A Bride Worth Billions (39 page)

Her father, surprisingly, had allowed her to go to the concert, to the dismay of Ingrid. When she had called him to ask for permission, he sounded quite busy, but he managed to reply, "Yes, yes, you are a teen, go ahead and enjoy yourself." She was turning seventeen soon, after all, which meant that she should learn how to live. The only condition was that Nabil had to fetch her as soon as the concert is finished. But her father didn't even bother asking her who these "friends" that she was going out with were.

Now, she was waiting for Victor to call and pick her up from the apartment. She was in their living room, lounging on their white leather sofa and reading
Wuthering Heights
for the third time. She was wearing a pale pink Abercombie & Fitch graphic t-shirt, skin-tight blue jeans, and black strappy stilettos. Her hair was in a loose fishtail braid and hanging from her earrings were expensive silver gold hoops. Silver and pale pink stacked bracelets were around her right arm.

It was seven-thirty in the evening, over an hour before Victor was supposed to get her. Ingrid walked into the room. "There is a delivery for you," she said.

Gina looked up from her book at Ingrid. "Who's it from," she asked.

"Come with me and maybe you can explain it to me," Ingrid said.

Confused, but hopeful of who it might have come from, she stood up from the sofa and began to walk toward the foyer. What she saw made her jaw drop in awe.

It was a huge bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in a frosted glass vase. A sparkly emerald green bow held them together and made everything look polished and expensive. A small card was attached to the bouquet.

"Are you sure it's for me," she breathed. Ingrid just gave her a look from the corner of her eye.

"Nabil and I have ensured that it is yours and it is safe to be delivered up here," she replied.

Gina walked up to the bouquet and found a small envelope with her name written neatly on the back. The envelope seemed to have been opened already, but it didn't matter. They might have just checked to make sure nothing harmful was inside.

Bursting with anticipation, she took the envelope and pulled out the card inside. It read:
Voglio rivederti presto. -A.

Ingrid "Who is it, Gina? Who wants to see you again soon," she asked nosily.

"My friend whom I met at Baba's Thursday gala," she breathed, trying to stay calm. She could barely suppress the grin that was starting to spread across her face. She clutched the letter close to her before she tucked it back into the bouquet. She could no longer hear what Ingrid was saying as she picked up her gift and floated back into her bedroom with it.

As soon as she entered her room, she set the bouquet on her vanity, locked the door behind her, and proceeded towards her bed where her Macbook was waiting.

She opened her email and began to type her message: Anzo, thank you for the flowers. I hope to see you again soon, too. I'd like you to know that I'll be at the benefit concert tonight at Carnegie Hall...

"If you'll be there
,
"
she said out loud as she typed, "perhaps we might bump into each other." She sent the email, breathed in deeply, and allowed herself to collapse on her bed. It was the same feeling she felt when she was a little girl on Christmas eve, and it was a magical feeling that she didn't want to end.

Carnegie Hall was full and abuzz with voices of people waiting for the concert to begin. Gina, who was seated next to Victor in the third row, couldn't help but scan the place to see if Anzo might be inside. She had changed from her casual look earlier that night to a more sophisticated yet edgy ensemble: a rose-red Michael Kors shift dress cinched at the waist with a matching belt, Jimmy Choo nude pumps, and a beige jacket. Her eyes were lined into a cat-eye and she had carefully applied matte red lipstick on. Her hair was no longer in a braid but worn in soft, loose waves.

"Who're you looking for," Victor whispered into her ear. He looked incredibly handsome in a smart navy blue and white business casual attire. Gina couldn't care less.

"Nothing," she replied. Just then, the lights began to dim.

"Well, I think the concert's about to start so maybe we should start getting ourselves comfortable," he said. She felt him press himself close to her.

"Wait," she said, "I think I need to go to the bathroom." She stood up.

"I should come with you," he said.

"No, that's not necessary," she replied, and before he could say anything, she scooted her way out of the row of seats and proceeded to go outside to the hallway. As soon as she walked out of the doors someone took her hand and pulled her to the side. She turned to face the stranger and saw Anzo smiling at her.

"I've been looking all over for you," he said.

Her heart was racing wildly she almost couldn't contain it.

"I'm, uh," she was at a loss for words, "I'm glad you came."

"I want to see you again before I go back to Italy." He placed his hands around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"When?" She said, sounding almost alarmed.

"Tomorrow,
dolcezza,
" he said softly. They could both hear a distant sound coming from inside the concert hall.

"Do you want to go back inside," he suggested.

"No, I would rather go out tonight," she stepped back and grabbed his hand. She silently led him out of the building.

"Where would you like to go," he asked.

"Where are you staying?" She responded boldly.

"At The Park Lane Hotel," he smiled at her and placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Then I'd like to go there," she said softly. She took her phone out of her purse, pressed the power button to shut it down, and then slipped it back in.

They crossed Sixth Avenue on foot and stopped outside Starbucks, where he went in to order coffee and sweets for takeout while she waited for him outside. By the time they reached the hotel lobby, Gina complained that her feet were killing her. It has been an hour since they left the concert hall but she never bothered to check her phone.

"Victor must be going insane," she shook her head as they stepped into the empty elevator. Once inside, Alanzo placed the Starbucks bag on the floor and stepped closer to her. He pulled her close and began to kiss her, starting at her forehead and tracing down to her lips. She giggled and embraced him, breathing in deeply the scent of his musk and manliness. They began to kiss deeply, his hands roaming hungrily over her body. When the elevator bell rang to signal them  that people were about to enter, they released each other and stepped away. Smiling, she looked at him from the corner of her eye. She can't believe her luck. She felt so naughty for leaving Victor behind and felt a pang of guilt for Ingrid and Nabil, but she knew what she wanted. And tonight, she wanted to give herself to the man of her dreams.

They were now sitting on the bed, empty coffee paper tumblers and half-eaten sweets on the bedside table. A black-and-white movie was on the television screen, the volume low and barely audible. Alanzo had  unbuttoned the top of his shirt, revealing chiselled pecs. Gina, who had taken off her jacket and shoes,  was curled up next to him, her hand resting on his chest. Her eyes were glued to the screen, but she wasn't really seeing anything. Thoughts began to race inside her mind.

Should I give myself to him?
Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. Her body was hot and tingly all over.

"What are you thinking,
dolcezza?
"

"I'm thinking how all of this happened so fast..." she said without looking at him. She feared that he would see how red her face was. "What are
you
thinking?" she added.

"I am thinking about how beautiful you look tonight,
mia stella,
" he said as he placed his forefinger under her chin and drew her face up to his. He pressed his lips softly against hers and they began to kiss once more. She felt his tongue part her lips and begin to explore her mouth hungrily. She kissed back hard, recalling the things she had learned from the romance novels that are now turning out to be her gurus. She sighed as he felt his fingers run up and down her back before they unzipped her dress. She slid out of it smoothly and proceeded to undo the button and zip of his pants. When they were both completely bare, she lay on her back and stretch her arms out invitingly. He smiled and laid on top of her.

"
Ti voglio un mondo di bene,"
he whispered gruffly into her ear before nibbling it.

Gina’s thoughts exploded in sparks in her mind as they kissed passionately, his hands roaming hungrily all over her body. He then lifted his head back and began to kiss her on the neck before moving down to let his tongue touch her unfettered breasts. Her entire body throbbed with ecstasy as he ravished every inch of her smooth flesh. And when he sensed that she was finally ready, he locked his lips to hers, eased himself between her silky thighs and then plunged himself so deeply into her. The pain that immediately followed forced her to call out his name, her eyes squeezed shut as the world tilted and sizzled.

Despite her eyes brimming with tears, her fingernails dug into the firm flesh of his back, she savored every thick thrust that he drove into her soft moistness again, and again, and again. And she felt him kiss her hungrily before he quickly pulled himself out.

It was finished.

She felt weak, sore and vulnerable, and she badly wanted him to embrace her and stroke her, tell her that he will be there for her always. But he got up and left for the bathroom, his body in the shadows glistening with sweat, strong and firm. A few seconds later she heard the sound of the shower running.

Her hand reached down to feel the stickiness between her thighs and when she brought her hand up to look, she saw crimson. A mixture of emotions welled up in her chest and she wasn’t sure how she would describe it. She never thought she could feel happy and scared at the same time.
It is... surreal,
she thought hazily.

It was an effort to slide out of the bed and walk towards the bathroom, but she was able to muster up the strength to do it. She gently pushed the door open and saw that Alanzo was showering, his back towards her. She shyly stepped in and wrapped her arms around him from behind, her cheek pressed against his back.

"I love you," she whispered.

This made him turn around, loosening her embrace. He pulled her close to him and bent down to kiss her forehead affectionately, but all she felt was tension.

“Do you,” she began to say, “feel the same way?” She looked up at his face, handsome and brooding. He smiled.

"
Te amo,
mia stella
," he smiled.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She felt so happy that she couldn’t care less if the world had ended at this moment.

When Gina woke up at ten o’clock the next morning, she found out that Alanzo was gone. All that remained with her in the luxurious suite was a Mediterranean breakfast on a tray on the table and an envelope with her name on it. Her heart sank and she felt a nasty lump in her throat. She feebly stood up and dragged herself towards the table, eyes fixed on the letter that was waiting for her.

With trembling fingers, she opened it and pulled out a folded note.

My precious star,
it read,
what happened last night was a magical experience that I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life.
I am terribly sorry for leaving you behind without saying goodbye. I just did not want to tear you away from your sweet dreams, and I’ve never been very good with farewells. Do not worry about the hotel for I have taken care of everything. Maybe we will see each other again someday, mio stella.

-A.

Tears streamed down her face as she clutched the letter to her bare chest. She sat on the edge of the bed and began to cry. 
How could he do this,
she thought bitterly in between sobs,
how could he do this to me?

After a few minutes of crying, she wiped away her tears and began to get dressed. She then turned on her phone and soon enough, a flood of messages came pouring in. She read the latest messages, which came from a panic-stricken Ingrid and a distraught Victor. She hesitated at first, then she wrote down a number on the back of the envelope. She then tucked the envelope into her purse, threw her phone on the ground and proceeded to crush it with the heel of her stiletto. Then, she went out of the suite, rode the elevator down to the lobby, and briskly walked outside.

She walked for a few blocks until she got the Starbucks on Sixth Avenue. She entered it and ordered a caramel macchiatto and a belgian waffle, then asked if she could borrow their phone. She then called for Nabil, whose number she knew by heart, to pick her up from there. About an hour later, she was on the backseat of her Cadillac and busily cooking up different alibis in her mind. She settled for the partied-out-last-night-and-lost-my-phone, spent-the-night-at-the-Plaza. Feeling satisfied with her story, she then leaned toward the driver's seat.

"Nabil," she said sweetly, "may I borrow your phone, please?"

"Of course, Miss Gavalas."

"Thank you," she replied and reached for the phone that was attached to a special stand on the dashboard. She then pulled out the envelope from her bag and began dialling the number.

"Hello," Victor's voice sounded groggy at the other end of the line, "who's this?"

"Hi, Victor," she said, a hint of guilt in her voice, "I'm sorry about last night."

"Yeah, what happened? I had to call your house to tell them you went missing!"

"I'm fine, Victor, I wasn't myself last night and I had to get out."

"I tried calling you."

He sounds really hurt,
she thought.

"I lost my phone," she said, "I'm really sorry and I'm make up for it if you still want to hang out with me."

"O-kay," he paused, "how about we have dinner tomorrow after school?"

"Sure."

"Alright," he said, enthusiasm spilling from his voice, "I'll hold you to that."

"I look forward to it already," she said, smiling weakly.

After ending her call with her soon-to-be boyfriend, her thoughts turned to Alanzo.
I will find you,
she thought,
and when I do, I will make sure that you will regret leaving Gina Gavalas.

THE END