Turn Towards the Sun Book Two: After the Rain

by Jennifer Domenico

  “What are you thinking, my love?”

  “Just how handsome you are,” I tell him. “I wish you didn’t have to go back. Makes me jealous knowing all those San Diego girls get to feast their eyes on you for three days.”

  “Are there females in San Diego? I wouldn’t know.” Laughing, he hands me a cup of coffee.

  I smile as I sip my drink. “I’m going to be busy at the hotel anyway,” I remark. “We can finally start working on some of the rooms. Francesca called last night.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “Of course you do.”

  “I have to go now,” Enzo says. “I love you and I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you more.”

  “Impossible. This is the first time we’ve been apart since we’ve been married.”

  “Yuck. I know. Let’s not make it a habit.”

  “Agreed,” he says, putting on his suit jacket. Then he gives me a final big hug and kiss before he leaves. “Love you.”

  “Love you back.”

  He smiles and he’s out the door. I empty my coffee cup and head over to the couch. I’m up now, so I might as well do some reading. I’m still lounging on the couch a few hours later when Cassie walks in the room.

  “Hey girl,” I greet her.

  “Hey. What ya doing up?”

  “Reading. Enzo left for Cali this morning.”

  “Oh, yeah, so what are you gonna do today?” she asks.

  “Go to the hotel for most of the day. You?”

  “I’m going to check out another salon,” Cassie tells me. “It’s supposed to be really nice and they have a space I can rent. The girl is moving out of state, so there is a chance that I can inherit some of her clientele.”

  “That’s great.”

  “I hope so,” she says, sitting down next to me.

  Cassie leans back against the couch and then surprises me by remarking, “So it must be monthly cycle time again, huh? You’re looking a little busty this morning.”

  Glancing down at my chest, I realize that I do look a little plumper than usual. I think back to my last period and remember that it was sometime in December, but we are well past that now.

  “I’m not on my period,” I reply. “Shit.”

  “Okay, so..?”

  “So, it’s been too long. I’m late.” My heart starts racing as soon as I say the words out loud.

  “Really?” Cassie gasps. “Oh, my God, are you pregnant?”

  “I don’t know. Wait. I need to calm down. I quit my pill, so it could just be my cycle adjusting.”

  “Let’s get a test,” Cassie says, excited.

  “I already have one,” I remember. “Actually I bought five. I wanted to be prepared. You know.”

  “Let’s go then. When should you have had it?”

  “Middle of January, I guess.”

  “Dang girl, it’s almost the middle of February now.”

  “I know.” I sit still, frozen to the couch.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  “I’m scared, Cass.”

  “Don’t be scared,” she soothes me. “It’s exciting. I’ll come with you.”

  “Okay,” I say, pulling myself up.

  I don’t want to find out I’m pregnant when Enzo is in California. What crappy timing.

  I walk slowly to my bathroom, open the cabinet drawer and pull out one of the boxes of tests, but I just stare at it. Cassie sighs, grabs the box and tears it open.

  “I can’t do the test for you. Come on, Ava.”

  I take a deep breath. “Give it to me.”

  She hands me the stick and reads the directions. “All you have to do is pee on it, and wait ten minutes.”

  I go through the process and then lay the stick on the bathroom counter. Cassie paces back and forth, watching the clock, while all I can do is sit on the chair and wait. After ten minutes pass she runs for the stick.

  “You look, Cass. I can’t.”

  “Okay.” She looks at it and smiles. “Oh, Ava, you’re going to be a mommy,” she says and then bursts into tears.

  I jump up and grab the stick. For a moment all I can do is stare at the little plus sign. Wow, I’m really pregnant.

  Cassie hugs me and I start to cry too. I’m going to have Enzo’s baby. And he’s in damn California.

  “I can’t believe it, Cass. I’m pregnant.”

  “I know. It’s so awesome.”

  “I’m going to take one more test to make sure, before I call Enzo.”

  “Don’t be stupid. Your boobs are huge, you’ve lost all desire for alcohol and you’ve eaten your own weight in those Italian cornetto things you like. All signs point to pregnant. I noticed about a week ago, but I didn’t want to say anything.”

  “Why didn’t you? I was oblivious.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you were pregnant or if you’d just let yourself go a bit, now that you’re married,” she replies. The joyous sound of her cackles fills my bathroom. “Anyway, you can’t tell Enzo over the phone. You’ll have to wait until he comes home.”

  I stare at her. “That’s three days from now.”

  “So? You can plan some nice way of telling him.”

  “You’re right. I don’t want to tell him over the phone, so we’ll have to keep it a secret. I can’t tell Checca or Chris before my own husband knows. Swear it.”

  “I swear,” she replies. “I did good at Christmas, remember?”

  “I remember. Holy shit.”

  “This is what you wanted, so stop freaking out. You’re both going to be awesome.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to call Dr. Warner, to see if there is anything I should be doing.”

  “I think you have to stop drinking coffee.”

  I frown. “Small sacrifice, I guess.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be worth it when we see the little peanut’s face,” Cassie says, grinning.

  “I’m gonna take a shower and then call the doctor,” I decide.

  “Sounds good. And congratulations,” she adds, before kissing my cheek and leaving the room.

  I climb into the shower, slightly stunned. Why wasn’t I paying attention? I guess I’m so used to not getting periods that I don’t expect them anymore, and I have no idea exactly how pregnant I am.

  Once out of the shower, I stare at my naked body in the mirror. Other than being very busty, I look the same. I stand on the scale – no weight gain. I haven’t felt one ounce of morning sickness or anything else. There is absolutely no indication of the monumental change taking place inside my body except for my ginormous boobage.

  I try to find something to wear, but notice that my favorite purple sweater now fits too tightly across my chest. Sighing, I grab a brown sweater. It will do. I pull on my jeans and at least they fit the same. I pick up my phone to call Dr. Warner.

  “Hello, may I speak to Dr. Warner? This is Ava Milano.”

  The receptionist answers, “One moment, Mrs. Milano.”

  “Hello, this is Dr. Warner.”

  “Hi doctor. I took a test this morning and I think I’m pregnant.”

  “Oh, Ava, that’s wonderful,” she says.

  “Yes, I wanted to know if there is anything I should be doing right now?”

  “Do you know how far along you are?”

  “No. I guess I lost track of my cycle.”

  “Don’t worry,” she says. “You can come in and get a test done here. We can get an idea of how far along you are, based on your hormone levels. Then I can start you on some prenatal vitamins and give you some tips.”

  “Okay. Can I wait a few days? Enzo is out of town and I want to make sure he can be there with me.”

  “Of course, a few days won’t make any difference. For now, just avoid any strenuous activity, alcohol, and unpasteurized foods. You don’t smoke, correct?”

  “Correct. So we can come in Wednesday afternoon?” I ask.

  “I’ll put you down for three. Does that work?”

  “Yes. Thank you, doctor.”


  “You’re welcome. See you then.”

  As I hang up, I feel better, knowing I have an appointment and that I can carry on my normal day. I just need to be careful not to let anything slip in front of Francesca today. Leaving my hair down, I throw on my brown boots and take a peek outside. It looks a nice day outside. Walking into the living room, I find Chris and Cassie eating breakfast.

  “Do you want anything to eat, Ava?” Chris asks. “I’ve got some eggs made.”

  My stomach reacts with a double somersault. Eggs do not sound appealing.

  “No thanks, Chris. I’m heading over to the hotel now. I’ll see you two later.”

  “Bye, Ava,” Cassie says, smiling.

  I pet Maximus and head out the garage door to my Fiat. Hearing my phone vibrate, I check it and see a text from Enzo.

  HB&M: My love, I’m in SD now. Headed to the hotel. Love you. E

  Me: Heading to La Bellissima. Love you back. A

  I wish he was home. Not only have we not spent any time apart since his last Boston trip, but now I have such important news to share. I refuse to tell him over the phone though, Cassie is right about that. I want to tell him in person and it should be special.

  Shaking my head, I cannot quite believe it. I thought it would take months to get pregnant. I’ve been on the pill since I was sixteen, so I guess my fertility is nice and strong. I just hope I got pregnant sometime after the Vegas trip since I spent every day drinking coffee and wine.

  Pulling into the parking area of La Bellissima, I notice that it is coming along nicely. I love seeing the grounds being put in and the lobby is almost finished. Getting out of the car, I walk over to where the restaurant is being built. The chef is in the dining room area and he appears to be choosing dishware. Francesca stands next to him, and I assume it is to provide her opinion.

  I walk in, saying, “Buon giorno.”

  “Ah, Ava, buon giorno,” Francesca greets me.

  The chef stands up and Francesca introduces us. “Yes, Ava, you remember Massimiliano Dolce?”

  I have no idea how Enzo convinced him to run the restaurant in Phoenix, but with several high-end eateries in London, Boston, New York and Las Vegas, his name alone should bring the foodie crowd here in droves.

  “Yes, of course,” I reply. “I’m very glad you’re here, chef. We really enjoyed our meal at Dolce in Vegas.”

  “Thank you. I like this location. It’s very nice. We are choosing the plates.” He holds up a striking, black square plate.

  “Gorgeous,” I say. “Well, I’ll leave you to your work. I’m going upstairs to check on progress.”

  “Yes, go to the third floor. I have some fabrics picked for the curtains that I want your opinion on,” Francesca adds.

  I nod and head for the elevators, passing through the casino on the way. I like that we’ve created two distinct areas, so we can attract a variety of people. One area boasts the card and dice games, along with the low-priced slot machines. The other section includes all the high-stakes gambling that Enzo loves so much. For a moment I stop to watch the workers installing the machines and tables.

  My phone rings. It’s Calvin.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Ava, do you know where Enzo keeps his files for Italy?” he asks. “He wanted me to come over there and grab some files to fax to him in California.”

  “Yes, I know where he keeps them. Come on down. I should be on the third floor.”

  “Sounds good, so see you soon,” he says, and hangs up.

  As I wait for the elevator, I spot creepy Dax standing outside, watching the pool area being tiled. I hope to avoid him. The more I’m around the man, the less I like him.

  I head up to the third floor and step out. Oh wow. Some of the carpeting has been laid in the hallways and a few of the rooms. I spy a table near the elevators covered with the fabric swatches I’m supposed to check, and I carry them into one of the rooms so that I can see them in the proper context. I hold a few swatches up to the wall to see how they look against the warm, creamy paint we chose.

  “You’re back, Mrs. Milano.”

  Startled, I turn around to see Dax standing in the doorway.

  “What do you want?” I ask, annoyed. I don’t even bother to hide my disdain.

  “I want many things, little lady.”

  “Don’t call me that. This is not the wild, wild west, you know.” I roll my eyes and go back to my work.

  “It’s just the southern in me showing.”

  I ignore him and try to focus on my fabric swatches. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that he’s still in the room, leaning against the doorframe. “Again, do you want something?” I ask him.

  “I do.”

  I sigh, exasperated. He plays this little game all the time, hovering around me until I finally leave a room or Enzo arrives. Quite frankly, it’s bordering on harassment.

  “Listen, Dax, I have work to do. I have neither the time nor the interest to play your little games. So either tell me what you want or leave.”

  He walks towards me and I suddenly feel uncomfortable. I don’t like the expression on his face.

  “You act so high and mighty all the time, but at the end of the day you’re just another rich little cunt I’d like to bang,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me close.

  “Let go of me!” I shout. “Are you crazy?”

  “Yes, I am. You drive me crazy, and you know it. Walking around here with your tight jeans on, you’re a little cock tease, ain’t ya?”

  “Dax, let go of me right now! I’ll have your balls for this.”

  “You can have my balls anytime you want,” he replies.

  “How exactly do you think this is going to work out for you? I’m married to your fucking boss. You think I’m just going to let this go? You’re dead wrong, asshole.”

  “Why do you act like you don’t want this attention? Women like you always want this. I can make you feel things your slick Italian husband can’t. I’m a man’s man.”

  “You’re a creepy prick and nothing more,” I shout at him. “You’ve got five seconds to get your fucking hands off me.”

  “Or what..? What are you gonna do?”

  I slap him across the face as hard as I can, but he just laughs and shoves me down on the bed. Suddenly, he’s on top of me, trying to kiss me.

  “Get off me,” I scream as loud as I can.

  The next thing I know, Dax is off me and across the room. I look up to see Calvin, who must have walked in on the scene. I watch in shock and amusement as he punches Dax straight in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

  “What the hell are you doing? She’s Enzo’s wife!” Calvin hovers imposingly over Dax, who wipes blood from his mouth and makes no attempt to get up.

  “Are you okay, Ava?” Calvin asks, offering me his hand.

  I stand up and smooth down my sweater. “Yeah, I’m fine now.”

  Dax pulls himself up off the floor and I cross my arms over my chest.

  “Mrs. Milano, my apologies. I just assumed–”

  “Assumed what? You thought Ava would fuck you? Are you insane?” Calvin asks.

  “No, I’m not insane. I just thought she might. Lots of chicks do, especially the married ones.” He straightens his shirt.

  “Enzo will find out about this,” Calvin continues. “You realize that, right?”

  “Yep,” Dax replies. “He’ll have my resignation tomorrow morning. I know him well enough to know that our working relationship will be over after this.”

  Oh shit. The hotel is nowhere near done and everything was going so well. As much as I don’t want to see this jerk-off ever again, I have to admit that he is good at his job. In just a few months, the project would be finished.

  “Calvin, can I talk to you for a minute, please?” I say.

  “Sure Ava. What’s up?”

  We walk over to a corner to talk. “Dax can’t quit yet,” I tell him. “We’re almost done with the hotel. I think we should put
this past us for a couple more months. Let him finish the job. He didn’t hurt me.”

  “No way, Ava,” he responds. “I don’t keep secrets from Enzo, especially ones like this.”

  “I know, I don’t either, but Calvin, he’ll lose his mind over this. It will derail his focus and he’ll lock me in the house for months again.” Especially after he finds out I’m pregnant.

  Calvin considers my proposal for a moment. “Even if we could keep it from him, we can’t ensure that Dax won’t say something.”

  “Dax has far more to lose. He’ll forfeit a very lucrative deal and he’ll lose out on the prestige of being associated with this hotel. He’ll keep his mouth shut.”

  “Then how do we handle it when the hotel is complete? Enzo will be furious with us for keeping it from him,” says Calvin.

  “There will be no reason to tell him. The relationship will be over. Enzo isn’t building anything else here.”

  “I don’t know, Ava. This is risky.”

  I think about what I’m suggesting and shake my head. He’s right; I already know how I feel when I keep secrets from my husband. What am I thinking?

  “You’re right, Calvin. I can’t keep secrets from Enzo. I just don’t want him to lose everything he’s worked so hard for with this hotel over a stupid incident like this. I don’t know what to do.”

  “I know what you mean,” he replies. “He’s going to flip out, and rightfully so. I would lose my mind if some tool treated Gabby like that. But, I think the right thing to do is to tell Enzo the truth.”

  “Okay.”

  I turn to find Dax still rubbing his jaw. Guess Calvin has a pretty fierce left hook. I sigh. We have no alternative but to tell Enzo. This is not going to be good.

  “Dax, I don’t even know what to say to you right now,” Calvin tells him. “This little stunt fucked up everything. I can’t believe a man who is as good as you are at his job lets his dick make his decisions for him.”

  “Hey, she’s a pretty girl. I got carried away and, like I said, it usually works. You have my word that it will never happen again. I’ll stay far away from you, Mrs. Milano.”