Alex looked a bit confused at Vanessa's long rambling but seemed to grasp the important part of her question.
“She’s nothing to me, trust me, Vanessa. I have been bringing her along on a few occasions just to please Gian-Carlo. She’s actually quite weird and to be totally honest, even a little scary. She seems to pop up everywhere I go nowadays. Perhaps I got myself a stalker.” He gave her a slight smile.
“I see.” Vanessa could easily see why the woman popped up unexpectedly wherever Alex was. Of course, it was Brunetti that had her informed about his whereabouts, and maybe even arranged for her to follow him. She couldn't wait anymore, she had to tell him. Without Mitch´s intervention, scented candles and dream-catchers.
Vanessa looked Alex straight in the eyes. This time, she was about to trust him. She really was. She would be sure to not make any assumptions and not to any harsh moves until she heard the full story.
“Speaking of Brunetti, there are some things you need to know about him,” Her voice faded, as she wasn’t sure on how to proceed.
As she was about to continue she caught a glimpse of what was going on inside the room. Alex turned around as well and saw what she was staring at. It was Mitch and Kat standing arm in arm on the center of the stage. Both holding a microphone and tried to speak into it at the same time. It almost looked as if they fought over who should talk first. Alex opened the balcony door so they could listen.
“On this very day…” They could hear Mitch give the crowd pieces of mental advice and spiritual guidance. Alex turned to Vanessa as she was supposed to know what this was all about.
Vanessa shrugged, this was not according to plan, and she had no idea of what was going on.
Then Kat apparently had enough, with a pull she took the mic and began speaking. With a steady voice, she pointed straight at Brunetti.
“This man is evil! She said in her most theatrical voice. So she’d learned something at that drama school after all, Vanessa had time to think approvingly.
“He has been doing everything he could to try and poison the mind of...” At this point, Mitch had to whisper into her ear. ” Eh, eh Mr. Prince Alessandro Di Savoy, ” Kat said without losing her drama-voice.
Mitch took the mic again and followed up. He told the crowd how he had been manipulated by Brunetti to scare Alex true love away. How he had staged for the paparazzi to follow Alex and that he even planted cocaine and invited Escort-girls to a dinner so Alex would look bad in the press. Of course, he had no evidence for that, but Brunetti’s face said it all. He was guilty. The old man looked as if he crumbled as he slowly backed out of the room. Alex and Vanessa looked on as Brunetti disappeared out in the shadows and exchanged looks.
“So this was what you wanted to tell me?”
“I’m so sorry Alex.”
“No, No don’t be. If it’s true this is all for the best and he will never be part of my life again.”
“Give it up to Mr. and Mrs. Di Savoy. They suddenly heard Mitch and Kat screaming at the microphone simultaneously.
Mitch searched the room, looking for Vanessa and Alex, and when he did, he gesticulated wildly for them to come up on the stage. As in a trance, Alex took Vanessa's hand and they stepped inside. The crowd turned to them and when Mitch and Kat began to applaud everyone else followed. Soon people even began toasting them.
“Is he high again?” Alex whispered to Vanessa.
“Just on himself, and his path to inner peace I guess,” Vanessa answered and the two of them began laughing.
”Congratulations, Bon Chance, Bonne venue!” Well-wishing’s from the crowd hailed after them as they tried to leave the room.
“Coming through, coming through! Nothing to see here people, nothing to see,” Raffi yelled at guest as he took upon himself to run ahead and secure the area.
Mitch and Kat came running after them. “Hi there Alex,” Kat said and greeted him with a high-five as they all slowed down out on the street.
“Namaste, my brother,” Mitch bowed. “What an intervention! Pew, that was quite something right?”
“Was that the intervention?” Vanessa didn’t know that much about interventions but from what she knew they were supposed to take place in private at a place the intervener could feel secure. Definitely not in public, from a stage, with the press being invited.
“Of course it was the intervention” Mitch answered. “I might have gone off the script a little, but I think we ended up where we wanted anyway?” He looked at all of them with a huge grin on his face.
“That’s great Mitch, really great and nice to finally meet you Katherine, but I think Vanessa and I have a few things to talk about. So if it’s okay with you, perhaps you two could give us some space?”
“Certainly bro,” Mitch backed away and dragged Kat along. “It’s all about finding your inner voice, man! Speak from the heart.” Mitch shouted some spiritual proverbs to them as they disappeared behind a corner.
Alex shook his head and laughed, “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?” He asked Vanessa who just shook her head as well. “Not a clue.”
“I think he means…” Raffi quickly silenced as he saw Alex and Vanessa's looks on him and backed away.
“I’m sorry Monsieur et Mademoiselle. I’ll leave you two, need to make sure the area is safe anyway,” He said and legged after Mitch and Kat.
Finally, there they were, Vanessa and Alex, alone.
“I thought you were a cocaine addict, who lied to me so you could go party with playboy bunnies,” Vanessa faltered, her voice trembling.
“That kind of hurts, Vanessa. Because even if I saw what you saw in the papers I would never trust some gossip magazines over you. You should have come talked to me and I could've explained.”
“I’m sorry,” Vanessa felt her eyes tearing up again.
“I had no idea it was Brunetti who was behind it all, but I knew someone tried to set me up. I was lost there for a while. You left me without even saying goodbye and then I had all this rumors about myself to clear.”
“It must have been awful,” Vanessa said and tried to dry away her tears before Alex could see them.
“But I’m the one that should be sorry,” Alex said.
“What do you mean?” Vanessa looked at him.
“I should have gone after you, I should have guessed something weird was up but instead I gave up. It was my fault that we ended up like this.”
“It wasn’t,” Vanessa said at once, flooded with relief.
“Yes, and you have every right to be angry at me for not seeing Brunetti for what he really was. I can't believe he took that letter Mitch was talking about and then sent you a letter with your resignation. Meanwhile, he tried his best to set me up with that lunatic-actress. You saw for yourself in there what she is capable of, I have no interest in her whatsoever. I only let her come along as I thought it would make Brunetti happy. I was so stupid, I thought that he was the only one holding my back when in reality it was the complete opposite.”
Alex voice suddenly became all wobbly with emotions and Vanessa reached for his hand and clasped it tight.
“I’m not angry at you Alex. But I am at myself for not trusting you.”
Alex's hand clasped her back, his hand felt warm and firm and felt like it was anchoring her. She never wanted to let it go again. For a moment they didn’t say anything, just looked into each other's eyes. Without warning tears watered her eyes, she had longed for this moment ever since she left him. How she regretted not trusting him.
“Can you ever forgive me for not trusting you?” She asked with her voice unsteady due to the lump in her throat, and Alex swept her into his arms.
“Come here,” he said against her wet cheek. “Of course I forgive you, I love you.”
“I love you too,” Vanessa managed to say in between sobs.
Meanwhile, Raffi had managed to find them all a limousine and Mitch had arranged for a plane to stand ready at the airport to take them back to New York.
He missed his yoga lessons and he and Kat had already made plans to start up their own yoga studio where he would be the master of soul searching in between his film sessions, or something odd like that. He had explained it all in an ecstatic voice in the limousine, where they now sat all four of them. Vanessa and Alex close together on one side and opposite them Kat and Mitch sat with their arms and legs around each other’s.
“What are you two going to do in NY?” Kat asked Alex and Vanessa.
Vanessa who still held Alex hand in a tight grip didn’t know what their plans were. She was just happy as long as they were together.
“I’m going to visit Vanessa's parents,” Alex said as if it was something they had planned for ages.
Vanessa looked at him in surprise, where was this coming from? Alex turned so he faced her completely and took both of her hands in his.
“Since we have already been introduced as Husband and Wife by these two maniacs,” he nodded towards Kat and Mitch who didn’t listen anymore, too busy making out.
“I would like to ask you, Vanessa, would you be my wife?”
To say that she was in shock was quite the understatement but somehow she managed to gather herself and with tears of joy streaming down her face, she kissed him.
“Yes, yes” She mumbled in between kisses.
“Okay, that's sweet and all, but I feel a bit awkward right now,” a strained voice from the backseat interrupted them.
“Raffi? I didn’t know you were back there,” Alex said in surprise. Don’t sit back there sulking. Get in front and find us some champagne in that mini-bar.” Alex said to Raffi with laughter in his voice. Raffi did as he was told and climbed over the seats and ended up next to Mitch and Kat, and grabbed a bottle of champagne.
“Cheers for us!” Alex toasted and kissed Vanessa. “Cheers to my beautiful bride to be.”
Vanessa laughed and kissed him back.
This was amazing! She would marry Alex, she would marry a prince! Oh God, what would her parents say, and Aunt Steffie and Uncle Marty? What if they would suggest for the wedding to be held in her parent’s backyard in Queens. Oh no, she felt sure they would.
Would she be a princess now? How did one plan a royal wedding? Thoughts circulated in her brain in top speed. No, Vanessa, stop now. Take it easy. It will all work out smoothly, she told herself.
For now I will just enjoy being engaged to My Italian Prince, she thought and felt that she was the happiest she had ever been.
The End
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My Italian Prince: Clean Romance Page 17