Maria paid him and he fetched the bags from the trunk. "Wow, this place looks like a modern day palace. It's fantastic." She placed a hand over her bounding heart and stared at the building. It was magnificent. They pulled their cases up the steps and gazed at the imposing structures that lined three sides of the plaza.
"Dino's here," Maria said a little breathlessly. "I just know he is." Excitement energized her as she set off at a brisk pace, tugging her case behind her.
"Hang on!" Chris traipsed after her, wobbling on the heels she'd worn. "God, my feet are killing me."
"I told you to wear flat shoes for traveling." Maria scuffed the toe of her comfortable training shoe against the ground as she waited for her sister to catch up. At a more restrained pace, they walked across the plaza side by side.
At the entrance to the opera house, she asked a security guard for directions to the stage door. As instructed, they headed down a staircase and an escalator to the underground parking level and found the corridor he'd mentioned. "This is uninspiring," Chris said wrinkling her nose. "I thought the stage door would be really impressive. Surely they don't make the stars come in through the parking garage. It's more like a service entrance."
Their footsteps echoed along the concrete floor then Maria halted at a set of double doors leading into the bowels of the opera house. Her stomach churned like a washing machine on spin cycle.
"How are we going to get in?" Chris said.
"Knock, I guess." Maria raised her hand and gave three hard thumps on the door. "That should get someone's attention."
Chewing her lip, Maria waited for the door to open. It didn't. "Blast," she whispered.
"Maybe we should go to the box office and ask there," Chris offered.
Maria had hoped when she reached New York everything would fall into place. But even if Dino was inside the opera house, she might not gain access. What she'd really done was come racing over here on a wing and a prayer with no idea how to contact him. A frustrated sigh hissed out between her lips.
Chris's hand settled on her arm. "Don't worry. We've got four days to contact him." Suddenly four days didn't sound very long.
They turned to head back to the lobby but had only gone a few yards when the stage door opened. Two men in overalls came out chatting. Maria left her case and dashed back. "Excuse me. I need to see Dino Rossellini. Is it all right to go in?"
One of the men held the door open for her. "Go for it."
"Where are the dressing rooms?"
He shrugged.
"Wow, that was lucky!" Maria caught the door and held it open while Chris dragged both cases over the threshold.
"Fate," Chris said whimsically. Maria didn't know if fate had a hand in this, but her heart jigged with renewed excitement. To think Dino must have passed through this very door and along the corridor. Her feet might be treading on the same tiles as his had.
A man passed them pushing a brush along the floor. At her question, he pointed out Dino's dressing room. Chris clasped Maria's hands and squealed. "Oh my gosh. We're here!"
Maria knocked on Dino's door, nerves fluttering in her stomach. When he didn't answer, she rapped again and waited.
"Oh, come on. We're so close." Chris shoved down the door handle and to Maria's surprise it opened. After sharing a wide-eyed glance, they both stared into the small, neat, and very empty dressing room. He wasn't here. But Maria's gaze alighted on something that made her heart bound with joy: Dino's leather jacket hung on a metal railing with some costumes.
Without making a conscious decision to enter, her feet carried her into the room. She pulled Dino's jacket off the hanger and hugged it, breathing in the fragrance of leather and his oh-so-familiar spicy smell. Tears filled her eyes and all her worries of a moment ago fled. She was here! Soon she would see him, kiss him, tell him how much she'd missed him. A burst of adrenaline made her giggle. She danced around the room with his jacket clutched to her chest.
Chris watched from the doorway, her grin fading to a frown. "You really love him, don't you?"
Maria stopped, and met her sister's gaze. "Of course. Why would I come all this way otherwise?"
"I hoped you were just infatuated by the glamour of it all like me. He's hot, but he's so not right for you, Mari." She pulled both cases into the room and flopped wearily in an armchair.
Stunned by her sister's comment, Maria plopped onto the upright chair at the dressing table, Dino's jacket clutched possessively in her arms. "Why did you even come with me if you think that?"
The silence stretched between them for a few minutes. "I have a confession," Chris said.
"What?" A shock of foreboding passed through Maria.
"I told Mum about Dino staying at the Crow's Nest."
"Christine! Why?"
"She was worried about you. She had some weird idea Tom had visited and upset you. I don't know where that came from, but I had to tell her the truth." Chris released a weary breath. "That's why Mum and Dad wouldn't pay your fare to New York."
"That is so unfair. Mum doesn't even know Dino."
"She doesn't want to see you hurt. Neither do I. You hardly said a word to me about Dino after he left Porthale. I thought it was just a holiday romance. Then out of the blue you want to race over here. I thought you were just starstruck and when you got here you'd see sense."
Chris's words swirled around Maria's mind. Both Chris and her mum thought she was silly yearning after a man she could never have. She swiveled her chair away from Chris and stared down at the leather jacket in her hands. She hadn't imagined the time she'd spent with Dino, his affection for her. Even though it felt like a dream sometimes.
"We got along so well," Maria said softly.
"I know." Chris leaned over and squeezed Maria's hand. "But he walked away without leaving you his phone number. When a guy wants to see a girl again, he gives her his number."
Maria's bubble of euphoria burst and she sagged in her chair. She'd told herself this very thing until the postcard arrived. Maria pressed her fingers to her temples. Sudden weariness throbbed in her head. "I wish you'd said this before we left home." Not that it would have stopped her coming.
"I'm sorry. I like Dino a lot. He's cute and charming. I can totally see why you fell for him. But it was never going to come to anything. I did try to warn you."
Maria hated when her sister said 'I told you so.'
"Do you want to go and find our hotel?" Chris said gently.
"Not yet. Now we're here, I want to talk to Dino. I've come all this way."
Chris shrugged. "Okay. I just hope he isn't too long. I'm starving."
As the minutes ticked past, the last vestige of Maria's hope trickled away and weariness fell over her like a heavy blanket. Had she really been deceiving herself like everyone seemed to think?
A noise jerked her head around to see a tall blonde woman standing in the doorway. Maria stood slowly, her heart racing. She had seen enough photos and videos of Rachel Tanner to recognize her. In the flesh, she was even more stunning. Reams of thick, honey-blonde hair draped her shoulders, her face perfectly made up, her eyes impossibly blue. She wore a shiny green dress under a fur jacket. Maria suddenly felt dowdy in her jeans and sweatshirt.
A man came through the door behind Rachel and stopped dead. He was older than them with a touch of gray at his temples, power-dressed in a steel gray suit. There was a tense moment when they all stared at each other. The man recovered first and stepped forwards, hand outstretched. "You must be Maria Gardener. I'm Dino's manager, Freddy Short."
Maria took his hand cautiously. This was the man who'd persuaded Rachel to put Dino's son up for adoption. He looked like a businessman, but he obviously wasn't trustworthy. "And you are?" he asked, grasping Chris's hand.
"Maria's sister, Christine."
"Lovely to meet you, girls."
"How do you know who I am?" Maria asked.
"I have my sources," he said with a slick smile. He turned and angled a hand towards the wom
an. "This is Rachel Tanner. I'm sure you recognize her from the television."
"Lovely to meet you," Chris said, eager to shake Rachel's hand. "You have a lovely voice. I've listened to all your albums."
"Thank you," Rachel murmured.
Maria shook Rachel's hand as well and stepped back. Not sure what to say next, she stated the obvious. "We've come to see Dino."
"Ah." Freddy rubbed his hands together. "That might be a problem. He's very busy for the next few days. It's opening night tomorrow. He's got a press function tonight and Rachel's his date. That reminds me." He turned to the glamorous blonde and rested a hand on her shoulder. "You'd better head back to the hotel, love, and get ready."
Rachel gave Freddy a tentative smile, glanced once more at Maria, and left without another word. Freddy watched her go and then closed the door. His smile dimmed, and his lips tightened. "Sorry you've wasted your time coming all the way out here, love. Dino's got back together with Rachel."
His words seared through Maria. She caught Chris's sympathetic gaze and tried to mask her hurt and disappointment. "Dino and Rachel make a great team, Maria," Freddy said gently. "They work together, socialize together, look good together. A man like Dino needs a woman who understands the type of pressure and stress he's under."
"Dino sent me a postcard saying he missed me," she blurted, then realized how pathetic that sounded.
Freddy shrugged. "It takes at least a week for a letter to make it across the Atlantic. A lot can happen in a week." Her heart dropped. Dino had written the postcard two weeks ago when he first arrived here. Even if he had missed her then it didn't mean he still missed her. Life moved on. He and Rachel had been an item in the past and everything Freddy said made sense. Were her mum and Chris right? Was she shooting at the moon?
A sigh wrenched at her chest. Perhaps she was being foolish, but she had travelled a long way to see Dino and would not be put off. "If Dino doesn't have time for me, I'll understand. But I want to hear it from him."
"Hadn't you better clean up first? Do something with your hair and put on some makeup?"
Maria glanced in the mirror and ran a hand over her loose hair. It wasn't too bad. But she did look tired. Her skin was pale with dark rings under her eyes, and she felt sweaty and rumpled.
"Look, love. Dino's going to be really tight for time tonight. As soon as he comes out of rehearsals, he'll be dashing off to this press dinner. Go and get some sleep. See him tomorrow when you're feeling fresher."
"I don't know." She didn't want to interrupt Dino if he was busy, but it would only take a moment to say hello and gauge his reaction. "I'd rather talk to him tonight. He's got to come back here to pick up his jacket. I'll just wait."
"He isn't coming back." Freddy grabbed Dino's jacket from her and put it under his arm. "He asked me to fetch it for him to save time. It's best if you speak to him tomorrow."
Maria sagged. Her brain felt as though it was full of cotton wool.
"Have you booked a hotel?" Freddy asked.
"Yes." Chris stepped up beside Maria. "We're taken care of, thanks."
"Right." Freddy narrowed his eyes on Chris.
"All we want is a minute of Dino's time," Chris continued. "I'm sure he can spare that, even if he's busy. We're friends of his."
"How about I ask him to phone you?" Freddy said. "Give me your cell phone number. He'll call as soon as he gets a moment."
"How about you give us Dino's number and we'll call him?" Chris retorted.
Freddy's gray eyes homed in on her, cold and serious. "Look, love, if he wanted you to have his mobile number, he'd have given it to you. If he wants to see you, he'll call."
Maria quickly pulled her phone from her purse and checked it was charged. She gave Freddy her number and Chris passed over hers as a backup. "So Dino will call tomorrow morning, will he?" Maria asked. "We're only here for four days."
Freddy pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her. "If he doesn't contact you in the next couple of days, let me know, and I'll remind him." He gestured towards the door. "Shall I see you out?"
"We'll find our own way, thanks." Chris and Freddy Short stared each other down for a few seconds then he turned and walked out. "What a snake!" Chris cried the moment he was gone. "I want to see Dino just to tick him off."
"He's not going to pass on the message, is he?" Maria stared after Dino's manager, feeling defeated.
"Probably not. He doesn't want us seeing Dino for some reason. He was totally freaked out when he saw you."
Wide-eyed, Maria gazed at Chris in surprise. "Wasn't he just surprised to find us here?"
"It was more than that." Chris poked her head out the door. "Quick, he's heading back to the exit. Let's follow him to see where he goes."
Maria grabbed the handle of her case and followed Chris out. They hurried along the corridor and caught sight of Freddy Short as he neared the stage door. The wheels on the cases hummed on the tiles, so they were hardly stealthy, but he didn't look around. Maria caught the door as it was about to close and they both peeped out to see Freddy climb in a black limousine in the parking area. A moment later it pulled away.
"Blast!" Maria said. If they could have followed, the car might have led to Dino's hotel. "I wish there was a taxi handy so we could jump in and say 'follow that car' like they do in movies."
"I thought the same thing," Chris said. Maria and her sister shared a grin, and her mood lifted a little. It would be good to spend time with Chris. They would not let slimy Freddy Short ruin their holiday.
Chapter Nine
The moment the limo door closed, Freddy pulled out his phone. First he keyed in the number for security at the Met and blasted them for allowing the two women access to Dino's dressing room. Something was seriously wrong if any Tom, Dick, or Harry could just walk in off the street and get inside.
Seeing the Cornish bird had given Freddy a shock. But it wasn't all bad. He now knew Dino hadn't trusted her with his mobile number. That meant she wasn't important to him. She must have just been in the right place at the right time to offer Dino a little TLC when he needed it. Freddy could relate to that.
He dialed Rachel and tapped his fingers on his knee as he waited for her to pick up. "Hi, love. You make it back to your hotel okay?" He listened to Rachel's worries about the press reception and reassured her that she'd be great. "Listen, love, don't mention anything to Dino about the two women in his dressing room. He needs to focus on opening night tomorrow and we've got a big announcement to make after the performance. I don't want to muddy the waters."
Rachel agreed to keep quiet as he knew she would. Freddy slotted his phone back in his pocket and frowned at the crawling traffic. Although he didn't think Maria Gardener posed much of a problem, he wasn't going to risk her getting together with Dino. He would have her watched and run interference if necessary.
***
Maria woke late the next day and immediately checked her phone for missed calls. She gave a resigned sigh to see there weren't any. The hotel included in their package deal was rather basic and didn't have a restaurant, so she and Chris went to a diner down the street for breakfast and gorged on fluffy pancakes filled with blueberries and slathered in warm maple syrup.
"I vote for shopping!" Chris said, leafing through a tourist guide.
Maria wanted to head back to the Met and ask for Dino, but he was unlikely to arrive for his evening performance until later in the day. "Okay, where do you want to go?"
"Fifth Avenue. Check this out." Chris spread out a map that showed the stores.
"How much have you got to spend?"
Chris dug in her purse and waved her credit card.
"If you max that out, Eric's going to kill me when we get back."
"I'll just tell him I've bought early birthday presents."
"Very early! Your birthday isn't for six months."
Chris simply grinned and gathered her purse and coat. "Come on. I'm hyperventilating at the thought of new shoes." The
y squeezed between the packed tables to reach the door and hailed a taxi. It dropped them off on Fifth Avenue near Central Park. "Oh my gosh, look, there's Bergdorf Goodman."
"What do they sell?" Maria said, turning a circle to take in the wide street and the tall buildings.
"Maria! You're hopeless. Don't you know anything? And why are you wearing those horrible training shoes again. I thought they were just for traveling. You can't walk around New York wearing the same clothes you'd hike along the coast path at home in."
Maria eyed Chris's heels and bet herself that by the end of the day it would be her sister who bemoaned her choice of footwear.
"I hope we don't get thrown out of the posh shops because you look like such a scruff." Maria rolled her eyes and hurried after Chris as she took off along the pavement. They wove through the crowd, pausing to admire window displays of clothes and accessories. "Oh my, I've died and gone to heaven. Look at that, and that." Outside Prada, Chris squealed like a kid in a sweetshop.
Was anything in her price range? Maria bit her lip. She would love a new dress and shoes to wear to meet Dino. If she got to see him. She pulled out her phone and made sure it had a signal. "You haven't had any messages, have you?" she asked Chris.
Her sister checked and shook her head. "Come on. I want to see as much as I can." They went into Juicy Couture and Chris bought a T-shirt. Then they stopped and shared a small gold box of Godiva chocolates.
"Look there's Saks." Maria trailed after Chris as she bustled through the metal doors. They headed across the cosmetics section towards the escalator. "Let's check out the handbags. I need a new one." They spent a while examining bags and then moved on to shoes. Chris tried on a few pairs while Maria pretended to watch, her mind busy with thoughts of Dino.
Even if he were back with Rachel, he would not be mean enough to ignore her after she'd come all this way to see him. That meant Freddy hadn't told him she was in New York. She'd known he wasn't to be trusted.
She dug in her purse and found Freddy's business card. While Chris paraded around in five-inch heels, Maria called Freddy's mobile. Her call went through to voicemail. "Hi, Freddy, it's Maria Gardener. I haven't heard from Dino yet. If you've forgotten to tell him I'm here, can you do so now and ask him to phone me this afternoon before opening night, please? I'm only in New York for another two days."
Oceans Between Us (A Cinderella Romance) Page 10
