>>>ARETHA'S OUTFIT
I couldn't sleep, and for the life of me, I couldn't breathe either, but that was only because of Raphael's heavy self sleeping on my chest. Even that couldn't distract me from my thoughts though. I was too far gone.
He loves me!
I still couldn't wrap my head around this fact. I've been worried that things were moving too fast between us, and his admission honestly caught me completely off-guard. I mean, he couldn't possibly be in love with me already.
Right?
Ag! This is so frustrating. I mean, I care deeply about Raphael, no doubt about it, and I'd already admitted to myself that I am falling in love with him, but something was stopping me from saying it out loud. I had an uneasy feeling about something, and unfortunately, the something has nothing to do with Raphael.
It has everything to do with my past.
I know that there's a chance that Raphael might leave me when he finds out my secrets, and quite frankly, I'm not ready to deal with that, but at the same time, is it right and fair for us to get married before knowing each other's secrets?
Am I having second thoughts?
I freed myself from him before heading downstairs to the kitchen. It was only 03:21, which meant that everyone in the house was still asleep. Because of the distance of the rooms from the kitchen, I knew that none of them would hear me as I decided to bake.
I decided to just freestyle and let my mind and hands do what they feel, but I was unaware of the fact that I was baking multiple things at once. Only when everything had been mixed and was ready to be put into the oven, did I realize. I had mixed batter for a chocolate cake, a vanilla cake, red velvet cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies.
I put the cakes in one oven, and the cupcakes and cookies in another. Yes, Raphael actually has two ovens. I was actually delighted to learn that. Once everything was in the oven, the clock on the wall alerted me that it was 04:43.
I cleaned up the mess I made and washed the dirty dishes, before setting out the ingredients I would need for breakfast. I was feeling particularly creative as I giggled to myself, and I decided to have fun with the breakfast. I almost jumped out of my skin when cool arms wrapped around me.
"What are you so deep in thought about?" he murmured in my ear.
"I- I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.
"Ari, I've been staring at you since you came downstairs and you didn't even realize," he informed.
"What? You've been watching me this entire time?" I asked in shock, turning to face him. His golden eyes were looking down at me in concern.
"I wasn't asleep. I couldn't sleep because you couldn't, and when you left the bedroom, I followed you. I actually thought you were sleep walking, until I realized that you were just in deep thought. Now, what's bothering you so much?" he questioned again.
"It's nothing," I looked down.
"Ari..." he trailed off, but I refused to look up at him.
"Is it because of what I said? I didn't me-" he started before I stopped him.
"No! This isn't at all about what you said," I argued as I looked back into his concerned orbs.
"Not even a little bit?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Well maybe, but it's not what you think either," I bit my lip.
"Then what is it? You're driving me crazy with this sudden change in you. I wouldn't have said anything if I had known I'd freak you out like this," he sighed, letting go of me. I immediately missed the feeling of his arms.
"Are you, are you mad at me?"I asked lowly, afraid of what he would say.
"Mad at you for what?" he asked, his back to me.
"For not saying it back," I replied. He was silent for a long time, and I was afraid I'd lost him to his darkness.
"I'm not mad at you Ari. I'm just confused," he sighed, turning to face me. I was taken aback by the vulnerability in his eyes.
"Confused?" I scowled.
"Yes, confused! I thought all was going well between us, and while I didn't expect you to tell me that you love me too, I also didn't expect this drastic change in you. You've been distant from the moment I said those words, and I guess I'm just confused about whether or not I read too much into the situation," he confessed.
My heart broke.
"Nothing has changed Rafe," I whispered.
"Hasn't it? Can you honestly tell me that you haven't had a single thought of leaving me since I told you those words?" he challenged. I looked down.
I couldn't lie to him.
I had thought about leaving. There was a point where my thoughts had drowned me so much that I felt like it was all too much, and I couldn't bring myself to lie to him about that. He doesn't deserve that. Calloused fingers raised my chin before a chaste kiss was laid upon my lips.
"I love you Aretha, and that is never going to change. You have achieved what no other woman has ever been able to, not even Gabi, but I realize now that I cannot allow myself to tie you down if that is not what you wish," he said softly before kissing me again. Before I could say anything, he was gone from the kitchen.
I would've gone after him, but the oven decided to beep at that time, and so I attended to that. My mind was heavy with confusion. What exactly had he meant by his words? Does this mean we're not getting married?
"Good morning girlie!" Rhonda greeted, being the first person since Raphael to walk into the kitchen.
"Hey," I replied.
"What's wrong?" she immediately caught on. I could never hide my emotions from her.
"It's nothing," I forced a smile. She was about to say something when tiny footsteps sounded from the passage.
"We're talking about this later," she gave me a look.
"MUMMY!" the girls squealed as they came into view before coming to hug my legs.
"Morning my babies! Did you sleep well?" I asked them.
"Yep!" they replied before I realized that they were dressed.
"Where are you guys going so early in the morning?" I scowled.
"We're going to Sydney," Camilla replied.
"Sydney? As in Sydney in Australia?" Rhonda asked.
"Yep! We're leaving with daddy after breakfast," Caterina smiled.
My heart sank.
"Excuse me," I whispered before leaving the kitchen and heading to our room.
"You're taking the girls?" I asked him as soon as I walked in.
"I never travel without them," he replied as he put his tie on.
"And you were just going to leave without saying anything to me?" I asked incredulously.
"Look Ari, I wasn't even going to go on this trip, but you need to think, and with us being here, you can't do that. We'll be gone for a week," he replied before walking over to close his bag.
This wasn't happening!
"So what? You're just going to leave me here?" I asked.
"You're making this sound like it's easy for me," he finally stopped to look at me.
"Well you're sure as heck making it look so!" I countered.
"I am in love with you Aretha! Do you know how painful it is to see the indecision in your eyes? All this time, I've deluded myself into thinking that we were both on the same page, only to find out that there's a possibility that you might not even want to be here!" he said, getting louder by the second.
"That's not true," I whispered, the first hot tear trailing down my cheek. His whole demeanour softened at the sight. He sighed and walked over until he was standing right before me.
"I love you Ari, but you need this. You need time away from me and the girls to figure out what you really need. If you want to travel anywhere, just let me know and I'll arrange the entire trip. Just, just don't give up on us, on me," he ended with a broken whisper as he wiped away my tears. By now I was full on crying.
"You're not leaving me right?" I asked nervously.
"I would never," he said before kissing my forehead.
He turned and grabbed his bag before walking out of the room, and all I could do was stand there and watch him leave. A part of me knew that he was right. I did need to truly think this over, but watching him leave made me realize that perhaps my mind was already made up, and that fear had taken over.
The fear of giving my heart to someone again.
Daniel had said he loved me too. He had worshipped the very ground I walked on, but he was also a monster. He made me believe that I meant the world to him, only for him to turn around and use me as his punching bag.
I was afraid, and I wanted to believe that Raphael would never do that to me, but I just couldn't get it out of my mind.
The fact that he has dark secrets.
For all I know, abuse could be one of those secrets, and I would be damned before I let another man beat me. I wiped away my tears and headed to the bathroom to splash my face. By the time I made it back downstairs, Raphael and the girls were already leaving.
"Bye mummy!" the girls hugged me.
"Bye my angels! Get me lots of gifts and take lots of pictures ok? I love you," I kissed their foreheads.
"Ok! We love you too!" they giggled before running out to the car. I turned to Raphael, who was already looking at me with blank eyes.
Dear God, please don't make me lose him!
"How come they didn't ask why I'm not coming along?" I asked curiously.
"I told them you were too busy planning the wedding," he shrugged.
"Rafe I-" I said, only for him to raise his hand.
"Don't! Just take this week and figure out what you want. I just want you to be happy Ari, but at this point in time, I can only hope that you see your happiness and a future with me and the girls. I wont force you into it. I want you to stay in our lives willingly, and not because you feel that you have an obligation to the girls because of how quickly they adapted to you. While I want a mother for the girls, I also want a wife and I'd prefer that they be one in the same, so before you even think about staying just for the girls, think about what that would do to me. I'll call when we land," he sighed before turning towards the door.
"Rafe-" I called to him, only to have him cut me off again.
"Think about what you truly want Ari. See you in a week. I love you," he said before walking out the door, once again leaving me feeling empty.
"What the hell happened between you two? Didn't you have a romantic dinner last night? I thought you'd like the cars," Rhonda commented behind me.
"You knew about that?" I turned to face her.
"Well, he needed advice on how to gain your forgiveness, so I thought why the hell not! Now, what is going on with you two?" she folded her arms just as Marci came into the foyer.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"I'm waiting for the answer to that exact same question," Rhonda told her.
"I don't understand," Marci scowled.
"Your brother and Rita here are in some kind of dispute, if you may even call it that," Rhonda informed.
"It's not that at all," I defended.
"Then what is it? Do enlighten us," Marci replied.
"I guess we should sit down then," I sighed.
Rhonda and I went to the lounge, while Marci headed to the kitchen. I was surprised when she returned with a tray with tea cups and tea. Rhonda and I thanked her before preparing our own cups. Once we each had a cup, I figured it was time to share the recent events.
"So, as you both probably know, Raphael took me out for dinner last night. It was truly amazing, but then he ended up telling me that he loves me," I started off.
"I don't see the problem! You love him too," Rhonda frowned. I looked down.
"You do love him, right?" Marci said, panic clear in her tone.
"I don't know! I mean, I know that I'm on my way there, but I can't say it's definite, or at least not as confidently as he did. With him, he's sure, but I don't know if I am. I care about him deeply though," I replied. I looked up to find them both looking at me like I'd grown two heads.
"Please tell me you at least said it back, even if it would've been a lie," Marci pleaded.
"I could never lie to him like that," I shook my head.
"So what now?" Rhonda asked.
"Now, he and the girls are off to Australia and he's told me to take the time while they're away to think about things. He was pretty much upset that I don't feel the same way he does," I sighed. I was met by silence for the longest time.
"And what do you plan on doing?" Rhonda asked me.
"I don't know," I admitted.
"Maybe you should really get away from everything and everyone," Marci suggested.
"You mean I should take a holiday?" I scowled.
"I mean exactly that. Go out and treat yourself. You've been thinking about everyone else and helping everyone else for so long that I think you've forgotten how to cater to yourself. Perhaps my brother was right in that you need to think about this clearly. You need to figure out what you want and where you want your life to go. You don't even know what you want to do with your life, so take some time off and figure it out," Marci explained.
For a moment, I let myself think about what she was saying. Ever since I got fired from the hotel, my life has been one heck of a rollercoaster. I haven't had time to think about what I truly want out of my life, even though I was pretty sure that it was to be Mrs Maestri and a mother to the girls. I guess I got caught up in everything that I lost myself.
"We'll take care of your grandmother and everything else around here, but I agree with Marci on this. You need to get away girlie. It will do you some good, and hopefully you'll come to your senses," Rhonda smiled as she squeezed my hand.
"You guys really think so?" I bit my lip.
"We know so love," Marci winked.
"Ok, I'll do it! But how do I tell Rafe?" I asked.
"Don't worry about it! I'll arrange everything for you and just bill him. You don't have to say anything to him until you're ready to," Marci smiled.
"Thank you guys," I hugged them.
"You're welcome girlie! Now go and pack while we arrange everything for you," Rhonda shooed.
"Wait! Where am I going?" I asked since I hadn't picked a place.
"Pick a place," Marci replied.
"Uhm, Argentina?" I replied.
"Argentina it is! I have a friend there who I'm sure wouldn't mind taking you on a tour before you branch off alone," Marci smiled.
"Ok! Let me go and get ready! Thanks again guys!" I hugged them.
"It's a pleasure! Now off with you," Marci said as they pushed me towards the elevator.
I got to the room and quickly packed a bag before heading for the shower. Once out, I decided to go with a simple outfit which consisted of white jeans, a brown top, gold accessories, cheetah print heels and a matching bag. I styled my hair into a stylish bun.
My engagement ring caught light and brought my attention to it. It was that moment that had me truly questioning whether I was ready for this. I could go to Argentina without it since it would be a reminder, but then again, it would cause trouble if I didn't take it.
I decided to leave it behind, but my decision lasted a minute because once I was downstairs, I realized that I couldn't leave without it. As confused as I am, I am most definitely not a single woman. I am very much taken, even if I haven't given my heart completely to the man that loves me.
"Where did you go?" Rhonda asked, probably referring to me going back upstairs.
"I'd forgotten my passport," I lied.
I need to stop with these lies. It's not me.
"Oh ok! Well, you're all good to go. Unfortunately, Marci and I will have to drive you to the airport. Lui and Sven both left with Raphael, the girls and Bianca," she informed.
"Oh! What time is my flight?" I asked.
"Approximately one hour fifteen minutes from now, so we need to get a move on it," she replied as she took my luggage bag from me.
"That was quick!" I commented.
"I know people! Right, when you land, Gustavo will be waiting for you," Marci informed me.
"Who?" I scowled.
"Gustavo Francella," she replied.
"Who is he?" I asked.
"The friend I was telling you about," she laughed.
"Oh! I thought the friend was female," I pointed out.
"You thought wrong. You have nothing to worry about though. He's a married man who is dedicated to his marriage. He will not try anything with you," she assured.
"Oh, well that's better," I smiled.
"Alright! Let's get going!" Rhonda announced before heading outside with my bag.
"Let me go say bye to my grandmother before I leave," I said.
"They're not here! They left last night for my grandmother's villa. They're staying there now," Marci replied.
I didn't know that!
"Oh! I'll call her when I land then," I decided.
"You do that! Let's go," Marci smiled.
In two hours, I was sitting in the luxurious first class, watching some movies as the plane settled in the sky. I will never get used to this lavish life. I know that Raphael wants me to accept that if I choose to stay with them, this is what my life will be about, but I just can't bring myself to accept something so life changing.
I was enjoying the movie when I was tapped on the shoulder. I looked over to find a handsome man with blue eyes and blonde hair staring at me.
"Uh, hi," I smiled.
"I'm sorry! Hi! I'm Jonathan," he introduced.
"Aretha," I replied.
"A beautiful name for an even more gorgeous woman," he smiled.
"Is that what you say to all women?" I raised an amused eyebrow.
"Only the gorgeous ones," he smirked.
"Oh, so you don't find all women beautiful?" I challenged.
"How did this become an argument about all women's beauty, when I came here solely focused on yours?" he chuckled.
"I find offense for all women," I shrugged.
"Feminist much?" he teased.
"You can bet on it," I nodded with a smile.
"Well, you're certainly not what I expected when I walked over here," he admitted.
"Shame on you for judging a book by its cover then," I smirked.
"Ah, shame on me alright! Let me get you a drink to make up for it," he suggested.
"I'm engaged," I blurted.
I don't even know where that came from.
"Well that was random, but I figured that out already from the massive rock on your finger. Where is the fiancé anyway? If I were him, I wouldn't let you out of my sight," he flirted.
He did just hear me say that I'm engaged right?
"He's on a business trip in Australia," I found myself informing.
"Oh? And what are you going to do in Argentina?" he asked in interest.
"Vacation," I stupidly replied.
"Alone? Why not go with him?" he scowled.
"It's, complicated," I mumbled.
"I doubt a situation could be complicated with a beautiful woman like you involved," he argued.
"You'd be surprised Jono! This is the real world," I shrugged, only to be met by silence. When I looked over at him, he was looking at me funny.
"What?" I frowned.
"You're the first person to ever call me that," he replied with a cute smile.
Wait! What am I saying?
"Oh, uhm, sorry?" I said unsurely.
"Oh no! I like it," he chuckled.
"Well ok then," I said awkwardly.
"So, does the dearest fiancé know that you're jetting off in the opposite direction of where he is?" he asked.
I hadn't even thought about it that way.
"I think," I honestly replied. I don't know whether Marci informed him or not.
"You think? You sound very undecided about this guy," he commented.
"I'm not!" I defended.
"Sure you aren't," he replied before calling over a hostess.
It unnerved me that this strange man was calling me out on emotions I hadn't even figured out myself. The air hostess looked mad for whatever reason, but I was too busy glaring at Jonathan to care.
"You can't keep glaring at me like that just because I told you the truth," he commented, sipping on his brandy and not bothering to look my way.
"You know nothing about me," I spat.
"I know that you're a spitfire at heart, despite the innocent aura surrounding you. I also know that you probably went on this little vacation to clear your thoughts and get you mind straight. You don't know whether or not you want to marry this man, and that's fine. I wasn't judging you for it. I was merely making an observation," he countered.
I was officially silenced as my mouth opened and closed a couple of times before I decided not to say anything. I couldn't fault the man for being observant, even though his observations made me feel uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry! That was very insensitive of me. I shouldn't have pried like that," he apologized.
"It's ok," I whispered.
"It wasn't but you're forgiving," he offered a small smile.
"What are you going to do in Argentina?" I diverted.
"I'm going to meet with some potential clients," he replied.
"Oh? And what industry are you involved in?" I asked.
"Art," he smiled.
"Art? What kind?" I scowled.
"All kinds of tangible art! I do business with painters, sculptors, carvers, modellers, fashion designers and so on," he replied.
"Is it a big deal? How exactly does it work?" I asked. I was truly curious about this.
"Well, my company, JB Global Designs, has the different departments for each kind of different art. What we do is we find talented people in those different departments, and we sit and review their work. If we think it's got the potential, we fund the person. Funding the person normally includes funding for things like extra classes on how to do certain things, their materials and their working spaces," he explained.
"That sounds incredible, but what do you get out of it?" I frowned.
"Not only do we get the satisfaction of knowing that we changed someone's life, but we get a cut from everything they design while they are under their contracts with us. Their contracts are usually for five years after their training, and then they are free to branch off as solo artists or renew their contracts with us, but that first five year contract is mandatory," he further elaborated.
"That seriously sounds amazing! How long has the company been running for?" I smiled.
"It's been in my family for fifty years, but only seven years ago did I give it a new name and image. The rebranding actually worked in our favour, despite the panic it caused with my family. They were worried that changing the name would make us lose our customers, but instead, they fell in love with the new name and image more, so that worked," he chuckled.
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Twenty seven," he smirked.
"So you took over when you were twenty?" I said wide-eyed.
"I've always had a good eye for art, and I followed my parents around a lot when I was younger. My dad had a mild heart attack when I was twenty, and my mum wouldn't let him carry on with the business. Since my older sister is already a model, she wanted nothing to do with the company, which meant I was next in line. My parents were sceptical at first, especially when I pitched the whole image reinvention thing to them, but when the company made twice as many millions in my first year, as it had in my dad's last year, they had confidence that I could take the company to new heights, which is what I've successfully done for the past seven years," he said proudly.
"I can tell that you really do love your job, and it truly is impressive that you've made such a name for yourself," I smiled.
"A name you don't even know," he teased.
"Jonathan..." I trailed off.
"Barclay," he winked.
"JB," I said in realization.
"Aren't you a smart one?" he mocked.
"Shut up!" I smacked his arm.
"But I like teasing you," he pouted.
"Well you're a dork, so stop! Are your parents by any chance Marylyn and Geoffrey Barclay?" I asked. His eyes widened.
"You know them?" he asked.
"Quite well actually! I believe they once referred to you as the spoilt, devil child," I giggled. The look on his face was priceless.
While I'd never seen a picture of Jonathan before, I remember his parents. They were one of The Maestri Hotel's frequent customers when they visited their youngest daughter in Washington. When Jonathan mentioned his father's heart attack, I remembered Mrs Barclay telling me about it, thus triggering everything else they both told me about their lives.
"That sounds like something they'd call me, but how do you know them?" he asked.
"I used to work at the hotel they always check into when they visit your younger sister," I replied.
"The Maestri in Washington?" he frowned.
"The very one!" I nodded.
"You look too beautiful to be a hotel worker! How long ago was this?" he asked.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I giggled.
"Try me," he smirked.
"Less than three weeks, but I was actually wrongfully fired from the job," I informed. He looked shocked.
"Not to be offensive here, but I'm going to guess that a very rich man snagged you up right?" he guessed.
"It's not offensive at all, but you're right! It was my ex-boss," I hinted.
"Hold on, if you were fired from The Maestri Hotel, then your ex-boss would be Raphael Maestri," he put together.
"There you go," I smiled. His mouth dropped in disbelief.
"You're Raphael Maestri's fiancée?" he asked wide-eyed.
"Yep!" I nodded.
"I don't even know what to say, where to begin! A million women would kill to be in your shoes and you're running from him? How come?" he frowned.
I decided that I actually trusted Jonathan, so I told him everything from the day I met the girls. I could tell that the two of us were going to be great friends, despite his flirtatious nature. As I told him my story, he listened attentively, and I let him mull over what I'd told him once I was done. I had even showed him pictures of the girls and Raphael.
"You're in love with the man Aretha," he finally spoke.
"You think?" I bit my lip.
"I know for a fact that you are. Despite your love for and your attachment to those little girls, no woman in their right mind would move her entire life to another country just for a connection she felt for little girls. They would've been fine without you and eventually gotten over ever meeting you. You got attached to them yes, but they're not the only ones you connected with. From what you've just told me, it seems it was love at first sight for both you and Raphael. You love that man, and I can tell that there's a deeper reason to why you're not letting yourself love him, or letting his love in for that matter," he divulged.
"Do you really think so?" I scowled.
"What's that thing they say about love and time; 'You can be in a relationship for two years and feel nothing; you can be in a relationship for two months and feel everything. Time is not a measure of quality, of infatuation, or of love.' So, in regards to your fears that your relationship with him is progressing too quickly, then slow it down, but don't deny your feelings. It's not a sin to be in love while taking things slow. The way I see it, your marriage would only be solidifying what you guys have. It's not a bad thing, and you need to let go of whatever is holding you back," he advised.
"I was abused," I whispered.
"And do you think Raphael is capable of doing the same thing to you?" he asked.
"No, but I don't truly know him," I admitted.
"Does he truly know you? Does he know the bit of information you just shared with me?" he asked.
"No! I wouldn't even know where to begin telling him," I sighed.
"Alright, fair enough! Does he at least know your concerns about not knowing him truly?" he questioned.
"Well no," I mumbled.
"Aretha, you do realize that while Raphael Maestri is many things, I highly doubt he is a mind reader. You need to tell him about all of this. He needs to understand your fears because right now, I can bet you he thinks you don't love him, and deep inside you know you do," he pointed out. I was silent for a while.
"I thought you came over here to hit on me," I teased, breaking the tension as he laughed.
"That was my initial intention, but now I think I'll just keep you as a best friend. I don't have any female friends, let alone female best friends," he said dramatically.
"I wonder why," I rolled my eyes as he put his arm around my shoulders.
"Hey! Females almost always want one thing from me, and it aint my friendship," he smirked.
"Eeuw!" I scrunched up my face.
"But you see my dearest Aretha, that's what I need you in my life for," he winked.
"To do what exactly?" I raised an eyebrow.
"To keep the whores away of course," he chuckled.
"And you are aware that I'm engaged right?" I laughed.
"I know that much, but you could be my whore detector. You could keep me from allowing gold diggers to sink their claws into my money. Hell, you could help me find my Mrs Barclay since you're taken and all," he smiled.
"You're delusional, but I accept the challenge. What you need to do first is find God," I smiled.
"God?" he frowned.
"Do you go to church Jonathan?" I asked.
"I don't even remember what the inside of a church looks like," he shamefacedly confessed.
"Luckily for you, I'm a committed Catholic, so we're going to work on your spirituality before anything else," I smiled.
"Uhm, ok! I don't know how that will help, but I'll trust you," he returned the smile.
"Well, that's the important part, you trusting me! You're my friend now, so it's my friendship duty," I replied.
"Best friend," he corrected.
"Ah yes, best friend," I giggled.
"And as for you, you're going to call your fiancé the moment that we land and you're going to tell him that you're finding yourself through this vacation, but you and I have a lot of work to do," he said thoughtfully.
"What on earth are you talking about?" I frowned.
"You, my dear, are going to give him the surprise of the century," he smirked.
"And how am I going to do that?" I asked.
"Oh, you just wait and see," he said, looking very excited about whatever was buzzing in his head.
"Well ok then," I said awkwardly.
The rest of our flight was spent with us getting to know each other even more. He told me things I didn't expect him to, and things I would've rather gone the rest of my life not knowing. I found that we had a mutual trust in each other, which surprised me, but it also made me feel better about my life. I felt like I'd offloaded in a way that I hadn't managed to do with Raphael, Rhonda, Luigi or Marci.
With Jonathan, I had completely bared my soul to him, and he to me.
We landed hours later and I had managed to get in a nap or three, despite Jonathan's incapability of shutting up. We found our luggage before he informed me that he hadn't actually made any reservations anywhere, so we decided we'd stick together on this trip. He invited me to come with him to meet his clients and all, so I was excited about that.
We met Gustavo and he's actually a nice man. He took us to The Maestri Hotel branch in Buenos Aires, and I wasn't shocked to find out that Marci had already booked me into the penthouse suite. Jonathan got a booking in one of the other penthouses on the same floor as me. We checked in before he stood before me expectantly once we'd put our stuff down.
"What?" I scowled.
"Go on," he crossed his arms.
"I'm lost here," I admitted.
"Call Raphael," he instructed.
"Can't I do that later?" I groaned.
"Nope! You're doing it now," he countered.
"But-" I started.
"No buts Aretha!" he said sternly.
"Alright fine!" I mumbled as I took out my phone. I still had battery life, and I was nervous as the phone rang.
"Cara mia," his velvety, yet tired voice reached my ears. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his term of endearment.
So he wasn't completely mad at me.
"I thought you were going to call me when you landed," was the first thing I blurted. Jonathan gave me a 'really?' look.
"Your phone was off," Raphael replied.
"Oh right," I giggled awkwardly. Jonathan face-palmed himself.
"We landed safely but the girls are asleep now. They wanted to video chat with you, but I told them they'd do it when they wake up," he informed me.
"Oh, that will be great," I beamed.
"I figured! So, where are you? My accounts have been billed, but my sister has hidden the information regarding where all this money has ended up," he informed.
"Uhm, I'm in Argentina," I replied.
"By yourself?" I picked up the worry and disbelief in his tone.
"Well I was alone, but now not anymore," I replied.
"Who are you with?" the possessiveness in his voice shone through. Apparently he was loud enough for Jonathan heard him. He mouthed the words 'tell him you're with me'.
"Jonathan," I informed.
"Jonathan who?" the possessiveness changed to anger.
"Barclay," I replied. I was met with silence.
"The fucker! Put him on the phone," Raphael finally replied. I was confused but handed Jonathan the phone anyway.
"Ambrosi my friend," Jonathan chuckled as he took the phone.
Wait a minute! What on earth is going on?
"Trust me, I know everything, and I can guarantee you that you have nothing to worry about," Jonathan spoke.
"Why would you tell him that?" I whispered angrily, only to be ignored.
"I promise I'll take care of her. I'll be with her for her entire stay here and I'll even bring her back to you," Jonathan said. After a while he chuckled.
"Alright man, hold on," he said before giving me the phone back.
"Cara mia?" Raphael called.
"Yes?" I replied.
"Please don't leave that bastard's side. While he's a little turd, he's one of my most trusted friends. Argentina can be very tricky when you're travelling alone, so please promise me you wont leave his side," he pleaded.
"I promise, but I thought you didn't have friends," I commented.
"I lied," was all he said.
"Oh ok! So, I guess I'll see you when I get back home?" I asked.
"Yes you will, and please remember my words. I hope this trip is what you need, and remember to use my card," he just had to remind.
"I wont forget," I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me.
"Good! Please also keep me updated on your safety and whereabouts," he added.
"I thought you trust Jonathan," I joked.
"Not that much," he chuckled. The amount of happiness that overwhelmed me at the sound of his laughter was amazing.
"Ok! He's getting impatient now, so I'll call you again before I sleep," I offered.
"Alright, fair enough. Take care cara mia and enjoy yourself," he told me.
"Thanks caro! Enjoy your trip too, and kiss the girls for me please?" I replied.
"Will do!" he replied.
"Ok bye," I said before hanging up. I didn't want him to tell me that he loves me- not when I'm still not completely ready to say it back.
"See? Don't you feel better now?" Jonathan smirked.
"You sly man! You didn't even tell me that you know Raphael!" I glared at him.
"Now where's the fun in that?" he chuckled.
"I hate you!" I huffed.
"No, you love me! Now, I'm hungry and I know a great restaurant we can go to, so let's begin our Argentinean adventure," he smiled, hooking our arms.
"Do I have a choice?" I giggled.
"Nope!" he replied, dragging me to the elevator as I continued to laugh.
Here's to discovering myself.
**********
ELO SMURFLETTES!!!
So, I know I took forever to update, but I hope this makes up for it.
So, what are your thoughts on Jonathan? And what about Aretha's state of mind? Do you think Raphael was justified with his thoughts?
Please vote, comment, add to your libraries, share and follow! I love you guys!
Katee (^^,)