“And we’ll need to select and confirm the church as soon as possible.” Valentina continued.
“Speaking of the church and the location, one of our relatives offered us his castle on lake Como for the reception. The castle also has a beautiful seventeenth century chapel where we thought we might hold the ceremony.”
“It sounds fantastic! And simplifies things a lot…” I looked at Valentina. I spent all morning looking for locations, something large enough and elegant enough for this type of wedding and I had been struggling to find anything suitable.
“I would like to add something special to the party. An idea…” the bride said.
I said, “what about giving each guest a flying lantern? They can be lit up at sunset and when they rise into the sky, everyone can make a wish. They will create a magical atmosphere.”
“Oh, this is wonderful!” Giulia was enthusiastic.
“Good!” Valentina was looking at me, surprised, as if it were impossible that I had a brilliant idea! Everything seemed to go very well, in spite of my hangover and too much caffeine in my system. I was performing very professionally.
We talked about some more details and then said goodbye to the family. I was proud of myself. For the first time, I felt like a real wedding planner. I took my water bottle out of my handbag and secretly made a toast to my new self.
While heading to our car, I noticed a black Audi parking in the garden. I had the feeling I knew that car. A stunning figure got out of the driver’s side, wearing a very short black dress. It was Anna. That damned Anna! Anna – the-woman-to-love. And she was driving Niccolò’s car!
I didn’t know whether run away or slap her in the face. I wondered what the hell she was doing here.
As she went to the front door, she turned and saw me. She had the stupefied expression of a grazing cow. She stopped and shyly smiled at me.
“Rebecca… It’s been so long!”
An eternity, bitch! Given the fact that, after stealing my man, you didn’t even have the courage to call me.
“What are you doing here?” I said, trying not to shout…
“I came to get some documents for my father. They are my father’s clients.”
Of course! The very rich and eminent lawyer she worked for – a real self-made woman. Right!!
I kept staring at her without hiding my hatred.
“Rebecca… I’m very sorry for what… uh… happened between you and Niccolò. He says you were very good friends.”
“Niccolò says tons of bullshit! He’s an asshole and a traitor. Watch out, girlfriend, the next one he cheats on could be you!”
Anna stood there speechless. Valentina blew the horn impatiently. She already had started the car.
“I must go. Please, say hello to my best friend Niccolò.” I smiled and left.
During the way back to Milan, I kept smiling. I was very proud of myself. Finally, I had let out some of the poison I had inside.
*
As soon as we arrived at the office, I turned my computer off and gathered my stuff, while Valentina was checking her e-mails. I met Etienne in the hall of the building. He wore an elegant dark suit and carried a brief-case.
“How elegant! Are you going to deliver something important to a CEO?” I asked, thinking he looked even more sexy than usual in his tailored suit.
“You’ve got to have class no matter what your job! And you, Coco? Are you planning to fall into the arms of someone tonight?’
“Very funny.”
He looked at me with his gorgeous smile. I felt the usual butterflies in my stomach, and completely understood why his Juliette had lost her head for him.
“Thanks again for helping me with the Chanel handbag. My mother loved it.”
“I didn’t have any doubt. At least with Chanel, I’m an authority!”
“Got to go now.” He pointed towards the taxi waiting for him.
Yes, that man lives way beyond his means, I thought, puzzled.
I said goodbye and headed happily to the subway.
*
The next afternoon we met Giulia again – our future bride – at an elegant showroom in the centre of Milan. They specialize in wedding dresses and have many VIPs, even movie actresses, as their clientele. It was the first time I had found myself in the midst of wedding dresses, and – and even with my disdain for weddings – I have to admit they were beautiful.
“Many of my fiancé’s relatives live in London or in the States,” Giulia said – excited like a kid in a candy store – “so, we should also consider their traditions. Don’t you agree?”
“Ah! I have just the thing…” Valentina answered, “Something old, something new…”
“Something borrowed, something blue…” Giulia added.
“And a silver sixpence in her shoe!” Laughing, we ended the little rhyme in unison.
Everyone knows it. The Anglo-Saxon tradition, that we also have adopted in Italy, says that on the wedding day, the bride has to wear something old – to indicate her ties with her past; something new – good luck for a new life; something borrowed – better from someone already happily married; something given to her as a gift – a wish for future happiness, and something blue that symbolizes purity and fidelity.
“We’ll find everything you need!” Valentina said, as a model put on the first incredible white dress to show it to us.
“I already have everything, almost everything!” Giulia said. “I have my mother’s diamond necklace, a blue garter – a gift from my best friend – and my old, small diamond earrings. I only need something new!”
At that moment I had an idea! I asked Valentina to let me go for a few minutes, explaining I had forgotten something in the car. She nodded, slightly annoyed, and I ran out of the showroom, as if it were a matter of life and death. Earlier I had noticed a perfume shop a few blocks away. I was running there.
Twenty minutes later I was back, when the bride was trying on her first dress. Ecstatic, she looked at herself in the mirror. I took a little packet out of my handbag and handed it to her, hoping that I had done the right thing.
She looked surprised at me. “What is it?”
“Open it. It’s a gift. Something new to wear… It’s something important to me and I hope it will bring good luck to you!” I was a little anxious.
“Chanel No 5!” she exclaimed. She seemed pleased.
“I always thought it was the perfume of love. Put on a few drops on your wedding day and on your first honeymoon night…”
She stood up and gave me a warm hug.
I had finally found my special ingredient, the thing I had that could make a difference. Chanel had inspired me and been with me all my life. Now she would be my secret ingredient, my inspiration!
I sat there, while we continued looking at dresses. I felt moved, in spite of myself.
When the bride was in the fitting-room, Valentina turned towards me and said: “Next time you come up with some brilliant, crazy idea, please warn me!”
I didn’t care. I knew she was positively surprised – although she didn’t like surprises. I had been smart. I smiled, satisfied. “Thank you, Coco Chanel!”
7
The Blind Date
On the weekend after my promotion to a real wedding planner, I was so exhausted on Saturday morning, I thought I could sleep all day long. Yet I got up very early because my calendar was packed with things to do.
I had promised Valentina that I would go on one of her special blind dates; I really needed to get ready for this.
Firstly, I went to my hair dresser for highlights. I wanted to make my hair super shiny, but most of all I wanted to hide three awful white hairs that had suddenly appeared. I opted for a very straight blow-dry to emphasize my new bob cut.
After my appointment at the salon, I joined Emma and Claudio for brunch in at American Café near the Duomo. I stuffed myself with carbohydrates, sugar, and orange juice.
My friends were more excited than I was about my f
irst real date after the disastrous break-up with Niccolò. Both were eager to give me advice and make jokes. They knew about my difficult relationship with Valentina, and were curious to know what kind of man she had in store for me.
While I was biting into my second pancake, Claudio began to provoke me with teasing questions. “If he were a nice guy, perfect for the high standards of our mademoiselle Coco, do you think you’ll give yourself to him?”
“I think that’s a very inappropriate question,” I answered, pouring syrup on my pancake.
“Come on, don’t be shy!” Emma butted in, while attacking a huge bowl of fruit salad. “He might be a wonderful guy, and this could be a great evening for you: finally, the revenge you were looking for!”
“Honestly I don’t have great expectations, knowing Valentina and her taste. Probably he will be a guy crazy for discotheques and tanning salons!”
“It wouldn’t be so bad, if he would take you out dancing. It would be healthy. Since when have you had a fun night?”
“I always have fun with you guys…”
“Sure, we don’t doubt it.” Claudio said with an ironic tone. “But I meant something more exciting than talking about how heartbroken you are and the remote possibility of finding someone for a serious, new relationship…”
Emma laughed.
God, they were right! Since I had moved to Milan, I had become such a bore. I only talked about my misery and the past with tons of self-pity!
“I have to admit; I’ve been a drag! But I’ve seriously decided to stop acting like this, and start all over. Tonight will be my first step in a new direction, a beginning… But I’m afraid the high- heeled shoes I picked out for tonight are not the best for dancing!”
“Tell me, what do you have in mind?” Emma asked.
“The Gucci 6 inch wedges that I got for my birthday.”
“Wow, aggressive!” Emma also had a passion for shoes. When we were kids in Venice, we spent our Saturday afternoons around San Marco looking in the windows of shoe stores, dreaming of buying them all.
“Well, if I have to take this step, I definitively want to do it with my feet in a good pair of shoes! Listen, I don’t know how this evening will end up. Also, I don’t want to have high expectations, or to have any plan. I’ve never had a blind date before, I might run away after three minutes.”
In fact, I had a strange feeling about meeting a person I’d never really seen. Valentina had shown me the profile picture of her friend, but the photo resolution was so low that I barely could see he was human! But I was curious. These weeks had been intense, full of new things, challenges, and lots of thoughts, yet I missed going out with a man to spend a carefree evening. I missed being courted and feeling sexy. I think I was ready to put myself out there again. Recently I had realized that I’d stopped counting calories and began to accept myself. Sometimes I still skipped meals when I felt bloated, but I had a better relationship with my own body now. I had discovered that the less I thought about food and my weight, the more my body seemed to be happy. I learned how to be a little easier with myself.
“The moment has come to add some spice to your life, Coco. Don’t you feel like touching a new man?” Emma asked, taking another bite of her chocolate cake.
“Well… I do touch men…”
“I mean, except for Claudio and falling into the arms of the errand boy…”
“Errand boy?” Claudio was curious.
“He’s just a handsome guy who works at the agency.”
“Coco read a letter he had dropped in the hall, and she began to fantasize about his love life.”
“Why did you read his letter?”
“I didn’t deliberately read his letter! I’ve just found his letter and so, without wanting…”
“Right! Classic… love letters land in your lap!” Emma laughed.
“And what did this letter say?” Claudio was more curious than a woman!
Emma anticipated my answer: “Fire and brimstone! There is this woman who is madly in love with him, who wrote passionate words and then she asked him to marry her!”
“Wow! A free-spirited woman…”
“Yes… she impressed me.” I said, a little confused.
“Did he talk to you about her?”
“No! He doesn’t even know I read his letter. But that’s enough now, let’s talk about something else – please!” I wanted to stop that conversation because I couldn’t take anyone’s opinion about that damned letter. I felt ambivalent and guilty.
“You know, Coco really cares about her reputation as a very discreet person…” Emma, laughing, kissed me on the cheek.
“Ok, let’s respect the will of Her Majesty Coco. We’ll wait patiently for the next episode of the series: the errand boy and the love letter.” Claudio was such a tease.
After brunch we strolled around Piazza Duomo. I’ve always loved the atmosphere in these plazas. You inhale a sort of euphoria that invites you to smile at everyone you come across. We felt happy and decided to capture that moment. We asked a passerby to take a picture of us with my smartphone. In this photograph, that I still treasure today, we are three smiling friends who felt like a family.
*
As soon as I got home, I called my mother. Since I had moved to Milan, I didn’t call her often enough. Then I filled the bath tub, threw in a fistful of my scented relaxing salt and immersed myself in the hot water, being very careful not to mess up my new hair. Only sometimes – when I have time – do I indulge myself in the luxury of taking a bath. I love soaking in the warm water. It helps me to sort out my thoughts, to soften the sharp edges, or simply to relax. Water is my element; after all I am from Venice!
I’d decided that if I didn’t like my blind date, I would leave, faking an emergency. And on the contrary, if he were a nice guy, I would enjoy my evening.
I stayed in the tub for a little longer. When I got out I leisurely rubbed myself with lotions and oils. I had a specific one for each part of my body: arms, breasts, thighs, abdomen, butt and hands. It’s unbelievable how many lotions a woman can use in just one single day!
I felt so relaxed. I made a hot ginger tea and turned the television on. Claudio had sent me a text to let me know there was an old Frank Capra film on TV, Pocketful of Miracles, that he loved. In his text he added, ‘it will help you dream’. I was fascinated by his passion for old black and white movies. He always quoted powerful sentences and touched me with those heart-wrenching love stories. I lay down on the sofa and spent the rest of the afternoon watching films.
When I realized it was getting late, I began to get ready for the evening. I slipped into a pair of ivory pants and put on a cashmere sweater that was perfect with my Gucci shoes. I chose a little pearl grey hat and added a white camellia to it. I applied just a little mascara and opted for a bright red lipstick. I got my trench coat and left.
We had decided to meet for an aperitif at an elegant bar near Parco Sempione. I arrived by taxi. I didn’t want to take any risks, walking on my 6 inch heels! For once I wasn’t early, so I didn’t have to wait.
I glanced at a man sitting alone at a table and immediately thought it must be him. He was tall and slender, with a slightly receding hairline: not bad at all. He wore a beautiful shirt with a soft V neck sweater.
I came over to the table and asked shyly: “Francesco?”
He stood up, smiling. He shook my hand and introduced himself: “Yes, nice to meet you. Valentina has told me a lot about you, but I didn’t think you would be so beautiful.”
Ok! First compliment!! I had scored, and felt satisfied.
I sat down and immediately a waiter came to take our order. I asked for a glass of red wine, while Francesco ordered an exotic cocktail I had never heard of. I still loved wine, although Milan was the place for cocktails… but they didn’t know how to make a good Negroni!
While waiting for our drinks, we started making small talk. It wasn’t easy to break the ice. After all, we were two strangers hoping for
something… This was a blind date and I felt a little anxious.
I think he had more expertise than I for this kind of thing, and immediately he asked me the expected question: “So, how is it to be organizing weddings?”
“Not too bad. I just started. Before, I was dealing with different types of events. We’ll see… And you? What do you do?”
“I work in a bank.”
“Ah… you must be a very meticulous and diligent person.” Why did I say such bullshit?
“Well, this is what everybody believes. People think that if you work in a bank, you must be boring and not a creative person. I don’t know why. It’s a stereotype. I love riding my motorcycle and adore the thrill of speed… I also have a passion for rafting.”
A man who loved living dangerously! For a chronically lazy person like me it would be difficult to keep up with him…
“I’m thinking of starting paragliding too. Have you ever tried it?”
“Are you joking? The most extreme sport I practice is running to catch a bus!”
“You should try it – adrenalin is very healthy!”
Well, did I look so desperate that everybody seemed to have some advice for me? Valentina recommended more sex and this guy suggested extreme sports!
The waiter came with the drinks, and we decided to toast to our first meeting. “To us!” Francesco touched my glass and I smiled.
“How do you like Milan?”
“I like it. It’s not an easy city, but I have met wonderful people, and somehow I felt immediately at home. In spite of the traffic, noise, smog and winter coming, so far I love being here.”
“I was born and grew up here. I have always lived in Milan, except for the two years I spent in Boston. I think it’s a great city.”
“And it’s the capital of fashion!” I added.
“I’m not a big expert about that. I hate shopping. I let my mother buy all my clothes.”
Maybe this was a joke, or perhaps a nightmare and in a few seconds I would wake up! Was this man at thirty-seven letting his mother buy his clothes?
“Really? So your mother buys your clothes?” I was incredulous.
Coco Chanel Saved My Life Page 9