Shae, not stuck up at all, but… well the people you meet treat her special. She gets respect from everyone. At all times. I told you about this… it’s different with the Battaglias.”
Shae nodded. “Calm down. I’m not an idiot. I won’t go to anyone’s house as a guest and act up.” Shae chuckled. “I got your back. I always have. You need to relax. Remember my people skills.” She popped her gum with the toss of her pink bang from her eye and grinned.
The tension eased out of Marietta. She missed her friend. It was hard being one hundred percent herself with Mirabella. With her sister she just wanted to please her and be accepted. Deep down she feared losing the connection that they just discovered. With Shae she was her old self again.
“Are you excited? This is your big event too, the fashion show. You helped coordinate it right?” Shae asked.
Marietta nodded. “I did. It’s going to blow your mind. My sister has given me part of the company too. It’s our thing. I told you she is really sweet.”
“Yeah, yeah, but what about you, Mae? What is it you do?” Shae asked.
“You know I love to decorate and stuff. The set designs and the choreography for the runway show is all me. The music and entertainment. Girl I have celebrities calling me to get an invite. You are going to be blown away by the guest list for our party.”
“Wow! Check you out!” Shae elbowed her. “Bitch… ah, sorry, I mean, girl, you are doing your thang!”
“Wait until you see Bellagio. It’s so beautiful. The house there is mine. Lorenzo gave it to me for a wedding gift,” Marietta grinned.
“I went to the book store,” Shae said. She reached down in her bag and started to pull out books and maps. “This here is my translation book.” She passed it to Marietta. “So I can communicate with the cuties. I learned the curse words, and some of the naughty ones too. I just love Italian!” Shae looked up at Renaldo who kept driving.
Marietta laughed. “They’re Sicilian, Shae.”
“Same thing! And oh! This! Here is my map of the places we’re going. I got one for Sorrento, Milano, Bellagio, and I want to go to Venice. Please! Please take me!” Shae pleaded. “I want to ride in a gondola with Renaldo! You interested, baby?”
He glanced up and looked at her in the rearview mirror over the top of his sunglasses. Shae winked at him. Marietta shook her head amused. “Okay, I’ll talk to Lorenzo and see if he can take us. If not there’s the train. We can take it and the ferry into Venice. No problemo.”
“Goodie!” Shae clapped causing her bracelets to jingle. “Wait, Mae, I’m sorry. Shit. Here I am going on and on about partying and I didn’t ask you how you’re holding up. The death of that bastard father of yours.”
“Octavio Leone was never my father,” Marietta said dryly.
“He was shot in the back of the head leaving Smithy’s bar, and his body dumped behind it. You know it. The old dive off Crescent street.”
“Yeah I know it,” Marietta mumbled.
“The police still can’t figure out who was responsible. I checked. Your mom, ah, your adoptive mother has moved to New York with her sister. It’s all so fucked up. Random.”
“I don’t care about either one of them. Dead or alive.” Marietta said.
“Sorry for bringing it up, girl.”
“You will have a great time. Italy and the Campania is the most romantic place in the world.” Marietta smiled.
“Romance huh? Well I can believe that, if all of the men look like Mr. Sexy up there. Does he speak English? Pass me my translation book!”
Marietta laughed. “You so damn crazy! I’m going to love having you here!”
**
There were times when Catalina found it hard to recall all of Mirabella’s wishes from notes and previous phone conversations. On the eve of Mirabella’s return, the biggest test of Catalina’s career was at hand. Self-doubt and fear crept in. She had difficulties now making the simplest decisions.
Shae nodded. “Calm down. I’m not an idiot. I won’t go to anyone’s house as a guest and act up.” Shae chuckled. “I got your back. I always have. You need to relax. Remember my people skills.” She popped her gum with the toss of her pink bang from her eye and grinned.
The tension eased out of Marietta. She missed her friend. It was hard being one hundred percent herself with Mirabella. With her sister she just wanted to please her and be accepted. Deep down she feared losing the connection that they just discovered. With Shae she was her old self again.
“Are you excited? This is your big event too, the fashion show. You helped coordinate it right?” Shae asked.
Marietta nodded. “I did. It’s going to blow your mind. My sister has given me part of the company too. It’s our thing. I told you she is really sweet.”
“Yeah, yeah, but what about you, Mae? What is it you do?” Shae asked.
“You know I love to decorate and stuff. The set designs and the choreography for the runway show is all me. The music and entertainment. Girl I have celebrities calling me to get an invite. You are going to be blown away by the guest list for our party.”
“Wow! Check you out!” Shae elbowed her. “Bitch… ah, sorry, I mean, girl, you are doing your thang!”
“Wait until you see Bellagio. It’s so beautiful. The house there is mine. Lorenzo gave it to me for a wedding gift,” Marietta grinned.
“I went to the book store,” Shae said. She reached down in her bag and started to pull out books and maps. “This here is my translation book.” She passed it to Marietta. “So I can communicate with the cuties. I learned the curse words, and some of the naughty ones too. I just love Italian!” Shae looked up at Renaldo who kept driving.
Marietta laughed. “They’re Sicilian, Shae.”
“Same thing! And oh! This! Here is my map of the places we’re going. I got one for Sorrento, Milano, Bellagio, and I want to go to Venice. Please! Please take me!” Shae pleaded. “I want to ride in a gondola with Renaldo! You interested, baby?”
He glanced up and looked at her in the rearview mirror over the top of his sunglasses. Shae winked at him. Marietta shook her head amused. “Okay, I’ll talk to Lorenzo and see if he can take us. If not there’s the train. We can take it and the ferry into Venice. No problemo.”
“Goodie!” Shae clapped causing her bracelets to jingle. “Wait, Mae, I’m sorry. Shit. Here I am going on and on about partying and I didn’t ask you how you’re holding up. The death of that bastard father of yours.”
“Octavio Leone was never my father,” Marietta said dryly.
“He was shot in the back of the head leaving Smithy’s bar, and his body dumped behind it. You know it. The old dive off Crescent street.”
“Yeah I know it,” Marietta mumbled.
“The police still can’t figure out who was responsible. I checked. Your mom, ah, your adoptive mother has moved to New York with her sister. It’s all so fucked up. Random.”
“I don’t care about either one of them. Dead or alive.” Marietta said.
“Sorry for bringing it up, girl.”
“You will have a great time. Italy and the Campania is the most romantic place in the world.” Marietta smiled.
“Romance huh? Well I can believe that, if all of the men look like Mr. Sexy up there. Does he speak English? Pass me my translation book!”
Marietta laughed. “You so damn crazy! I’m going to love having you here!”
**
There were times when Catalina found it hard to recall all of Mirabella’s wishes from notes and previous phone conversations. On the eve of Mirabella’s return, the biggest test of Catalina’s career was at hand. Self-doubt and fear crept in. She had difficulties now making the simplest decisions.
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