Letters to Juliet – Chapter 12
After what seemed like forever the two best friends landed in Italy. Spencer had managed to keep Carmen calm during landing but now it was the blondes turn to freak out as the reality of what she was doing and where she was going kicked in. Waiting at baggage claim Spencer just paced the ground like a possessed women.
"Jesus Carlin you're given me motion sickness" Carmen snapped having finally had enough.
"I'm so I'm nervous Carm…what the hell am I doing here?"
"I get that you're nervous and you're here because you love somebody" Carmen answered not knowing whether Spencer actually wanted an answer.
"You're a huge help I'm so glad you're my plus one" Spencer replied sarcastically spotting her bag on the belt.
Once they had claimed their luggage they headed over to the car hire stand.
"Afternoon Ladies do you have a booking with us?" The overly smiley guy behind the stand asked in perfect English.
"Yes under the name Carlin" Spencer answered handing over her id and booking info. The guy tapped some information into his computer and handed over some keys along with some directions to where the car would be parked.
Spencer smiled when she saw the vehicle; it was a beautiful black soft top Porsche. Spencer wouldn't normally pay the extra for a soft top but she felt the need to spoil herself on this trip.
"Wow Carlin good choice" Carmen stated checking out the car.
"I figured we should travel in style" Spencer smiled opening the car so they could put their luggage in the back. There wasn't a lot of room for luggage but it just about fit in plus the car was as sexy as hell so Spencer didn't care. Climbing into the car Spencer hit the button that dropped the top and then she roared the car out of the airport car park accompanied by a girlie squeal from Carmen.
After an hour of driving Spencer started to recognise the roads they were taking as they got closer to the vineyard and the blonde found herself becoming more anxious. They had declined Clare's offer to stay at the vineyard figuring that that would be too weird especially if everything went wrong as Spencer felt it would do. They had booked into a hotel down the road; in fact it was the same hotel that Spencer had stayed in before. The same hotel she had checked out of with no warning or explanation. The very hotel that she had left Ashley at when she had left to pick up her fiancé.
"You ok Carlin?" Carmen asked noticing the far away gaze in her best friends' eyes.
"Yep" Spencer replied turning to Carmen with her best smile trying to reassure her friend.
"It's beautiful here Spence, I'm so glad we're here" Carmen said knowing that Spencer was lying but knowing from years of experience that pushing the youngest Carlin wouldn't get you anywhere.
"Me too Carm. Look there's the hotel" Spencer stated pointing a head where sat the most picturesque building Carmen had ever seen. The hotel was surrounded by a mass of green land and scenery.
"Wow Carlin…..I think I'm actually speechless!" Carmen exclaimed getting over excited.
"I know that isn't true, you haven't stopped talking since the day I met you" Spencer joked pulling the car into a space outside the immense building. Carmen practically jumped out the car clearly overcome with excitement. Spencer grabbed their cases from the car and followed Carmen not wanting to ruin the excitement for her. Spencer had acting exactly the same when she first arrived in the beautiful country but Aiden didn't allow her to be giddy as her kept reminding her they were only there for business purposes. It was only when she met Ashley that she found the excitement of being somewhere new and different. She smiled secretly to herself as she followed Carmen through the main doors.
"Buona sera ho una riserva ai sensi del nome Spencer Carlin" Spencer said in her best Italian shocking Carmen a little bit.
"Benvenuto Miss Carlin. Mi troverete la vostra prenotazione" the elderly gentleman replied clearly understanding Spencer.
"La ringrazio" Spencer smiled at her shocked friend while the guy found their details. The guy smiled and handed a set of keys and gave them directions to their room. Spencer smiled as she walked past the rooms that they had occupied before. Stopping outside room 10 Spencer put the antique looking key into the hole and opened the door revealing a stunning room. Carmen barged past taking in everything the room had to offer making Spencer giggle slightly.
"I'm assuming you approve?" Spencer laughed opening the double doors that led to a balcony. The view took Spencer's breathe away. Their room was situated over the car park and past that the Italian country side rolled for miles in front of her.
"Dude this place is immense, I get why you love it so much now" Carmen answered finally as she joined Spencer on the balcony.
"You don't mind sharing a double do you?" Spencer asked remembering that she had forgotten to mention this to Carmen.
"Share with your gay ass? Of course I do, gross" Carmen joked as she jumped on the giant bed.
"You hungry or anything?" Spencer asked ignoring Carmen's attempt at humour.
"Not really, kind of tired" Carmen confessed stretching out.
"You wanna just crash? The wedding is tomorrow and I figured sleep is the only thing that will stop my brain from exploding" Spencer admitted as she started unpacking her things trying to find something to sleep in.
"Sleep sounds good" Carmen joined Spencer with the unpacking. Carmen knew Spencer was freaking but she didn't know how to make it any easier for her. What she was doing was reckless and insane but Carmen knew it was the right thing for Spencer to do so she tried her best not to get too involved otherwise Spencer would get Carmen to talk her out of it with her Carlin mind tricks.
"She's checked in to prezzos?" Ashley repeated but this time as a question to her cousin who had just told her the news.
"Yes about an hour ago with some dark haired chick?" Kyla explained to her over anxious relative.
"She's here with a chick?" Ashley's excitement soon dissipated when Kyla continued to explain that they were also sharing a double room, not a twin, not two separate rooms but a double. Ashley's happy anxiety was replaced with jealousy and sadness.
"Roberto said that they didn't seem very coupley if that helps" Kyla added hoping more information may help.
"Who the hell is Roberto?" Ashley snapped as she paced the room.
"He works at Prezzo's, I've met him a few times and bumped into him just in town"
"I can't believe that Spencer is like 5 minutes from here, from me….with another girl" Ashley sighed wishing she had never got her hopes up.
"Ash they might just be friends who knows. All you need to remember is she is here and you have a chance. Not many people get second chances Ashley" Kyla tried her best to comfort Ashley but her words fell on deaf ears.
"I'm going for a drive Ky…..see you later" Ashley said as she upped and left grabbing her car keys on the way out.
Ashley climbed into her car and just sat there for a minute wondering how she had managed to get to this point. Spencer had left without any explanation all those months ago and it hurt Ashley. She knew deep down that Spencer wasn't hers then so she let her go and she was determined to keep her this time. Ashley was worried she had missed her chance with Spencer and now the blonde was happy with some other girl, someone that wasn't Ashley or even Aiden. Starting her engine Ashley headed towards Prezzo's, she didn't want to wait until the morning to find out what was going on. She needed to know now if she could ever have Spencer Carlin. Pulling up in the car park Ashley sat nervously contemplating her next move and whether she was completely insane or not.
Ashley was pulled from her thoughts when she saw two figures moving on a balcony in front of her. Focusing as best as she could in the dark Ashley saw the two figures embrace in a loving manner and then she heard that laugh. The laugh that had been stuck in her head since the opinionated blonde had briskly exited her life. Ashley focused even more and it was Spencer up there laughing with a short brunette girl. Ashley sat and stared for a moment until she convinced herself that Spencer's blue eyes had landed on her own dark brown ones and without a second thought she sped her car away but taking the imagine of Spencer with her.
The revving car engine pulled Spencer from her trance and she looked back at Carmen, who looked confused beyond belief.
"What's up Carlin?"
"That was Ashley" Spencer whispered in reply going back inside and sitting on the bed.
"In the angry car?"
"Yes" Spencer replied simply as she racked her brains. She wanted to say something but the words wouldn't come out. She wanted to tell Ashley that she could see her but for some reason she couldn't do it. The strange exchange had terrified her even more for the wedding.
