by Ella Miles
Eden storms off.
I smile slightly. I’ve won. She’ll leave me alone and let me nap while she goes and makes the best of this trip by exploring all that Italy has to offer.
“Here,” Eden says, throwing a lump of something soft on me.
I glance down and find a small pile of clothes. I look back up at Eden, baffled as to why she threw me one of her shirts and pants.
“This shirt makes your boobs look great, and those pants make your ass look even better. Put them on, and let’s go.”
“I already told you, I’m not going.”
Eden grins with her hands on her hips. “You are going. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
I slowly sit up to see what she thinks I should wear. “Oh my God! This is your Versace shirt. This thing is over a thousand dollars. You never let me wear it.”
She smirks. “Easy way, it is. It’s yours if you leave with me now.”
Damn it! This woman knows the way to my heart. Expensive designer clothes and shoes.
I pick up the clothes. “What about shoes?”
“You can have my Gucci black heels.”
I grin and run to my bedroom to get changed. I poke my head back out. “What was the hard way going to be?” I ask.
Eden walks to her bedroom and then reappears in the hallway with her black heels. She holds them out to me, and I take them.
“I’m not telling. I might need to use the hard way later.”
I quickly get ready and then reappear.
“You look smoking hot. Damn it, you should be happy that I like you; otherwise, I would never let you leave, looking better than me.”
I roll my eyes as I look at Eden’s dark jeans and low V-neck top. “You look amazing. I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Eden throws me a leather jacket. “Put this on. Your current look is a little too revealing for daylight hours.”
I put the jacket on. She’s probably right even though I have no idea what we are doing. But I hate to cover up the gorgeous gray lace shirt I’m wearing.
I loop my arm through Eden’s arm. “Let’s go, friend, to wherever you are taking me.”
Eden’s grin brightens. “We are going to a lecture.”
My excitement drains. Leave it to my studious friend who has a body of a model and the brains of a rocket scientist to get us all dressed up and then take us to a lecture.
We walk into the large auditorium already filled with fifty or so people. The one nice thing about auditoriums here versus the US is that, here, they have beautiful balconies, chandeliers, sculptures, and paintings around the room. It’s full of history even if the lecture that she brought me to is going to be boring as hell.
I look at the words on the screen as we take a seat in the front row.
“Why are we at a lecture for entrepreneurs of the future? We don’t want to start a business. We want to teach or work in a library or museum or gallery. Our future is the exact opposite of starting a business or something new. Our jobs are very old.”
Eden rolls her eyes. “There is nothing wrong with keeping our options open. What if we want to start our own business someday?”
“We won’t.”
“Well, that’s not keeping an open mind.”
“I don’t care about the future. I care about the past. About the beauty in the world. About how to keep it alive. Not how to start some tech company that just cares about making money. Neither of us needs money. How long is this thing anyway?”
“Three hours.”
“Three hours!”
A group of college students sitting next to us stares at us.
I glare at them, and they turn away. If only it were that easy to make everyone stop looking at me.
“Three hours? Are you serious?” I ask a little quieter.
“Yes.”
“And what are you going to do for me after we get out of this three-hour torture?”
She turns her attention to the front as someone with a mic starts talking.
“You are going to find a way to thank me for bringing you.”
“Why in the world would I thank you?” I hiss.
Eden nods her head toward the stage.
I face forward. She’s right; I’m going to have to find a way to thank her after this.
“I would like to introduce you to our speaker for today. He’s an Oxford grad, he runs a multibillion-dollar company, and the ladies tell me he’s one good-looking man.”
Women start screaming like they are at a rock concert.
“Let me introduce you to Mr. Carini.”
Everyone applauds as Arlo walks onto the stage. He’s dressed in a three-piece gray suit, his hair is tousled artfully on his head, and he has a nice five o’clock shadow going.
“Thank you. I know you are all here to listen to me talk about what it takes to be a young entrepreneur. You want to know the secret to making billions of dollars. Or as my friend Vito Abele said, you are here to swoon over my body. But I’m not going to talk to you about any of those things today.”
Arlo’s eyes dart to mine.
I hold my breath. I don’t know how he found me so quickly in a room full of people. The last time I saw him, he kissed me. I look for something to show me that he wants me as badly as I want him. That he has been a complete mess of need and lust since our kiss, just like I have. That he is desperate for me, just like I am to have his lips on me again.
I see no sign of any sort of desperation. He does what he always does. Pretends I don’t exist while making me his entire focus.
“I’m here to talk to you about why you should never be in anyone’s debt.”
I swallow. I glance down at the program that Eden is holding. It says he’s here to talk about how to start a company. The keys to success. Not about not being in debt. This lecture is entirely for me.
“Asking someone for help shows them your weaknesses. It shows them how reckless you are. Be very careful who you show your weaknesses to. If you pick the wrong person or company, it could lead to your death,” he says.
The only problem is, I can’t pay attention to any of his words when he is staring at me so intently. He has to know that, if he is trying to get me to listen and leave him alone, this is the absolute worst way to do it. Because all I can see are his eyes. Occasionally, my eyes are able to break from his spell long enough to drift down to his lips. I imagine his lips on me. Kissing me again, but harder, more passionately. The kind of kiss that makes me forget about everything but him.
“Owing anyone anything will take away what little freedom you have. You should never be willing to give up your freedom in exchange for some help. Be stronger than that. Figure things out yourself. Giving up your freedom is never worth it,” he continues.
Focus. Just listen to his words. They are important.
“Never be in debt to anyone who already has more power than you do. It will be the end of you,” he says.
But his lips are so good-looking when he talks, it’s distracting.
“You won’t just owe the person who helped you. You’ll owe everyone who had anything to do with the debt you incurred. And paying them back will never end. You will be trapped forever.”
Trapped forever—got it.
But then he looks at me with his beautiful, dark eyes, and I forget.
“And, most importantly, if you do become indebted, run and hide. It’s the only thing you can do. Fighting won’t ever work. You will lose. So, run and hope that what you owe isn’t worth going after. And maybe it will keep you safe.”
After an hour and a half, he gives us a break and disappears from the stage. I exhale probably for the first time since he started talking.
“He couldn’t stop staring at you. What did you do to him? That must have been some freaking amazing sex.”
“We haven’t had sex.”
Eden scrunches her nose. “What? I thought you said…”
“You assumed.”
“Well, I don
’t think it would be hard for you to convince him to sleep with you. And, if you aren’t interested, I am. Maybe he has a brother or something for me?”
“He has an annoying, sweet younger sister.”
She sighs. “Too bad. So, what’s your plan?”
“I don’t have a plan.”
Eden laughs. “You always have a plan. That’s part of your obsessive tendencies. You plan because you enjoy the planning almost as much as you enjoy the chase.”
I shrug. “All my plans so far have failed miserably. I’m going to try going with the flow this time.”
7
Nina
I will not make a plan. I will not make a plan…
I keep repeating those words over and over again as Arlo finishes the second half of his presentation.
I don’t hear a single word that he’s said because of the constant replaying of those words in my head.
Occasionally, I switch to, I will not let his smirk or the look in his eyes control me. All while I try to seem confident and poised and not the least bit concerned with whatever Arlo is trying to convince me of.
“Excuse me.”
I look up to see three men standing in front of Eden and me.
“A bunch of us are going out for drinks and dancing. Would you two like to join us?” one of the men asks with the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. He knows how to work his eyes, too. They would make me say yes to anything.
“Yes!” Eden says almost automatically.
The man looks to me, reaching down to my soul with his eyes.
“And what about you?” he asks.
I should say no. These men are complete strangers who haven’t even introduced themselves to us. If we go with them, it’s going to be a night of drinking and bad decisions that will inevitably end up with us doing a walk of shame in the morning. But I’m wearing one of the most expensive shirts I have ever worn. I look hot, and I need a fun night.
I feel more eyes on me. I glance up and see Arlo staring at me. He shakes his head ever so slightly at me. He doesn’t want me to go.
I smirk. He doesn’t control me. He doesn’t get to tell me to stay away from him one second and then kiss me the next. And he definitely doesn’t get to tell me not to go to a party with some hot men either.
“Yes,” I answer defiantly.
“Great! It’s just two blocks away. If you are ready, we can walk you over. I’m Clive by the way,” he says.
“I’m Nina.”
“And I’m Eden,” Eden says, pushing herself between me and Clive. “Nina is currently in a complicated relationship. I, on the other hand, am completely free.”
I shoot a look to Eden.
Eden grabs on to Clive’s arm. “What? You are.”
I frown. “These guys don’t need to know that. And I’m not in a relationship anyway,” I hiss into Eden’s ear.
Eden rolls her eyes and then turns to the other two men who are equally as hot as Clive. “You,” she says, pointing to the next hottest man, “escort my friend, and buy her a drink.”
The man she pointed to smiles and holds out his arm. He’s almost as good-looking as Clive but not even in the same ballpark as Arlo.
“I’m Erick.”
I smile as I take the man’s arm, and I am escorted out of the auditorium as Erick tells me all about himself. He’s a college student. Business major. He grew up in England and moved to Italy for school.
I turn back to give Arlo one last smirk, but he’s no longer on the stage. I glance around at the crowd on the floor of the auditorium, but he’s not there either. He’s just gone. And I’m left alone, realizing that Erick is my best chance at getting laid tonight. And, after being sexually frustrated from watching Arlo lecture me onstage while the entire time still feeling his kiss on my lips, I can’t take it any longer. If Arlo won’t have sex with me, then I’ll take the next best thing.
“Can I get you another drink?” Erick shouts into my ear over the loud music, which has overtaken everything else in the bar.
I nod.
He smiles and then slowly moves through the crowd, toward the bar in the center of the room. It will be at least twenty minutes before he returns. This bar is completely insane. I’ve never been to a bar this crowded before.
Eden holds up her empty drink and points to her date, Clive. He nods and follows Erick over to the bar.
Eden and I start dancing together, which basically just consists of us moving our hips a little from side to side while keeping our feet planted in place. There isn’t enough room to do much more.
Eden shouts something at me, but I have no idea what she said.
She tries again.
I shrug and shake my head.
She frowns.
I smile as I take her hand and dance some more. I feel much better after having a couple of drinks. The only thing bringing me down is the fact that I keep thinking that I see Arlo. Everywhere.
I see him in the face of every man dancing around me. Every time they turn and look at me, I see him.
I see him in the face of every bartender.
I see him lurking on the side of the dance floor, holding a scotch.
He haunts me.
Eden grabs my arm and pulls me close to her so that my ear is just below her mouth. “Arlo is here!”
I pull back and rub my ear from the pain of her screaming into it. I’m going to be deaf by the end of the night if we keep this up.
I laugh as I shake my head and go back to dancing. Now, I’ve convinced Eden that Arlo is everywhere too.
Eden grabs my cheeks and turns my attention toward the far wall.
“What?”
“Arlo!”
I catch my breath when the crowd parts just enough for me to see a tall, dark man leaning against the wall with an amber-colored liquid in a glass. His eyes are fixated on me with a deep grimace on his face.
“He’s here,” I say slowly, looking at Eden.
She nods.
“Why is he here?” I ask.
She laughs. “Because he likes you.”
I bite my lip and then grab Eden’s arm. I head straight toward the restroom, weaving and pushing people aside. I have to talk to her. Now.
When I see the line outside the woman’s restroom, my heart sinks. Of course there is a line.
Instead, I pull her into the men’s room.
“Hey, ladies,” one of the men at the urinal says as we enter.
“Get out!” I say. I walk over to the stalls. “Everyone, out. Now!”
The men start exiting the stalls, some still zipping up their pants. Some look at me amused, but I just glare at them, and they realize just how serious I am. They all leave.
When I’ve ensured that we are alone, I lock the door to the entrance of the restroom.
Eden raises an eyebrow. “Why have you brought me to the men’s restroom? Do you really need to pee that bad?”
I shake my head and take a deep breath. “I need to talk to you.”
Eden blinks a couple of times as I try to figure out where to start, but I have no idea.
“Well…spill,” Eden says.
“I’ve been obsessed with Arlo since the first time I saw him when we were touring his mansion for art class when he saved me. He told me to leave him alone, but of course, I couldn’t do that. I snuck into his party, but he was expecting me to. After dinner, I followed him to his room where he was making out with three other women. I tried to join in. He locked me in his bathroom. He told me to leave him alone. I told him I couldn’t and that I wanted to be in his debt like the other women. He locked me in a dungeon for the night and told me to forget about him. Then, he got naked in front of the whole class. I went after him. And he kissed me. Then, he gave a lecture that was directed at me to never be in his debt. And, now, he’s here.” I take a deep breath after not breathing through telling her everything.
Eden just stands there, staring at me.
“Well?” I ask.
“And the problem
is?” she asks with a smile.
I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean, and the problem is? This guy is a bigger mess than I am. One second, he is pushing me away, and the next, he is going after me. You are supposed to give me advice. What should I do?”
Eden smiles. “I don’t know. But it sounds to me like it’s the beginning of some epic love affair.”
“I’m only here for three more weeks. It can’t be that epic.”
“Sure it can.”
“You still haven’t told me what I’m supposed to do. I’ve been obsessing about him like I haven’t any other man before. He’s making me lose my mind.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing. All the other men you have obsessed about before weren’t playing games with you. They were ordinary men. Arlo, on the other hand, has his own issues. I don’t know what they are yet, but it’s clear that he is just as messed up as you.”
I frown.
“Stop frowning. He will never want you like that.”
“So, what do I do?”
Eden laughs. “You already know the answer to that. You flirt with Erick. You make Arlo jealous. You play your game and let him come to you.”
Someone pounds on the door.
“I gotta piss! Let me in, you assholes!” a man shouts.
Eden and I walk to the mirror where we fluff our hair and reapply lipstick. I take the jacket off that I’ve been wearing because there was no place to put it. But, now, I’m ready to turn the heat on.
The man knocks louder on the door.
Eden rolls her eyes at me. “Men and their small bladders.”
We both walk over to the door, and Eden opens it. There are men standing outside, and their jaws drop when they see us.
“Restroom’s yours, gentlemen,” I say as we both strut out of the restroom.
I spot Arlo as we walk back to the center of the dance floor. His scowl deepens at the sight of me in a shirt that barely covers my breasts and is see-through enough that you can see the points of my nipples. I flip my hair from side to side and then blow Arlo a kiss, letting him know that I see him and I don’t care what he thinks. He can either come and get me or I’m going to start flirting with every guy here.