My Italian Prince: Clean Romance

by Jasmin Jacobs

  “I’m sorry baby, I have to entertain for a while, just enjoy yourself, and then we will go back to the hotel and get this dress off you.”

  Vanessa smiled and watched him push his way through the crowd. His bodyguards did most of the pushing she saw and was thankful that he had them surrounding every step he took at the nightclub. The crowd went ballistic as they saw him. Screaming and jumping to get a glimpse of him. She never realized before he was this famous.

  After a while, she began again feeling as the odd one out. Alex polite entertainment at Michelangelo di Leo’s table had been upgraded to be entertained himself, Vanessa thought dryly, as she looked from a distance how a group of tall, slender Victoria Secret Models immediately surrounded Alex.

  I will not make him feel sorry for me, thinking Gian Carlo is right about me, that I don't fit in his glamorous environment, Vanessa thought angrily, as she bolted with determined steps towards the table to join in on the festivities. I know how to party, she said to herself. I'm actually a party pro, well she wasn’t really, but for sure, Kat was, and as her “BFF” it was practically the same thing as being a pro herself.

  Everyone had the time of their lives, Cristal bottles kept coming in on large trays with fireworks. She had felt so beautiful in her dress as she walked the red carpet with Alex, but now she felt wrong and misplaced with her long flowing maxi-dress. The sweeping train, which she had loved when she and Alex made their entry on the red carpet. But now it was nothing more than an annoying wrinkled pile of fabric as she had to carry it in her arms to avoid the models stilettos stomping through the silk. The models danced wildly on the tables in their mini bodycon dresses, as she stood self-aware on the side wiggling her hips a little just to make sure it looked as she enjoyed herself in case Alex would look in her direction. It was doubtful though since he seemed to be in a deep conversation with two busty Victoria Secret Models.

  She sighed and excused herself, which wasn’t necessary as no one took notice of her getting up. She made her way towards the terrace to get some air. Standing alone and taking in the mild Mediterranean air in her lungs, she saw the man that had been with Alex in the car when they’d met at the Croisette. He was now standing on the other side of the patio. Leaning against the fence and puffing on a huge cigar.

  He must have felt her stare and turned around.

  “Excuse me,” he said with an American accent and a strangely familiar voice.

  “You’re the Nurse that Alex brought with him from the states aren’t you?” “I recognize you from when we met at the Croisette, I drove with Alex, remember?”

  “Ah, yes,” said Vanessa didn't want to seem that she had given it any thought.

  “Well, I’m Mitch,” he said, introducing himself.

  So, this was Mitch, Vanessa thought and tried to smile back at him. “I'm Vanessa”

  She extended her hand for a handshake but instead Mitch placed a chivalrous kiss on her hand.

  “All right Vanessa, so are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Oh yes, very much,” Vanessa said politely, better be sure he is not part of the arrangement before telling him what a bore this whole gala was.

  “Really,” he said, his eyes squinted playfully, “Since you’re out here, you don’t seem to have that much fun.”

  “Well, in that case, I have to assume that you're not that entertained either,” Vanessa replied. “Since you are outside as well.”

  “Ha, exactly, you know, I actually can't stand these events. Hate it. All of them. The only reason I'm here is that my agent keep booking them for me. I just step on a plane and see where it takes me,” Mitch continued.

  “Sometimes it’s Paris, sometimes it’s London, and if I'm lucky it sometimes involve getting drunk. Mitch waved his empty drink glass in front of her face.

  He’s drunk, she thought as she noticed how Mitch had taken a few steps closer to her.

  “But what the hell,” he slurred. “Let's get away from this uptight place and let's find another party somewhere else. I know a place just nearby.” He looked at her and pulled his arms around her waist. “Come on, Vanessa, Let's have some fun.”

  First Vanessa felt nothing, just shock from being pulled in tight by this stranger, but even more shocking was she now recognized him. He was Michelangelo di Leo, one of this time's greatest actors, most famous man alive some people might say. He had been the poster boy of all times when he in his twenties had had the leading role in the greatest blockbuster of the decade. He had been all girls dream and had after that had an image of partying heavily, dating numerous Victoria secret models and choosing only to do movies he felt artistically involved in, or something like it, Vanessa could vaguely remember reading.

  As she gently took his arms from around her waist and firmly placed them along his sides, she smiled and said that she had to go back inside. This guy was a creep, no matter how famous he was, Vanessa thought his behavior was revolting. He was drunk and being so pushy was just plain disgusting. Mitch was Alex best friend. She now was so close to him she could take a better look at him and he wasn’t as dreamy as one would think seeing him on the screen. His golden locks were actually mouse-colored and under his bloodshot eyes were large dark circles, as he hadn't slept for days. His skin looked as it was in need of a chemical peel or what it was the beautician at the spa had recommended for her, but she had thankfully passed.

  His body was flabby and his suit was in a baggy model you would think belonged to a man having bought it at Walmart rather than had it tailor-made exclusively by Tom Ford. Mitch laughed and tried to look cool, but with his baby like face, which never seemed to age in the twenty years that had passed since his breakthrough, it was not an easy task. Vanessa turned around to go inside when she felt Mitch arms around her again.

  “Hey come on, don't be such a bore. I know your type, I know why you are here. Stop playing hard to get. Alex and I have shared before,” he added with a laugh.

  Vanessa reacted with a gut instinct and before Mitch had realized what had happened he was lying on the floor, holding onto his face with both hands.

  “What the hell did you do that for?” Mitch moaned in pain.

  Vanessa didn't stay to answer but ran inside the building, her heart pounding. Oh my god, what had she done. She had tackled and attacked Michelangelo Di Leo. She didn't even realize that she remembered the karate move Kat had thought her after getting involved in a Woman's Right Organization and for a short time had been teaching self-defense courses. Vanessa had been forced to join just for the sake of their friendship as she hated violence and was sure she never could use the moves anyway. Clearly some of it had stayed. Mitch had got his nose broken by her wrist as she had made a strike at his nose. Her knee had automatically found its way to his crotch with as much force as she could manage. Her knees were shaking. This was definitely not going up as her dream night, rather it would get a golden medal on her and Kats to top ten lists of worst nights ever.

  Chapter 11

  Vanessa closed her eyes and rested her head against Alex's shoulder. They sat quiet in the backseat of Alex car. The silence was in stark contrast to the overwhelming sound from the nightclub they’d just left.

  After Vanessa fought Mitch off, she managed to take herself inside the club and with trembling legs and her heart racing from adrenalin, she pushed and squeezed her way through the dancing crowd. With lungs pumping like pistons and panting hard, she urged herself not to panic. The loud music and the crowds wild dancing made her feel trapped and nauseated. With her heart hammering in her chest, she scanned the heads desperately for Alex. When she saw him, he was tantalizingly out of reach. With a voice that came out rasping, she called out and staggered towards him. At that moment, she had been knocked over by the horde of dancers and lost her balance. Crouching on the floor, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Vanessa vomited and cramped there on the dance floor, sobbing in panic as the surrounding crowd continued dancing and cheering to the music. Vanessa couldn’t breathe and
was sure she was about to faint when she had felt strong arms lifting her up. It was Alex who while he held her in his arms carried her out from the nightclubs glittering lights and pumping music and into the warm breezy night air. For a long time afterwards, she could still feel the music's base pulsating in her ears. But now as she sat beside Alex in the car she felt secure and calm again.

  “What happened Baby?” Alex stroke her hair as he looked at her with worry in his eyes.

  “I, i,” Vanessa didn't know how to explain what had gone down with Mitch out on the terrazzo, Had she been reading him wrong, had she overreacted? She wasn't sure anymore, it all felt so distant, as a nightmare in the light of the morning.

  With a voice still wobbly with shock she told Alex what she remembered then paused and looked at him. Not sure of his reaction. Alex looked shell-shocked. He didn't say one word. Vanessa touched his hand, but got no reaction back.

  “Tell me again Vanessa, exactly what did he say about me being okay with you and him?” Alex said with his voice strained by holding back his anger.

  “Umm, he said that you’d given him permission to take me home with him like I was some property one could just handle over. I felt like a prostitute, I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life.”

  “You know that nothing of what he said was true right?”

  “Yes,” Vanessa mumbled.

  She knew that, but at the time she had just felt so weak and small she for a second almost had believed what Mitch had told her. That she was just a girl on duty that Alex already had got tired of and had passed on to his friend. As some used toy.

  “I will take care of this, don’t you worry about it anymore.”

  “We won't go back to the Hotel tonight, I got Gian-Carlo to get your stuff, and he will meet us at my yacht in Monte Carlo.”

  Vanessa just nodded, she suddenly felt so tired. With Alex stroking her hair and whispering soft words in her ear she dwelled off into a blissful sleep.

  When she woke up they were at the helicopter pad in the harbor, a chopper was ready to take them to Monte - Carlo. Her head was still sparking in disbelief. Had that actually happened? Had Mitch really tried to come on to her and telling her Alex was fine with it? It all felt like a weird dream to her now. She blinked and shook her head to dislodge it and squeezed Alex’s hand not wanting to let him go. The scenery of the Monte-Carlo bay was breathtaking. Glittering by all the golden light from the Yachts lined up in the Marina. From the sea, the cliffs with the winding roads leading up to the Royal Palace and the lit-up facade of the Monte Carlo Casino were breathtaking.

  Suddenly Alex touched her face and gently brushed away a tear from her cheek.

  “Don’t cry sweetheart, everything is okay now," he whispered comfortingly.

  Vanessa hadn't even realized she was crying.

  “It’s just so beautiful. I've never seen anything like this,” she smiled at him.

  Alex smiled back and placed a kiss on her head.

  Onboard the yacht she found all her belongings neatly packed in suitcases standing in one of the main suits. She rested on one of the sofa chairs on the deck as Alex briefed G-C of what had gone down at the club. She couldn't hear what they said, but she understood by Alex's voice that he was upset. Gian-Carlo seemed to try to calm him down and after a while, Alex came back and sat down next her.

  “Gian-Carlo will take care of it all. We never have to think about this again.” “Let's go to bed,” Alex said his voice tired and strained.

  She saw on his face how tired he was. In all the glamour and things going on she had completely forgotten that she was the one supposed to take care of him. That he had had a serious injury just a few weeks ago and needed to be constantly checked up and not push himself too hard.

  She blamed herself, it was all because of her, well that stupid Mitch was a big part of it too, and he was now doing the exact opposite. She wished she could wipe the night's incident from his memory and make him relax.

  “I’m the worst Nurse,” she said as they lay in bed cradling each other.

  “No, you're the best Nurse,” Alex was already half asleep.

  “No, I mean in it,” Vanessa sat up and looked at his face, wasn’t he a bit pale under his perfect tan?

  “Oh, baby stop it will you and go back to bed. Let’s talk about this tomorrow. It's been a long night.”

  “No, I need to check you up right now,” Vanessa jumped out of bed and started looking for medical bag.

  “Okay, in that case,” Alex was now sitting up. “I need to tell you something, but you have to promise not to get angry?”

  “Hmm, ok, go ahead,” Vanessa continuing to focus on the medical equipment in her bag.

  “Well, the thing is. I am perfectly fine.”

  “We don't know that yet, I will have to check on your heart rate and pulse first.”

  “Vanessa, listen to me,” he tried to reach for her hand, but she brushed him off with a smile and began setting up her medical devices. “It was never anything wrong with me.”

  “What do you mean,” Vanessa suddenly gave him all of her attention.

  “Come here,” he reached out for her hands and made her sit down next to him on the bed. “I was injured in the car accident, and you saved my life, something I will never forget.” “After seeing you the day after at my bedside something happened,” Alex continued in a low voice. “I couldn't get you out of my mind. Gian-Carlo said it was just some syndrome you can get attached to someone who has saved your life, that it’s not for real.”

  “The Stockholm Syndrome,” Vanessa looked down at her hands. What if Gian-Carlo was right, that Alex had been attached to her in some weird way for owning her his life?

  “It was not. If anything, it was love.”

  “I knew from the first time I looked in your eyes Vanessa that I loved you. I have told no one I love them before, not even my parents when they were alive, the closest I have come to love someone is Gian-Carlo as a father-figure I guess, and because he’s acting as my guardian.”

  Vanessa listened silently and looked at Alex. She was sitting quiet, trying hard to get her thoughts to comprehend everything he was telling her.

  “Please continue why there's is nothing medically wrong with you,” she said with shaking voice.

  Alex hold her hands in his as he told her that when he after a few weeks at the hospital had felt fine and he had gotten the permission by his doctors to leave the ward and that he was completely rehabilitated. He had gotten scared of losing her. He knew that she was loyal to her work, and he got his doctors to write in the papers he needed to be under constant cheek up by a Nurse and he then had Gian -Carlo convinced the hospital boss to send her away with him. He knew that if not she had refused to go with him and he would have lost her forever.

  “And after Gian-Carlo forced me to end it all with you or he would get you fired I knew that this was my only shot. Of course Gian-Carlo didn't approve, but out here he had nothing to say and you and I could start over.”

  When Vanessa still said nothing, Alex continued.

  “I have never been as happy as when I am with you, Vanessa. You fulfill every wish I ever had about a woman and someone to share my life with.”

  Vanessa sat in shock for a moment. His statement catching her off guard. "I love you.” No one had ever told her that except her parents and perhaps Kat on a drunken night when they had gotten all sentimental on how good friends they were.

  Before she could even have the chance to say it back, his strong arms were around her, holding her as close as possible while he bent down and kissed her gently. The soft gentle kiss gradually turned into a deep passionate kiss.

  “I love you too Alex,” she finally had the possibility to say between the kisses.

  “I know, you already told me,” he smiled.

  She was confused. A state she had found herself in more often than not these past days. Damn those handsome princes being all sexy and making your mind stop working.

 
“I never told you that,” she said.

  “Oh yes you did, just before I woke you up, you were probably sleeping, but still you said it, so I knew.”

  She didn't felt like protesting anymore. She loved him and he loved her. That was all that mattered.

  Chapter 12

  Vanessa wasn’t able to go to sleep. She looked at Alex who lay next to her sound asleep. Careful not to wake him she crawled out of the bed. Threw on a silk robe and went with quiet steps out in the corridor of the Yacht. It was enormous. When they’d first came on board she didn’t realized how big it was. The boat was exquisite; she had seen nothing like this. A luxury cruise ship might be the right comparison.

  She couldn’t help but to let her hand stroke the railing of teak wood that stretched along the walls as she moved towards the massive grand salon, which she got a glimpse at upon their arrival earlier. The only disadvantage staying on a yacht like this was that it took you about six hours just to get from the master suit to the pool deck. She stepped out on the deck, the view made her stop for a second, it was amazing. A large pool reached from one side to the other and sunbeds with plush cushions filled the empty spaces of the deck. She sank down in one and looked up at the stars. If she could forget what had happened earlier this would be a dream come true. She had a Prince, a real Prince who had just told her he loved her. She should be overjoyed. But she couldn’t stop thinking of what had gone down at the patio between her and Mitch. Something told her it must have been a misunderstanding. Not that Mitch hadn’t scared her when he forced himself on her in his drunk manner, but from what Alex had told her of his best friend, this behavior was extreme even to Mitch. Perhaps he had been so drunk he hadn’t been aware of what he was doing. Either way he was an addict either to alcohol or to sex, or maybe both. If only Alex could talk Mitch into seeking help, so they all would be able to start over. The last thing she wanted was to be the reason for Alex and his best friend ending their friendship.