by Avery Aster
The stiffness in her upper body softened, and he heard her finally release a cry. His brave American didn’t tear up once at the club or the police station. He couldn’t see her face as she wiped her eyes, so he encouraged, “Let it out, bella.”
She kept her back to him and brought her knees up to her face. Lex hugged herself in the steamy water and sobbed.
“Per favore, talk to me.” Massimo scooped up water with a plastic cup and poured it over her back and neck. He waited for her to say something as he washed her over and over again.
“I’ll say something I’ll regret.” She reached over and pulled a small white washcloth from the wall.
Massimo glanced over her shoulder as she wiped her nose.
Blood stared back at them.
“I will wash your face when I finish with your hair.”
She dropped the towel in the water, the white bubbles turning crimson as it sank to the tub’s bottom.
“I love you, bella.”
Lex choked on her tears and said, “I love you, too.” Her weeping grew louder and she garbled, “Scilla’s photos will hit the internet and TV stations by morning, and the day after in print. Everything I built with Mom and Taddy is ruined.”
“Lex, you cannot talk like that.”
“I won’t recover from this scandal. I know it.”
He leaned forward into the tub and pulled her wet, naked body into his. “There is no scandal,” he reassured in her ear. “You did nothing wrong. It is una photo.”
She turned, meeting his eyes. Something he’d never seen in Lex before came back at him—fear. Lex held her soapy hand up to his cheek and exhaled. “I hope you’re right.” From the look on her face, he knew she didn’t believe him.
“Easton will be fine and you will, also.” He wiped her back and scrubbed her hands clean. Once finished, he scooped her from the tub as the water hit the tiled floor, wrapping her in a towel as they stood. Massimo carried her over to the counter and opened the medicine cabinet. Her nose wasn’t broken, but her right eye had bruised to a dark purple.
“Sorry I embarrassed you with the dress and my behavior tonight. I’d hoped we’d have fun. I’ve never—” She wiped her mouth.
He dried her tears. “Bella, you could never embarrass me.” Massimo didn’t want her to feel bad for anything. The night’s craziness wasn’t her fault. “Where did you learn to fight?”
“Birdie, where else?” She rolled her one good eye.
He withdrew the antiseptic. “The lotion is going to sting. Chew on this.” He handed her a dry washcloth.
“You found a way to shut me up,” she joked, slipping the fabric between her teeth.
“Ready?” he asked, and she motioned yes. The second Lex bit down on the cloth, he began cleaning her cut to prevent infection. “Ahh!” Lex wept through the cotton. She grabbed his shoulders and wrapped herself around him.
When they were finished, Massimo dressed her in his pajamas. He rolled up the legs and arms, cinching the drawstring tight around her.
Nicolo, Nino and Noe jumped on Lex. Excited to see her, the dogs almost knocked her over as she came into the bedroom.
Keeping his dogs in his suite, he put Lex to sleep in the guest room next to his bedroom. He lay beside her and spooned her body. Cupping one hand alongside her breasts, he buried his face in her nape and inhaled her sweet smell. He waited until she fell asleep before he closed his eyes. Massimo hoped nothing would come from the night except a big misunderstanding. Lex spoke as she always did, with certainty that the photos would ruin her life. For the first time since he’d met Lex, he prayed to God she’d be wrong about this one thing.
Up at sunrise, he went to the Girasoli factory, leaving instructions for Rocco to let Lex sleep in as long as she needed. He hoped she’d stay the week, but she had promised him the previous night she’d leave that day. When he called the police station to speak with the detective, they informed him Scilla and Ottavia had not been found. The bar struggle wasn’t on their priority list, but the detective promised to bring them in for questioning as soon as they were located. Massimo figured the girls may have headed down to Capri.
When Massimo arrived at the Girasoli offices, Jemma opened the showroom and worked the Jemma Couture orders coming in. He went into his office to try to locate the leather manufacturer in Forte dei Marmi who’d fallen victim to Ottavia and Scilla. Maybe he’d be able to help the authorities locate them. Turning his computer on, one email flagged in red as urgent, from Brill, Inc. Why is Lex’s friend emailing me?
He opened it to read.
Dear Prince Massimo Tittoni,
I received your email address from the media relations director for the Capri Yacht Club where we are both members. I’m contacting you in regards to the media groundswell we’ve received overnight on our Easton Essentials account. Journalists released this fictitious disgrace, ruining my St. Barth’s press trip and vacation. (Insert me spitting here.)
My devotion for Lex’s well-being goes untested. I am appalled at your behavior. Wait until you get a load of mine!!! Brill, Inc. is a silent partner with equity in Easton Essentials. Alongside Lex, we have worked ourselves to the bone to build her brand. You’ve destroyed her reputation and massacred her fashion empire.
I want restitution for your wrongdoings. After we wrap up New York Fashion Week, calculate the purchase orders and compare them to last year’s interest for Easton, Girasoli Garments will pay the difference. If unable to compensate, I will file in the Milan and New York City courts for lost revenue. When I’m finished mopping Ottavia and Scilla’s shit up, I will come for you. (Insert my evil eye here.)
Until then, keep your spoiled ass away from the Big Apple and Lex. My executive assistant, Kiki, will be in touch with next steps.
Your NEW worst nightmare,
Taddy Brill
CEO, Brill, Inc.
Get fame, get glam, get Brill, Inc.
He didn’t understand what this Taddy Brill person ranted about in the email and how she knew the troublemakers’ names. He closed his email as his internet browser came up, his eyes burning at the headline: “Like Mother, Like Daughter”.
Massimo clicked on the link. No, no, no. A woman frenching another woman with the caption “Birdie Easton” underneath came up. A man credited in the picture as Slash stood behind her, massaging her breasts. In the article, on the right side, rested the previous night’s picture with Lex and Scilla kissing her. Massimo stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to get Lex from harm’s way. But the photo gave the illusion he fondled Lex as Slash had Birdie.
From the way the camera caught Lex’s body in the sheer dress, it looked to anyone who wasn’t at the party like she stood naked in the photo. The online magazine made matters worse by digitizing two black squares over her nipples. Massimo remembered her nipples weren’t visible through the dress. The tabloid had blacked her nipples out, alluding to readers that Lex had kissed topless. The glitter in the material on her dress created a sheen, which could be mistaken for sweat, not fabric.
Another photo had been superimposed from Lex’s face on the left. It was her bloody nose with a caption about crystal meth usage, and then there was a third photo blown up even bigger, which showed her face with his semen on her cheek as well as a hickey from where he’d kissed her neck. Shit!
The article read as a smear from Birdie’s heyday in the eighties as Lucifer’s Mistress. It suggested Lex lived as a drug addict who fancied four-ways at The Milan’s Art Auction. My poor bella.
Massimo clicked on more and more links. There was carnage about the Eastons on every website. One image tripped every horrific story from years past. He grabbed the remote control and flipped the television on.
“Alexandra the Great has emerged from rock ‘n’ roll hiding and is horny in Milan,” blared a reporter from the TV.
Shit.
He changed the station. A woman sat at an anchor desk and broadcast, “Known in the eighties as ‘Lucifer�
�s Mistress’, Birdie Easton suffered from oxycodone addiction and alcoholism. Left bankrupt when her husband killed himself, her daughter nursed her back to health. Join us in the next hour as we reveal this generation’s new party princess, Alexandra Easton, and how she’s tearing up Italy’s night scene with a vengeance.”
In disbelief, Massimo turned to the reputable network, certain they’d contact Milan authorities for a statement to speak the truth. He wondered why anyone hadn’t called Girasoli or Easton and asked for their rebuttal. The reporter stated, “We’re joined by Dr. Stuart Klein, a Harvard Medical graduate who will discuss Alexandra Easton’s drug addiction, her treatment options, and the help she needs to overcome her compulsive sexual addiction. Alexandra, if you’re watching, call us. We can help you.”
It was messier than expected, and he sank in his chair. Nauseated, he turned the TV off. This isn’t true. How can they do this? Massimo picked up his phone and contacted his press secretary for the House of Tittoni as well as the Girasoli Garment Company. Massimo gave statements against Scilla and Ottavia and asked the papers and TV networks to issue retractions. His lawyers and press agents pressed charges against everyone who spread this gossip. And he agreed to TV appearances recanting the events later in the day. He’d talk to every single person in the world. No one would slam his Lex.
Knock, knock.
“Ciao, darling. Do you see the crowd forming outside?” Jemma strutted to the window and pulled the blinds up. Women lined up, waiting to get into the showroom. “I arrived at eight this morning. I’m exhausted. Luigi called in three sales girls from their vacation to help.”
“What do the customers want?”
“Lex’s dress. The media tagged it ‘The Naked Lex Dress’.”
Oh, Jesus. “How many dresses have you sold?” He couldn’t fathom.
“I’ve written about two hundred orders. It’s selling for five grand a pop. Lex wearing my design last night at the art show made international news. She ranked best-dressed and worst-behaved.”
“But at what cost? Have you seen the articles?”
“Sì, I did. The media is false. We’ll rally around Lex. You’ll fix this, Massimo. I know you will.”
“How can anyone manage this?”
“She may need to go into hiding for a while ’til it cools down, no?”
“Hiding? Who hides?” He didn’t see Lex retreating from anyone.
“Let’s see—billionaire Howard Hughes, actress Greta Garbo, comedian Dave Chappelle. It happens. The spotlight became too intense. Why else would I quit modeling at Ford? I hated the attention, sì?”
“You loved the attention. You quit modeling to be a fashion designer.”
Jemma loved people staring, talking and giving her attention. She wasn’t fooling him.
“Oh, pah-lease, my darling.” Jemma shook her head in disagreement.
Knock, knock.
He looked up to see Lex, wrapped in a pashmina and the slacks she’d worn during their first dinner. She hid herself under a New York Giants baseball cap with her hair in a ponytail. Knuckles white, she held her luggage in her hand.
“I spoke with Taddy and Vive. The girls haven’t gone to bed yet. They stayed up, contacting the press in Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles.”
“This is my fault entirely.” Massimo reached for her. “Bella, let me look at you.”
“Taddy advised me not to turn on the TV or look at the papers.” She set her bag down and stepped forward. “I feel twelve years old all over again.”
“I agree with Taddy.” He removed her cap. “You are still beautiful.” He gave her a smile in hopes it would reassure her.
Lex bit her lip and removed her sunglasses.
Massimo maintained his encouragement but felt his stomach turn over.
“Oh, Dio mio!” Jemma gasped and then sobbed. “Lex…”
The rip across Lex’s face had scabbed into a thick, dark line. It shocked Massimo when he stared at it. It must’ve hurt. She wore no makeup and the swelling had diminished, leaving a blackish ring around her punched eye.
Still praying in Italian, Jemma hugged Lex and blubbered, “I’ll leave you two alone. My darling, I’ll see you in Manhattan in a few days for your show.” She kissed Lex on the uninjured cheek and excused herself. “Be strong. We’re all here for you.”
Afraid he’d hurt Lex’s face by kissing her, Massimo held her hands instead. Her grip wasn’t as shaky as the night before. Massimo kissed her fingertips. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. “I didn’t believe the media would do this.” Kiss. Kiss.
“I’m never one to say I told you so.”
“Since when?” Massimo teased. He wanted to see her smile and he did.
“My tongue doesn’t seem as sharp today.” She wrapped her arms around him and continued, “Funny how men can get away with their bad boy behaviors, but a girl goes dancing and has sex and it’s the end. The media loves to demonize a woman.”
“How did the images get out this fast?”
“Vive confirmed Debauchery magazine and its European affiliate received the first exclusive on the photos late last night. Vive offered to buy the images from Scilla for one hundred thousand dollars. She’d destroy them and kill the story.” She squeezed Massimo’s waist tighter. “That’s what friends do.”
“Then how did the images get out?”
“Scilla sold the photos to Celebarazzi Magazine and their sister network DBC TV for two hundred thousand dollars. Vive couldn’t counteroffer quick enough. They went live this morning online and on TV. Vive will go on air this week to make counterstatements against the gossip. Celebarazzi is her biggest competitor, so she’s motivated to squash ’em.”
“You should stay with me and heal. We can do your fashion show next season.”
Lex stepped back, issuing a glance as if he’d lost his mind. “I’m going back to Manhattan. I don’t belong here. Taddy’s St. Barth’s flight lands at about the same time I get into JFK. She’ll take me home and we’ll come up with something.” She shook her head and insisted, “The Brill team always does.”
“Yes, Taddy’s reached out to me already this morning”
“Taddy copied me in, and I read it. I’m sorry she emailed you.” Lex cupped his face and said, “If I’m reactive, wait ’til you meet Diva Brill.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to speak to the Italiana press. Since the detectives lack motivation, I’ll issue a reward to catch Scilla and Ottavia.” Yes, that’s what’s needed. He’d get them to confess to this bullshit and clear Lex’s reputation.
“For a bitch slap? No major crime other than selling a bogus story. What’s done is done.”
An upsetting thought about their future came to mind. “I am afraid to ask where this leaves us.” I’ll do anything to make this work, whatever you want.
“Us?” Her arms crossed over her chest in defense. “Masi, I love you. You are amazing. But—”
“No, no, no, don’t say but. Please, Lex.” It was coming. She’d break up with him before they’d even started.
“But last night’s fight and this morning’s repercussions prove otherwise. It’s not me.” Lex came across as being uncomfortable with the conversation.
“People won’t believe everything they read. And my opinion is the one which should matter to you. Not strangers.” You’re not leaving me.
“True, and your opinions mean the world to me, but how I feel about myself does, as well. And if I can’t as much as walk to the grocery store without harassment then…” She paused and the color drained from her face. “I don’t want this life, Masi.”
Massimo’s pulse beat erratically. “I recognize what you’re saying. But maybe you’re being a bit premature?”
“Look at me!” she shouted, grabbing his chin and forcing him to confirm her defeat. She lowered her voice and repeated, “Masi, look at me. This isn’t me.” She didn’t cry. Lex’s mind seemed made up. “I need to go home and get a hold on the damage.”
He hugged her close
, not wanting to let it be their last moment together. Massimo rested his chin on her head’s crown and suggested, “Come to Isola di Girasoli with me. Hide out. Jemma says there are many celebs living quiet lives away from the press.”
Lex jerked her head up, hitting his chin and retorted, “Yes, and they hide in their homes. It’s how my parents started using. Mom couldn’t leave the house without security. They’d check into a hotel rather than going outside, and they were stuck in their rooms, drinking, smoking and popping pills. And I ate. I won’t live in a cage, Masi. Not again.”
“I want you with me, at my side, forever, bella.”
“You do?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she smiled. Why does she fight me on this? Why the resistance? Massimo promised to make everything okay if given the chance.
“Sì, our relationship is taking off. I want to see where it leads us. Don’t you?”
“Yes, but I need this week to fix this, to clear my head.” She hesitated for a minute. “I can’t give you an answer today about us. It’s not fair to me or to you. I can say I don’t want this life, though.”
“I’ll come to New York with you today. We’ll hit the press together.”
“Massimo, I appreciate you offering, but—”
“Stop with your buts,” Massimo interrupted, upset. He’d never met such opposition.
“I must do this by myself.”
“You didn’t tell Taddy or Vive we were in love, did you?”
“I’d rather explain us to them face-to-face.” She kissed his cheek. “I also didn’t consider you’d want to see me again after today.”
“Bella, how can say that?”
“Vive mentioned Girasoli’s stock plummeted this morning when your market opened. I know how important this is to you. I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of your growing business.” Her face sincerity of her words, but they were ones he didn’t agree with. A sweet gesture, but it pissed him off.
“I don’t care about my reputation or the stock market. I care about you.” Massimo didn’t know what else he could do to prove his love to her.
“I have to go home, Masi.”
