Page 103 of Capo

“Hey. Where’re we going?”

He shrugs and says something in Italian before he pulls at his safety belt and gestures for me to sit back. I groan. My life in a nutshell, ushered around.

I’m like glued to the windows, darting from left to right as we pass through narrow streets and wide boulevards. Everything here is old. Like really, really old, and I’m beyond awed. It’s so pretty. There are flowers in almost every window of the dirty-beige stone buildings. The houses get larger and a little more modern looking and we stop outside a black marble facade with heavy glass doors and tinted windows. The street is narrow. On the other side is a small canal and behind lies a park where some children play and their fashionable moms sit and chat. I’m suddenly embarrassed over my simple outfit and pull self-consciously at the hem of my dress. We have double parked and the driver gestures for me to exit. I’m confused. I’m to get out by myself? It’s the first time someone doesn’t grab me by the arm and pull me along. With an almost agoraphobic feeling I step out, standing like a lost puppy on the sidewalk. The thought that I could run strikes me. I could find the American embassy and find shelter. They’d help me!

In the next moment it’s too late. A woman in a white, tight dress slams open the doors and comes darting down the stairs, waving for me to come inside. I glance left and right. If it’s just her, I could do it. How would she stop me? A prickle in my back makes me look over my shoulder. The driver has lowered his window, his eyes trained on me. Yeah, okay. Someone would stop me.

As always these days, I expect the worst, and I’m at a loss for words when I follow the girl up the stairs and step inside a beauty parlor. Between the decor in gold and white, the elegant staff who look like they’ve been employed based on how attractive they are, the bottle of Cristal on ice, the Bottega purse in the lap of the only other customer, I realize that I’ve stepped into spa heaven. If I was uncomfortable in my simple clothes before, I now want to crawl under the counter before us and hide.

“Signorina Becker,” the girl waves impatiently, “come with me, please.”

I’m too dazed to think and follow her up a narrow set of stairs. She shows me to a dressing room and hands me a pile of white cloth.

“Shower. Put on the robe, and then press the button. I will come get you.”

“Wait. What am I doing here?”

She looks taken aback. “You are to receive treatment.”

“What treatment?”

“Signorina, the best Roma can offer. Facial, massage, waxing, manicure and pedicure, we will do your hair,” her gaze wanders up to my mane that has admittedly not gotten any love at all in seven or eight months. “We will do make up. You will be beautiful. There will be a light lunch, champagne of course, and then Celia from Ralph Lauren will come with clothes.”

‘Champagne of course.’

Ralph Lauren.?

“Just push the button, Signorina. I will be with you all day and make you comfortable. Si?”

“Yeah,” I say on a heavy exhale. “Okay.”

I let them escort me to a hot bath with a heavy scent of eucalyptus. I fall asleep during the massage and can’t breathe in the thick steam as they manhandle my face.

When I’m getting my feet scrubbed I’m handed a phone.

“Si?” I say and then throw a hand over my mouth. I’m inundated with Italian, hearing it around me all day long, every day. The first glass of champagne has definitely loosened my tongue as well. The girl at my feet looks up and giggles.

His deep, rumbling laugh in my ear sends shivers down my spine.

“Si, Chloe? Are you turning Italian?”

I blush. “Hi. What the hell are you putting me through?”

“You don’t like it? I thought this was a woman thing, getting pampered.”

“I… well… It’s very nice. But…”

“But?”

“It’s a freaking one eighty. I’m getting whiplash here.”

“I like your hands soft when they’re stroking my cock.”

A gasp escapes me. I squirm and look down at the girl, hoping she didn’t hear that. “I have company,” I hiss.

“I’m paying them handsomely to do anything I tell them. Make sure they treat you right.”

“Because it’ll be a long time before someone does again?”

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