The Sicillian Rose (Former Sicillian Seductions)

Chapter 8 - Prince Charming

With hands clasping, she swallowed down a lump in her throat and stared at the package on the table. The package stared back at her with impatience.

“Nadia, you’ve been staring at it the entire morning.” Gia’s impatient voice spoke loud next to her.

Raaf! Raaf!

Gino was equally restless, barking at his beloved friend to open the package.

From the moment it arrived, till now, Nadia hadn’t been able to work or think about what to do next with the burnt warehouse. Mentally, she calculated the length, width and depth. Her mind thought about the volume of the parcel. Slowly, her fingers reached out to touch the edges of the package.

Gia’s eyes widened and her lips parted with anticipation. Gino was about to bark but her hand gently patted the dog’s head. For once, Gino heeded Gia’s signal and instead, let his tongue hang out.

Nadia didn’t open it.

“Open it!” Gia demanded.

“It’s from Raul.”

Gia rolled her eyes and glared at her older sister. Settling herself closer to Nadia, she nudged her at the elbow. “Yes, its from Raul. And it’s also for your date tonight. But what I don’t know is and would like to know is what is inside?”

Nadia took in a deep breath and exhaled, causing Gia to bite down on her fingernails.

“Curiosity kills the cat, you know.” Gia said.

Raaf! Gino barked at Gia.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s just a saying, you silly dog.” Next, Gia reached out and picked up the package. “Open it.” She paced it on her sister’s lap.

“Why are you so eager to know what’s inside?” Nadia felt the edges of the package, feeling the brown paper covering it. It was personally delivered by Raul’s butler, a skinny elderly man with an aristocratic nose and a inquisitive but polite smile at Nadia.

“Domanda stupida.”

Nadia looked at her sister and shook her head. “I asked a perfectly logical question. What do you mean its silly?”

Gia pulled a second drawer, fished between some small boxes and pulled out a pair of scissors. She handed them to her sister and her eyes shifted to and fro from the package to Nadia.

Nadia slit the paper and pulled it the remaining piece off.

“Oh mio dio, che è molto costoso.” Gia stuttered as both sisters stared at the name embossed on the box.

Gino came over to sniff the box and sat on his hind legs, his tail wagging and looking earnestly at Nadia with his big brown eyes.

The late Elizabeth Taylor, Aga Khan and Jacqueline Kennedy, women who were widely known in recent times had worn Valentino. Now her own sister who had never worn a luxury brand in her life before was presented with one. And that too by one of the most eligible bachelors in all of Sicily.

Gia had only seen those frocks in the magazines. “Ooh la la.” She was almost speechless.

Nadia touched the red embossed letters but was extremely hesitant to open the box. Her mind raised questions. How on earth would Raul even know her size? What if the dress was not to her liking, like maybe it was the color red? A shade she disliked for its attention grabbing magnetism. How would it make her look? If she were to even agree to wear it in the first place, that is.

“Open it,” Gia’s voice was almost breathless. “Please, Nadia.”

Nadia lifted the lid and put it on the table. Pink tissue paper cradled the item within. Gently, she took out one. There was more paper. Patiently, she removed all of the paper.