Turn Towards the Sun (16 page)

“Miss Bradshaw, may I be candid with you?” Such formal prose.

“Yes
,
of course.” I’m curious as hell now. Grayson wants to be candid.

“Mr. Milano is a good man. He deserves a good woman. Please be kind to him.” I am surprised and touched by this statement.

“I intend to be Grayson.”

H
e nods his head appreciatively at me.

“Hello George.”

“Miss Bradshaw, nice to see you again. Here is your key.” He hands me the wooden key chain with 115 written on the front. “It’s all ready for you.”

“Thank you George.” I cross the courtyard back to my room ready for some relaxation. I brought my swimsuit and a book I’ve been dying to read. In my room, I pin my hair up and put my suit on. I throw on a sarong, grab my sunglasses, and head out. I don’t know how long I can face the Arizona
sun,
but I’m gonna try.

I look up to see The Bitch walking towards me. She hasn’t seen me
yet,
and I’m hoping I can get past her without her noticing. She looks up and immediately recognizes me, stopping in her tracks.

“You. I thought you were gone.”

“Anna I have no idea why you hate me so much but after the other day I think you should be nicer to me.”

She scoffs.

“I could’ve thrown you right under
the bus.
Instead,
I
haven’t told Enzo how nasty you’ve been.”

She
stares
at me without saying a word. I can tell she is seething. What is her deal?

“I don’t need you to stick up for
me,
you
gold-digging
bitch.”

Wow. Really?

“Okay Anna. I’ve had just about enough of this. I haven’t done a thing to
you,
and I will report your inappropriate behavior.” 

“Who you gonna tell? George? He’s afraid of me. Enzo? He won’t believe you. I’ve worked for him for years. He’s known you for days.” She says, mocking me.

“Would you like to test that theory Anna?”

She narrows her eyes.

“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are
Anna,
but I’m not afraid of you. You’re obviously jealous of
me,
and you should be. I have something you don’t and never will.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

I feel like bitch slapping her in the middle of this courtyard. I exhale deeply, resuming my composure.

“Maybe I don’t Anna. But I know I don’t have to put up with this from you.”

I walk around her and ignore her. I get to the
pool,
and I can’t believe that just took place. Gold digging bitch? Unbelievable. I have to tell Enzo about this. I don’t feel comfortable being here knowing she hates me like this. I dial his phone and it immediately goes to voicemail. I decide not to leave a message. I try to distract myself in my book.

Thirty minutes later Enzo calls.

“Ciao bella, I see I missed your call. I was in a meeting.”

My icy resolve regarding Anna has
dissipated,
and I hesitate.

“It was nothing. I shouldn’t bother you while you’re working.”

“You’re not bothering me. It’s a pleasant distraction to hear from you.”

“Enzo, i
s there anything I should know about you and Anna?” I don’t know where the question came from. It just popped out.

“Why do you ask?” His tone has definitely changed.

“I shouldn’t pry into your life before me. It’s just that, well she obviously hates
me,
and I don’t know why.”

“Did she do something to you?”
He sounds
angry now.

I don’t know what to do. He’s already
mad,
and I haven’t even said anything.

“Not really. It’s just obvious to me.” I try to avoid answering him
directly.
I have no idea why I’m protecting her. Maybe I just don’t want him to be mad.

“Tell me
the truth
.
If she’s done something to
you,
I want to know.
”

“Is there
s
omething
more than what you’ve told me?
” I press.

“No. I’ve told you everything. I have nothing to hide from you.”

“
Y
ou never had a relati
onship with her?”
I’m afraid of his answer.

“Of course not. I told you the truth about that.
What did she do Ava?” Now, he’s really mad and it might be at me if I don’t fess up.

“
She didn’t really do anything. She just has major attitude towards me.
I’m fine really.”

He sighs. “Are you sure?”

“Yes
,
I’m sure.”

“I will address it with her when I get back.”

“Okay.” I guess at least she’ll find out which one of us has Enzo’s ear.

“I’ll call you later
bella
.” We hang up and I feel better knowing it’s not romantic, at least not for Enzo. I just have to avoid her.

A few hours
later,
I decide to go shopping in the little boutique stores inside the hotel, avoiding Sassy at all costs.
Besides,
I don’t need fancy clothes. I walk through the halls stopping and peeking in the window of all the shops along the way. At the end of a long
hallway,
I see Anna and George. Anna is poking her fingernail in George’s
chest,
and he
cowers
in her presence.
Well,
she was right about that, George is definitely afraid of her.

George scampers
away,
and I’m in the line of Anna’s fire. Shit. Another showdown
.
If I walk
away,
I will look weak. If I
stay,
things could get nasty.
Slowly,
I decide to turn on my phone’s record feature. For
some reason,
I feel I need proof of her hostility. I look away and go quickly into a shop. She follows me right in, cornering me near a back wall.

“Are you following me?” 

“You followed me in here Anna. Besides why would I follow you?”

“I don’t know. Why would you?” She’s acting very strange, even for her.

“You seem worried about something. Should I be suspicious?” I throw it out there to gauge her reaction.

“No.” She answers quickly. Too quickly I think.

“What were you doing with George, Anna?”

Her already pale skin is suddenly paler. “None of your business gold digger.” She shoots back.

The salesgirl looks nervously in our
direction,
and I shake my head no at her. This is getting
good,
and I hope my phone is picking it all up.

“Now now Anna. No need to be so hostile. After all, you have nothing to hide right?”

She glares at me. “I can’t wait
until
he dumps you like the rest of them. You’ll be a nothing and a nobody to him soon
enough,
and I won’t have to look at you ever again.” She seems satisfied with her insult.

I look Anna deep in the eyes and move as close to her face as I can. She pulls
back,
slightly surprised by my boldness.

“I don’t give a damn what you think about me. But here’s what you should care about. Right now, I am not a nothing and nobody to him. Right
now,
he listens to me. And right now, I don’t trust
you,
and I don’t think he should either. So watch your back.”

I turn and walk out of the store hurrying back to the relative safety of my room. I pass by
George,
who is typing frantically on a computer looking flushed. Something is definitely up with these two.

I decide to stay in my room the rest of the day and order room service for dinner. I was planning to go back to Milano but couldn’t chance another
run-in with
The Bitch. I just can’t figure out what her problem with me is if it isn’t romantic. Well, it’s not romantic for
Enzo,
but maybe it is for her. I don’t know. This is just a lot of drama. It will take a lot of convincing to get me to come back here again. I hit the play button on my phone and hear my exchange with her loud and clear. I’ll have to think about what I’m going to do with this information. I tuck into bed and send Enzo a quick text.

Me: Buona notte.

The phone immediately rings.

“Hi.” He says.

“Hi
.
” I say back. Neither of us speaks for a moment.

“I guess I just wanted to say good night to you Ava.”

I smile. “
G
ood night.”

“Dream of me.”

“I always do Enzo.”

I wake to sunlight streaming into my room. I can’t believe it’s been a week since my whole life changed
.
I’m in a foul mood though and just want to get out of this hotel room. I
rise, brush my teeth and my hair,
and put my things back in my overnight bag. I hope Francesca is done
soon,
and I can leave this place. I dial her number.

“Ciao Ava. Yes, you can come home in one hour okay?”

“One hour is perfect. Thanks.”

I call Grayson next.
“Good morning. Can you come get me please? I want to leave.”

“Yes
,
but Francesca said you can’t come back for an hour.”

“I know. Can you take me somewhere to get coffee?”

“Sure no problem. I’ll be out front in five.” I open my door cautiously. It looks
clear,
and I take the long way to the front to avoid the lobby. Grayson is already waiting for me.

“You okay Miss Bradshaw?”

“
I’m fine. Thank you Grayson.” I step into the safety of the car and exhale. This is ridiculous. I’m hiding from The Bitch. I’m just emotionally depleted from dealing with her.

“Starbucks okay with you ma’am?”

“Perfectly fine. Thank you.”

We head back to my place and pull up just as the trucks are leaving. Francesca is standing outside waving to me. She’s clearly excited to show me her work.

“Yes, you are ready?”

“Yes
,
I’m ready.” She opens the
door,
and I gasp in surprise. I cannot believe the room.
Everywhere I look, I see details- pillows, vases,
knick-knacks
.
One huge ornate structure replaces my old bookcases, the books artfully placed and interspersed with various accessories.
All my old things are gone replaced by new and stunning items in their place. It’s breathtaking.

“Oh Checca
,
this is beautiful.” I run around the room touching everything and soaking it all in. In the new kitchen/dining area, the table is set with linens and beautiful dishware. My kitchen is stocked with new plates, glasses, barware, and cooking accessories. My new cookbooks sit front and center on a beautiful wood shelf. She’s even stocked the fridge and pantry
.
She grabs my arm and leads me into the bedroom. It’s
dark, cool,
and luxurious. The bed linens are the best, deep purple and cream. The soft and voluminous bedding invites you to sink in and forget the day’s stresses.
All the walls are painted and
dark walnut hardwood covers the floors.
I am stunned. 

“How did you do all of this?”

She’s beaming. “
Yes, t
he floors are removable. It’s new technology designed for renters. I love it.”

“So do I.” The place is sumptuous, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing. And unbelievably this is where I live.

“Yes, I must go now Ava. Enjoy your new space.” She squeezes me and kisses both cheeks and in a
flutter,
she’s gone.

I’m thankful that Saturday and Sunday passes in a blur. I tried to keep busy to distract
myself
from Enzo’s absence. Between ironing my work clothes and just general
preparation,
I find myself getting ready for bed Sunday night. Enzo has called at least three times a day and is hoping he can come back on Tuesday now. He’s sweeter with each call, making sure I have everything I need, and always wanting to make sure I’m happy. I can’t wait until he comes back. Without Enzo here I’m feeling a bit
homesick,
but I know it’s just a matter of time before I’ll make friends. I need to start creating a life that doesn’t revolve around him so it’s not so difficult every time he leaves town.