Counterpoints (Counterpoints #1) Page 31

  “Okay…” Isabella said, not knowing what else to say.

  She knew she had done the right thing to be honest with him and just come out with her doubts, but she didn’t want to keep asking questions, even though she had so many wondering around in her head.

  “She asked me if I wanted to spend the night with her” he looked into her eyes as he went on “I told her I was seeing someone”

  Isabella’s heart was beating fast and her throat felt incredibly dry. Did she dare ask him what had happened afterwards? Did he go see her in the end? And could she trust his words? More importantly, do I really want to know the truth, she asked herself.

  “What did she say to that?”

  “She said…” he paused for a second, doing his best not to smile “’as if that ever stopped you”’ Christopher couldn’t help but smile to the side just then. As he had once explained to Isabella, he had gone out and seen different women at the same time, never having a bond with any of them.

  Giselle had been one of these women. They had seen each other for a while, not exclusively though. “But I told her that it’s stopping me now”

  Isabella smiled to that and tilted her head back a little to look at Christopher.

  “We bump into one another quite often because she is very mundane and loves these sort of events. Especially in Europe” he stopped and then added. “Just to say that it won’t be the last time you see her around”

  Isabella nodded. She knew that Giselle had already dated two people in the First Category racing environment, one of which had been a driver a few years back and was now into rally.

  “Anyway, Marco wants to talk to you” she heard her mother say on the other end and that snapped her back to reality.

  “What? No, mom wait. I can’t…” she entered the lobby with a hand over her head.

  This was not the right time to be doing this. She couldn’t handle an angry teenager and work at the same time.

  “I’m going to kill you” her brother’s voice sounded in her ear.

  “So I have been told” she mocked him, then let out an exasperated breath “Marco, I’m sorry. I’ll get you one for the race in Rome or how about the one in Germany?” she would have to check that with Hillary today. She had seen her taking in a friend at one of the races.

  “Rome is ages away…” he cried.

  “You also have school, Mr.”

  “Who cares?”

  “I do” she told him. Isabella made her way into the foyer, passing right in front of the desk and smiling at the kind hotel staff. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for Hillary, Christopher and Noah. They were probably wondering what had happened to her, actually Christopher would have been the only one who knew exactly why she had been late. She was almost sure he was going to be late, too.

  There they were, all waiting for her on the couches near the bar. She recognized Hillary’s voice, as she updated Noah on his schedule for the following week, and then saw Christopher laughing and talking animatedly to a middle aged, beautiful, woman with dark hair and green eyes. His green eyes.

  She stopped like a fool, midway, when it was practically impossible for her to walk back without being seen. Thousands of things went through her mind just then, one of which was ‘why didn’t he tell me she was coming?’ and ‘why did I wear jeans and a t-shirt? What am I, five?’

  “I’ll call you back” she told her brother, as she smiled to the quartet that was now staring and smiling back at her.

  “Don’t hang up, we are not finished…”

  “I said I’ll call you back. Bye” she said through gritted teeth and hung up.

  She resumed her walk, making her way to Christopher’s side and coming up with so many excuses for her being late.

  “Isabella sit, join us. We were just talking about the funny competition Noah and Christopher will take part to with hybrid cars, when we go back to London…” Hillary started to say as she went over her sheets.

  Isabella, who had carried her tablet with her, took her notes and schedules too, to make sure they were synchronized with the events.

  She felt the woman’s eyes on her, a warm smile still on her thin lips. She was wearing one of those dresses you only see on movie stars, red with flowers, very summery and long. The lines on her cheeks told Isabella that she was a woman who smiled a lot and she liked her instantly for that. Right now, seeing her smile at her, was such a reassuring sign.

  Isabella looked up from her notes and smiled back, then looked at Christopher who had that amused look on his face, studying her every move.

  She wished she could just say ‘what are you looking at?’ and stick her tongue out of him, for trying to embarrass her. He knew she hated the attention.

  “First, I’d like to introduce you to my mother. Mom this is Isabella Bresciani, Hillary’s assistant press agent and blogger. Isabella this is my mother, Carmen” they shook hands and liked each other instantly.

  One thing Isabella was sure all women of her age –and even younger or older than her, come to think of it- would agree on, was that it’s never too late for ice cream.

  After three intense days, working her ass off, posting lots of things on the net - and then having to modify her entries because of Mr. Jenkins’ absurd requests- after dealing with the press, the drivers, the pressure of the race, Isabella was craving some ice cream. Even if it was past midnight and the people she had gone to dinner with had left, she decided to head out again and walk the busy streets of Cannes, looking for the perfect French ice cream. Vanilla and Hazelnut ice cream cone, to be exact.

  It was such a warm spring night, she didn’t even need to wear a jacket. She wondered the streets alone, but surrounded by people, enjoying the warm sea breeze. It felt like summer breeze.

  After having walked a good fifteen minutes in her leather, brown flat sandals, Isabella stopped in front of a beautiful little ice cream cart, where a middle aged women with pink hair, was serving her delicious treats to a long queue of people.

  It was one of those cute little, vintage ice cream stands, white with golden finishes and pink candy canes painted on it.

  Without thinking about it twice, she joined the queue and waited patiently.

  Isabella looked up and saw that there were a few clouds forming up in the sky. The wind was warm but it had begun to blow a little stronger as the hours had gone by.

  Her long, light green dress kept moving around, tickling her ankles a bit. Okay, I should just get the ice cream and make my way back to the hotel. It was over midnight anyway, time to rest.

  As soon as she paid for the cone, she heard her phone buzz in her bag. Without looking in, she searched for it with her empty hand and let out a triumphant sound, when she managed to get a hold of it.

  “Hello?” her voice was low. It always happened to her when Christopher called her. Her voice betrayed her immediately, the excitement of hearing from him was impossible to hide.

  “Hi, baby. Where are you?” he asked, his voice low, too.

  “I’m eating an ice cream in town” she admitted, feeling guilty like a girl caught eating chocolate which had been secretly stashed somewhere.

  She turned around and saw her reflection on the window of a clothing store, that was right next to the ice cream stand.

  She looked so thin, she had lost some weight. Isabella knew exactly what her family was going to say to her, as soon as she got back home. The truth was that she was always travelling or working and sometimes, she had skipped a couple of meals or eaten a bite without even stopping to sit down a minute.

  I definitely deserve this ice cream, in fact I deserve the whole bloody stand!

  “Oh…who are you with?” she heard his voice change a bit.

  “I’m with two, sexy, hot guys. We are buying some ice cream for a little sex game. I think there are other girls involved, too” she covered her mouth and held in a laugh, as she heard him laugh on the other side.

  “Very funny, Bresciani”

  “I’m
alone. I going back to the hotel. What about you?” she thanked the cool lady with pink hair and began to walk her way back.

  “I just took my mother back to her hotel. We had dinner together. Are you anywhere near the harbor?”

  She looked around immediately. Was he there? Like last time they were on the phone in London?

  “Yes. Why?” she squinted.

  “Can I kidnap you for an hour or so?” his voice was a little husky and terribly inviting. What was on his mind? Isabella wondered.

  “That depends. Am I going to be in danger?” she teased and stopped walking.

  “Yes. Another reason for saying yes” he answered with that usual sexy voice of his.

  “What’s the first reason for saying yes?” she asked, enjoying playing the part of the one who was hard to get.

  Christopher seemed to be enjoying himself too, as he said:

  “The first reason is me kissing your neck, with my hands all over you. The way you like it”

  Isabella felt a knot in her stomach. Suddenly, she couldn’t care less about the ice cream she was holding. She had to see him, touch him, taste him. She threw the half eaten treat in the first bin she saw near her.

  “You have a way of convincing me…” she started to say with a smile on her face.

  “Walk to the harbor, love.”

  She turned on a side street and made her way to the sea. It was right there in front of her.

  “Where am I going?”

  “Do you see the ticket booth for the speed boat?”

  Isabella looked left, then right and noticed a big white booth. She told him she was near it.

  “On the left of the booth there is a dock. Take it and walk all the way down”

  She walked slowly, looking around, waiting to spot him somewhere. She met a couple of people walking along the dock, but it was a little dark, she couldn’t see very well as the few lights around it weren’t that bright.

  Isabella passed small boats, little yachts and then bigger ones.

  “What am I supposed to be looking for?” she asked Christopher.

  “Me” he smiled on the other side “I love that dress you are wearing”

  Isabella stopped walking and looked around with a smirk on her lips. Where was he? She saw a couple of people on a yacht but that couldn’t be him.

  She turned again and tried to focus on another boat nearby and that’s when she saw a man, who was clearly holding a phone over his ear, the other hand in his pocket. She moved closer a little hesitantly. He was standing on a beautiful white yacht with black wide windows.

  “Hi” he said to her putting down his phone.

  Isabella smiled and went up to him.

  “Hi” she reached him and looked around. “What is this?”

  “It’s my boat”

  “I didn’t know you liked sailing”

  “There are a lot of things you still don’t know about me” he smiled and kissed her gently, touching her soft cheeks. She tasted like vanilla and hazelnut and she looked even more beautiful with her skin slightly tanned. He looked at her as she stood there, her lips inches away from his, looking fantastic. Those honey, brown eyes had bewitched him, literally.

  “I’d like to take you somewhere, if that’s okay with you” he touched her hair and Isabella closed her eyes for an instant, feeling shivers down her spine.

  She wanted to touch him so badly, too.

  Isabella dropped her bag on the floor and put her hands on his chest, through his hair and then said:

  “Let’s go”

  “But first…” and he started kissing her neck, just the way she liked it, just as promised.

  Chapter 28

  “So, did you enjoy dinner with your mother?” she asked him, while he took the boat along the coast. Isabella watched Christopher drive, unable to take her eyes off him. When they started to pick up speed, Isabella turned towards the city lights and enjoyed the view.

  The coast looked amazing from there. It wasn’t that far away, but still they were far from unwanted attention, far enough from land to enjoy each other’s company, without stressing about being watched.

  “It was good seeing her. What about your dinner?” he asked still standing.

  Isabella was sitting right across from him, on a small white leather seat.

  “I went out with Hillary, John, Fred…”

  “John?”

  “Yes, John” she looked at him funny. He had a serious expression on his face. “Oh and we bumped into Camilla at the restaurant too, with a few people from Chiellini”

  Christopher looked ahead, his face serious and emotionless. He didn’t flinch or say anything, only Isabella thought he didn’t look happy to hear any of it.

  “I like your mother” Isabella said, hoping to change the subject, but also wanting him to know just how wonderful his mother was.

  They had talked a little during happy hour down at the foyer and, if Isabella had to use one word to describe her, it would definitely be ‘easygoing’.

  She was so relaxed, just like Christopher, and kind, but also very classy and elegant. Despite the good amount of pain in her life, she wasn’t a bitter person and she looked sweet and caring towards Christopher.

  “She likes you, too” he said, smiling to himself, like it was about some private joke of his.

  “Oh, really?” Isabella was a little stunned to hear that. Why would she say that to him? Isabella knew that Carmen was Christopher’s mother, but all she knew was that Isabella was just somebody working for MB. Why would she say that to Christopher?

  “She said you are pretty and fun to talk to” he said and, seeing her face go red, he glanced her way and added “Relax, I told her that we work together. That’s it”

  “Okay” she said, not sure if she should be relieved or disappointed. I want it to be a secret, Christopher has no issues about being himself in public. I’m the one who doesn’t want it to be public, she reminded herself. It was silly to be disappointed, for Christopher respecting her own will.

  “It’s beautiful out here. Thank you for taking me”

  Isabella looked up and smiled. Just a few miles from the shore, the sky above their heads was amazing. It was an explosion of shimmering, white crystals and it made Isabella’s heart pound with joy. She had missed the stars, only now she realized it. Even though she loved the city lifestyle, she sometimes craved for an artificial light free sky, like the one back home, the one she had been so used seeing from her small, provincial town.

  “Come here” he glanced her way and held out a hand.

  Isabella stood up slowly, a little uncertain in her movements. The boat was going rather fast and she had to admit that despite being from a beach town, she had always had a love and hate relationship with boats.

  Christopher took her hand and wrapped her in his arms. He put Isabella’s hands on the commands of the boat, guiding her every move.

  “Push this” he told her and she did, a lump growing in her throat made it impossible for her to speak. His big smooth hands on hers, were so distracting. She nodded as Christopher gave her a driving lesson.

  “Good. You got it” he smiled to the side and their cheeks brushed. “It’s not that bad, is it?” he asked, sensing Isabella’s tension.

  Isabella nodded and swallowed hard, while Christopher’s hand rubbed against hers.

  “I am seeing a pattern here” she teased “Is there anything you don’t feel the urge to drive? Bicycles, cars, hybrids, boats? What’s next? Airplanes?” she smiled cheekily.

  “Maybe airplanes are next, yes. Are you saying my shrink would have a theory about this?” he played along.

  “Definitely” she smelled in his scent and a shiver ran down her spine.

  “Are you cold?” he asked, seeing her shake.

  Isabella shook her head. It’s you not the wind, Christopher

  “No worries. You will have to change in a suit now. We are almost there”

  “There where?” Isabella asked a litt
le stunned.

  “You’ll see, baby” a look of mischief crossed his face “Let’s do something crazy”

  Looking down, meant looking into darkness.

  Afraid of heights, Isabella had always thought that there wasn’t anything scarier than looking down from a skyscraper or a tower. Or from a bridge, like now.

  She looked down again and shut her eyes tight. She knew they were high up on a bridge but it was impossible to figure exactly how tall the structure actually was.

  It must have been around one in the morning when they reached the spot and, to her surprise, the place had been packed with people, all waiting for their turn.

  The instructor had already debriefed them, on how to jump, how to do it safely and how to prepare for the moment. Isabella had listened very carefully and had stood very still –corpse like still- when the instructor had fastened all the clips and chords around her body.

  As usual, Christopher seemed calm, excited but not at all bothered or worried.

  “You are looking at me like that again” she made a face, seeing him stare at her like she was the most entertaining thing to look at.

  “Are you ready?” he asked taking her hand.

  “No” she said. Obviously.

  When was she ever going to be ready to jump god knows how many feet, off a bridge, into the darkness in the middle of nowhere in France?

  Isabella laughed a little nervous.

  “I promise you it will be amazing” he touched her full lips with the tip of his fingers and smiled to the side.

  “I can’t do it, Christopher” she murmured and fidgeted a little. She heard another couple scream, as they made their way down into the void.

  The lights that surrounded the bridge lit up during their fall and Isabella looked down and saw them hanging from the elastic rope. It was so deep. A boat was already in position, preparing to release them.

  When Christopher had said ‘Let’s do something crazy’ on the boat, she should have known that he hadn’t been kidding. For a person like Isabella, something crazy meant eating pasta in the middle of the night, walking barefoot in the street. Not jumping off a bridge. That is suicidal.