La Famiglia (10 page)

“Mmhm,” she replied.

“This is the kitchen. We only have one. See the brick oven for cooking the rolls you and Zia love to make?” Giovanni asked. Alone with him she shrugged off his hold and turned with her arms crossed.

“Who is Carmella?” she asked.

Giovanni’s brows lowered with concern. He studied her as if she were crazy for even asking. He shifted Eve in his arms and turned as if he was going to dismiss her question.

“You heard me!” Mira said. “Is
she
the reason why you were so excited to come here? What is she to you? Your
goumada!
” Mira shouted. She yelled the accusation so loud her throat hurt under the strain. “I saw you. Embarrassing me in front of everyone by kissing her!”

“I don’t have time for this shit!” he passed Eve off on her. To her surprise he walked out. Mira stood there unsure of her next move. Did she chase after him, or let him go? Mostly Giovanni tolerated her angry outbursts, but he rarely walked out on a fight. She started to go after him when Cecilia walked into the kitchen.

“
Donna
? Are you okay? I heard you yell.”

Mira realized tears had slipped down her cheeks. She felt the burn of shame and tried to hide her face. “No. I’m not okay. I’m tired. I feel funny.”

“Do you want me to go get—”

“Leave him alone,” Mira said. She held Eve as best she could but her daughter felt as if she grew an inch on the flight. And Eve made the effort worse. She kept kicking Mira in her stomach as she fidgeted to be put down to explore her new surroundings.

“Here, let me take her.” Cecilia reached for Eve who looked relieved to have her offer. “I can get her changed for lunch. Sophia told me to tell you she’s prepared a nice meal for us.”

Mira glanced around the kitchen at the covered dishes and realized she was hungry. She’d go upstairs and splash water on her face. That usually calmed her. And then she’d find Giovanni and apologize for her outburst. “Where’s my room?”

“I’d be happy to show you.” Carmella volunteered. She had apparently been watching them silently from the door.

“No thanks,” Mira replied.

The women stared. Mira didn’t have the energy or tolerance needed to pretend at civility. She wanted Carmella out of her home immediately but first she needed some air. “I’ll find the room myself.” 

“I know where it is. I’ve been here before,” Rosetta volunteered. She too had appeared from the other entranceway into the kitchen. Mira felt a sense of relief. Rosetta was the best person next to Catalina that Mira trusted. She followed her to the stairs. She could hear Giovanni shouting at one of his men about something. She made sure to avoid her husband. She was too embarrassed. Had the entire villa heard her accusations? Maybe that’s why Carmella, Rosetta, and Cecilia all stared at her the way they did. Thankfully the stairs were to the back instead of the front of the villa.

When she finally reached her room she was in tears. Something was wrong with her. She knew it. The crying wasn’t the worst of it. Her anxiety consumed her. She was coming apart. Giovanni tried to make light of it but she knew they couldn’t go on like this for much longer.

Mira sat on the bed. She missed Fabiana. With her best friend her anxiety attacks were only about the latest line of clothes she’d send down the runway, or Kei’s pressure to marry. They’d sip wine and talk her through the stress. Her mood swings were blamed on an artist’s temperament. Kei and Fabiana used to joke that she was worse than a toddler when stressed. It dawned on her that she’d felt this hopelessness before. She cried often and slipped into the black void of depression when she was pregnant with Eve. But that was to be expected since Fabiana was dead and she believed at the time that Giovanni was lost to her. Now the friendships she had with Kei and Fabiana had ended. And she felt so guilty over the loss. If she had never come to Italy maybe things would have been different.

New York, New York - 1988

“There! Right there! There he is!” Fabiana waved her hand above the heads of the others dining in Le Cheriee from their corner table. She’d chosen a trendy sidewalk French cafe not far from their office, where ladies lunched, and businessmen cut deals. Mira hated the exposure. She cringed inwardly. Fabiana
could always be counted on to make a scene, she thought with the cut of her eyes.

The hostess saw Fabiana’s wave and started toward them. The young statuesque woman with dark Hershey brown skin wore a slimming tight black mini dress and a trendy auburn red pageboy haircut that made her quite striking. She strutted toward them on stilts for legs. Mira wondered if the young woman ever considered runway modeling. Teddy strolled behind the hostess, trailing drool. His gaze was glued to the young girl’s ass. Mira shook her head.

“Teddy! Teddy! Over here!”

“Would you stop?” Mira grabbed Fabiana’s arm and forced it down. Her best friend immediately snatched away with a tight grin. Mira knew that look. She couldn’t chastise Fabiana like a child. She wouldn’t tolerate it.

Mira tried to explain her concern in a calm manner. “I would appreciate it if you don’t bring attention to our table. We’re trying to be discreet,” Mira said. They dined on the outside patio as many New Yorkers did on a lovely sunny day.

“Oh girl, no one recognizes you. Stop being so uptight.” Fabiana tossed the words at her in such a dismissive manner that the truth stung. Her friend glanced up in that moment and read the anger Mira knew blazed in her eyes. Fabiana combed her fingers back through her scarlet red hair moving her bangs from her face. “I only meant you need to loosen up, Mira. Please. We haven’t seen Teddy in weeks.”

Mira thought to remind Fabiana of the two autographs she signed when they first arrived at the place, or the reporter eating inside of the restaurant from the New Yorker, but she decided not to. She was in no mood to argue. Theodore Tate was their attorney and closest friend and he was here after being abroad. They called him Teddy, or Teddy Bear. When they first met him they almost fired him before capitalizing on his talents. He had hit on both of them repeatedly. Now they knew it was just part of his playboy charm. Another reason she kept him and Kei apart. Kei had a jealous streak that could end the partnership in a flash. Considering Kei was a large investor in her company she had to defer to his wishes as her boyfriend and as a
businessman. Thankfully Teddy had agreed to meet with them today. He’d just returned from Sicily, and Mira worried about how exhaustive the long flight was for him.

The young hostess stopped and gestured for Theodore to sit. He gave her a sly wink that made the woman blush before he took a seat.

“Sorry I’m late,” Teddy said, in a smooth cool manner that was all him. “Hi beautiful. What’s with the sunglasses?”

Before Mira could answer him Fabiana plucked the sunglasses from her face. “She’s hiding and it’s ridiculous!”

“Stop it, give them back,” she hissed.

Fabiana put the pair in her purse, well out of reach.

“You’re really working my nerves.” Mira sighed in defeat.

Fabiana laughed, winked, and then sipped her pink martini.

Teddy chuckled. 

Mira didn’t share in the humor.

“Did I miss something?” Teddy asked Mira. “What has you in a mood?”

“Tell him. He’s been in Sicily. He doesn’t know. Tell him!” Mira insisted. Her heart hurt. Kei held her all night while she cried in his arms. Fabiana listened patiently as she paced the floor and ranted over the injustice. That bitch Susie Chu wrote a scathing review of her show during New York Fashion Week. She could barely lift her head. She felt like screaming.

“I already know about the review. And it wasn’t that bad. In fact that’s why I wanted to meet,” Teddy said.

“Hear him out, Mira,” Fabiana nodded.

“Wasn’t that bad?” Mira asked, tears blurred her vision but she glared at Teddy and then Fabiana in disbelief. “She called my line, that I slaved on for a year, ‘an amateurish rip off of the house of Gucci’.” Mira used air quotes on the words as Susie Chu did in her write up. “Carole Montague said it was proof that originality is extinct in the industry as long as house of Mirabella’s doors are open. Now, you tell me what designer comes out against a peer and demoralizes them in public? I’m humiliated. My work is nothing like Gucci. It’s slander! I ought to sue both those bitches!”

“Oh please! Get off the cross. You aren’t being persecuted here,” Fabiana said. “This is business. Carole and Susie have an agenda. Every other critic salivated over your work. I already got a call in from Vogue, who want to run your couture line instead of Montague’s.”

It was the first time Mira had heard the news. She frowned at Fabiana who grinned in return. “Surprise!” Fabiana said. “You big baby!”

Mira put her hand to her mouth. “Seriously?”

“Yes girl! One critic gives you a scathing review and it dismisses the others that loved you? Fuck them!” Fabiana said.

“Fabiana!” Mira glanced at the few people who now looked over at their table.

“FUCK THEM,” Fabiana shouted with the toss of her hair. “Now. Stop your whiney-pity-party-anxiety-fit-bullshit. Teddy has news.”

“Wait? That’s not the good news?” Mira laughed.

Teddy and Fabiana stared at her. There was something else. Something big. When the two of them conspired together it always meant a big change for Mira. This is why she trusted them both with her life.

Mira sucked down a deep breath. She scanned the others around them. No one was staring. Hell no one cared. She felt foolish for her behavior over the past two days. Teddy reached across the table and touched her hand. “I do have news.”

“Okay. What is it?” Mira asked

“Italy!” Teddy announced.

“What about Italy?” Mira asked.

“Milano is where a talent like yours needs to be. What you need is to be inspired. Free of entanglements. I know you and Kei are not seeing eye-to-eye. I know you want to cut off his financial backing and strike out on your own. Strike now. Move to Italy.”

Stunned she sat back. She looked over to Fabiana and saw her face already flushed with excitement. “We can’t move to Italy. It’ll take us years to pay back what we owe Kei if we sever business with him. And I am in a relationship with the man. Or have you forgotten?”

“Tell her Teddy. Tell her the rest.”

He nodded his head. “I met a man Mira. His name is Marsuvio Mancini. He’s a fan of yours. He wants to sponsor a visa for you to open up a store in Napoli. And he’s willing to put up capital.”

Mira laughed. Fabiana glanced over to Teddy and they exchanged puzzled looks. “You want me to cut my boyfriend out of my business and get in debt with some strange man you met in Italy?”

“No. He’s Sicilian, and he’s no different than any other investor. His sponsorship will make you self reliant, open doors for you. And then we can branch out to Milano. Stand on your own two feet. Make Mirabella’s a success your way.”

Mira waved him off. “Kei and I have hit a rough patch. But we aren’t breaking up. He’s been more supportive lately.”

“Forget Kei, Mira. This is about you. Us!” Fabiana said. “We have a year to be ready. And we should. Italy is where it’s at. Here’s the plan. We do the Vogue shoot. Get a lot of good press going. We’ll definitely get a top pick celebrity for the Oscars. I promise you that. And then we buy back Kei’s shares. This is your way to be truly independent.”

“I thought Paris is where it’s at?” Mira said.

“You know this is good for us. Teddy and I will fly to Napoli and Milano to check everything out. We will meet with some attorneys there. I’ll check out this Mancini guy too. Right, Teddy? Make sure he’s legit. Nothing is guaranteed,” Fabiana said.

“Mancini is a good business man. No worries there. I’ll handle him personally.” Teddy quickly interjected. “He has a lot of power in Sicily and influence with the Italian Parliament. This is a great idea.”

Mira sucked down a deep breath. Lately Kei had started talking marriage again. Talk of marriage, kids, and domestic bliss made her nervous. They’d separated twice over arguing the future of their relationship and she knew if she rejected him again it was a deal breaker. How could she explain to him why she felt restless, trapped by his smothering love. She needed something to spark her confidence. She needed her independence.

“Okay. Go to Italy and check it out Fabiana. If you two can come back with a good plan I’ll… consider it,” she exhaled. “I need to think about Kei. I love him. I respect him. I owe him my success.”

“Yay!” Fabiana squealed. She picked up her martini glass with the pink vodka sloshing over the rim. “To the future. Love, fashion, hot sexy Italian men, and Mirabella’s.”

“Cin, Cin!” Teddy laughed. He clinked his water glass to hers. Mira was the last to pick up her soda and join the celebration.

“This is where it began. We’ll look back ten years from now and remember this meeting. Remember this day. When we decided to take Mirabella’s to Italy,” Mira smiled.

“Damn right!” Fabiana cheered. “I can feel it. This is the start of something big.”

“Can I get you something?” a soft voice spoke.

Ashamed of her behavior and the tears on her cheeks Mira kept her gaze lowered when she shook her head no. She yielded to the compulsive sobs that shook through her. Fabiana was dead. Her sister was gone. She’d never have anyone as close to her heart again.