“Okay, Mia, if you’re sure?” She lent in closer and whispered in her ear. “I know something’s up, but I don’t want to make a scene. I’ll call you first thing.”
Mia smiled at her and quickly said her goodbye’s feigning the headache as an excuse to leave.
Gino stood up. “Mia, let me walk you outside.” She noted Louise sending Gino a scathing look, but he simply ignored her. She desperately wanted to tell him what she overheard, but now was not the time. Besides she needed more evidence. She held her hand up as she backed away.
“It’s fine, Gino. Thanks anyway.”
She flashed him a genuine smile, for the first time feeling sorry for the situation and person he was involved with. Louise seemed happy that Mia had refused Gino’s offer. “Toodles, Mia! I hope we can see each other soon. It means so much to me to be able to spend time with Gino’s nearest and dearest.” She looked up lovingly at Gino and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. Gino’s smile froze on his lips as he subtly pulled his hand away. Mia felt like she was going to throw up.
“Sure, see you around, Louise.” She turned to walk away when she heard Louise’s voice again.
“Oh, if you’re free, I’d love for you to help me pick out some maternity clothes.” She giggled. “I still want to look sexy for my man when I’m all big and fat.”
Mia swallowed the scream that was so desperate to escape.
“I’m pretty busy at the moment, Louise. I’m sure one of the staff members at any department store would be more than willing to assist you.”
Mia watched as the smile dropped off her face, lips pursing in anger. Serves you right, bitch, thought Mia, as she walked away.
* * *
That night, Mia laid awake in her bed, re-playing Louise’s conversation over and over in her head. Could it really be true that Gino refused to sleep with Louise? From what she was saying, it certainly sounded like he was refusing her advances. That gave Mia a little comfort and she smiled at the thought of Gino making his excuses and rejecting her.
Tossing and turning, Mia placed her arm across her forehead, as she thought about the other things she heard. She was confused and couldn’t decipher some parts of the conversation — why did Louise say that she had Gino, hook, line and sinker? What could that possibly mean? She thought about Gino, wondering what he was doing now. Would Louise have invited him back to her place? Would Gino have accepted? She couldn’t bear the thought of him being with such a conniving woman.
Finally giving in to sleep, her last thought was that first thing in the morning, she would call her mother and check to see if the PI had come up with any background information. Something was definitely not right.
* * *
Mia woke up to her phone ringing. She must have forgotten to turn it off last night and the loud ringtone jolted her out from her sleep. She scrambled around her bed and finally located it under the duvet.
“Hello?” Her voice was groggy and she barely opened her eyes.
“Mia? Cara, it’s mamma.”
“Oh, ciao mamma.” Mia yawned as she opened her eyes. She sat up in bed. “Sorry, I’ve just woken up.”
“It’s okay, darling. Do you want me to call back a little later?”
“No, no, I’m up. How are you and papà?”
“We’re fine, cara. But we have some news concerning Gino and we thought you’d like to know.”
Mia sat upright in her bed, fully alert. “Tell me mamma.”
“Okay, it’s not too much at this stage but it seems like this Louise girl has had a string of boyfriends. She seems to go for a particular type.”
“What type, mamma?”
“Well, from what we’ve found, she goes for the eligible bachelors. Hangs out in bars where the more wealthy or trendy men seem to go.”
Mia felt her stomach tighten. “Are you saying she targeted Gino?”
“Yes, we think so. But we’re still digging around. The strange part is that she had a boyfriend for a couple of months before she met Gino and then all of a sudden, he seems to have vanished. We’re looking into this further.”
Mia considered the information. “Can you obtain her phone records? I don’t know what, but you’re right, something’s going on.” Mia quickly filled her in about the dinner the previous evening and the conversation she overheard. “It doesn’t make sense. I mean, why would she say she has him, and why is she rushing to bring forward the wedding?”
“Well, cara, we’re working on it on our end and yes, we’re currently trying for her phone records. Gino is wise to keep putting her off…I don’t like this girl, I have a bad feeling about her.”
Mia pulled the duvet over her suddenly feeling cold. They spoke for a few more minutes with her mother promising to update her further in a couple of days.
After breakfast, Mia quickly called Amber to fill her in, omitting the part about the PI.
“What a bitch!” Amber was furious. “I can’t believe she secretly hates us.”
“I know, Amber. But we have to keep calm for now. Look, we both know that something isn’t right here, and I’m going to make it my mission to expose whatever it is she has going on.”
“I agree. You know what, Mia? Did you see Gino’s face last night? He looked so utterly miserable sitting next to her. I genuinely felt for him.”
“I know,” Mia agreed softly. “I can’t believe what a mess he has gotten himself into. But you must promise not to breathe a word to anyone about this, okay? I’m trying to piece this puzzle together and I really don’t want to say anything until I have some solid proof.”
“Of course, I won’t. I think you’re right, the last thing we want is to alert Louise that we’re onto her. Let me know if I can help in any way or if you need anything.”
“I will, grazie, honey.”
* * *
Mia spent the afternoon alone at home with the rain lashing heavily outside. She had so much on her mind and suddenly felt overwhelmed with everything. A few tears leaked from her eyes and she chided herself for acting silly. With the help of her parents, they would get this mess sorted out for Gino. With any luck, even though he would still be the baby’s father, hopefully she’d be able to stop him from marrying Louise.
She decided to watch a movie and made some popcorn. Sometime later, she heard a beep from her phone, alerting her to in incoming SMS. She picked up her phone.
Hey…so when do I get a chance to see your beautiful face again? J
She groaned as she read the message from Jonathan. He was a really nice guy and she hated that she couldn’t feel anything romantic towards him. With a heavy sigh, she knew her heart belonged to Gino and it would be cruel to give him false hope. She began to reply with the softest rejection she could manage.
10
A couple of days later, Mia was informed that their PI had completed preliminary background checks on Louise as she listened intently to the information her mother was passing on.
“So mamma, you’re definitely saying that she was known to frequent those bars in Gino’s area and go home with random men?”
“Seems that way, Mia. It’s confirmed now. Apart from the fact that she was choosy about who she went home with. Looks like there are a few bars near Gino’s home, which tend to attract the wealthier clientele. One of the bartenders recalls seeing her face quite a bit over the summer, often going home with different men, but then she simply disappeared.”
Mia was speechless. “Oh my God, she sounds like a total gold-digger. And a tramp.” She exhaled loudly. “Any luck with the phone records?”
“Not yet, but hopefully, within the next few days. Seems like she changed her phone provider and number within the last two months or so.”
“She’s bad news, mamma.”
“I think that too, Mia. But for Gino’s sake, let’s try to remain neutral until we get more proof.”
* * *
Mia’s heartbreak was soon turning to rage. She paced around her front room, arms crossed as she considere
d the information. With a quick glance at her wristwatch, it was still early evening so, without thinking it through, she grabbed her bag and raced out of her flat. She pulled the piece of paper from her pocket which held the details of Louise’s home address, which not too far from Gino’s place.
She jumped into a taxi and settled back into her seat as she thought about what she was going to say to Louise. She was enraged that this woman swept into her life and stole Gino from right under her. It was clear she was just looking for a meal ticket and the pregnancy helped trap Gino perfectly into her web. Mia chewed her lip as they approached the new-build flats where Louise was living.
She stepped out of the taxi and looked around for the door number and then walked with purpose towards the entrance.
She was about to buzz Louise’s door when the communal door swung open and a young man walked outside, holding the door open for her. She thanked him and made her way up the stairs to the second floor, noting that there were four flats in this block.
Taking a breath, spurred on by her anger, Mia rapidly tapped on the door. She strained her ears for some sound to indicate Louise was in. A minute passed by and Mia knocked a little bit more forcefully, stepping back and looking around at the same time.
To her surprise, the door flung open. Mia’s mouth dropped as she faced Louise, dressed in only heels and a flimsy black negligee. Her smile dropped as soon as she saw Mia, but she quickly recovered.
“Mia! What are you doing here?” She seemed friendly enough, but her eyes gave her away as she looked at Mia with distaste.
“Can I come in, Louise? We need to talk.” Mia tried her best to remain calm as she watched her peer over her shoulder.
“Um. No. I mean, no, now isn’t a good time, Mia.” She smiled sweetly, but Mia could see beneath her facade. “The thing is, I’m expecting, Gino…so if you don’t mind…” She trailed off, giving Mia a conspiratorial wink.
Mia felt herself flush as pain stabbed through her. What was going on, she wondered. She felt deflated and was about to turn around when she heard footsteps rushing towards her. Mia turned, and her eyes widened as she saw Gino approaching, his face filled with concern.
It felt as if everything slowed down as Mia caught the look of anger directed at her from Louise and the look of surprise from Gino.
“Mia, what are you doing here?” Gino stood in front of Mia and looked over at Louise, who was standing there with a seductive smile on her face.
“Er, I wanted to talk to Louise…but it seems like you two have other plans…” Mia began to walk away, her face burning with anger.
“Wait!” Gino called out to her as he spun to Louise.
“What are you doing, Louise? I’ve rushed over because you said you were in pain. You said something was wrong with the baby!” His voice was laced with steel as he glared at her. “What the hell are you wearing? I’m supposed to be taking you to the hospital.”
Louise visibly shrank back from the anger in his voice as Mia watched on, silently. It was becoming apparent that this was another ploy to seduce Gino. She couldn’t help the words that fell out of her mouth as she stepped forward.
“Let me get this straight. You told Gino that something was wrong with the baby? And all the while you were just planning on seducing him?” Mia gestured with her hands, her anger spilling over. “I’m sorry, but that is just low.”
“Get out, you bitch! How dare you.” Louise pointed at Mia as her face contorted with rage.
“Trust me, I’ve no plan to stick around. You’re making a fool of yourself, Louise. I’m onto you.”
Gino looked at Mia, his face still a mask of anger and confusion. “What are you talking about?” She flinched at the tone of his voice, feeling the sting of tears at the back of her eyes. He had never spoken to her so harshly and she blinked furiously.
“Gino, she’s playing you.” She spoke softly, but clearly looked into his grey eyes.
“Get out, I said!” Louise stepped outside her flat. She turned to Gino, immediately softening her face. “I don’t know what she’s talking about, sweetie.” She approached him and held out her hand to him. “Come on, let’s go in. I’m fine now, it was just some twinges.” She batted her lashes at him as he visibly recoiled back. Her mouth bent at the corners of her mouth.
“I don’t have time for this, Louise. I was in a late meeting and I left immediately when I received your call.” His voice softened a little and Mia looked away. “I’m glad you’re both okay.”
That’s it, she’d heard enough. Without another word, Mia walked away. She heard Gino calling after her, but didn’t stop as she quickly made her way downstairs and outside into the fresh air. Disappointed that Gino didn’t chase after her, she had no intentions of sticking around.
Quickly hailing a passing cab, she got in and asked the driver to take her home. Suddenly the adrenaline which fuelled her earlier had worn off, replaced with doubt at the situation. She found herself questioning her actions, wondering if she had stepped over the mark. After all, she rationalised, this really wasn’t her business.
She groaned and placed her hand over her eyes, contemplating her next move, if there was to be one. Gino was a smart man and he was obviously annoyed with her for berating Louise, which hurt. She sighed as she heard her phone ringing. Opening her eyes, she looked at the caller display. Gino. She was tempted to ignore it, but knew he would keep trying.
“Gino.” Her tone was flat.
“Mia, what’s going on? Why were you at Louise’s flat?”
“Well, perhaps if you would have heard me out, instead of taking her side, then maybe I would have explained.” She couldn’t help the fury and hurt in her tone. She heard him sigh deeply, could imagine him running his hands through his hair in frustration.
“Mia, I called out to you to stop. But then Louise burst into tears, claiming that I didn’t care for the baby and that we are causing unnecessary stress on her.”
Mia was silent.
“Are you there?”
“Yes, I’m here.” Her voice was dejected. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
“It’s okay. I appreciate you looking out for me…but perhaps it’s best you stay away from her… I’d hate for anything to happen to the baby.”
Mia’s felt a lump in her throat and forced herself to swallow. She got the message loud and clear. “I’m sorry, Gino. It won’t happen again.” She ended the call, not waiting for his response. It was clear that he was already attached to his un-born child and she guessed that it would only be a matter of time before he would feel the same way about Louise.
Mia had to face facts. She had lost him. There was no point in trying to save him or fight a battle that he clearly didn’t want.
11
Christmas was soon approaching and Mia made her way to work, glancing at the beautiful displays in the shop windows. She smiled sadly. Christmas was normally her favourite holiday, but this year she felt nothing but the blues. She ducked her head as she went along her way, arriving extra early at her studio. Fiddling in her pocket for her keys, she tried to balance her coffee and bag and then heard her phone ring.
Quickly entering, she placed her coffee on the table and grabbed her phone.
“Mamma, Ciao! Is everything okay?”
“Ciao, Mia. I was hoping to catch you early. I have news about, Gino, cara.”
Mia’s heart pulled at the mention of his name. It had been three days since he had basically told her to back off. She sighed. “Mamma. I don’t think I want to be a part of this anymore.”
“Mia, what’s the matter? Has something happened?”
Mia told her of the events, which took place a few days ago. “He wants to be left alone, mamma. I tried to help, but he doesn’t want it…” She trailed off as her mother listened in silence.
“Mia, I think what you are about to see will change your mind. Following this information, we are happy to step in, but I think it will be best coming from you. Put you
r computer on — I’m emailing you some phone records.”
Her interest piqued at the serious nature of her mother’s tone, Mia quickly fired up her laptop and waited patiently for the email.
She sat watching the screen, drumming her fingers on the counter as she sipped her coffee. A minute passed and nothing had come through yet. Frustrated, Mia kept refreshing the page until finally, the email she awaited, arrived.
With a pounding heart, she clicked on the attachment, scanning her mother’s message as she waited for it to load up.
Minutes later, Mia sat back in her chair, eyes wide open at the information presented to her. She felt her blood turned to ice. Picking up the phone, she spoke to her mother, discussing the details. Afterwards, she knew what had to be done.
With trembling fingers she dialled Nico’s number. To her disappointment, she got her brother’s voicemail so she left a message to call her back urgently. Once again, Mia sat drumming her fingers on the table. There was no way she would be able to concentrate on work now — especially armed with this new information. She jumped when her phone rang and, seeing Nico’s name on the display, she quickly picked up.
“Ciao Mia. Sorry, I was on the phone with the team in Milan. Is everything okay?”
“Hi. Oh yes, sorry.” She forgot about his weekly conference call.
“No problem. We were wrapping up anyway. You sound strange.”
She took a deep breath. “Nico, I need to see you urgently.”
“What’s going on?” His tone changed and his voice was immediately authoritative, taking charge of the situation.
“I’d rather tell you in person. This is huge. Please come, I’m at my studio.”
Mia could hear him giving instructions to his driver to turn the car around. “Hold tight. I’ll be there in twenty.”
* * *
Whilst she was waiting for Nico, her assistant, Kate, walked in, wrapped up from the cold and smiling as she acknowledged Mia. However, her smile immediately turned into a frown as she rushed over, quickly discarding her hat and scarf. “Mia, are you feeling, alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Desired: Love in London Series 3: New Adult Romance Page 7