftershave lingered in her nose, it reminded her of the ocean she grew up close to, fresh, crisp, and beautiful. She didn't dare to look at him, in case she wouldn't be able to control herself and throw herself into his arms. He was so gorgeous just standing there with the rays of sun highlighting the dimples in his cheeks and chin. She tossed her hair to the other side, still no reaction. What was wrong with Kat? This move didn't do crap for attention.

  At last, Alex looked at her and cleared his throat.

  Poor guy, he must be as nervous as I am. Vanessa gave him an encouraging smile to give him strength to go on, she was ready.

  “Well,” he cleared his throat again and then took a deep breath.

  “I’m sorry Vanessa, but I can’t do this anymore. I need to be myself for a while, I don’t think that I have been thinking clearly after my accident, everything happened so fast between us and I need to go back to my life and I don’t think you should be a part of it. This is difficult for me, believe me, but I hope you understand that this is best for both of us in the long run.” He stumbled on the words as he said them in such a rapid speed Vanessa had a hard time following.

  Alex looked down at his feet. “I hope you're all right with us moving on as this never happened?”

  Vanessa stared at him blankly. As it never happened? She tried to comprehend what she just heard and stood in silence. She had no idea what to answer. This was not one of the conversations she had played in her mind this morning. She felt mortified. When she still, after a few long seconds, didn't know what to say she panicked and fled the room with cheeks burning up from shame and disgrace.

  Chapter 5

  Vanessa did her best to ignore her feeling of rejection during the day and focused instead on being professional towards Alex and everything concerning him and his care. Why had he suddenly decided that he was not into her? What had happened that made him change his mind from last night? She felt confused, she thought they were on to build something special. She tried to control her emotions or else she might cry, everything felt so pointless. And the worst of it, she let herself fall in love with a man. How could she? She knew this would happen sooner or later, this was her own fault, and she deserved the pain it brought her.

  Vanessa spent the whole day avoiding alone time with Alex and as soon as her shift ended she would run to the safety of her home. She would call in Kat for immediate support and debriefing. They’d have drinks, lots of them. That was the plan at least, but when she was gathering her stuff to head home, she was called back to Alex suit. Vanessa wanted nothing else than to give in for her despair, crawl into bed and sob hysterical until Kat came over. She could feel physical pain in her heart. So this is how it feels like, getting your heart broken? I will never allow this to happen again, she promised herself.

  Inside Alex room, she felt the tension from earlier as she stood nervously, waiting for Alex to say something. He looked at her with pity and shame in his eyes. Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, she would not make things easier for him.

  “I don't know if you have heard, but I need to go on a business trip to Europe,” Alex said.

  “Ok,” she replied with ice in her voice.

  This man was too much. Who did he think he was? Some Prince obviously, but other than that? She gritted her teeth to control herself not lashing out on him. How did this concern her? Just go to your stupid Europe so I can go back to my normal life and my normal job, she thought to herself.

  “Due to my little car accident I’m not allowed to travel yet, at least not without professional caretakers going with me,” He paused and looked her straight in her eyes. “My doctors recommend that I stay at the hospital for some time more so I can be supervised by my medical team,” Alex continued.

  Vanessa didn't move a muscle, she stood frozen on her spot at the doorway, determined not to look at him.

  “But I'm the Guest of Honor at this major event, so it's kind of important that I show up,” he said and attempted to smile, but seeing Vanessa's angry face he changed his mind and continued.

  “I have suggested to the manager of the hospital that instead of me staying here, I will bring the whole medical team with me to the south of France. You'll all be coming with me as my personal nurse. Gian Carlo is setting everything up as we speak.”

  This was too much. “What are you talking about?” she couldn’t contain her anger anymore. “I am not going anywhere! Not with you at least!” Vanessa shot back, feeling outraged.

  “I’m sorry to inform you of the fact that that’s exactly what you are,” Alex said in a calm tone. “I need you to hand over your passport to Gian Carlo and he will take care of all the details regarding your travel arrangements.”

  “Ha, ok then I’m sorry to have to inform you of the fact,” she used Alex words to make a point he was being ridiculous. “I don't have a passport so that solves the situation, I can’t go, even if I wanted to.”

  “That's not an issue, we’ll get you one. There is a car waiting for you at the main entrance. I thought you perhaps need to go shopping, after all this is a last minute trip, and you might not have time for packing.”

  “I don't need to go shopping,” Vanessa yelled at him, “Who do you think you are, Richard Gere in Pretty Woman?” This was insane, she shook her head and turned around to storm out from the room.

  She ran right into her boss. She took Vanessa into the hallway and explained that Alex already had everything cleared with the hospitals managing board, he would use some of their personnel on a business trip due to his need of being checked up.

  He made them assign Vanessa to this project, and she was for a certain matter of time not hired by the Hospital, but by Alex. In the contract, it stated that as soon as Vanessa's services weren't needed anymore she would go back to her duties at the hospital. In the private ward or in the other part of the hospital, the choice was hers.

  “I have to go,” Vanessa turned around and walked away.

  Away from Alex who broke her heart, away from her boss that tried to sell her like cattle to the highest bidder. Her mind was numb, unable to construct any thoughts that would ease her pain. She walked passed the driver who waited for her and kept walking down the street. She ended up on a cramped subway feeling dizzy and trying to comprehend how everything got this messed up.

  Everything happened so fast, these few hours were more action filled than her last five years combined. She needed to talk to Kat. She would know what to do, but to make it all worse, Kat had gone off to one of her meditation camps where all cell phones and computers were strictly forbidden. Whom could she call? When she didn't come up with anyone, she realized that no one would know where she had gone, perhaps no one would even miss here or wonder where she was. Well, her mother for sure would notice when she wouldn’t show up at her parents’ home for Sunday dinner, but she would probably be too busy tending to her father. She sent her mom a text she would be out of town for a few days and got a smiley back at once. Her mom loved her Emoji. Her father would not even realize whether she was at home safe and sound or was sitting on a spaceship with a one-way ticket to Mars. His Alzheimer's had worsened this past year. And now she had lost the man of her dreams. She felt lonely. She couldn’t help herself, she cried and without caring about if anyone could see, she let her tears streaming down her face as she sat staring out of the dirty subway window. Well, she thought to herself, under the circumstances it might be for the best if her parents didn't know what was going on in their daughter's life.

  Chapter 6

  Vanessa had spent the evening curled up in bed with a bucket of ice cream, wine, and Kat. They’d gone over the situation multiple times and after the million
th time Kat told her she was better off without him, Vanessa was so tired she agreed. In the morning, she felt much better. After last night's breakdown, she concluded that a trip to Europe perhaps wasn’t that bad. Sure, in her dreams, she would have gone on this trip as Alex fiancé instead of his employee, but she made a plan to avoid Alex as much as possible and make the trip an adventure for herself. It seemed so easy this morning but standing at the airport waiting for Alex and his entourage she realized she had no idea how to cope. She couldn’t bear the thought of being so close to Alex but still not with him. If she just could understand what made him change his mind.

  “This way Vanessa” a voice called from behind.

  She turned around and there he was. Tall, handsome, and looked as healthy as someone who just had been on a long vacation rather than being hospitalized for life-threatening injuries just a few weeks before. Her heart made a small volt, just by seeing him, but she refused to let him see how she felt. She took a few deep breaths and followed him through the airport. By the security desk, tourists and business travelers stood jammed in a long line waiting for their carry-on luggage and themselves to be scanned. Alex waved to one of the personnel who immediately stood up and almost ran towards them.

  “Good morning sir,” he said and opened the ropes that guarded the area against trespassers. “This way please.”

  He fumbled with his walkie-talkie and a soon after a tall flight attendant showed up to greet them.

  “So glad to see you again Mr. Di Savoy,” she said in a sexy voice and smiled at Alex with her bleached teeth and filler-enhanced lips.

  A small golf cart approached and Vanessa was ushered by the annoyingly slender flight attendant to get in the backseat of the minimal vehicle. She had to sit along with the entire luggage while the flight attendant seated her tiny waist next to Alex.

  Once again, Vanessa felt utterly and completely humiliated.

  “Doing all right back there?” Alex turned his head and gave her a worrying look from his comfy seat.

  She didn't answer, she was too occupied holding on to the cart not falling off when the flight attendant took the sharp curves in full speed. Didn’t it take a driving license to occupy this kind of vehicles?

  “Please be careful with the bags,” The flight attendant warned from behind the steering wheel when she saw Vanessa laying on top of the bags clinging on them for her life.

  “Yes ma'am,” Vanessa muttered between gritted teeth.

  It took all her willpower not to take one of the bags and hit the sneaky witch in the head. Her cheeks flushed with hold backed anger as the airport swished by them and they reached a small path that leads them out to the hangar. The stewardess collected their passports and opened a door to a black Mercedes that waited outside the entrance.

  The car took them along the hangar and Vanessa looked open-mouthed at all the private airplanes that stood parked in long rows. She forced herself to close her mouth and even closed her eyes for a second to gather herself. Were they not going on one of the commercial flights? Was she supposed to fly all the way to Europe in one of these small private jets?

  Alex sat silent and watched her. Could he be so kind to stop staring at me, she thought, annoyed at being scrutinized. Give me a break, please. Ok, so I have never been on a private Jet before, so what?

  The car stopped, and they got out in front of a shiny black aircraft. The stairs from the plane descended and on the top of the stairs stood the pilot, Co-pilot and a stewardess. They greeted them as they were some kind of royalty. Well, he was a Prince, but Vanessa wished that at least someone would treat him as a regular human being, just once. She shot an angry glance at him as he talked to the pilot. She understood little as they were talking in technical terms, but Alex seemed very impressed by the plane.

  “Next time it’ll be your turn to fly, Sir,” the pilot said to Alex with a heavy German accent.

  Oh, great, now he was a pilot too, why did he have to be such dream man, Vanessa thought to herself as she climbed the stairs and went inside the plane.

  On board, she could see Mr. Brunetti and three other men sitting with their heads down, reading from their smart phones. Vanessa didn't know where to sit so she stood in the small passage between the cockpit and the seating area, waiting for someone to show her where to sit. Alex finally came on board and coming up behind her, he put an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear.

  “We are on my territory now, sweetheart, so just relax and enjoy yourself,” he told her with a coy smile as he gestured for her to take a seat.

  The seat, covered with silk pillows and expensive looking blankets. It was nothing like the commercial flights she had experience from. In the middle was a table set up with a variety of liquors and snacks. Some European glossy magazine placed next to them.

  As soon as she sat down one stewardess came and asked if it was something she wished for? Another pillow, something to drink or eat? Some English tea perhaps? Vanessa shook her head and sank back into the plush seat. Alex took a seat right opposite her and looked intensely at her.

  “What?” she said, acting annoyed.

  “Nothing at all, I was just admiring the view,” Alex said and closed his eyes. “I think I will have a nap if you don't mind. My head hurts a little.”

  “Yes, you should do that,” Vanessa suddenly remembered that the reason she was on board this private jet was to tend to her patient. She reached up to get her medical bag to give Alex something for his headache, but Alex protested.

  “No, no I’m fine I will just take a nap for a few minutes, don’t you worry.”

  “Oh and Vanessa,” he added with his eyes closed, “don’t for a second think that you’re here just because of your profession.”

  Now he can read minds also, Vanessa looked at him with astonishment. What was he implying? But Alex said nothing more, he leaned back to his seat with his eyes closed. Vanessa couldn’t stand it, what was he going at. Could he please stop speaking in riddles and instead tell her what’s going on.

  “Alex, I’m confused, what do you mean by all this?” she whispered to him, in case he already were sleeping.

  With his eyes still closed Alex yawned and without looking at her, he reached across the table, found her hand and took it in his, then he put his lips on it hand and whispered back. “I had to get you away from the hospital, I was presented with some juridical stuff that if you were to be engaged in one of your patients you would be fired.”

  Vanessa couldn't believe what she heard, she hadn't even thought about that. But who knew about them? They had been so careful about their relationship.

  “I’m sorry to say that my dear friend Gian-Carlo felt obliged to tell the board about us as. It was my mistake, I confided in him and told him about my feelings for you.”

  “But I talked him out of it by promising him to end our relationship. I then brought you here so I could have the chance to get to know you without risking your job. I could never forgive myself if that had happened,” he added seriously.

  Vanessa sat silent and tried to comprehend what Alex was telling her. So she wasn't dumped after all? She felt overwhelmed, had it all been a charade so she wouldn't lose her job. She had been miserable and believing she made a fool of herself, and then it all had been a fraud, even though it was for her own good, she felt betrayed.

  "Why didn't you let me in on it?"

  She looked at Alex who suddenly looked anxious, had he thought he could just reject her and then lure her away on a private jet. Making her so impressed by it all she would just come running into his arms? No way. She wouldn't let him go that easy, she had gone through hell during the last few days thinking he wanted nothing to do with her. She said nothing and instead waved to the stewardess and asked for a glass of champagne. What the hell, she was on a private jet somewhere over the Atlantic, this was once in a lifetime so why not do the best of it. So after her duty was over she would go straight home to her small but cozy apartment and spend her time hangi
ng out with Kat. She toasted to herself and took a large sip of the alcohol. Wow, this was good.

  “Enjoying it?” Alex asked with a smile.

  “As a matter of fact I do,” she answered but not looking at him.

  “It's Cristal."

  Oh really, I must text Kat!

  “I can taste that, it's not the first time I drink champagne you know.”

  “No, of course not,” Alex said with a friendly smile but still a bit patronizing, Vanessa thought.

  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She needed to take a nap and when she woke up she might reconsider what Alex had just told her, or not. She couldn’t decide, she was too tired and confused.