Prosecco & Paparazzi (The Passport Series Book 1) by Celia Kennedy Page B

lovely way to start the New Year!” Tiziana paused only briefly to draw breath before going on to describe the details.
    While listening to the preparations being made for the wedding, I flipped through my calendar. Depressed, I couldn’t see how I could take a vacation in August, just four short months away.
    I broke the news. “I can promise you that I’ll be at the wedding, but I really can’t imagine getting time to go to Saint-Tropez, especially at the beginning of August. The new offices in London are scheduled to be up and running by the end of September. Perhaps if things are going well, I could come to Italy for a few days at the end of August. I can’t promise anything.”
    Obviously disappointed but understanding, she assured me, “Oh, bella! It won’t be the same without you. But don’t worry, darling! I know you’ll do what you can.”
    It suddenly occurred to me. “Tiziana, have you told Hillary, Kathleen, and Marian? I’ve spoken to them recently, and I know that they were all planning on coming to London for the holidays.”
    A brief silence followed, and I could hear more Italian salutations in the background. “I spent the day calling them. They’re all available to come to the wedding. If you are,” she replied a bit hesitantly.
    That sounded very odd to me, adding a new knot to the group already living in my stomach. “What does their attending have to do with me?” I asked suspiciously.
    After a long pause and a deep sigh, she said, “Well, darling, you see, Des Bannerman will be at the wedding.”
    I sat in silence. Flabbergasted, I was trying to figure out how this could make sense. To what world had I been transported that not only had a celebrity filed a restraining order against me, but said celebrity was now attending the wedding of my closest friend? None of this was making sense.
    “Tiziana, why would Des Bannerman be at your wedding?” I dreaded the answer, dreaded what this could bring into my life.
    I heard the gnawing of her teeth on her fingernail. “Well, darling, the man who I’m marrying is Ted.”
    “Ted who?” burst out of me.
    “Ted Blackwell, darling. Des’s friend. The one we met in the casino in Chamonix.”
    “Oh! That Ted.” I’d completely forgotten all about him. Clearly Tiziana hadn’t!
    Quickly rushing into a rehearsed monologue, she said, “Naturally, Ted will help sort all of this out. After how hurt and angry you were, Marian, Hillary, and Kathleen decided that they would spend the holidays with you if you didn’t want to come to the wedding.”
    I sat stupefied. Sides were already being drawn!
    I stayed calm, up to a point. “First, with regards to Mr. Bannerman, my hurt and anger aren’t in the past tense! They’re still very much a part of the here and now. After telling you how my life has been since I returned to work, how could you expect that all was forgotten?”
    My anger rising, I continued, “I don’t even know what I did, but, because of some delusional belief on his part that all women want to have sex with him, on top of everything else, now I can’t attend your wedding! It isn’t whether I want to or not. It’s whether I can or not! God! His ego is unbelievable! He probably didn’t spare a moment’s thought considering how his ludicrous fantasies might affect anyone. I can’t explain how embarrassing it has been to explain this to my family and friends. Every day I walk into this office and have to deal with someone looking at me funny! My boss is furious and making my life hell!” By then, my anger was at a fever pitch, and I found myself standing up, gripping the phone and shouting at Tiziana.
    “ Shush , shush ! I’m so sorry, darling. I’ve put off this call as long as possible. I didn’t want to be the one to cause you any more unhappiness,” she said in a soothing voice, doing her best to comfort me. “Please! Ted will speak with him. I’m sure there was a misunderstanding, and as soon as he realizes that