Prosecco & Paparazzi (The Passport Series Book 1)

by Celia Kennedy

  “I did. I told Michael about the Waldorf. We’ve each packed a clean shirt, and we’ll be on our best behavior, so we won’t shame you,” Liam replied, continuing to tease me.

  “I’ve even brought some clean socks as well,” Michael added. The playful banter continued all the way to Chelsea.

  Down the street from Hillary’s house, Michael pointed to a hoard of people on the sidewalk. “Look at that. I wonder what it’s all about.” We pressed our faces against the window while the cabbie slowly maneuvered around the crowd. “Jaysus, it’s Des Bannerman and Brynn Roberts coming out of that house!”

  The cabbie suddenly took on the air of a tour guide, telling Michael, “Des Bannerman lives in Chelsea, though I’ve been told he owns seven or eight houses in the area.”

  My brain couldn’t take it all in, and I felt the color drain from my face as the cabbie prattled on about Des and Brynn. Liam whispered something in my ear, but my brain was still busy absorbing that I was living a few doors down from the bane of my existence.

  Somehow, we made it out of the cab and through introductions. I had shown Michael to a bedroom off the sitting room before giving in and collapsing onto the chair in the dining room, pressing my hands to my eyes and moaning.

  “What’s wrong? What happened?” Hillary asked Liam in alarm. “You didn’t do anything, did you?”

  “No. Absolutely not! Charlotte just found out that Des Bannerman lives in the same part of London as you,” Liam replied, defending himself.

  “Oh, dear, Charlotte.” She immediately calmed down and then offered the British cure-all. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

  “No! I’d like a glass of wine. Make it large and cold.” I rubbed my temples, dug my fingers into my hair, and let my eyes scurry around the room. I could sense Liam staring at me, wondering what he ought to say. Hillary quickly returned with a glass of Chardonnay for me and a beer for him. I gulped it down and then began to cross-examine Hillary while pacing the floor, hoping for answers before Michael appeared.

  “Did you know that Des Bannerman lived in Chelsea? Of course you did, but why didn’t you tell me? Unbelievable!”

  In a calm voice, Hillary commanded, “Charlotte, calm down! Yes, I did know that Des Bannerman lives in Chelsea. Chelsea is big enough for the two of you. I’ve lived here all my life and have only seen him a handful of times. Secondly, you can’t continue to run and hide like you’ve done something wrong. You’re always saying that you want to know what happened. Well, maybe now is your chance. If you meet him on the street, you can ask, even if you have to shout from five hundred feet away. I hear Michael coming. Liam, perhaps now would be a good time to take Charlotte upstairs so she can freshen up. I’ll look after Michael. Take your time.” She finished with a smile.

  Upstairs in my room, we sat side by side on the bed, Liam’s eyes reflecting his concern. Taking my hands in his, he said, “Charlotte, Hillary’s right. You were bound to meet at some point. Isn’t it time to just let it go? Face the bastard, do something, but don’t let him ruin a beautiful weekend or another day of your life.”

  Letting out a deep, cleansing breath, I said, “I’m fine, not great, but fine. I think it was mostly the surprise. How is it you go from never laying eyes on someone to their just popping up unexpectedly in your life?”

  Liam gently pushed stray hairs back from my face, and then pulled me to him. After blowing out a ragged breath, he gently kissed my dewy eyes, and drew away, saying, “I don’t know what to say other than I believe that, when the moment arrives, you’ll handle it. Maybe not perfectly, but at least it will all be over.”

  Pushing myself to my feet, I said, “I’m going to go wash my face, fix my makeup, and quit thinking about the fucker. You can unpack or go rescue Michael.” With resolve and my shoulders back, I left the bedroom to restore my makeup and inner calm.

  Liam called, “That’s my girl.” That put a smile on my face.

  Not too much later, we joined the party. “Great to see you,” Marcus said to Liam after finishing off a bite-sized something or other.

  “I see you’ve met my little brother Michael,” Liam remarked, as he bent down to give Taylor a kiss hello.

  In a quiet voice, Taylor said, “Well done! I would never have believed it possible, but I think Hillary is all atwitter!”

  Stealing a quick glance over his shoulder, we saw Hillary dabbing imaginary food from her chin and Michael brushing his finger across Hillary’s jawline in friendly assistance. Hillary looked ready to swoon.

  Liam chuckled and replied softly, “Just wait! She might even warm up to normal body temperature by the time the evening’s over.” We laughed at the possibilities, and when Hillary looked up to see the four of us gazing at her, she blushed.

  “May miracles never cease,” I whispered.

  ***

  The following morning, we ladies whined as the men pushed our professionally-clad bottoms out the door and into the waiting cab.

  “Have a nice day!” Marcus and Liam called playfully, still unshaved and motley-looking.

  By that evening, Taylor and I were worn out and in desperate need of being prompted to leave the house for a night on the town. The men didn’t look too much better; they seemed to have been dragged backwards through a hedge.

  “Phew, go sit over there! Where have you been?” Taylor asked Marcus when he leaned over to give her a kiss.

  “I’ve been doing manly men stuff! I’ve been thrashed to the ground, had my ear bitten, and been chased to the point of exhaustion,” he explained.

  “Michael has a few friends who live in London, so we met up with them for a game of football, er, soccer.” Wrinkling my nose at his potent odor, I couldn’t resist the kiss Liam gave me after he explained.

  Rubbing his unshaven cheek with my hand and looking into his beautiful green eyes, I felt more enthusiastic about the evening. It slid through my mind that, after a few more months, we could start thinking beyond a few days at a time, and that thought was exhilarating.

  Hillary, prepared as always, walked into the sitting room with a tray holding a variety of beverages and bowls of snacks. Wearing the hand-painted dress she had worn to a charity event that afternoon, she was the image of sophistication and wealth. All eyes followed her as she circulated the room, ending up in front of Michael. “Would you like a glass of beer?”

  Michael took it appreciatively and remarked, “Hillary, I don’t think I’ve ever had such a lovely serving wench in all my life.” I held my breath, Taylor gasped, and the men quietly chuckled. We all waited to see how she would respond.

  “I’ll be right back with refills,” was all she said, as she left the room with a rosy hue to her skin and a smile on her face.

  “Careful there, brother,” Liam warned playfully. “Too many more of those comments and you’ll have us all sleeping on the pavement. Being that we’re in Chelsea, I can’t see the neighbors putting up with that for very long.”

  “She handled that rather well, didn’t she? Maybe you lot don’t know her as well as you think,” Michael responded, his voice indicating he was as surprised as the rest of us.

  “Trust me, I know her well, very well,” I said loudly enough for everyone. “And I’ve never seen her let anyone get away with a comment like that.” For Liam’s ears only, I said, “I sure hope this doesn’t end ugly.”

  Hillary returned with more liquid refreshment, and the group happily chattered away. Eventually, the late afternoon party gave way to the evening’s preparations.

  “It’s a shame we aren’t at a hotel,” Liam complained when we returned to the room.

  “Why’s that?” I asked, a little worried, surveying my wardrobe for a suitable dress for the Waldorf Hilton.

  Liam lifted a handful of hair so that he could gently nip at my shoulder. “Because I’d love to take a long, hot bath with you and do absolutely nothing.”

  Shivers ran through my body. I turned to wrap my arms around his shoulders. “That does sound fabulous
. Next weekend, we’ll find a hotel to hide away in.” I rubbed against him suggestively.

  “Not next weekend, I’m afraid,” Liam answered and withdrew my arms from around him. He looked serious.

  “Why? What’s happening next weekend?” I asked nervously.

  Liam began to dig through his bag for his clothes and his bathroom kit. He was clearly trying to avoid looking at me. My stomach flopped while I quietly waited for his answer. Finally looking up, he said nervously, “Well, my mother and father would like to meet you. So I thought you could come to Dublin next weekend.”

  “Oh!” I distracted myself by preparing for the evening while I pondered the enormity of this. Liam seemed happy to follow suit.

  Because there were so many of us, we took two cabs to the Waldorf. Taylor and Marcus went off by themselves, leaving the rest of us to cozy up in the back of the other. Hillary pointed out the sights of London as we drove past St. James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, and Pall Mall. “Covent Gardens isn’t too far from the Waldorf, if we feel like heading over there later,” Hillary explained, continuing on. She was clearly nervous at being in such close proximity to Michael.

  While Hillary described the history of the Waldorf, Liam quietly said, “She does realize we’ve all been to London before, doesn’t she?”

  “I think she’s just nervous. I have to say, I really didn’t expect Michael to make such an impact on her. Do you think he’s interested or just having fun?”

  “I really don’t know. Michael hasn’t said anything, but then again, he wouldn’t. Even though we’ve evolved to the point where we can send our women off to work, we don’t meet for tea and biscuits and share our feelings with each other,” he gently teased.

  “I just hope she doesn’t get hopeful without any reason to. I’m sure Michael is a nice guy and will be a perfect gentleman.”

  My attention was diverted when Michael started to talk about a transvestite club near Covent Gardens that he had stumbled upon. Not sure what Hillary’s response would be, I was thrilled to see the Waldorf. “Look, there’s the hotel. I’m so excited to see Tiziana! It seems like forever since we were in Chamonix together.”

  The cabbie pulled up in front of the hotel; Taylor and Marcus were waiting for us. Together we ventured inside, Hillary leading the way to the Homage Bar. The contemporary décor was in sharp contrast to the exterior façade. Tiziana and Ted weren’t there yet, so we gathered at a table away from the bar.

  The drinks were just being delivered when Marcus and Michael said in unison, “Wow!” Looking up to see what they were staring at, we followed their gaze to the beautiful woman entering the room.

  “Tiziana!” I shrieked, jumping up to greet her.

  “Wow,” said Liam, rising to his feet.

  Tiziana rushed over. Her cleavage seemed to nearly spill out of her low-cut dress. “Bella, look how beautiful you are! You look so happy.” She greeted me with kisses. “You remember Ted!” she added, once she released me from her embrace.

  “Of course. How are you?” I replied more sedately, giving Ted a brotherly hug. Liam had approached us and was immediately introduced.

  “Now I can see the reason for Charlotte’s smile. I’m so happy to meet you!” Tiziana purred to Liam, giving him hugs and kisses, too.

  Tiziana then introduced Ted to Liam. “You’re a very lucky man. Congratulations on your wedding,” Liam replied, shaking hands with Ted.

  “Don’t I know it? Thanks!” he said with a huge smile and a pat on Liam’s back.

  As they walked back to the group, Liam teased Charlotte, “You might have mentioned that Ted, was the Ted Blackwell.

  “Does that change anything?”

  Liam didn’t want to admit that it did, so he shook his head no, letting the subject drop.

  At the table, introductions were made all around. Michael and Marcus were clearly having a hard time keeping their train of thought. They seemed to be mesmerized by Tiziana’s shimmering silver gown.

  “Don’t worry! You’ll recover,” Ted told them quietly, with a snigger. Embarrassed at having been caught, once the two men refocused on the group, the penny dropped. Almost simultaneously, both men suddenly recognizing Ted for who he was, an international business mogul responsible for generating thousands of jobs worldwide. The men at the table exchanged stunned looks, and then decided to play it cool.

  Ted called the waiter over and ordered champagne for everyone. There was much ceremony around the delivery of the sterling silver ice buckets and chilled champagne. The bottles were expertly opened, glasses were filled, and Ted rose to make a toast. “To my gorgeous Tiziana and her beautiful friends. Oh, and of course to the men, as well! We look forward to many such occasions.” We all called our thanks and raised our glasses in tribute before letting the bubbly fluid trickle down our throats.

  The champagne continued to flow freely as the women in the group happily entertained the men with tales from when we first met through to our encounter with Ted at the casino. I was so thrilled to be there, in the moment, that even thoughts of Des Bannerman couldn’t take the smile from my face.

  Ted took over. “I’m sure you can appreciate the situation. I’d gone to Chamonix to visit an old friend and play cards. We were well into our third round of drinks and had lost several hands of blackjack when suddenly two delightful women accosted us. Charlotte here passed herself off as an expert at the game, giving us all kinds of advice. I was so dazzled by Tiziana that I couldn’t focus. In the end, I couldn’t tell you if Charlotte’s advice was any good. All I know is that I lost a hell of a lot of money that night.” Everyone laughed, most wondering what a hell of a lot of money was to him.

  “I didn’t know you were an expert at blackjack,” Liam said to me, drawing the group’s attention.

  “I read Blackjack for Dummies when I found out there was a casino in Chamonix. You’ll notice that it was Ted who lost his money. I never lost a dollar of mine.” I smirked.

  Soon after, I made my excuses and went in search of the restrooms. I was soon joined by a few others, and we chatted while unnecessarily fussing and primping. Upon returning, I saw that Liam and Ted were standing apart from Michael and Marcus, looking somewhat serious. Hoping nothing had happened, I walked over to them and said, “What are you two discussing, a trip to Monaco? I can lend you my book.”

  Ted quickly replied with a smile, “No, no! I wish, but no. We were just talking. Tiziana made me promise that I would make sure Liam was on the up and up and not another gigolo trying to spend your millions.”

  “Ah, well, now he knows I have millions. I’d been keeping that from him. Don’t let any more of my secrets out of the bag.” I laughed, sliding an arm around Liam’s waist and relaxing. All seemed well.

  Just then, Tiziana and Hillary walked over, bags and wraps in hand. “What’s next? Where are we off to now?”

  “Ted and I booked a table at Scott’s, if that sounds appealing. If not, we can go elsewhere. Have you been there? They serve the most delicious food. There’s an oyster bar, and I know how much you love oysters!” Tiziana replied, teasing me.

  “Well, if there are oysters involved, I’m all for it,” Liam replied with a leering grin.

  Marcus called from just a few feet away, “Oysters? Did I hear someone mention oysters? If there’s a saddle involved, I’m definitely in.”

  Ted and Tiziana exchanged a confused look while Taylor and I laughed. “Never mind,” I said to everyone else. “It isn’t worth explaining.”

  Tiziana, Liam and I waited for Ted in front the restaurant, the others safely stowed in a cab and heading toward Scott’s. When Ted pulled up, Liam let out a whistle and remarked, “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever been in one of these!”

  “Would you like to drive?” Ted offered, keys dangling from his hand.

  “Ah, I don’t think I would know how,” Liam said, laughing and waving off the keys.

  The four of us climbed into his 1938 Morgan 4/4. “Isn’t it lovely? To be so fre
e, on a summer evening, the air warm?” Tiziana hummed over her shoulder, her fingers stretching toward the evening’s stars.

  Liam asked just loud enough to be heard over the roar of the engine, “Does she always talk like that?”

  “Do you mean the purring or the drama?” I asked quietly, nuzzling his neck to muffle my voice.

  “Bella, you see! The summer night just begs for romance,” Tiziana trilled again, seeing our heads together. She laid her head back and gazed at the night sky. “So lovely.”

  “I have my answer about the drama and the purr!” Liam chuckled. “She is unique.”

  “Yes, she is.” I leaned forward to give Tiziana a kiss on the back of her head and heard her throaty laughter.

  Liam and I realized that Scott’s was in Chelsea when we arrived just a block away from Hillary’s house. Ted dropped us off at the restaurant and set out to find a parking spot with Liam’s help. We joined the rest of the group standing under the canopy.

  Michael held the door open for us all to enter. Tiziana made her way to the elegantly dressed man who was charged with the responsibility of seating guests.

  “Hello! Is the private room available tonight?” she asked.

  Eyeing her décolletage discreetly, he gulped and replied, “I’m afraid not this evening, madame. I apologize for the inconvenience. We’re booked quite full. I would be happy to call Bam-Bou or Le Caprice and inquire if there is seating available.” He was truly an accommodating fellow.

  “Not to worry, darling. We have a reservation. I think I see our tables now.” Tiziana pointed to a large empty space at the back of the room.

  “Oh, are you Mr. Blackwell’s party?” He seemed relieved to be able to seat our group.

  “Yes, we are,” Tiziana confirmed with a dazzling smile.

  Taylor elbowed Marcus and Michael. “Would you please put your tongues back in your mouths? On behalf of all mere mortal women, we acknowledge she’s beautiful. But if you guys keep this up, those of you who are mere mortal men won’t be getting laid tonight!” Tongues back in their mouths, once again looking contrite, Marcus and Michael took up the rear as the maître d’ lead us to our tables.