In an effort to continue to build bridges and stay on good terms with Charlie, I’d invited him along. He’d come alone and seemed to be busy chatting along with Uncle Phillip, who was also an advocate for green causes and passionate about environmental issues.
Time for the speeches. After everyone had said some lovely things about me, it was my turn to stand up and say a few words.
‘Good evening,’ I said, moving in front of the grand fireplace in the living room, looking ahead at everyone who had gathered around and whose eyes were now transfixed on me. ‘I feel so humbled,’ I added as I glanced around the room. ‘The fact that you’ve all taken time out to celebrate my fortieth birthday means a lot, so thank you for coming. Now, whilst I organise events for a living, as you know, I don’t actually have parties very often myself. But I was inspired to do this by a very special man: my dear friend Albert, who as you know I met in France when I was twenty. I’m delighted his wonderful wife, Marie, and his children, Henri and Geraldine, have joined us tonight.’
I blew a kiss to them in the crowd so that everyone could see where they were standing. I was glad Harrison was filming this. It would be great to send the recording to Marie afterwards.
‘For almost two decades, Albert remained an amazing friend. More than a friend, in fact. He was like a second father to me. But sadly, last year he passed away.’ I started to feel emotional, but I was determined to carry on. ‘He was taken from us far too soon, aged just sixty. But after his funeral, I made a promise to him, and to myself, that I would do my best to honour his memory and everything he taught me by living my life to the fullest. Now, as you all know, before, I was a bit of a workaholic—’
‘A bit!’ shouted my mother from the sofa. The room erupted with laughter.
‘Okay, thanks, Mum!’ I said, laughing. ‘Yes, more than a bit, I’ll admit. I was all work, work, work. I was uptight and unhappy. In short, whilst my life appeared to be good from the outside, in reality, I wasn’t making the most of it. But despite his passing, Albert has been inspiring me to pursue my dreams and to build a more balanced and positive life for myself. A year on, I’ve grown so much. I took myself on a cookery holiday with a group of strangers who are now amazing friends.’ I smiled at Fran and Dan who were also in the room. ‘I learnt to cook Italian dishes, I rarely work at weekends or evenings, and I have experienced so many things, thanks to the extra courage that Albert gave me and the incredible love and support I feel from you all.’
‘Aww, bless you, Soph,’ said Fran, who was getting all teary.
‘Thank you to my parents, not just for having me in the first place, but for always being there for me.’ My dad put his arm around my mum’s shoulder and pulled her into him as she was also welling up. ‘To Harrison, thank you for your calmness and your support both in and outside of work—I couldn’t do it without you—and for the killer playlist tonight.’ I then turned to Marilyn and Jasmine:
‘To the best sister and niece a girl could ask for. To my wonderful friends, old and new: Bella, Roxy, Fran, Monique, I love you. Thanks, Aunt Cynthia, for allowing us into your beautiful home, and Aunt Sheri, for the delicious food. There’s too many people to mention—otherwise we’ll be here all night and I’ll get even more emotional—so I just want to finish by saying a big thank-you to you all!’
There was a round of applause. It was strange. I’d presented to audiences of thousands for work and it hadn’t fazed me, but in front of close family, it was different. More nerve-racking. Maybe it was the intensity of the emotions rushing through me.
Aunt Sheri and Aunt Cynthia had already begun passing around the glasses of prosecco and were now making their way forward to start lighting the candles on the large gold and cream cake which had ‘Happy 40th Birthday, Sophia’ written in icing and mini coconut cupcakes around the edges.
On the count of three, Valentino started strumming his guitar as everyone sang ‘Happy Birthday.’
I then took my cue to blow out the candles. It wouldn’t take a genius to guess what my wish was. Well, I cheated a little and asked for three wishes in one (yes, I was aware that there wasn’t a genie in the room to grant them, but as my dad always said, if you don’t ask, you don’t get), wishing that: 1) I had a healthy baby, 2) that it was Lorenzo’s and 3) that he came back to me.
But maybe wishing wasn’t enough. If Lorenzo truly was the one, I should fight for him.
Finding someone that you have that strong physical and emotional connection with is hard: particularly post-forty, when there’s a smaller pool of men available. So even though I risked looking like a fool, getting rejected, feeling more pain and stressing myself out, which wouldn’t be ideal for the baby, I needed to put my pride and emotions on the line and find Lorenzo.
I’ll contact the restaurant. See if Gino had heard anything or could get a message to him. I’d fly to Italy if I had to. I couldn’t give up on Lorenzo without trying. I needed to know what happened and how he felt. I refused to believe that what we had wasn’t real.
As I snapped out of my thoughts, everyone let out a loud cheer and clinked each other’s glasses before taking large gulps of the chilled prosecco.
Harrison fired up the music, kicking off with a Rihanna and Calvin Harris hit, which instantly got my cousins dancing, and the rest of the crowd began to disperse as they headed back to their chosen spots in the room.
Then, as I looked straight ahead, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I blinked several times just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Stood directly in front of me, glass of prosecco in hand, it was him.
There clearly was a genie in the room.
And he’d granted one of my wishes.
I wouldn’t have to contact Gino or fly to Italy to start the search.
He was here.
Lorenzo had come back to me.
Chapter Forty-Four
As he walked towards me, I was still in a state of shock. A wave of emotions were pulsing through my brain: surprise, elation, confusion, desire and, of course, anger.
He looked gorgeous. Tired but just breathtaking. I felt my knees go weak.
He leant over to kiss me gently on the lips.
‘I sorry I am late,’ he said, taking my hands into his. ‘My flight was delayed by hours. I thought I would not make it, but I had to. I promised you I would be here, so I could not break it. You look beautiful, Sophia.’
I was so glad he was there, but also stunned that he’d only apologised for being late and not for disappearing for two months without so much as a text message or phone call. I dropped my hands and placed them on my hips. The look of desire and happiness I had shown when I had first seen him had now gone. I was now scowling like a Rottweiler, wondering how he could be so insensitive.
‘I should not have come?’ he asked, realising that I was livid. ‘You are not happy to see me?’
Unbelievable!
I could feel various eyes burning straight through us, notably Charlie’s, but I had to find out what had happened.
‘Lorenzo,’ I said as calmly as I could manage, when really I wanted to scream at him. ‘We need to talk. Come with me.’
I led him out of the living room, down the end of the hall, into my aunt’s bedroom, through the patio doors and onto her balcony. The minute we stepped outside, he pulled me towards him and started kissing me.
Nooooo! I’m supposed to be angry at you, and I can’t if you kiss me…
Oh this man. He did it to me every time. How did he always make me feel so gooooood?
Stop it, Sophia.
‘Lorenzo, no, stop!’ I said, echoing Reasanna’s concerns and pushing him away. ‘You can’t just disappear without even bothering to call me, send me a message or anything for two fucking months and then just rock up to my birthday party and start kissing me like nothing happened. Why the fuck did you just up and leave me?’
‘But I don’t understand, Sophia. Why are you angry?’ he said, frowning deeply. ‘I wrote yo
u long letter explaining why I had to leave. I told you that my ex-girlfriend tried to find out where I was and threatened to go after my mother and contact Taste Holidays, so I had to rush back to Italy.’ He was speaking rapidly, desperate to get the words out.
‘What?’ I asked, completely confused.
‘I explained that I was happy about the baby and, like you, I believed that it must be mine, but I still needed time to think and prepare. To be ready for the big responsibility.’ He stroked my stomach gently. ‘I said it may take time and I needed to focus, so if you did not hear from me for many weeks, you must not think I had forgotten you. That when I saw you I would explain properly, that I was just not strong enough to talk about it now, but that I love you and even if I took a long time to fix things back home, I promise I would be there at your party. I even left a new email address to contact me if it was urgent.’
‘You left me a new email address?’ I asked again with no idea what he was talking about.
‘Yes!’ he replied. I looked into his eyes. He did seem sincere. ‘The crazy woman tried to track my phone. That’s why I wrote a letter. When I called him from my friend’s phone in Italy, Gino told me he told you that I left a letter for you at the flat, and Jack told me he left the letter for you on the coffee table, and when he locked up the letter was gone, so I thought you read it and that you understood, no?’
‘I’ve told you, Lorenzo. I have no idea what letter you’re going on about!’ I scoffed, brushing off his hand as he tried to stroke my shoulder. ‘Gino told me you’d left something for me at the flat, but not a letter. All that was on the bed was my clothes and make-up bag.’
‘No, I told you!’ he said, exasperated. ‘Jack left the letter on the coffee table. I rushed to get my plane as I was worried about my mother and the woman. I locked up the flat, went outside, then I remembered the letter was in my pocket and not on the bed with your clothes. I ran back quickly and buzzed Jack. He came down, took the letter, which I told him was important, and the keys so I could go to the airport, and when I called, he told me he left it on the coffee table by the sofa.’
I paused and did a mental scan of what I remembered seeing in the flat.
Yes, I did remember there being a letter on the coffee table when I got there, but I didn’t think to look at it. I was in shock. And why would I think he would write me a letter? Who writes bloody letters these days? Especially if English isn’t even your first language? I got he had explained why he didn’t want to use his phone to me now, but otherwise I’d never have considered that in a million years.
When I thought about it, the coffee table had looked emptier when I’d left. I knew something was different, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Hold on a moment.
When I had come out of the bathroom, Charlie had been pushing something into his pocket was acting suspiciously.
Bastard!
He must have seen the letter, read it and hidden it from me.
All this time! All this time, I’d been hurting, thinking that Lorenzo had just left me without even giving me an explanation. That I must have been wrong and he didn’t love me at all. And all along, Charlie had known the truth.
‘Wait here, Lorenzo!’ I shouted.
I stormed back into the bedroom, through the door and down to the living room to find Charlie, who I now spotted chatting to Roxy. I knew I needed to try and stay calm for the baby’s sake, but I couldn’t help myself. I was livid.
‘Charlie!’ I screamed. ‘Did you take a letter from the coffee table in Lorenzo’s flat that was addressed to me and hide it?’
He looked stunned and immediately turned bright red. His face said it all.
‘You bastard!’ The whole room fell silent and gasped in horror at the unscheduled show that had been added to the party entertainment itinerary. ‘You saw how upset I was, and you just left me to think Lorenzo didn’t care, when you knew all along that he hadn’t just upped and left. You were happy to see me in pain, just to get back at me. I fucking hate you!’
I left the room seething, and seconds later I could hear him running after me down the hallway.
‘Sophia,’ he said, grabbing onto my arm. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…I wasn’t thinking clearly. You’d just told me you’d jumped into bed with another man literally five minutes after leaving me, despite knowing what I’d been through with Zara, and I was hurt, so when I saw the letter, I just… I just…he’s not good enough for you!’
He followed me into the bedroom, where Lorenzo was now standing, arms folded.
‘Sophia, he’s just a chef, for goodness’ sake!’ Charlie shouted. ‘He can’t provide for you and our baby. I can give you both everything you’ll ever need. What can he offer you? A plate of pasta and some grotty accommodation? I can give you so much more!’
Lorenzo stepped forward and punched Charlie squarely in the face, sending him crashing to the wooden floor.
I gasped in shock. That was one right hook Lorenzo had on him. I could almost see the stars buzzing around Charlie’s head, like when the characters got knocked out in the old-school cartoons.
Lorenzo wrapped his arm around my waist and stroked my bump.
‘Nobody talks to my wife like that,’ he said, looking down at Charlie, who was rubbing his cheek, which was, unsurprisingly, looking very sore. ‘You took my letter for Sophia. You made me look like a bad man. You upset her and our baby. It is time for you to leave. I will take care of Sophia and our child. I am not a rich man, but I know how to respect and love a woman. If you loved Sophia and Sophia loved you, you would not need to hide my letter from her. Go back to your castle, rich man,’ Lorenzo said, shooing Charlie away and wrinkling his face with disgust.
My hero!
Wait. Did Lorenzo just call me his wife?
Although I wasn’t a wedding kind of woman, I had to admit, that was such a sweet thing to say.
Charlie struggled to get back on his feet. ‘You two cretins deserve each other,’ he barked. ‘Sophia, I’m sorely disappointed in you. All I tried to do was to give you a good life, to elevate you, and this is how you repay me? You’re an ungrateful, common whore!’
Lorenzo lunged forward to punch him again.
‘No, Lorenzo,’ I said calmly, holding his hand back. ‘Leave it.’ I turned to Charlie, who was now upright, albeit still a little unsteady on his feet. ‘Charlie, I’m very grateful for everything you’ve done for me, but I was honest with you about how I felt. I tried, but we both know it wasn’t working. I want to stay on good terms. That’s why I came to you and apologised, and why I invited you here tonight. But what you did hiding that letter from me was just wrong.’
‘Oh and sleeping with two guys literally hours apart, getting pregnant and not knowing who the father is, isn’t?’ he snapped.
Touché. Although technically, if Charlie would just tell me the truth about what happened with the condom, it would be a lot less confusing…
‘Unbelievable,’ said Charlie as he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
I turned to Lorenzo and rested my head on his chest.
‘I’m sorry I doubted you, Lorenzo.’
‘I am sorry I left you, Sophia,’ he said, resting his chin on my head. ‘But I have lot of problems. At first when I left, I thought perhaps it is best I did not come back. I looked up Charlie on the internet when I got home. I knew he was a rich man, but not that rich. So I thought, perhaps it would be better if you stay with him. He could give you more than I can. Then I worried if I was ready. If I can be a good father…’ He paused, and a troubled expression engulfed his face. ‘You remember I told you I had difficult life, especially with women?’ he asked.
‘Yes…’ I replied, bracing myself for what was coming next.
We sat down on the sofa opposite the balcony doors.
‘When I was twenty-nine, I fell in love with a woman. She told me she was pregnant. We had not known each other a long time. I thought it had happened quickly, but I was
happy. I always wanted children. People told me that she was no good. But she was beautiful—looked like the actress Eva Mendes. But I did not listen. I loved her.’ He rested his hands on top of mine and his face turned serious.
‘Go on,’ I said encouragingly.
‘I worked two jobs to get enough money to look after the baby and to buy her the nice clothes that she wanted. I loved my son. His name was Stefano. But when he was six months, a man came to the house saying he wants to see his son. My girlfriend, she had an affair with a married man, realised she was pregnant with his baby, but because he would not leave his wife and stopped giving her money, she met me and decided to use me to support them instead. Even though she lied, I forgave her. I said I would still look after them. But then the man’s wife heard about this and kicked him out, so my girlfriend left to be with him, and she took Stefano with her.’
‘Oh God, Lorenzo. That’s terrible,’ I said. Jesus. This man hadn’t been joking when he’d said he’d had a tough life.
‘I was devastated. I started drinking. I did not go to work. I lost my job. For six months I was a mess.’ He paused again as he held his head down—like he was reliving the pain and the shame. ‘I slept with lots of women and said I would never trust or stay with one woman again—that way, I cannot get hurt. That is why I got that reputation. But I did not enjoy it. After a while it is boring. It leaves you empty. All I really wanted was a wife and a family and to be loved. It took years before I was strong again. I got a job with Taste and things were better. I tried to trust again. Then I had problems with the crazy woman. So when you told me you were pregnant and you cannot be sure if it is mine or Charlie’s, it brought back the pain and memories of Stefano, and I did not know how to deal with that.’
‘I’m so sorry, Lorenzo. I didn’t realise,’ I said, wrapping my arms around him.
‘Also, when I told you I had important things to take care of when I went back to Italy in January, I had more problems with my ex that I tried to fix, and I did not want to worry you,’ he explained. ‘I thought it was finished, but then it got worse again, so that is why I had to come back to Italy quickly. You see. My life is complicated. I do not know if it is good for a good woman like you to be with a man like me,’ he said, bowing his head again.
The Middle-Aged Virgin: A Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy Novel: Newly Single And Seeking Spine-Tingles... Page 37