Coco Chanel Saved My Life (12 page)

“Chanel No 5!” she exclaimed. She seemed pleased.

“I always thought it was the perfume of love. Put on a few drops on your wedding day and on your first honeymoon night…”

She stood up and gave me a warm hug.

I had finally found my
special ingredient
, the
thing
I had that could make a difference. Chanel had inspired me and been with me all my life. Now
she
would be my secret ingredient, my inspiration!

I sat there, while we continued looking at dresses. I felt moved, in spite of myself.

When the bride was in the fitting-room, Valentina turned towards me and said: “Next time you come up with some brilliant, crazy idea, please warn me!”

I didn't care. I knew she was positively surprised – although she didn't like surprises. I had been smart. I smiled, satisfied. “Thank you, Coco Chanel!”

On the weekend after my promotion to a
real
wedding planner, I was so exhausted on Saturday morning, I thought I could sleep all day long. Yet I got up very early because my calendar was packed with things to do.

I had promised Valentina that I would go on one of her special blind dates; I really needed to get ready for this.

Firstly, I went to my hair dresser for highlights. I wanted to make my hair super shiny, but most of all I wanted to hide three awful white hairs that had suddenly appeared. I opted for a very straight blow-dry to emphasize my new bob cut.

After my appointment at the salon, I joined Emma and Claudio for brunch in at American Café near the Duomo. I stuffed myself with carbohydrates, sugar, and orange juice.

My friends were more excited than I was about my first real date after the disastrous break-up with Niccolò. Both were eager to give me advice and make jokes. They knew about my difficult relationship with Valentina, and were curious to know what kind of man she had in store for me.

While I was biting into my second pancake, Claudio began to provoke me with teasing questions. “If he were a nice guy, perfect for the high standards of our mademoiselle Coco, do you think you'll give yourself to him?”

“I think that's a very inappropriate question,” I answered, pouring syrup on my pancake.

“Come on, don't be shy!” Emma butted in, while attacking a huge bowl of fruit salad. “He might be a wonderful guy, and this could be a great evening for you: finally, the revenge you were looking for!”

“Honestly I don't have great expectations, knowing Valentina and her taste. Probably he will be a guy crazy for discotheques and tanning salons!”

“It wouldn't be so bad, if he would take you out dancing. It would be healthy. Since when have you had a fun night?”

“I always have fun with you guys…”

“Sure, we don't doubt it.” Claudio said with an ironic tone. “But I meant something more exciting than talking about how heartbroken you are and the remote possibility of finding someone for a serious, new relationship…”

Emma laughed.

God, they were right! Since I had moved to Milan, I had become such a bore. I only talked about my misery and the past with tons of self-pity!

“I have to admit; I've been a drag! But I've seriously decided to stop acting like this, and start all over. Tonight will be my first step in a new direction, a beginning… But I'm afraid the high- heeled shoes I picked out for tonight are not the best for dancing!”

“Tell me, what do you have in mind?” Emma asked.

“The Gucci 6 inch wedges that I got for my birthday.”

“Wow, aggressive!” Emma also had a passion for shoes. When we were kids in Venice, we spent our Saturday afternoons around San Marco looking in the windows of shoe stores, dreaming of buying them all.

“Well, if I have to take this step, I definitively want to do it with my feet in a good pair of shoes! Listen, I don't know how this evening will end up. Also, I don't want to have high expectations, or to have any plan. I've never had a blind date before, I might run away after three minutes.”

In fact, I had a strange feeling about meeting a person I'd never really seen. Valentina had shown me the profile picture of her friend, but the photo resolution was so low that I barely could see he was human! But I was curious. These weeks had been intense, full of new things, challenges, and lots of thoughts, yet I missed going out with a man to spend a carefree evening. I missed being courted and feeling sexy. I think I was ready to put myself out there again. Recently I had realized that I'd stopped counting calories and began to accept myself. Sometimes I still skipped meals when I felt bloated, but I had a better relationship with my own body now. I had discovered that the less I thought about food and my weight, the more my body seemed to be happy. I learned how to be a little easier with myself.

“The moment has come to add some spice to your life, Coco. Don't you feel like touching a new man?” Emma asked, taking another bite of her chocolate cake.

“Well… I do touch men…”

“I mean, except for Claudio and falling into the arms of the errand boy…”

“Errand boy?” Claudio was curious.

“He's just a handsome guy who works at the agency.”

“Coco read a letter he had dropped in the hall, and she began to fantasize about his love life.”

“Why did you read his letter?”

“I didn't deliberately read his letter! I've just found his letter and so, without wanting…”

“Right! Classic… love letters land in your lap!” Emma laughed.

“And what did this letter say?” Claudio was more curious than a woman!

Emma anticipated my answer: “Fire and brimstone! There is this woman who is madly in love with him, who wrote passionate words and then she asked him to marry her!”

“Wow! A free-spirited woman…”

“Yes… she impressed me.” I said, a little confused.

“Did he talk to you about her?”

“No! He doesn't even know I read his letter. But that's enough now, let's talk about something else – please!” I wanted to stop that conversation because I couldn't take anyone's opinion about that damned letter. I felt ambivalent and guilty.

“You know, Coco really cares about her reputation as a very discreet person…” Emma, laughing, kissed me on the cheek.

“Ok, let's respect the will of Her Majesty Coco. We'll wait patiently for the next episode of the series:
the errand boy and the love letter
.” Claudio was such a tease.

After brunch we strolled around Piazza Duomo. I've always loved the atmosphere in these plazas. You inhale a sort of euphoria that invites you to smile at everyone you come across. We felt happy and decided to capture that moment. We asked a passerby to take a picture of us with my smartphone. In this photograph, that I still treasure today, we are three smiling friends who felt like a family.

*

As soon as I got home, I called my mother. Since I had moved to Milan, I didn't call her often enough. Then I filled the bath tub, threw in a fistful of my scented relaxing salt and immersed myself in the hot water, being very careful not to mess up my new hair. Only sometimes – when I have time – do I indulge myself in the luxury of taking a bath. I love soaking in the warm water. It helps me to sort out my thoughts, to soften the sharp edges, or simply to relax. Water is my element; after all I am from Venice!

I'd decided that if I didn't like my blind date, I would leave, faking an emergency. And on the contrary, if he were a nice guy, I would enjoy my evening.

I stayed in the tub for a little longer. When I got out I leisurely rubbed myself with lotions and oils. I had a specific one for each part of my body: arms, breasts, thighs, abdomen, butt and hands. It's unbelievable how many lotions a woman can use in just one single day!

I felt so relaxed. I made a hot ginger tea and turned the television on. Claudio had sent me a text to let me know there was an old Frank Capra film on TV,
Pocketful of Miracles
, that he loved. In his text he added, ‘it will help you dream'. I was fascinated by his passion for old black and white movies. He always quoted powerful sentences and touched me with those heart-wrenching love stories. I lay down on the sofa and spent the rest of the afternoon watching films.

When I realized it was getting late, I began to get ready for the evening. I slipped into a pair of ivory pants and put on a cashmere sweater that was perfect with my Gucci shoes. I chose a little pearl grey hat and added a white camellia to it. I applied just a little mascara and opted for a bright red lipstick. I got my trench coat and left.

We had decided to meet for an aperitif at an elegant bar near Parco Sempione. I arrived by taxi. I didn't want to take any risks, walking on my 6 inch heels! For once I wasn't early, so I didn't have to wait.

I glanced at a man sitting alone at a table and immediately thought it must be him. He was tall and slender, with a slightly receding hairline: not bad at all. He wore a beautiful shirt with a soft V neck sweater.

I came over to the table and asked shyly: “Francesco?”

He stood up, smiling. He shook my hand and introduced himself: “Yes, nice to meet you. Valentina has told me a lot about you, but I didn't think you would be so beautiful.”

Ok! First compliment!! I had scored, and felt satisfied.

I sat down and immediately a waiter came to take our order. I asked for a glass of red wine, while Francesco ordered an exotic cocktail I had never heard of. I still loved wine, although Milan was the place for cocktails… but they didn't know how to make a good Negroni!

While waiting for our drinks, we started making small talk. It wasn't easy to break the ice. After all, we were two strangers hoping for something… This was a blind date and I felt a little anxious.

I think he had more expertise than I for this kind of thing, and immediately he asked me the expected question: “So, how is it to be organizing weddings?”

“Not too bad. I just started. Before, I was dealing with different types of events. We'll see… And you? What do you do?”

“I work in a bank.”

“Ah… you must be a very meticulous and diligent person.” Why did I say such bullshit?

“Well, this is what everybody believes. People think that if you work in a bank, you must be boring and not a creative person. I don't know why. It's a stereotype. I love riding my motorcycle and adore the thrill of speed… I also have a passion for rafting.”

A man who loved living dangerously! For a chronically lazy person like me it would be difficult to keep up with him…

“I'm thinking of starting paragliding too. Have you ever tried it?”

“Are you joking? The most extreme sport I practice is running to catch a bus!”

“You should try it – adrenalin is very healthy!”

Well, did I look so desperate that everybody seemed to have some advice for me? Valentina recommended more sex and this guy suggested extreme sports!

The waiter came with the drinks, and we decided to toast to our first meeting. “To us!” Francesco touched my glass and I smiled.

“How do you like Milan?”

“I like it. It's not an easy city, but I have met wonderful people, and somehow I felt immediately at home. In spite of the traffic, noise, smog and winter coming, so far I love being here.”

“I was born and grew up here. I have always lived in Milan, except for the two years I spent in Boston. I think it's a great city.”

“And it's the capital of fashion!” I added.

“I'm not a big expert about that. I hate shopping. I let my mother buy all my clothes.”

Maybe this was a joke, or perhaps a nightmare and in a few seconds I would wake up! Was this man at thirty-seven letting his mother buy his clothes?

“Really? So your mother buys your clothes?” I was incredulous.

“Sure, she has great fun doing it. I know I shouldn't take advantage of her, but she has wonderful taste. This shirt for example, she bought it… not too bad, right?”

I was speechless, while he continued:

“If she buys my clothes, then she also knows how to wash and iron them. She always buys good quality.”

His mother not only bought his clothes, but she also washed and pressed them. I thought of killing myself with one of the cocktail olives!

“I'm amazed, Francesco. Your mother washing and ironing your clothes…”

“What's wrong with it? She enjoys taking care of me. I am an only child, and besides my father, she doesn't have much else to do since she retired.”

Ok, my blind date was with a mama's boy, one of the worst species of the latin male.

“I guess she also cooks dinner for you…” I couldn't hide the sarcasm in my voice, but he didn't get it.

“Yes, she cooks for everybody. In the evening we eat all together…”

“All together?” At this point I was hoping for a quick death. “Are you living with your parents?”

“Yes! I renovated the attic and it has become a charming one-bedroom apartment. It's very convenient: I'm close to them, but have my privacy.” Was I hearing something like a subtle hint?

Ok. So. My colleague had set me up with a man who worked in a bank, loved paragliding, lived in the attic at his parents' house and let his mother be his personal shopper, maid and cook. Unbelievable. If I had decided to have sex with him, would he take me to his charming little bedroom and ask his mommy to make some fresh lemonade for us? I shivered just at the thought! I decided that my first blind date had come to an end.

I excused myself and went to the bathroom. I would have to launch
Plan B
that I had agreed upon with Emma. I called her.

“Am I disturbing you?” I heard lots of noise in the background. Probably she was at one of her social gatherings full of artists and architects.

“Are we already at
Plan B
?” she shouted to be heard.