Her Venice Affair (The Albury Affairs) (23 page)

“A little spoiled, isn’t she?”

Riana sighed. “Blame her uncle Reno.”

“
Weno
!” Aurora squealed
looking around.

“He’s not here, sweetheart,” Riana said. She then
thanked the stewardess who was happy to leave her bonnet with Aurora before she
left. Riana pushed the trolley and they headed to the exit. “I hope the
apartment is still there.”

Loraine took off her hoops and tucked them in her back
pocket. Any more pulling from Aurora and her ear lobes would be split in two.
“Yeah it’s still there. I had my other luggage sent ahead. Why?”

Riana was quiet for a moment before she spoke. “I left
some suitcases there when I came back from Italy.”

Loraine wanted to ask what was in them, but the
distant look in Riana’s eyes told her not to.

She prayed that things would get better for her
friend. They had to.

The trip home was quiet, especially since Aurora, fell
asleep immediately when they left the airport. Riana held her while she slept
and Loraine noticed her fists kept clenching and unclenching and her breathing
was sounding a little labored as she stared out of the window.

Was Riana
having a panic attack?

Loraine pulled the tiny, in-flight whiskey bottle out
of her handbag. She opened it and held it out to Riana. “Drink this. It will
calm your nervous.”

Riana turned around and Loraine noticed the panic in
her eyes. “It’s too soon. I shouldn’t have come. What if Melody blames me, too?
Theresa said it was my fault Allan died. And I’ve been thinking about it and I
know, I know it wasn’t, but I left him alone, so it is my fault!” Her shaky
voice kept rising as she rumbled on, tears flowing unrestricted down her
cheeks. “If only I had stayed, then maybe I could have helped him. Or, or if I
didn’t even go in the first place, then Allan would have spent two weeks
instead of ten weeks in Italy and maybe he would still be alive. I was a
distraction! I should never have—”

“Stop!” Loraine pulled one hand away from Aurora and
placed the tiny bottle in it. “Drink!”

Riana tossed her head back and downed the entire thing
with a hiss.

Loraine wiped Riana’s cheeks dry with her thumbs. “You
did nothing wrong and Theresa had no right to blame you for Allan’s death. The
man who killed him was a lunatic and if you had stayed, you and Aurora would
have died with him. Do you think that’s what Allan would have wanted?”

Riana shook her head.

“Then forget about that bitch.” Loraine took Riana’s
hand. “And Melody doesn’t blame you.”

“How would you know?” Riana sniffed.

Loraine took a deep breath. The news had shocked her
too when her parents informed her. But it was a wonderful thing that Melody was
doing. The only thing strange she found about it was the charity was named
after Riana. It would be a wonderful surprise if the guest of honor also
attended…but after her break down, would it be such a good idea?

“Loraine, how would you know?” she repeated a little
forcefully.

“Melody has started a charity in your honor and the
party is tomorrow night.”

Riana looked puzzled. “Why would she do that?”

“We could find out. My family was invited. If you
want…you could come with us?”

Riana stared out of the window and remained silent.
Loraine knew it was never going to happen, but it was worth a shot. She looked
out her own window and watched the streets pass as the came up to their
apartment.

She’d try asking again after Riana had rested.

* * * *

Loraine stretched as she walked out of her bedroom and
into the living room. She’d taken a nap when they arrived at the apartment but
she still felt exhausted. She hated being jetlagged. If it wasn’t for Riana,
she would’ve spent the entire day in bed, but it was time for some shrink time
with her best friend. But coffee first.

She paused when she saw five suitcases sitting in the
middle of the living room. They varied in sizes and some had a very familiar
pattern on them.

“Oh. My. God. No way!” Loraine rushed and knelt next
to them and ran her hands over the
Dolce
&
Gabbana
suitcases.

Only people with money coming out of their asses
bought a three-piece set in the signature print of tan and brown colors of
Dolce &
Gabbana
luggage. But it wasn’t just the three pieces sitting on her living room floor,
but two more large leather, trimmed printed scotch grain suitcases.

Loraine’s family was wealthy but her mother considered
one medium sized suitcase too expensive!

She squealed. “No effing way!”

“Loraine, you do know they are just suitcases right?”

Loraine looked up at Riana, appalled. “Just
suitcases!” she screeched. “Have you no respect for royalty? These are
Dolce &
Gabbana
,
you do know who they are right?”

“Yeah, they are human beings and they make nice bags,”
Riana responded dryly.

Loraine’s lower jaw fell. True, Riana had never put
fancy labels and the people behind them on a pedestal. Heck, if Chris
Hemsworth
walked by her with a ‘hi’ she’d smile at him,
respond with ‘have a nice day’, and keep on walking. Anyone who wasn’t a dead,
talented artist didn’t hold much more than passing attention for her.

Loraine shook her head and went back to the suitcases.
“I forgive you.”

Riana chuckled. “You want to see what’s inside?”

Loraine snorted. “Knowing you they are probably artsy
fartsy
stuff.”

Riana sat down on the couch with a glint in her eye
that made Loraine suspicious.

“I’m going to lose my mind when I open these bags,
aren’t I?”

Riana shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Loraine zipped open the large D&G print suitcase
first, revealing garment bags. She looked at the labels and drew in a shocked
breath. She quickly moved to the next large suitcase and opened it to reveal
more garment bags.

“O.M.G. Riana!” she shrieked, moving onto the next.
She felt like a little girl opening presents on Christmas and she got all she
wanted. Designer clothes from Milan!

The last large suitcase was filled shoes and Loraine
thought she was going to faint. Everyone knew Italy was the home of shoes and
she was sitting with—from her quick counting—around fifteen pairs of designer
shoes.

She was in heaven!

She opened the medium sized suitcase to reveal clothes
that were more Riana, three pairs of tennis shoes, two pairs of pumps, and five
pairs of sandals.

Riana laughed when she showed no excitement for that
suitcase. “Open the carry-on. You are going to love what’s inside.”

Loraine rubbed her hands together excitedly before she
opened it. She didn’t rush this one. She opened it slowly, hoping what was
inside would live up to her excitement. Once the zip was done, she slowly
flipped it open and screamed.

Riana laughed, covering her ears. “Don’t wake Aurora
up!”

Loraine stood up and pointed down at the contents of
the suitcase. “Are these what I think they are?”

Riana nodded with a faint smile. “Clutch bags and
jewelry. The more artsy
fartsy
jewelry in the wooden
jewelry box were my picks. The rest in velvet boxes were his.”

Her voice faltered when she said ‘his’. Loraine could
already see Riana was about to start crying. It hurt to see how sad Riana was.

“There are
a lot
of velvet boxes in here Riana. How did you get past airport security without
getting detained?”

Riana blinked a few times before she swallowed and
whispered, “It’s funny how things are easier when you buy a plane ticket under
the Sinclair name. I even had an escort. From the door right into my first
class seat on the plane…”

Loraine blinked back her own tears. She wanted to say
something,
do something
that would
lighten the load Riana carried. But there was nothing to do. Riana had to be
the one to let go, to move on.

Loraine never believed such love existed until that
very moment, watching the lost look in her eyes. Riana would never be able to
get over Allan’s loss. But Aurora had helped. She was probably more of a
motivation to wake up in the morning and do something than anything, giving
Riana a few hours of joy and amnesia before the memory of the loss hit her like
a freight train and made her collapse under its weight.

So if her
daughter couldn’t pull her out of that hole, what can I do?

She sat down next to Riana and took her hand and held
it. The only thing she could do was to be there for her and support her in any
way Riana needed her.

Riana turned to Loraine with a shaky smile, tears at
the brim of her eyes. “I haven’t told you about my trip to Italy, have I?”

Loraine shook her head. “I would love to hear about
it, if you don’t mind.”

Riana turned to the open suitcases on the floor. She
was quiet for a long while before Loraine heard her exhale. “He was such a
pain. Buying me things I didn’t want.” She chuckled softly. “Always buying me
gifts, surprising me with the corniest stuff straight out of a movie. They were
corny, but still very romantic.”

Loraine chuckled. “If he bought me a suitcase full of
diamonds, I’d find whatever he did, even pouring me a glass of water,
romantic.”

Riana smiled leaning her head back against the couch.
“For a guy who traveled so much he never stopped to enjoy everything around
him.”

Loraine snorted. “He certainly enjoyed you. The two
feet high hurricane with a deceivingly angelic face is proof of it. That kid is
all him,” she sighed. “I’m dreading the moment she wakes up.”

Riana slapped Loraine’s thigh. “She’s the greatest gift
he ever gave me.”

“I’ll take the diamonds.”

Riana shook her head and went on. “He took me
everywhere I wanted to go, did everything I wanted to do. He was wonderful. He
made me feel important. I mattered to him, even more than his work. He took
care of me, and he’s still taking care of me and Aurora.”

Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. Loraine shifted
closer to her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. Riana buried her
face in her shoulder as she cried. “It hurts so badly, Loraine. I loved him so much…and
I will always love him no matter how much it kills me.”

* * * *

Why this hotel?

Riana ran her hands
nervously down her dress as she did her labor breathing. It didn’t work any
better than when she was having Aurora.

Loraine grabbed her hand and
squeezed it. “Just relax, Riana. You’ll just speak to Melody and then we’ll
leave.”

Riana turned to her friend.
The last time they were here they were in uniform, and now they were dressed
like they belonged. Riana was dressed in the exact same way the first night she
went to dinner with Allan, right down to how she styled her hair.

Loraine borrowed the green,
figure hugging, knee high dress Riana had worn to the restaurant at the beach
when they were in Bari. They’d walked in the water that night, and it was the
first time she’d convinced Allan to do something he would not normally do.

He had taken off his shoes,
jacket and tie, rolled up his pant legs, and wadded in the water with her. She
couldn’t remember what they talked about but she did remember how eased and
relaxed they were, and the comfortable silence that followed when they sat on
the beach for over an hour before they went back to the hotel.

She’d almost had an anxiety
attack when she saw Loraine in it. Yes, she had agreed to lend it to her for the
night, but seeing her in it…Riana was never going to let go of the things Allan
gave her, no matter how many years passed or whether or if they didn’t fit
anymore. They each had a memory of Allan she cherished.

The dress she was wearing
however, didn’t hold a very happy memory. It was the dress she wore when they
had their first fight, at their first dinner. Why did she wear it?

Because the memory it
carried didn’t make her cry with longing.

“Riana, are you sure seeing
Theresa won’t bother you?”

Riana was tossed into
another memory. She wasn’t fond of with that question.

She had just arrived back in
New York and a pounding on the door woke her up. She had opened it to find
Theresa, her face tear stained, her mascara running as she glared at Riana.

Theresa slapped her and
began yelling and the only words Riana caught were ‘Allan is dead and it’s your
fault’. Riana was so shocked she hadn’t even notice when Theresa left. She’d
sat on the floor in denial for almost an entire day before she got the courage
to do a Google search.

There was a picture of the yacht
in flames and a large letter block announcement ‘Allan Sinclair dead’ running
across it.