T
he next day,
I was swamped with work. I felt a headache coming on. Roberto had taken a week off and I already missed him. He always managed to lighten the mood by telling one of his funny stories. He’d gone to California with a friend to visit Los Angeles and San Francisco. They also wanted to see the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
I’d arranged a lunch date with Mariella. At quarter to twelve, I took my handbag, logged out of my computer, and went to the Chanel store. I found Francesco there.
“Ciao, bella,” he greeted me, a wide grin on his face.
“Ciao, Francesco. What are you doing here?” I wasn’t expecting to see him.
“I wanted to surprise my sister and take her to lunch, but she said she’d already arranged to meet up with you.” He shrugged.
“Let’s go together,” I proposed.
“If I’m not going to be in the way…”
“Of course you won’t be.”
“Let’s go, then. I’ve booked a table at
Le poisson Volant
,” he said as we exited the boutique.
* * *
The restaurant was
very classy. The tables were covered with white cloths and decorated with candles placed in transparent bowls, which were filled with fine sands and seashells. Pictures of marine landscapes hung on the walls.
We ordered the special of the day—shark in white sauce, boiled potatoes, broccoli, and carrots.
“Francesco, have you known Alexander for a long time?” I asked while slicing a piece of fish. It was cooked perfectly, soft and juicy.
“Yes, for quite a few years. Since college.”
“I understand you two are very close friends. Isn’t it difficult working together? When you disagree on something, you might fall out and ruin your friendship.”
“It hasn’t happened so far. To be honest, I don’t find working with Alexander difficult. We get on swimmingly and agree on almost everything. And how are you feeling at the bank?”
“Good. Very good, in fact. My boss is very reasonable, and I get on well with my coworkers.”
“I’ve heard you work under a lot of pressure. They’re always laying someone off.”
“Such are the times, but I try not to think about it. If I’m made redundant, I have two options: I can either look for another job in Zurich or go back to Boston to my friends and family,” I said after I’d wiped my lips with a napkin.
“And what would you choose if it gets to that?” he asked curiously.
“I don’t think I’d go back to the States because of Alexander,” I explained.
“Ah… What a handsome man he is.” His sister sighed theatrically.
“Mariella!” he chided.
“What?! What did I say? Is there any woman that wouldn’t like him?” Her sincere reply made me smile. Honesty and candor were some of the qualities I valued most in people.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” I asked her.
“No. I split up with my last boyfriend six months ago and there’s been no one since. I’m doing it solo, so to speak,” she explained, and her brother started choking on his water.
“Sis.” He coughed as she patted him on the back and gave him a sweet smile. “This topic isn’t appropriate for a restaurant,” he said sternly and turned to me. “Alexia, did you manage to pick a suitable dress for the party?”
“The dress is wonderful,” answered Mariella for me. “Alexander was so stunned when he saw her in it that he stopped blinking and couldn’t get out a single word,” she said, laughing.
“That doesn’t surprise me. We’ve known each other for years, but I haven’t seen him fall for a girl before,” said Francesco. “He always valued his freedom and didn’t want to get tied down to anyone, but he’s acting completely different with you. I believe Alexander has very deep feelings for you, Alexia. However, I’m not sure whether even he realizes this.”
Thoughtfully, I speared a small piece of potato with my fork, chewed it, and swallowed. I didn’t know how to respond to his words. On the inside, I was feeling supreme joy but fear too.
They both stared at me.
What could I say? I knew how I felt, but I didn’t want to discuss the subject. I had a feeling Alexander wasn’t indifferent toward me, but I wasn’t sure whether it was all about the sex for him. Great, wild sex, where our bodies had no limits and we gave ourselves to each other unconditionally. But at the thought of the sex club, shivers ran down my spine. What if he decided to go there again? What would I do? Turn a blind eye just to be with him? No chance. I would leave him. I could not and would not share him with any other woman. This scared me, filled me with terror.
“Lucky girl,” Mariella said quietly, bringing me back to Earth. Francesco looked at her angrily.
“What can I do? Alexander is hotter than hell. A man who literally takes your breath away when you see him,” she said, staring thoughtfully at her glass and sighing loudly. “Oh, I need a boyfriend so I can stop looking at taken men.”
“Mariella,” he chided again, this time giving her a really serious look. Her candor clearly annoyed him.
“Okay, okay. Look, I’ve stopped and you won’t hear another word on the subject from me. The end.” She pretended to be angry and then turned to me. “Alexia, I also think Alexander is very deeply into you. When he looks at you, his eyes gleam as if he sees heaven in front of him.”
“I don’t know.” I took a deep breath and started to think. The question of whether his friend knew about the club was eating at me. Perhaps he also went there. “Francesco, do you know Vanessa Gras?”
“Alexander has no interest in her whatsoever,” he stated directly, having understood where my question was leading.
“Do you also go to that
club
?”
My God, how could I ask him so directly?
“What club?” asked Mariella, looking at us in surprise, but we both stared at each other and ignored her. I had to know whether he also went there. I just had to.
“No,” he said without blinking, still looking at me intently. “I don’t frequent those sorts of places.”
I’d forgotten to breathe. I took a huge gulp of air.
Why isn’t Alexander like him, goddammit?
Why could I not fall in love with someone ordinary, someone like me?
If he were like everyone else, he wouldn’t be so incredible in bed.
But in truth, I wasn’t with Alexander just for the sex. I liked talking with him, laughing with him… just being together with him.
I leaned back in the chair. I turned to Mariella and, in attempt to quickly change the subject, asked the most inane question possible. “Mariella, you look younger than me. How old are you?”
“I’m twenty,” she replied and looked at her brother first and then at me. “Alexia, to be honest, I’m into more mature men. Do you, by any chance, know some cute thirty-year-old single man you could set me up with?”
Francesco shot an angry look at her, which made me smile. I ate a bite of boiled potato and replied, “I have a coworker—his name is Roberto—but I think he’s too old for you.”
“So how old is he?” she asked, interested, her eyes brightening.
“Thirty-three.”
“Perfect,” she said excitedly. “When are you going to introduce me to him? Is he cute?”
Francesco laid his arm across the back of her chair and shook his head in disappointment. “Sis, you’re killing me.”
His words made me laugh again. Still, I completely understood his concern for his sister.
“My coworker is in the States right now, but I’ll introduce you to him when he gets back. How long have you been living in Zurich?”
“Two years. After I graduated from high school, I came over to see my brother.” Her gaze showed great sisterly love. “I found a job and decided to stay.”
“I really like Zurich.”
“Me too. What I like best is the pay here is much better than in Italy.”
“You’re right. The standard of life is much higher.”
* * *
When I left
work at six, my head was full of dark thoughts. The entire afternoon, after I had come back from lunch with Francesco and his sister, Alexander had neither called me, nor sent a text. Something was wrong, I could feel it, but I had no idea what it could be.
I saw the beautiful Rolls Royce parked on the opposite side of the street and ran toward it. When Henry saw I was coming, he stepped out of the car and opened the door for me. I smiled back at him, responded to his greeting, and then made myself comfortable in the backseat. I immediately noticed how distant Alexander seemed. He kissed me on the lips, but the kiss was very brief and he avoided my eyes.
What the hell had happened? What did I do?
A torrential downpour had been coming down all afternoon. Luckily for me, when I came out of work, it had stopped raining, but now it started again, coming down even harder. Huge drops hammered the car roof and scary dark-grey clouds floated in the sky above us. The traffic was quite heavy and we had to wait longer than usual at the traffic lights. Due to the poor weather, everybody decided to take their car, so it took us quite some time to get to Küssnacht.
For the entire journey, Alexander stared through the window, deep in thought, withdrawn, and sullen. He was the same at supper. Mrs. Schmidt had made us tortellini with ricotta and spinach in a very tasty cream sauce.
I eventually couldn’t take it any longer, so I asked him, “Alexander, has something happened?”
“Why did you go to lunch with Francesco today?” A devastating storm raged in his eyes. They’d become ice blue. Was he jealous of his friend?
“I arranged to meet up with his sister. Have you forgotten? When I went to the store, Francesco was also there. He wanted to take her to lunch, but she told him she had a prior arrangement with me. So I decided to invite him to join us. I don’t see anything wrong in that.”
“You don’t see anything wrong, but I don’t like it,” he said, pouting. “Francesco likes you. He told me himself.”
Leaning my elbows on the table, I put my face in my palms. I couldn’t believe he was jealous of his best friend. “Even if that is the case, he knows I’m with you and would never do something behind your back—nor would I. He’s a decent guy.” I tried to calm him.
“Oh, I see—a
decent
guy.” He narrowed his eyes.
This wasn’t going well. I was already painfully familiar with that look of his.
“Alexander, don’t be childish,” I snapped. I didn’t want to take part in this ridiculous conversation any longer.
“So I’m childish now.”
“Well, I don’t know how to talk to you. How am I to tell you that I find him sweet and nice but have no interest in him sexually? For God’s sake, he’s your friend.”
“I’m jealous of everyone, Alexia.” He was serious, far too serious. “And this is trait of mine that I didn’t know I had before I met you.”
God, will he ever get it through his head? I would never cheat on him with anyone, let alone his best friend.
“I will never cheat on you, Alexander. I’m not into those kinds of games.”
“I hope that’s true.” He regarded me for a long time.
“I told him about Lily, and I’m thinking about introducing them to each other.” I continued.
“Oh, so you’re that impressed by him. So impressed you think he’s good enough for your best friend.” He folded his arms.
“Enough! I want to be with
you
. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? You don’t have any reason to be jealous of anyone over me.”
Alexander raised his arms and hugged me. “So you only want me.” He flashed his wonderful sexy smile.
“Of course, silly.” I hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek.
“Oh, I’m silly now, am I?” he said, pretending to be angry, but his good cheer from the morning was coming back.
“Well, yeah, you’re behaving as if you’re my brother’s age.”
“A fifteen-year-old silly boy,” he added, barely managing to contain his smile. He started to kiss me, tracing a line from my ear to my lips. “Come, I have a surprise for you.” He took my hand and led me toward the bedroom.
Soon after, he came back, hiding something behind his back. “Close your eyes,” he ordered in a soft voice.
I smiled and obeyed. I liked this game and was very curious about what he was hiding.
“You can open them now,” he said uneasily.
I saw him holding open a large jewelry box lined with black velvet. Inside was a set consisting of a diamond necklace, bracelet, and flower-shaped earrings. The low light in the room made them shine in different hues of blue, yellow, and orange. My eyes hadn’t seen such beauty, such exquisite workmanship before. I was standing there like a stuffed animal, mouth gaping.
“Do you like them?” asked Alexander, watching me intently with his wide-open blue eyes full of hope. “I’d like you to wear them at the charity ball.”
“Do I like them…? Hell yes, they’re wonderful.” I covered my mouth with my hand. “But I can’t accept them. They must cost a fortune. What would people say? What would your parents say?”
“I don’t care. Let them think what they want.” He pouted.
“The designer clothes, handbags, and shoes you bought are more than enough. This, Alexander, is too much,
far too much
. Please, don’t expect me to accept them. I don’t want your parents to think you’re wasting your money on me.”
“I can waste my money however I want. They benefit from it too,” he hissed through gritted teeth.
He was angry, absolutely furious. I remembered he didn’t like it when someone said no to him.
“So you don’t like them,” he said sourly.
He really refuses to understand what I say to him.
“Alexander, look into my eyes,” I ordered. And he did.
Hmm, it is so easy ordering people about. Why have I not realized this sooner?
“These are the most beautiful jewels I’ve ever seen.” They were gorgeous. Real eye candy.
“Then make me happy by wearing them at the ball. I’ve never bought anything for a woman, except for my mother, and this is something… new for me.” He grabbed me in his arms and kissed me passionately.
He does not accept a NO, so just give in and don’t fight with him.
I heard a reproachful voice in my head. I pondered what to do.
Should I accept such an expensive gift?