Chapter 11

"Divieto di accesso solo alle persone autorizzate"

I had no idea what the sign said but knew that I wasn't going to be getting in through that door so started to walk by the edge of the building hoping to find another entrance. Rounding a corner, the area ahead of me was much busier, cars pulling up, people walking around and lights that lit up the whole area. I saw a sign that I was sure was the name of the hospital and watching as an ambulance pulled up in front thought that maybe that this was the A & E entrance. As I approached, it seemed to get busier and the occasional smell of cigarette smoke had me more cautious of the men stood around smoking.

"Hey, bella signora"

Had me turning to see a man stumbling toward me. He was wearing just a T-shirt and jeans but even as he came closer to me, I could smell the alcohol on him and see the way he was stumbling as he tried to walk. I moved to the side to avoid him but that was when another man came into view.

"O si"

I wasn't sure whether to brazen it out and walk between them or turn and run. The decision was taken out of my hands when another man materialized behind me and then he walked in front of me, placing himself between me and the men. Huh, were there actually guys here who would come to my rescue? It seemed there was, because I heard him say something to them in a low deep tone that had me glad that it wasn't directed at me. The drunks sensed that it wasn't worth getting tangled with him and slouched away to the side.

What surprised me was when my rescuer just continued to walk away from me without a backward glance. I didn't even get to thank him or to see what he looked like, other than the blonde hair. I wasn't about to wait around so made for the large double doors where people were going into and out of the hospital.

It felt like St Francis on a bad night. Loud talking and scenes of men with blood on their faces not wanting to take a seat but prowling impatiently. Spotting what seemed like a reception desk I dodged past people and was waiting behind a young woman holding a crying baby when I felt something touch my arm. I know that I jumped and had an awful feeling that I'd maybe attracted the attention of yet another drunk or even someone who felt that they should be seen next. Turning I was surprised to recognize the man stood close to me.

"Stefania, why are you here, are you okay?"

I was looking at Enzo who seemed to be scanning my body as though looking for injuries.

"No, well yes. I don't know how to get back"

Okay I could see by the frown on his face that he hadn't a clue what I was talking about so quickly tried to explain. I wasn't feeling especially safe where I was and wanted to get back upstairs.

"My father, he's not well. He's upstairs but I'm not sure how to get there"

At least he seemed to understand what I meant this time and with his hand on my back started to guide me toward yet another set of doors. That touch reminded me so much of how Ranger would touch me but with Enzo's touch there was no zing that seemed to seep into me from the contact. It seemed that I had a long way to go before I could forget Ranger but that was what I needed to do, and Enzo's touch wasn't unpleasant.

There were two guards stood like sentries on either side of the door as we approached, but it seemed that they must have known Enzo because they were soon standing to the side allowing us to walk through. The area we came into was a lot quieter and I could see ahead of us a bank of elevators. Once inside one of the elevators I felt quite embarrassed. I'd only wanted to clear my head and ended up being saved twice.

"Thanks, I would never have known how to get back in"

"Not the place to be at this time in the morning"

That had me wondering why Enzo was even here and as I turned slightly to look at him. I could tell from his face that he looked slightly disheveled, but I was also aware that he was carrying a gun in a holster on his shoulder.

"Why are you here?"

Because I had a feeling that he was maybe working, well I hoped so if he was armed.

"We did a raid on a residence for drugs. Things got a bit out of hand so one of the men that we arrested needed hospital treatment first"

I was close to smiling hearing that because it reminded of how Les would say that knowing full well that the need for hospital treatment was because the FTA had pissed him off. As the doors opened, I immediately recognized where I was, the waiting room was still full but maybe there was more evidence of nurses moving around.

"Will you be alright on your own or do want me to stay?"

I nodded my head because much as I was thankful for Enzo finding me, I knew that he would need to get back downstairs to his prisoner.

"I'll be fine now. Thanks for the help"

I watched as he turned and walked away trying to figure out how I felt bumping into Enzo. Yes, I was grateful for his help and maybe I was reading too much into how he had helped me. He was a nice guy for heaven's sake but maybe someone that I could be friends with. With that confirmed in my head I was soon back in my father's room. I certainly felt more awake now though how that had happened wasn't what I'd planned. This was me, so maybe it didn't matter where I was, I'd always attract attention.

It was a flurry of activity once Clare arrived. My father was awake and seemed so much better after a good night's sleep. The problem was that I never got a chance to talk to him on my own or talk at all through the nurses coming in and out and then a male nurse helping him to dress. When I felt some respite in all of the activity Gaia had turned up with his luggage and then he was gone, being wheeled away from me in a wheelchair with me stood there waving and saying goodbye, what he'd said to me echoing around in my head.

"Fly Pumpkin while you have the chance"

I felt a little lost stood there on my own. Nurses and doctors were moving around me as though I wasn't there which was when I knew that it was time for me to leave. I had no idea where Gaia had disappeared to though maybe I remembered that she'd mentioned something about expecting a new wedding group and needing to make sure everything was organized. That had me wondering where I was going to be living. A new wedding party meant that the accommodation that my father and I had used would be needed so I would have to collect my things and. Yeah, go where?

I didn't make the same mistake as I had during the night and instead took the elevator down to the ground floor. I recognized the closed doors that led through to the A & E department so stayed well clear of those turning in the opposite direction. Another set of doors had me coming into a huge glassed area that looked to be where patients could enter the hospital. There was a long, tall desk, manned by hospital workers who were welcoming people in but as I turned, I was also seeing a seated section with some sort of café area at the rear. Now that was definitely where I needed to be judging by the growling coming from my stomach.

Habit and routine had me picking out something that I fancied. I was stood looking down at the tray in front of me almost at the cashier when I groaned at the mistake that I'd made. Yep, pastries and cookies adorned my plate, almost mocking me with their sugary sweetness. Fortunately, they were all plastic wrapped so were easily placed back into the cool cabinets. I almost felt righteous as I paid for my yoghurt, fruit and coffee. Taking my tray, I found an empty table at the back of the room and then people watched as I ate my breakfast. In some ways it was no different to the cafeteria at St Francis, the same unhappy looks, parents with children and the elderly struggling to walk with their walking frames, except for the lyrical voices speaking in Italian. As I sat, I also debated what to do next and decided that maybe I needed to find a map and then work out where Scintillante was based, after all this was probably my first day at my new job.

It turned out that I was at the San Giuseppe Hospital which was quite central in Milan and that probably meant that I was miles away from where I needed to be. I took a deep breath once I was stood outside and feeling the sunshine on my face, the worry and the nerves from the night seeming to fall away as I started to walk. I needed some time on my own to just wander, to center myself before I had to deal with people. Even the guilt that tied my guts up into knots was slowly loosening, no doubt me actually acknowledging that my father didn't want me with him. Well, that was what everyone had been telling me.

I reckoned that there would be some shops nearby and hopefully one that might sell a map of the city. I was soon armed with a map and thanks to the patience of the woman in the shop an idea of where I was. I decided to walk into the central area of the city with the intention of picking up a taxi for the last part of my journey. For now, I wanted some time alone to come to terms with what had happened with my father and a night in a hospital. Something that I could do from walking and being outside.

I was surprised at the street that I was walking along, it was narrow and cobbled, with houses opening straight onto the street. I saw doors that were ornate and painted with deep rich colors though most of the shutters on the windows were closed at street level. As I looked up, I could see fine drapes billowing out of the tall open windows. Most of the windows had black metal rails half way up them, I suppose to give the occupiers some access to the view outside, or even to allow the cooler air to enter the rooms yet maintain some sense of safety. Much as I seemed to be walking through a residential area, I was surprised at the number of small cafés that I passed, the smell of coffee permeating out through the open doors.

I was content to walk, well it was exercise wasn't it, and with an occasional glimpse at the map I started to see signs directing me to the Basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore. As I neared it the streets became wider with sidewalks separated from the street by large stone columns from an era long gone. There were more tourists wandering around and as I circled the beautiful old building, I found myself in an open space with only a cobbled walkway for pedestrians.

That was when I had that feeling again, as though someone was watching me. I wasn't about to turn around but quickened my pace and walked over the grass and between the trees to where I spied some shops. Okay, it may have been a cycle shop, but the large glass windows allowed me to look at the reflection behind me. The problem was that there were so many people around and none seemed to stand out, as if they would anyway.

I couldn't understand why I was feeling so edgy or why anyone would want to follow me, but it reminded of the feeling that I'd had outside the hospital. Was I just over tired, exhausted from what had happened? I didn't know but decided to keep moving. I crossed the street at the next intersection to where it looked to be a lot busier, more cars and more shops, thinking that I could always duck into one if I that feeling didn't disappear. As I thought that, I heard the sound of my phone going off in my bag so started to search for it.

"Where are you, we couldn't find you?"

The voice of Allegro had me feeling so relieved. I looked at the name of the street that was written high above me before giving an answer.

"Via Molino delle Armi"

At least I thought that I'd pronounced it right even if Allegro didn't say anything back.

"Okay, keep walking down that street until you come to a junction. The street there is Corso Italia, it has tram lines running down it. On the right corner there're some seats for people waiting for a tram, I'll pick you up in ten"

I checked with the map and sure enough Corso Italia was the next street that I would come to and to be honest I was done with walking, it wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be, well except for the Basilica, it had been worth the walk just to see that. Once across the street I sat down at the corner on the seats that Allegro had mentioned, giving me an opportunity to watch who else followed me across. If someone had been following me then I couldn't pick them out, plenty of people passed me or turned to walk down Corso Italia so I was left feeling a little puzzled as to why I would think anyone would be following me. I mean this wasn't Trenton, no one knew me here and I certainly couldn't be attracting any bad guys because I wasn't trying to track them down.

I was still in the depth of thought trying to tell myself that it was because I was tired, because I was worried about my father or that it was because I was in the middle of a strange city and was definitely lost. I heard the car before I saw it, recognizing the throaty sound of the engine and watched as the red Miata pulled to a stop next to the sidewalk. I was soon out of my seat and stood next to the car but hesitated. It wasn't Allegro driving, it was a man behind the wheel that I didn't recognize.

"Allegro asked me to pick you up"

Okay he'd used Allegro's name, and this was her car, so I opened the door and got into the passenger seat. The traffic was busy so the going was slow but at least if I didn't like the feel of this guy then we were going slow enough that I could get out.

"How are you down here?"

He asked which annoyed me slightly, I mean why shouldn't I be where I was.

"I decided to take a look at the Basilica"

That certainly had him going back to being quiet. As I looked at him from the corner of my eye, he looked older than Allegro, so maybe he just worked at Scintillante.

"So how do you know Allegro?"

Come on, since when have I ever not been curious?

"I work for Scintillante. I manage the security of the company"

Huh. I'd never really thought about a company like Scintillante needing security but then again, I suppose the designs and new lines that were produced there would be worth a lot of money, especially to a competitor.

The rest of the journey was made in silence, yeah, I wasn't my normal chatty Cathy because to be honest I felt a bit intimidated by the man driving. Like I said he was older, though there were only a few grey hairs showing at his hairline. Maybe they stood out against the black of his hair or the dark tan that he had. Then again, the beard was the same, covering a face that looked quite rugged and blank. Sheesh what was it with security men that they had a blank face that made it impossible to read them? Yep, you guessed, Ranger came to mind. Though this guy looked to keep his body in shape he didn't have the cheek bones or jaw line to make him look anywhere near as handsome and to be honest he was a bit too old for me.

He did have a bulge under his jacket though which had me wondering if he carried another one at his ankle or even a knife. I almost smiled as I wondered how many other women would even think about that. I was actually relieved when he pulled through the gates and the familiar sight of the warehouse stood before me. I didn't wait once the car was parked, instead I was walking up to the main door and through it.

I smiled at the girl at reception, her name totally eluding me, and made for the stairs to go up to the offices. I wasn't sure where security man was, and I didn't care. I walked through to where the people were working in their little spaces and headed for the door where I knew I might find Allegro or even Lucio.

I never considered that it was locked, but of course it was. This was the inner sanctum where the important people worked. I rested my head on the door, saying "Shit' as I realized my dilemma and hoping that no one was watching me.

"Allow me"

I heard a click as the door unlocked and was looking into Mr Security man's face, who seemed to have a slight smile on his face. Maybe I was pissed, yeah I probably was, so without a word I marched along the corridor to where I knew there should be an empty room, sighing as I lay down on the soft and comfortable couch.

"Where the hell is it?"

That had me frowning as a voice seemed to echo around me. Someone had obviously forgotten about the open space design, or they just didn't care that anyone could hear them.

"All he had to do was to chase down the delivery"

"He was doing what?"

I wouldn't like to be the man being talked about and felt sorry for the person on the other end of the phone. I waited still with my eyes closed for the conversation to continue surprised that as the anger diminished from the voice that I was hearing Lucio.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I suppose he was the best for that, but I'm still missing that item"

Obviously Lucio was expecting an important package and it hadn't arrived yet.

"I'll leave it with you then"

The ensuing silence swept through the air, but I was thinking about going back to sleep, and stayed laid on my side with my eyes closed. It seemed I wasn't going to be going to be allowed to go back to sleep because I was aware of someone walking in and setting something down on the table. Looking through squinted eyes it was the girl that I was seeing, trying her best to be quiet. I waited until she'd left before turning onto my back and stretching my arms above my head. I may still have been tired but not as weary as before. The smell of the coffee had me getting up and pouring some out, if nothing else the coffee here was definitely the best that I had ever tasted.

I was prepared for the next interruption by the sound of footsteps coming my way and was pretty sure that I recognized them, well come on, only Jimmy Choo shoes could sound like that.

"You're awake. I was worried that I was going to have to wake you"

Allegro helped herself to some coffee before leaning against the table to look at me.

"Sorry about this morning but something came up. At least now you've met Tomas"

At least I had name for the man now, but he suited the name Mr Security better, maybe using his name made him too human and to me he still had to prove that.

"I had Maria pack your things at the house, mamma has a wedding this week"

Great, so now I officially had nowhere to stay. I was wondering how easy it would be to rent somewhere on a short term lease when Allegro, having finished her coffee, took the mug from my hand and started to walk me out of the room.

"I've had enough for the day. Let's head home and have a relaxing evening"

I found myself on the top floor of an apartment building, okay it was only five floors high, but compared to my old apartment in Trenton it was like a palace. It was large and modern with an open plan kitchen and dining area as you walked in and then two bedrooms leading from there. The windows that overlooked the view of the city were large letting in so much natural light but the thing that gave the place so much appeal and individuality was a second floor. The half at the back of the building was a small self contained accommodation, well an apartment really with its own bedroom, bathroom and lounge area. No large lounge in the main apartment you might ask, well who needed that when there was a rooftop patio.

Having the top floor felt like I had my own space even though I had to share the kitchen and dining area with Allegro, at least the stairs that came up to the patio allowed me my privacy. Once Allegro had shown me around she left me to unpack my meagre wardrobe. Hanging up the outfits in a closet I was thinking if I would ever wear them but was also thinking of Lula and wondering what she was doing, if she was now trying to bring in the skips. I'd love to see her face if she knew what I was up to, but also worried how Connie was coping if Vinnie was annoyed with me. I wasn't sure when the news would break that just maybe I wasn't going to be going back. For the moment it had to be kept under wraps until the big promotional event, yeah, that was in the contract that I'd had to sign, though I had no idea what that event might involve. I'd somehow get a message to my friends when the time was right.

A relaxing time involved sitting on the patio with a jug of mojito and the occasional dip in the spa. It was certainly far away from anything that I'd experienced before and was wondering when the bubble would burst. Allegro was quiet which I was thankful for because for once I was able to blank my mind of any thoughts. Not worrying about how my father was or what my mother was thinking, apparently Gaia had let Allegro know that she had spoken to Clare who said that she had everything under control. I wasn't going to even imagine how my mother had reacted to that news. Then there was this new job, but I still had no idea what I would be involved with or had to do. Apparently Lando had enough photographs for the presentation and the hard work would start after that, whatever he meant by that. I had somewhere to live for now so didn't have to worry about that for now. No, it was an evening to enjoy the atmosphere and the mojitos.

Allegro was early to bed, so I stayed outside and tidied away our glasses and had just gone into my bedroom when I heard the sound of my phone. Having eventually found it in my bag I was a little confused who would have this number let alone be calling me at this time of night. Of course, I found it after the noise had stopped but couldn't understand why there wasn't a message to say that I had a missed call. That was when there was a beep coming from the inside of my bag. I placed my phone on the bed and then emptied the contents of my bag onto the bed. There was another phone amongst all of the wrappers, tissues and clutter. Picking it up I realized that it was my dad's phone. Why would I have his phone? Then it hit me, I'd used his phone when I took the photos of those paintings at Gaia's, so I must have dropped it into my bag and then forgotten all about it.

One new message had me curious, but I knew that my thumb print wouldn't open the phone. As the screen asked for a passcode I sat and pondered over that. My father had never been a man who had embraced technology. He'd always hated the idea of a mobile phone but when the radios in the taxis were removed and he was told to buy a phone he begrudgingly did it. I wasn't aware that he'd ever used it to call anyone, okay he would return a message if it meant keeping my mother out of the loop. So what would he use as a passcode? I went with the easiest to remember 00 00 00 not surprised when the screen changed. A look at his messages showed only the one, from a number with no id.

"I'm on it, will get it to you"

I had no idea what the message meant or even what it was referring to or even if it was important to my father or not. I mean it could have come as a wrong number, someone had hit a wrong number. I wasn't aware that my father had taken anything back to Trenton, in fact he seemed adamant that anything that had belonged to his father stayed here, unless Gaia had found something small that she thought he should have.

I checked through his contacts to find only two numbers, one was Gaia's and the other was mine so if the message had been from Gaia, then it would have shown her id. I didn't see her as someone who would use a separate burn phone. Having the phone open it reminded me of the photos that I'd taken of those family portraits, so I went into the photos app and looked at the copies of the paintings.

Maybe being on my dad's phone wasn't the best place for them to be and I was about to send them to my email account when I stopped to think about that. Activity on my email account might send up an alert and then someone, mainly Hector, would know where I was. It wasn't that I was bothered if he knew, then again maybe I was, because he would tell Ranger. I wanted a clean break from him and all the shit he thought that he could put me through.

I spent the next twenty minutes setting up another Gmail account in a fictious name and then sent the photos from it, to it, before deleting the account from the phone. At least then my dad wouldn't be upset that I'd messed with his phone. I closed the screen down and replaced my phone into my bag and my father's phone went into the zipped section of the case that I had used for my clothes. The message was probably a mistake but when I had a chance to talk to my father then I'd ask him, if I remembered.

I spent the next three days mainly on my own. Apparently, there was nothing for me to do until all the props had been produced and the staff at Scintillante had organized themselves at the gallery that was going to be used for the promotion. Allegro was busy designing the promotional brochures and helping with the website that would go live after the launch. Her apartment was close to the city center, and she'd uploaded an app onto my phone that gave me a choice of routes that I could walk to see the main areas of the city. All I had to do was to follow the color that I'd chosen and when I'd arrived where there was a large circle a tap on the phone gave me a detailed description of the building that I was looking at.

I have to admit that I was beginning to feel more at home in the city and that feeling of being followed seemed to disappear leaving me feeling safe to walk around by myself. I had started to recognize the main landmarks, including where the small cafes were and the best places to buy any snacks. The most enjoyable part was window shopping at Via Montenapoleone seen as an essential destination for luxury shopping in the city. It was considered to be the key shopping street in Milan, and home to the biggest design brands, from Gucci to Prada to Valentino. It did remind me of how deplete my wardrobe was of any casual clothes, but I decided to find a cheaper area of town that sold jeans and T-shirts at a reasonable price. Yeah, it was my kind of shopping, because no way was I paying the prices for designer clothes.

On the fourth day I was expected at work not really knowing what I was supposed to be doing. As I left the building with Allegro what I didn't expect was to see Mr Security stood in front of the main doors.

"Signora. Lucio is already at the venue, and I have the job of escorting you there"

I turned to Allegro just to be sure that there hadn't been a mistake but as she rushed past me all that I heard was.

"I'll see you there later"

Then disappeared through the door with me staring after her.

"You ready?"

I tugged my bag over my shoulder and followed Mr Security to a white SUV. At least he had the manners to open the door for me. His posture was exactly the same as it had been when he'd first picked me up, eyes forward and focused on the road with an occasional look in his mirrors. I suppose I should have been used to the silence with the number of times and hours that I'd spent sat with Ranger, but I wasn't, and I was annoyed with myself for even thinking about him. He'd chosen not to communicate with me even when he was back in Trenton, so message received loud and clear.

"Where is the venue?"

I asked not sure if I would get an answer but wanting something to divert my attention away from thinking of Ranger.

"Fondazione Prada. It's a large gallery so the main exhibition room should be ideal for what is planned"

Even though he had answered my question it hadn't been on any of my sightseeing trips so to be honest I was no wiser with what to expect.

"Who will be there, at the event I mean?"

"Invited guests only. Mainly buyers from large companies and of course anyone of influence in the city"

That made me nervous. I mean was I supposed to be like some catwalk model? I couldn't see that working because knowing me I'd end up tripping up and making a fool of myself. I wasn't sure if Mr Security would know any of the details and to be honest what I didn't know, I couldn't worry about, right?

The area that we were travelling through seemed fairly quiet and I was trying my best to work out which building we would be going into. It was a bit weird really because we passed a very modern structure made of glass and concrete that seemed to stand out against the horizon but as we turned into a large parking area behind it, I was faced with a long low cream colored building that had the quality of being an old building that had been renovated. There were quite a few cars already parked as I looked around and jumped when my door opened. And there it was again, a slight tilt of his lips, it seemed that I was amusing Mr Security.

He seemed to know where we needed to be so as I admired the enormous entranceway, I was also following him. After passing through a space adorned with photos of an era long ago here in Milan we eventually walked into a very large room. The word room was an understatement because to me this looked like a large hall with a lot of people scurrying around looking very busy.

"There you are"

Had me looking toward the far end of the room to see Lucio, and several other people that I had seen around at Scintillante stood in group. Seeing that I was probably meant to be there with them I walked across the room avoiding the other people. Lucio was stood next to a rail that looked to have clothes arranged on it and had a large grey metal cabinet next to him. I was more curious about the grey cabinet but then watched as one of the assistants wheeled it over to the side of the room and pulled open a drawer revealing a selection of scarves. It seemed that some of the labelled products were being kept in there. Another woman caught my eye as she started to carry boxes into another room. Everyone seemed to have a job to do so I was waiting for mine.

"Stefania, I'll need you to work with the girls on your outfits today. Tomorrow we'll go through the schedule for the show"

I nodded my head acknowledging what Lucio was telling me but at the same time was slightly concerned with what this schedule entailed for me. Lucio seemed distracted and was listening to Lando before he was taking a garment bag from Lando that had been on the rail. He handed it to the assistant and said something in Italian before she started to unzip the bag and held up a dress by its hanger.

"I'll be making the welcoming speech to our guests. As part of that I'll be introducing you, Stefania as the face of Ania, our new season's line"

I looked from Lucio as he finished talking, to the dress being held up and then back to him.

"In that?"

I asked totally confused with why the dress was on show.

"That will be what you will be wearing so I need for you to work with Tania on your appearance"

I was back to looking at the dress as Tania, who I'd never seen before, held it up. I had so many thoughts going through my mind and none of them were good. It was the kind of dress that my mother would have made me wear for church when I was maybe twelve or thirteen. I was reminded of a set of drapes hanging up in the spare room of her house, the same hideous violet flowers against a lime green background. It had short flouncy sleeves and a high neck with tucks running down the bodice to the waist. From the waist there were two tiers of material that were so short that they'd be indecent.

"I am not wearing that"

I stated as I looked directly at Lucio.

"Of course you are. It'll have the impact of presenting you as a young natural looking woman"

I was still staring at Lucio as he said that wondering what the hell he was talking about. There was no way that I was wearing that outfit and my temper was beginning to rise as he just looked at me. No way was he going to be telling me what I had to wear, especially when it was completely inappropriate. My hands automatically went to my hips, I suppose in defiance, but I also had a far more obvious reason for wanting to change his mind.

"I thought that you were wanting to inspire buyers into purchasing your products. Products that are supposed to provide a new and fresh look, not trying to inspire the sick minds of every pedophile who sees it"

There was so much more that I wanted to say but I was so annoyed and upset at what he was suggesting that I was immediately turning around and moving quickly back to the door that I'd come through. I mean if young teenagers wore that dress, then every pervert would think it was his lucky day, making those kids a target. Once at the door I was aiming to slam it open but even doing that didn't work. I fumbled to pull it open feeling a total idiot. Fortunately, I remembered how to get out the building and didn't end up lost in the many rooms.

Outside I just slid down the wall and sat of the stone steps, pulling my knees up with my arms wrapped around them. All I could think was how the hell had I ended up here? Why had I stayed here instead of going home? I wasn't cut out to be doing this because I just didn't have the attitude that Lucio wanted. I wasn't the type of person to just let things happen to me when I didn't like it, that had always been me and it probably always would be.

I heard someone behind me and closed my eyes in preparation for who it would be. I wasn't going to back down on my decision about what I wore so if Lucio wanted to try and order me to do it, well good luck with that. If he thought that he could shout at me and bully me, well he'd get a surprise. I'd enough run ins with Joe when he would try to belittle me, to hold my own. Then I thought that I would prefer it to be Lucio rather than Allegro. Of anyone I didn't want to disappoint her because she had tried so hard to help me to fit in.

I opened my eyes slightly, curious to know who was there and had to say that I didn't know what to say as Mr Security sat down beside me.

"You remind me of my daughter, so feisty and so honest"

Okay, he surprised me when he said that because I had never imagined him as a family man.

"You were right with what you said, and it took guts to tell Lucio that. I don't think anyone has ever stood up to him like that before"

I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not because he'd soon realize what a handful I could be if he upset me.

"Where's your daughter now?"

"She's in Rome with her mother. I see her when I can but her new stepfather is a good man"

I wasn't too sure how to feel about the fact that his daughter now lived with another man who she would call her dad, but if he saw her then at least he had some kind of relationship with her. It reminded me of Ranger and his daughter Julie, they had a very similar arrangement and as far as I knew Ranger was trying to get to know her. Well as much as Ranger ever let anyone know him. I suppose there was a lot of guilt on Ranger's part for what had happened to Julie and her being kidnapped by some mad man. I was getting distracted thinking about him and his daughter and knew that somehow, I had to talk to Lucio. Maybe Lucio would want me gone after this show. He had his photographs of me, so I was sure that I hadn't ruined everything for him and his business. Besides there'd be other women who could take my place.

"I'm no good at this. Maybe Lucio needs to find someone else, someone who looks the part and knows how to behave as a model"

"Tesoro, you're so fucking good it's unbelievable. Who the hell wants some stuck up woman who thinks that they're the new Monica Bellucci. You're natural and very real and I have to admit that if I was twenty years younger then I'd be trying to get you into my bed"

I looked away, knowing that my face was turning red with embarrassment. Why did he have to go and say that? Because I was actually starting to like him.

"Let's get back inside and then maybe you can give your opinion on what would be appropriate"

It seemed that Mr Security was way more composed than I was, and I had to admit that as he helped me to my feet, I felt more confident with him beside me. As we stepped into the large hall it was as though nothing had happened. I noticed tall tripods were being erected and cables were running around the room. I noticed that Allegro was here now and was her who saw me first and tugged on Lucio's shirt to get his attention. Maybe he felt awkward because I certainly did, but I sucked it up as the saying goes and walked over to him, rising on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

"I'm sorry that I got annoyed at you"

Because it had never been my intention to undermine him in front of his employees. I felt him relax as I stepped away from him and for some reason, I just knew that we'd reconciled after my outburst.

Lucio left to manage something else leaving me with Tania to decide between us on an appropriate outfit for me to be introduced in. We talked with the hairstylists and makeup specialists deciding on the look for each of the outfits that I would change into. It was going to be like a merry go round with all of the changes of clothes but as the day wore on, I felt that between us we would be ready to start rehearsing in the morning.

Apparently, there was jewelry that had real stones in the settings, and I would be wearing those on the night of the event. Afterwards they would be sold for a lot of money and costume jewelry made from blue glass would be what were sold in a lot of outlets. Where the real jewelry was now, I had no idea and to be honest didn't want to know, the idea of wearing anything expensive was kind of freaking me out.

Having finished what we'd set out to do I left the room that was going to be my private dressing room and went back into the hall. There were spotlights now set up on tall metal stands and large boards had been erected at angles around the room. There were even men working at one end looking as though they were building a stage. Even after a day there was still so much to do. I found Allegro as she was supervising the last of the boards and stood waiting for her to see me, not wanting to interrupt her. As she turned and saw me, I could see how stressed out she looked.

"I'm going to be here for a while Stefania. Why don't you head back to the apartment, and I'll see you there later"

Probably a good idea and at least I wouldn't get in the way. The problem was going to be how to get back to the apartment, but it seemed that I didn't need to worry about that. As I approached the doors Mr Security was suddenly walking next to me, now why was he doing that?

"Are you ready to leave?"

He asked, which had me frowning at him, because to me it seemed that he was expecting that, and it seemed that he would be taking me back to the apartment. Was he some sort of bodyguard dedicated to me? I wasn't too sure that I appreciated that, it felt too much like having a Rangeman in tow.

There were a lot more cars in the lot and several vans which I presumed would be here for some time. Did I feel guilty for leaving? Nope, I was feeling hungry having only eaten a sandwich at lunchtime, maybe that was why models were so thin, they never got the chance to eat.

I had to admit that I also felt tired which was strange when all I'd done was try on clothes all day and talk, so sat in the SUV I didn't feel like talking.

"You're quiet, that's not like you"

I looked at Mr Security and smiled, knowing that I had to call him by his name before I slipped up and said the nickname out loud in front of him.

"Just tired"

Though it was nice to know that he was beginning to get to know me. There was no more conversation and as the SUV stopped in front of the apartment building Mr Security was quickly out and opening my door. For some reason I was expecting him to accompany me up to the apartment, hadn't that always happened when one of the Merry Men took me home or even Ranger? Hell, they'd make me wait outside the door to my apartment while they cleared it of unwanted miscreants before I was allowed inside. Mr Security only saw me into the elevator in the lobby so as the doors slid closed, I was watching as he walked away from me.

Maybe it was thinking of the Merry Men and how they would check my apartment was what had me worrying as I walked across to the door. I used the key and opened the door, not seeing anything obviously wrong, but from the way that my heart started to speed up I knew that there was. I slipped my shoes off so as not to make any noise and looked around the kitchen and then the dining area. Nothing to be seen or heard so I put it down to me being a bit paranoid and telling myself to stop being so stupid. The place was empty, I was in a secure building so started to pull myself up the stairs with the bannister.

As I came onto the patio the cool breeze felt refreshing, but it didn't blow away the last of my nervousness, if anything it did the opposite. I slowly opened the door to my area with the intention of looking inside first, but it didn't work out like that. The door was suddenly opened, and I literally stumbled into the room. A hand on the top of my arm spun me around, making me stumble onto the floor and then all I could feel was a cloth over my mouth and nose that had a sweet smell, and then nothing.