Authors: Bella Costa
Serena sank down onto the carpeted bathroom floor, thankful that her
mother had insisted on carpets not tiles when the estate had been redecorated
last year.
As she worked on her
breathing, slow and not too deep, to control the nausea, she took in some of
the details of the room in an effort to distract herself from the building
flood.
The walls still had the border which Serena had stencilled when she was
in her last year at school.
The rows of
diving dolphins, intertwined to look like a twisted rope had been sponged in a
delicate light blue on the white background.
The decorator had somehow found a tile in the same shade of blue and
tiled the wall just up to the border and again from above the border up to the
ceiling.
Serena’s stencil on its white
background was the only strip of un-tiled wall around the room.
The effect was impressive.
A hot flush brought her attention directly to the bath suite.
Plain white was about all she noticed as the
dam broke and nausea overwhelmed her, again.
It was several hours later when her mother found her curled up on the
bathroom floor, fast asleep and covered her with a warm throw.
When Serena awoke in the early hours with a punishing thirst she found
her mother propped up against the bathroom wall with a cushion and a
shawl.
“Mama?
What are you doing here?
Go to
bed!”
“Shush child.
When my baby is ill
my place is next to her.
You should have
called me last night.”
“Mama the worst is past now, really.
And there isn’t much you could have done last night.
I’m okay now, just thirsty.”
Actually Serena’s mouth was so dry and sandy
she was surprised she could talk.
She made to rise and was caught short by the stiff muscles in her chest
and mid-drift. Groaning she slowly completed the relatively simple motion of
standing up and helped her mother up off the floor as well.
“I’ll go boil up some ginger tea to sooth that stomach of yours while you
tuck yourself into your bed.”
I’ve
already put a jug of fresh water there for you.”
“Oh Mama,” sighed Serena giving her mother a hug.
“You always know just what I need.”
“Someone has to.
Even you don’t
seem to know what you need half the time.”
With that her mother plodded off to the kitchen.
Serena brushed her teeth before hobbling to
her bedroom.
Throwing her pillow onto her bed Serena crossed to the window to see if
there was any sign of daylight in the sky yet.
The clouds hung low and any hint of sunrise
was well hidden.
She glanced at the
clock.
Too early yet.
Wondering what time the party had finished
last night, Serena noticed a few cars still remaining.
Must have been a good party then if so many
ended up sleeping the night.
She was about to close the blinds when her attention was drawn to a
couple on one of the garden paths.
The
figures were entwined in an embrace that made Serena blush guiltily for
staring.
Then she heard Michelle’s high
pitched twittering laugh and Serena pulled the blinds shut with a snap.
Her mother brought the tea through a short
while later and unable to get back to sleep the two of them sat in Serena’s
room until long after sunrise, catching up properly.
Marco never came into the conversation once.
Chapter
seventeen
Tony arrived later that afternoon to Chaperone Serena on her walk to the
beach.
“Tony this is too much really.”
Said Serena in despair
“These orders are from a higher authority.” Replied Tony sternly.
“I am to chaperone you to the beach, and
either sit with you for company or stay a respectable distance.
Whichever is your preference?”
“Let me guess.” Jo is your higher authority?
“Si and I think your mother had a part to play as well.
All poor Tony knows is that every day at this
time of day, unless your mother tells me otherwise, I am to come over and take
you for a walk.”
“Tony!
I’m not a dog!”
“No..... but you’re not a spring chicken either?”
“Grrr I’ll get you back for that, you little runt.”
Long before the beach came into view, Serena had started to feel grateful
for Tony’s presence.
The young man was
stronger than he looked and supported her weight easily over the rocky ground
down the hill to the beach.
It was
Tony’s first visit to the private beach and he was amazed.
The beach was truly private, flanked on
either side by large rocky outcrops which did an effect job of keeping walkers
from neighbouring tourist beaches out and blocked any view of the beach other
than by boat.
Surrounded on three sides
also sheltered the beach from much of the cooler autumn breeze.
“This must be the quietest beach on the planet!” said Tony in awe.
“And look at that sunset.
I see now why the estate is called
Tramonto.
Sunset
Estate!”
Serena was watching him with amusement.
“Sorry I lost my marbles there for a minute.
Would you like my company or should I wait
over there?” Tony said seriously, pointing at a log where the path joined the
beach.
“You can stay with me” she laughed. “I would be glad for the
company.”
Serena tried sitting down but
the pain in her ribcage and mid-drift reminded her to take it slow.
“You are in pain?” asked Tony looking worried.
“Just stiff muscles”
“Do you mind if I try something?”
“Sure.” Replied Serena, looking for all the answers she could find.
Tony sat down behind her and
straddled his athletic legs on either side of her hips.
He gently pulled her back against his chest
raising her arms and asking her to hold them around his neck so that her
stomach muscles were slightly stretched.
Slowly Tony began to massage the tortured muscles with his finger
tips.
Starting with
her lower ribs, careful not to tickle her, then her sides and her belly.
It felt so good.
Tony seemed to know exactly where to apply
the most pressure and how long to concentrate on particular spots.
“Tony you are going to make some woman very, very happy one day.”
From his platform above, Marco watched; the muscles of his jaw working
overtime.
So this was definitely the
father then.
Conveniently back.
Marco was obviously far too old for Serena’s
tastes then.
She appeared to prefer
young boys.
And on his property as well!
“Tony where did you learn this?”
She mumbled.
“Remember Bella?”
“The redhead part timer who modelled for the summer collection?”
“Bella had a lot of talents.”
Grinned Tony.
“You didn’t! She was twice you age!
Does Jo know?”
“Are you kidding?
She would skin
me alive.”
“Do you still see Bella?”
“Nah.
After the last show she moved to Paris and I came home to Napoli.”
“Well if anything, you’ve come away from the experience with one amazing
talent.”
“We’ll keep this one secret though?”
“Mum’s the word.”
Tony saw to it that Serena made it back to the cottage, and arranged to
pick up Serena the following morning for a day out and a light lunch.
Serena’s mother agreed to ring if Serena was
too ill to go out.
Chapter
eighteen
As it was Serena managed to get through the night with no major problems
and was bright eyed in the morning.
Under duress Tony had arrived dressed in jeans and an open neck shirt
with a leather jacket.
“I’m
not having lunch with my chauffer!” Serena had insisted.
Marco had watched Tony arrive and then
watched the two of them leave a short while later.
This young man was really getting under his
skin and Serena’s mother was being her usual tight lipped self about her
daughter.
He wondered briefly if Serena realised the kid was only after her
money....and her car.
He had heard that
she was doing really well for herself and money wasn’t an issue for her.
He didn’t know why, but he had been relieved
to hear that.
He turned moodily away
from the window.
Tony had driven straight to his Brothers Bistro after disembarking from
the ferry.
The short fifteen minute
drive had been event free but the traffic was heavier than usual and Tony was
relieved to get there in one piece.
After a bit of a fuss they had managed to get unconscious Serena into a
guest bedroom and Tony had called the doctor’s office for advice.
Serena woke to find young Micky trying to pull her shoes off and Tony
telling Nico adamantly that the water was far too cold to bath her forehead
with.
“Guys please!” All three, including little Marco, stopped and smiled at
her.
“She wakes!”
Cried
Nico.
“See I told you the water
was fine”
“The water is not fine.
It is too
cold.
You shocked her into waking and
next you will shock her into a heart attack!”
Serena watched incredulously as the two brothers continued their argument
into the next room, already forgetting that Serena was there.
She sat up and lifted little Micky onto the
bed next to her.
“Is this what you have to put up with all the time Micky?”
She asked the little guy.
“How do you remain so happy?”
She pondered the little guy’s future.
His mother had died when he was a week old just as her own father had.
“You’ll be alright,” she said
pinching his cheek.
“Now show me how to
find my way out!”
It was decided by all, that whilst they were at the Bistro they would
lunch here.
Serena was getting really attached
to the trio and had more fun listening to them trying to outwit each other to
impress her, than she had in ages. She hadn’t even noticed Marco seated at the
far end of the court yard watching broodingly over the top of his coffee.
He is so young, even if he is a good looking kid.
He couldn’t be much older than nineteen.
What could Serena be attracted to?
He can’t do much to provide for her.
The amount of time he is spending with Serena
made it obvious that the youngster didn’t work.
He might be young and virile in the bedroom department but how much
experience and protection could he offer?
Marco had watched Serena’s face light up as the toddler on her lap did
something to make her laugh.
His heart
squeezed.
Marco had imagined that he
would watch Serena doing just that with their son one day.
With his mood souring, he was deeply regretting coming here today.
With its closed and private courtyard, it was
one of the few places in Napoli that the
paparazzi didn’t hang around and he could relax.
He wasn’t feeling quite so relaxed now.
He left a few minutes after Tony and Serena.
Serena was truly exhausted by the time Tony bundled her into the car and
she slept soundly all the way home.
Chapter nineteen
“Just in time for a walk to the beach.”
She said when Tony woke her outside the
cottage.
“You sure you’re up to it?”
“For sunset?
Always!”
The time spent with the boys had done much to cheer her up and she felt
rested after her nap in the car.