Still Falling (6 page)

“Honestly I hadn’t noticed him.
 
I
was just studying Michelle’s dress.
 
Very fifties retro.
 
And I really don’t know anything about any competition.
 
I don’t have a competitive bone in my body!”

“Sweet heart, you can fool yourself as much as you like but I can see
right through you and judging by the look on your face just now, you have
neither forgotten nor forgiven your episode with him.”

“The latter is more like it,” sighed Serena.
 
“The man is intolerable and hasn’t changed a
bit.”

“Mmmm.
 
So
you’ve bumped into him again then?
 
What
I don’t get though, is why your feelings are still so intense.
 
It has been four years and you have dated
since then.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well if an arbitrary person does you wrong, you get angry then move
on.
 
When someone you love passionately,
hurts you, your anger will match your passion until either amends have been
made or the passion stops.
 
So I have to
wonder why it is that after four years you still passionately hate this
absolutely gorgeous man!”

“You’re a fashion designer, not a shrink. Now let’s eat!”
Grumbled Serena.

The squeals of a young boy could be heard across the courtyard and
Josephine rose from her chair grinning from ear to ear as her nephew came
racing around the tables.

“Micky, you little monster!
 
Come have some cake with your favourite
aunt.”
 
As Micky tore past their table,
Jo swept him onto her lap.
 
Three year
old Michael was adorable with dark eyes, darker eyelashes and long soft curls
framing his round dimpled face.
 
He was
obviously quite taken with his aunt.

“Okay Jo, confess, how did you get him loving you so much in such a short
space of time?
 
He’s known you what?
 
Two days?”

“Must have been something to do with the lorry load of
presents which arrived at about the same time as me!”

“You’re incorrigible but heck it’s worked!” laughed Serena as the young
lad was almost tickled out of his clothes.
 

Placing Micky more comfortably on her lap, Jo straightened up and took a
sip of her coffee.
 
Suddenly her face took
on a very mischievous look over the top of her cup.
 
Slowly she put the coffee cup down, still
smirking.

“Um, don’t look now but a rather interesting couple has decided to drop
in for coffee.
 
Oops and they’ve seen us,
here comes at least one of them.........nope both of them.”

“Who is it for heaven’s sake?”
 
Asked
Serena, not wanting to be caught peeking over her shoulder.

“Good morning Josephine.
 
Serena.”
 
The deep rumble of his voice sent the hairs
on her neck and scalp tingling, and for reasons known only to her body, Serena
started to blush.
 
It crept up through
her neck into her cheeks and ears until her whole head felt aflame. Serena
slowly looked up with a sheepish grin.

“Marco.
 
And that must be Michelle
you’re with?” smiled Jo.

Serena’s eyes took in Michelle’s perfectly trimmed hair, professionally
applied makeup and one of Roberto Spinozzi’s afternoon cocktail dresses which
hugged her sculpted curves as if painted on.
 
So this was his current plaything?
 
Then again she remembered the rumours circulating in Milan that these days, Marco had at least
three playthings on the go at any one time.

 
“Serena how did you get here?”
asked Marco, brushing aside the small talk and taking control of the
conversation.

“I took the ferry like most people.” She snarled angry at being
questioned.
 
“Or did you think I swam?”

“You know exactly what I mean.
 
Did
you drive or did you catch an over taxi........ Over dry land?” he added.

Serena continued to stare defiantly at him, looking defiant but
truthfully, lost for words and guilty as hell.
 

“Josephine?
 
Do you know how Serena
got here?” he said, directing his questions where he might actually get
answers.

“Marco, I’m not sure what it has to do with you but Serena drove.
 
Why?”

Michelle excused herself, already bored with the tense conversation and
went to powder her nose.

“Serena honestly!”
 
Marco shouted in total amazement.
 
He crouched down beside her.
 
“What are you thinking?
 
Have you forgotten how you ended up in my bed
last night?”
 
His voice was lower now but
somehow that just made the resentment he was exuding more apparent.

Now it was Josephine’s turn to display surprise as she almost choked on a
sip of coffee.
 

“Micky go see where your Papa has put our cakes” she said putting the
little one onto the floor and scooting his bum in the direction of the kitchen.
 
“Right.
 
It’s time someone told me what was going on
here!”
 
Josephine turned her attention to
Marco first.

“It seems your employee has developed a habit of passing out all over the
place.
 
If she passed out behind the
wheel of the car, who knows what damage she could cause or who she could hurt.”
 

Jo glanced at Serena, with concern before turning her attention back to Marco.

“Excuse me if I’m missing the obvious, but what has that got to do with
your bed?”
 

“That’s where most of my women end up!”
 
He said rising.
 
He spun around
and left their table before any further questions could be asked.

“Don’t, it’s a long story and no it’s nothing like that.”
Groaned Serena.

Finally after a bit of nagging Serena filled Josephine in on the whole
story and admitting she hadn’t felt completely comfortable driving, had been
reckless; Josephine sat silently for a while.
 

“Oh come on Jo, it’s not that bad that you have to stop talking to me
now,” wailed Serena.

“Wait my dear.
 
A plot evolves in
this distorted old mind of mine!”
 
Grinned Josephine.

Serena listened to the plot intently, admitting that it was a good idea,
but suspected there was more to the plot than Josephine was telling.
 
Leaving her car at the Bistro, Josephine
drove Serena back home and while on the ferry, the finer details, of
Josephine’s plot was embellished with Jo swearing there were no more hidden details.
 
Serena had learned long ago that with Jo,
there were always hidden details.

The next week or so passed without incident.
 
Marco was away, Serena had no more fainting
spells and other than a bit of fatigue even managed to keep very light meals
down, and her daily walks went without a hitch.
 
She did get the impression that the ground keeper had been charged with
keeping an eye on her because where ever she went on the estate, he was never
far away, not that she minded.
 

She rose from her bed and looked at the bedside clock.
 
Another hour and Tony would be here to fetch
her.
 
Tony was Jo’s adolescent brother,
who fresh out of school had nothing better to do.
 

“The more you keep him busy and occupied the less trouble he’ll be
getting into.”
 
Jo had told her.
 
“You’ll be doing my whole family a favour.”

Her doctor had arranged for her chemo sessions to be done at a private
clinic in Napoli to avoid the long fortnightly journey to Milan.
 
Serena dressed and wandered over to the window to see if Tony had
arrived yet.
 
She noticed a lot of activity
up at the main house.
 
That meant either Marco
was back or would be back soon.
 
She
sighed.
 
This was his home after all.

Tony pulled up to the front of the cottage in Serena’s car.
 
Serena stifled a giggle as Tony leapt from
the driver’s seat with a flourish and bounded up to the front door.
 
He bowed with dramatic flourish and wished
her good morning before he escorted Serena down the stairs to the passenger
side of the car, opened the door and got her settled. He then dashed back to
the driver’s seat and settled in with a huge grin, flashing perfectly straight
teeth and amazing dimples.
 

He pulled out slow and steady as if driving royalty in a Rolls Royce.
 
Still staring, open mouthed at Tony, Serena
studied his very proper looking chauffer outfit, complete with hat and
gloves.
 
It didn’t escape her attention
that her car had been fully cleaned inside and out.
 
“OK Tony.
 
Spill the beans.
 
What’s this all
about?”
 

“I thought my sister had told you!” said Tony, pretending to look hurt.

“Josephine only told me you would be driving me to the clinic and on
Sundays to the Bistro.”

“Actually, I am at your beck and call,” said Tony.
 
“Only I would need a bit of notice because of
the ferry you see.”

“My beck and call?”

“Yes.
 
Shopping,
dinner, clinic anything at all.”

“And what is this costing your sister?”

“Err nothing actually.
 
She
promised you would give me a shining reference.
 
It’s hard to get a job without relevant experience and even worse when
you are straight from school like I am.....it’s hopeless.” He pouted.

Serena laughed, stole his hat and ruffled his hair.

“Of course!
 
Provided you don’t get any tickets and there are no marks on my car by
the end of this!” she said sternly.
 
And
if you are going to be at my beck and call I will even pay you a proper wage.”

“Really?” he said grinning even wider.

“Don’t get too excited.
 
That’s
only so you have money to pay me back if you do damage something.”
 
She said leaning over to peck Tony on the
cheek as they pulled out of the estate.
 
Serena didn’t notice the looks from the first driver of two cars pulling
into the estate just then.

The nurses at the clinic had warned her that this round of chemo might have
more intensive side effects than the last but she should not expect them to
really take effect for several hours yet.
 
She discussed the bouts of unconsciousness she had experienced the first
few days after her last Session and the nurse assured her it was nothing more
serious than her body telling her to rest and her brain telling her it didn’t
want to deal with it.
 
If she insisted on
ignoring the fatigue her body would find a way to force her to take time out.
 

“Everybody reacts differently to Chemo and some are lucky enough not feel
anything more than a little nausea.
 
We’ll see how you do after this session.
 
At least you’re holding onto your beautiful hair.” The nurse said
smiling kindly.

Serena still managed to laugh and joke around with Tony on the drive back
to the island.
 
It was only when Tony
finally opened the door for Serena to climb out of the car, did Tony get
serious.
 

“Serena, I am here for you.
 
Jokes
aside if you need anything at all, please call me.
 
Apart from really wanting to do this for you,
Josephine would have me for breakfast if anything happened to you.”

“Tony, that is really sweet.
 
But
aside from driving for me, there is really nothing I need.”

“Jo said you would be stubborn.”

“What, now you’re all ganging up on me?
 
I promise.
 
I will call if I need
you.”

She stood at the top of the stairs watching Tony negotiate the dozens of
cars parked on the drive near the main house.
 

Party tonight?
 
I
guess Mama will be working late!

Serena ambled into the house and turned herself in, for a short mid
afternoon nap.

   
       
By
six o’clock that evening, Serena was feeling rough.
 
The nausea and fatigue had her fighting
between the bed and bathroom and eventually she met halfway and took her pillow
to the bathroom.
 
Her mother had still not
come home and the party noise from the main house told her that her mother
would be busy keeping an eye on the hired caterers for some time yet.