From Italy With Love

by Jules Wake

  ‘Cherie. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, his breath warm. She squirmed.

  ‘Ah there you are Laurie; I’ve been looking for you.’ Cam’s eyes bored into hers. She smiled, delighted to see him despite the disdain he showed in his eyes. He looked very disapproving as he glared down at Christophe. Surely he didn’t think she’d been encouraging the younger man.

  ‘Ah the chauffeur,’ sniped the Frenchman, sliding an arm around Laurie’s shoulder and leaning nonchalantly on her.

  Cam raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Oh, he’s not really … I mean the car’s mine … well sort of…’

  Christophe lifted a playful eyebrow. ‘You are the owner of the car! You must tell me all about it.’

  Laurie raised her shoulders. ‘Well …’

  Cam glared at her and before she could say another word, wheeled around and disappeared into the crowd that parted as he approached.

  ‘We’re co-drivers really.’ She stared after him. Surely he wasn’t cross that he’d been mistaken for the hired help. Not a man of his experience and worldly sophistication. Ridiculous.

  ‘So the car. It is yours? And how much would you sell it for?’

  ‘Sell it?’

  ‘Yes, it is a beautiful car but,’ he shrugged, ‘not a car ordinaire. It is a collector’s car. You do not seem … the type.’

  ‘Type?’ Maybe because English clearly wasn’t his first language or the champagne had gone to her head, but she found herself saying. ‘Our acquaintance is hardly long-standing enough for you to know my type. I’m not sure quite how you’ve come about your conclusion.’

  It took a few seconds for him to compute and translate the stilted phrases before charming confusion spread across his face. ‘Please mademoiselle, I have been talking to your sister Siena.’

  Laurie smiled, pleased that her instinct to dislike him had been correct. He’d lied, pretending he didn’t know who she was. Genuinely a creep.

  ‘She tells me you have a very boring life in England. A boring bibliotech. I can’t imagine you would drive to work in such a car. This car is worth a lot of money. You wouldn’t have to work at this boring job anymore. You could be like your sister.’ He waved his glass at the opulent surroundings, still smiling like a circling vulture.

  Laurie drained her glass in one sharp toss, the bubbles tingling her nose. ‘I can’t imagine you know anything.’

  The pleased with himself smile faltered as her words penetrated. The boyish face crumpled in confusion, he obviously wasn’t used to people saying no to him.

  She stalked off. When had Siena said this to him? Her jaw locked as she gritted her teeth and fought against the black hole of disappointment and stupidity threatening to consume her. She couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that Siena would say anything that mean. He had twisted it in translation. How dare Christophe Baudelaire presume to know anything about her life? And how dare he assume that she was too ordinary to want to drive a car like that?

  Vicious pride burst like a blood vessel in her heart leeching a bitchy satisfaction. The car was hers. And if he was the last person breathing, she wouldn’t sell to him.

  Grabbing another glass of champagne she headed out towards the double doors to the terrace beyond.

  ‘Sorry to abandon you. It was that or punch the little shit.’

  Looking to her left she saw Cam leaning on the balustrade, a long glass of golden lager in his hand. He’d dispensed with his jacket, undone his tie and now with his rumpled hair, looked much more him.

  ‘I wish you had,’ she said with a rueful smile.

  ‘Why?’ He straightened as if ready to defend her.

  ‘Because he was a weasel. Wants to buy my car. Apparently it wouldn’t suit my lifestyle.’

  ‘A car like that doesn’t suit anybody’s lifestyle. It owns you.’ Cam settled back against the balustrade. She went over to join him, staring out at the view.

  ‘Celeste has a pretty nice lifestyle here,’ she sighed. ‘Imagine living here.’ She sipped thoughtfully before gazing at the straw-coloured liquid with its fine columns of bubbles dancing to the surface. It was a very long way from home. ‘No wonder she left Dad. This certainly beats a three bedroom terrace house, it would fit on this entire terrace.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Dad was Uncle Miles’ insurance broker, very good looking, steady and sensible. Miles said they were very in love to start with but once me and Siena came along, she got bored with the drudgery of it all compared to what her brother had. Fantastic lifestyle, glamorous, celebrity friends and Merryview. She started spending more and more time there. I was at school and Siena wasn’t, so she would take Siena with her and then she met Georges there, he was the husband before Harvieu. Not quite as rich but richer than Dad.’

  ‘So she ran off with him.’

  ‘Yup.’

  ‘How come you and Siena were split up?’

  His bluntness punched into her. ‘Normally people ask that in a much more roundabout way? Did you not want to live with your mother? Or something like that.’

  ‘Remember, living dangerously is what I do,’ he said with a charming smile.

  His honesty after the artful twists and turns of conversation with Celeste was a welcome balm.

  ‘Like I said I was already in school. Settled. Siena was small enough to be an accessory.’

  ‘But surely your dad wanted both of you.’

  ‘He did.’ Laurie bit her lip. ‘But Celeste gave him an ultimatum. One or none.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘She said if he didn’t let her take Siena, she’d sue for custody for both of us. Poor Dad, he didn’t know what was for the best. With me at school and Siena away so often with Celeste, in the end he decided Siena was so young she’d miss mum more than him. He was devastated though.’

  ‘Poor Siena.’

  ‘Poor Siena,’ Laurie looked around at the opulent surroundings.

  ‘Yeah. It must be pretty dull for her.’

  ‘Dull?’ she echoed disbelieving.

  ‘There’s not a lot to do. Fancy rooms and a big house aren’t good company. It’s all very formal. I can’t imagine living here; it’s more like a hotel. You couldn’t put your feet on the sofa that’s for sure. Miles from the nearest town, no neighbours. No wonder your sister is bored out of her brain. She lives in a gilded prison. This lot are a bunch of freeloaders. They’ll move onto the next party after this.

  ‘You would never have been happy if your mother had brought you to live here.’

  In that moment, she hated Cam for his perception.

  Like a child she wanted to shout, ‘Yes I would,’ and stamp her feet. Her jaw locked with tension, holding in the sheer fury that rocked through her. She didn’t want his deadly accurate insight, or him overturning everything she’d hugged close for all these years.

  Cam cupped her face in his hand. ‘You could have come to see her at any time in all these years. You chose not to. Why not?’ The brutality of his words belied the gentleness of his touch.

  She flinched as his insight punched hard. Tears welled up but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. How dare he? She clenched her fingers, feeling the joints strain.

  She’d been so sure all these years. So utterly sure. She had had the rough end of the stick. Left behind. Her sister chosen instead of her. It had shaped her. Dictated the way she lived her life, measured out the parameters for her. She did the right thing. She didn’t leave people. She didn’t take risks.

  And now, here was Cam, tearing all that away.

  Without a second thought she tossed her champagne in his face.

  Chapter 19

  He still had the diplomatic touch then. Rather than follow her back into the thronging ballroom, he slipped down the terrace stairs and skirted the house towards the courtyard at the back. The Ferrari gleamed long and low in the moonlight. He felt in his pocket for the keys and let himself in. Stretching out in the leather seat, he gazed through the windscreen up at the mo
on. A clear night.

  It was tempting to try and sleep here rather than return to the room but it would be best to wait for a few hours, let her settle and hopefully fall asleep before he went back. He regretted being so honest now but he could see there would never be any relationship between Laurie and her mother. He thought of his own. Slightly batty, constantly losing things, bossy and demanding, particularly when he didn’t text more than once a week to let her know he was still alive. Not perfect, he grinned, in fact quite often bonkers, but he loved her and knew she loved him. Wasn’t that what counted? Celeste would never love anyone but herself.

  ‘Miles, Miles. What were you thinking, old mate?’ He shook his head at his own fancifulness, waiting a moment for the old boy’s reply. ‘I know you were probably trying to mend fences … but I think you just made things a whole lot worse.’ He pushed his hair back from his face. What a God awful mess.

  He had to hand it to Laurie − she handled most things. Champagne in the face aside, there’d been no histrionics, just calm acceptance.

  She was out of her depth here though. Celeste would sell her down the river as soon as look at her and Siena, while sweet enough, had nothing but her looks to recommend her. The gilding of the lily tonight had given Laurie added confidence. It was just a shame she didn’t realise that this lot wouldn’t recognise all the merits that she had in spades such as integrity, loyalty and duty.

  The bedroom was in darkness when he returned but in the moonlight pouring through the tall windows, he could make out the shape of Laurie on the far right of the bed. He’d stayed out as long as he could, hoping she’d be deeply asleep when he came back. The house was full and with the low level ache his shoulder had acquired from driving the car, he was not going to mess about trying to find a sofa for the night. They were grown adults, besides they’d already shared a room and a bed. In fact if memory served she’d pretty much seen everything there was to see already.

  He crept into the bathroom and stripped quickly, leaving on his briefs and grabbing a T shirt. Listening to her breathing, he could tell she wasn’t asleep but trying hard to pretend to be. Best leave her be and pretend with her.

  He slipped between the covers. The king-size bed was plenty big enough although he could feel the heat from her body where she’d warmed the bed. It brought back memories of when he’d been married. Coming home to a warm body had definitely been one of the perks. Not sex, but the quiet warmth in the middle of the night, the companionship of knowing someone else was there. With a surprised jolt he realised that while he didn’t miss Sylvie, he did miss the companionship of being married. The pull of Laurie’s warmth made him long for something he hadn’t realised he needed.

  Who was he kidding? He did not need that complication in life and certainly not with someone like Laurie. If ever there was a commitment babe who wanted to stay at home and hearth it was her.

  She moved and he felt her body shift on the mattress. She wasn’t asleep, he could tell. The pattern of her breathing just wasn’t quite right. Not quite snuffly and unself-conscious enough. Despite everything he found himself wondering about how she was feeling. Christ, it had to be tough. Celeste had the warmth of an icicle and how did it feel to see your sister ensconced like a princess in a fairy castle when you’d been scrubbing the hearth back home for several years? Even if the hearth had the warmth of home. He got the feeling Laurie didn’t quite see it like that.

  Laurie sighed again. Her mind raced as she lay stiffly next to Cameron. He was probably asleep by now. Carefully she turned to the bedside table to check the time. Ten past three, only fifteen minutes since the last time she’d checked. She sighed again. It was as if she was chasing the elusive tendrils of sleep which were always one step ahead out of her grasp. A bit like her mother and sister. Bitterness washed through her mind, a bitterness that normally in the daylight hours she was able to push away. Here in the wee small hours, it overwhelmed her. What had she done so wrong that she had been left behind? For a small part of today, she’d felt like she fitted in but as the evening had worn on, the illusion had faded. An illusion she had let mesmerise her because she wanted it to be true. In her borrowed clothes and finery, she’d felt like a poor relation.

  She sighed again at her stupidity and felt a silent self-pitying tear slide down her cheek. Sniffing, she wiped it impatiently away.

  A warm hand nudged hers and then covered her fingers, the palm of his hand lying heavy across hers. ‘Are you OK?’

  She started. ‘Sorry, did I wake you? She’d been trying so hard to keep still and not fidget.

  ‘No … well, not really.’ She could hear the amusement in his voice. ‘So what’s wrong? Why the heavy sighs?’

  ‘Stupid thoughts really. Feeling sorry for myself. Sorry … I threw the champagne over you. I should have thrown it over that awful Christophe.’

  ‘I forgive you for wasting damn good champagne and I’m sorry I upset you. That wasn’t my intention.’

  ‘I know. I’m sorry … it all just got …’

  ‘Want to tell me about it?’

  ‘Not really.’ Now she wasn’t really talking to Cam, just talking out loud. Being in the dark with him made it a lot easier to talk, almost as if the shadows swallowed her embarrassment.

  ‘If I say it out loud … what I feel … it will show just how stupid I’ve been.’ She was silent for a moment and then the words spilled out. ‘I shouldn’t have come here. What the hell was I thinking? I knew it would be like this. I knew I wouldn’t fit in. That’s why my mother didn’t take me.’ She was unsuccessful in swallowing the sudden sob that overwhelmed her.

  ‘Hey,’ Cam’s warm arm slipped under her and pulled her to him.

  Warm tears seeped down her face as his gentle move breached her dam. He’d shown more feeling towards her in two short weeks than her mother ever had. The realisation made her start to cry harder.

  ‘My mother left me behind. She took Siena and why wouldn’t she? And it’s not Siena’s fault that my mother loved her more. But it seems so unfair. She has all this and I don’t fit. And I know its shallow and I shouldn’t care. I stayed with Dad and I did the right thing … I know I did. I should feel morally superior. The better person. I know I am …’ she sighed, ‘but do you know what? It feels like crap. Like a stupid fairy tale cliché. Except I’m not that helpless and I’m not a victim, I shouldn’t feel bad because … all this, it isn’t important. It’s frivolous, shallow … and I do … and I hate myself for caring about this crap.

  ‘The worst thing is that I thought spending that time with Siena was special and I was getting to know her. Starting to build a relationship with her, but then it turns out she’s so bored, she does that with everyone. Nothing to do with me, I’m a new guinea pig one up from the servants.’

  Cam laughed.

  The bastard laughed out loud, although he gave her a squeeze so she could forgive him.

  ‘Can you lay it on any thicker? Christ Laurie. Give yourself a break. You were dealt a lousy deal. Your mother’s a cold fish. Calculating, totally self-absorbed. I think you probably had a lucky escape. At least you had your father. You built a proper relationship with him. You had Miles. Maybe you should be pitying Siena. Yes, maybe the makeover thing is her thing. What she does? But I think she enjoyed spending time with you. From what I saw she took a lot of time and trouble … you could have been dressed and made-up like a Barbie doll but actually, you looked like you. She’d either chosen incredibly well or she’d managed to find out quite a lot about what you like; feel comfortable with. You looked self-assured, comfortable and confident. Don’t be so hard on yourself and on her. I think Siena has talent …’

  Laurie snorted.

  ‘No really … and she used it to great effect. Because she wanted to please you. She spent time with you, working out what made you tick, finding out about you. She must have done. Everything − the dress, the make-up, the hair … they were … they were you.’

  ‘And what? You’re some kind o
f fashion guru now?’ Laurie laughed bitterly, although she recognised the truth in his words. Siena’s own dress had been showy, jewel bright and perfect for her. Many of the outfits at the party had been too flashy and too obvious for Laurie’s taste and yet Siena had managed to choose exactly the dress she would have chosen herself, had she had the money or time to find such a dress. Even the colour. And for all her forthright comments about the cut of her jeans, Siena hadn’t tried to press anything revealing, brightly coloured, too short, too tight.

  He laughed, ‘You know what? I do know a thing or two about women’s fashion … My time as an international playboy, remember. So yeah I do know what I’m talking about.’

  Laurie lay back and thought about what he’d said and smiled in the darkness.

  She turned. ‘Thanks Cam,’ she whispered and rolled onto her side to give him a quick kiss.

  At the same moment he moved, his breath whispered in her hair and instinctively she tipped her head up. In the dark, she could just make out the shadow of his head.

  She wasn’t sure who kissed who first, but the tentative touch of his lips on hers sent her system into hyper-alert. Every nerve ending seemed to come alive, tingling with joy and sensation. She let out a tiny gasp as the feelings fizzing through her threatened to blow a fuse.

  The gentle kissing carried on, Cam’s hand shaping her face as those mobile lips explored her face. She sank back into the pillow under the delicious onslaught. Gentle, so gentle. See? Someone wanted her. She rose into the kiss, her tongue testing as it touched his lips. She felt him buck in surprise and then a growl as he deepened the kiss, his tongue teasing out hers. Excitement hissed in the pit of her stomach.

  Her heart had charged off without her and there was a buzz from her stomach downwards causing an insistent ache between her legs.