His Discarded Bride: Lied to from birth. Manipulated into marriage. Does love stand a chance? (3 page)

Leilani glanced at herself in the mirror of the tightly squeezed bathroom. It had been mortifying to find herself sleeping on the arm of a perfect stranger. Double that mortification it was the same stranger that had presumptuously stroked her hand. She splashed water on her eyes and used a paper towel to dab them dry. What she needed was an inch of makeup to get her even remotely presentable. Her hair was a tangled mess. She pulled out a hair elastic and tied it back in a ponytail. It only highlighted her swollen eyes, so she quickly removed it and ran her fingers through the mess. She really should have washed it. It had been only passably acceptable this morning, and the jog through the airport had indeed not made an improvement.

Glancing once more in the mirror, she resigned herself to the fact that this was the best she was going to look without resources and headed back to her seat. She decided she would stop being a mouse, ask Renato to pass down her e-reader and spend the rest of the trip reading. A guaranteed way to deter her neighbour from any further chatting and ease her level of self-consciousness.

“Excuse me, would you be kind enough to pull my suitcase down? I’d just like to grab my e-reader out if it’s not too much trouble?”

“Unfortunately the seat belt light has come on. You might need to wait to get your items,” he stated. The turbulence timed itself superbly.

Leilani took her seat and sat rigidly in-between the two passengers. She would not be falling asleep on either of them during the remainder of this trip.

“Are you feeling better now,” he asked her.

Renato had never been one to beat about the bush. Cultural maybe but he didn’t see the point of not immediately getting to the point.

Once again embarrassed Leilani muttered that she was fine and clammed up while waiting to get her e-reader.

“Do you mind if we talk a bit? It’s a long trip, and this outdated plane doesn’t seem to have any television screens to watch.”

He was right. The only television screens were in the aisle of the aircraft and the nearest to them was flickering. Not wanting to be rude she agreed to converse.

Renato felt a small victory, now to find out as much as he could. “So, are you travelling to Rome on holiday?”

“Yes, sort of and I have some business of sorts to attend to.”

Intrigued Renato wanted to push further but decided the best strategy for extracting information would need to be less direct. He knew exactly the approach he would take.

“Rome is a wonderful city with so many popular tourist destinations. Are you planning on taking any tours while you are here?”

Leilani hesitated for a moment and then figured that not much harm could come to her from divulging her likely travel spots. It’s not like she was giving him her itinerary and to find her amongst the throng of other tourists he’d have to be pretty committed or insane. Her current assessment was that he appeared quite normal and as he had stated it would be a long flight.

“Well yes, I want to see some of the highlights, The Colosseum, Forum and Pantheon as well as the Vatican in Rome.  There are some other places, but I think I’ll need to figure out what I can realistically achieve when I get a better understanding of the public transport system. I wouldn’t mind seeing Pompeii either.”

“Fantastic choices. You must ensure you go for some nice strolls through Rome of an evening. Most of the fountains through the city light up and it is a lovely way to pass the time and work off any pasta or gelato you might have been tempted by.”

“I’ve heard the food and ice cream is delicious. I can’t wait to try some local food.”

“I’m sure your companions will take you to the right places to enjoy our local dishes?” He questioned.

“Ah, well I’m mostly travelling on my own; however, I’m sure all the food in Italy is lovely.”

Leilani watched a concerned look flit across Renato’s face. “I hope you don’t get offended by what I say, but I must caution you. Italy is quite civilized; however, a lovely young woman travelling on her own could quickly become a target. We, unfortunately, have many ‘zingari’ in English you refer to possibly as gypsies. They are not always so scrupulous, and you must take care not to find yourself in a dangerous situation. What if you were robbed or worse?”

“Oh, I thought Rome was relatively safe?” Leilani tried not to worry. She would just have to be street smart, and besides, she didn’t have all that much to steal. She would keep her money very well guarded to ensure she didn’t lose the little she had brought with her.

“It is safe enough, particularly if you know the area. Personally I would not allow any young ladies from my family to travel by themselves through the city.”

“Isn’t that a bit outdated? I mean how do they feel about that?” Leilani wasn’t trying to engage in battle, however; surely that type of thinking had long gone. I mean why should a man be able to travel unguarded but a woman would need chauffeuring. She was certainly no strong standing feminist, but she did believe in a level of equality.

“Unfortunately for me I have no young sisters or nieces to protect. If I did, I would take my responsibility seriously, and it is the responsibility of the men in the family to take care of their women.”

Leilani glowered at him, and he made an amendment. “Now don’t get all worked up,” he smiled. “I cannot help it if I want to treat women well.”

Leilani softened slightly fairly sure that he was trying to flirt lightly with her. If only she were remotely in his league, she might be able to banter back with him. Instead, she found herself fantasising about his lips pressed against hers and promptly broke out in a rosy blush. Humiliated she pretended to look out the window only the passenger to her left had pulled down the shutter. With nowhere else to look she studied her knotted hands and pictured how awful she must look with her swollen eyes, messed up hair and beet red face. This flight couldn’t end soon enough.

Renato allowed himself a minor victory smile. He had noticed her reaction and the way she stared at his mouth. He could only imagine what chain of thoughts made her flush the way she had. It wasn’t necessary for him to find her attractive.  She was obviously interested, and he had another twenty-one hours to build on that spark and fan it into a flame.

chapter three

Leilani sat in her seat and struggled with her embarrassment. She was behaving like a fool and told herself to get a grip. Even if this man was in her league, she had no time for romantic dalliances on this trip. There was a lot she would need to accomplish and to flirt with her companion on the plane wasn’t part of the plan. Slowly she felt her colour return to normal and hoped Renato would now be bored of her. She was winging this trip, and she needed to put thought to the next few days. Her plan of attack was loose at best and started with finding accommodation.

Massaging her temples gently and then reached for her handbag that was at her feet she scrummaged around in the bag. She couldn’t find the Neurofen and under normal circumstances would have tipped out the entire contents to find them. However, in such a confined working space she just shuffled everything from the front of the bag to the back in hope of finding a cure in a pill.

“Do you need some assistance?” his voice was close to her ear, he had leant in to speak and she felt a little frisson of excitement at the innocuous question.

“I’m fine, thank you,” she closed her bag and shut her eyes. If only she could relax a bit, maybe the headache would go away. She just hoped upon landing that finding accommodation wouldn’t be too difficult.  She didn’t need anything fancy just somewhere to catch up on some overdue sleep. Over the last week, she’d barely caught a wink and when she did she always woke up with the recently unfolded events foremost in her mind. By the time this flight was over, she would be desperate for a good night’s rest.

Renato wasn’t used to such inattention as this. If it weren’t for Vittorio’s demands, he wouldn’t have given this woman a second glance. Maybe he should just offer her the business proposition. He thought of all the work needed to get her up to the Favalli standard. She would need a thorough makeover. Leilani wouldn’t stand a chance in his world looking like she did, nothing that a few professional stylists and a personal trainer couldn’t fix. He certainly wouldn’t push surgery on her; he needed a wife not a high society clone. It would, of course, be good to know if she were fertile. Thinking about her late entrance on the plane and her disorganised bag he mentally jotted down the need for organization and time management lessons not to mention Italian language classes.

Not for one second did he doubt that she would be his wife. He was, however, impatient for the pursuit to be over with so that he could get on with other pressing business matters that he was sacrificing to chase his bride to be. He glanced her way, and she appeared to be once again dozing. How on earth she could sleep under such uncomfortable conditions he had no idea. He ran his thumb across her hand, and the side of her wrist where her skin was soft and smooth. She didn’t stir.  He leant across her body and pulled her head towards his shoulder, and she murmured and attempted to sit upright.

“Relax, you are tired. Lean on me. You will be much more comfortable,” he insisted and gently tugged her towards him. She allowed the movement and promptly fell asleep against him. He could hear her soft rhythmic breathing and settled in against his seat while she slept.

Groggily Leilani woke up from her nap and realised that she was once again resting on Renato’s shoulder, and it felt so good. She lifted her head and apologised, “I’m sorry, I can’t believe I’ve fallen asleep on your shoulder twice.”

“Don’t worry. This time it was me who insisted and pulled you towards me. These planes are so uncomfortable I’m surprised you were able to sleep at all.”

“Yes, well I’ve had a stressful time of late and haven’t been sleeping well. I guess the lack of sleep is finally catching up,” not to mention a headache that wouldn’t relent. Leilani noticed the flight attendants making their way up the aisle with the food trolley. A tall glass of water would fix any dehydration that might be a contributing factor to her throbbing skull.

She passed a meal to the gentleman on her left. He had kept his headphones on the entire time, a clear indication that he didn’t wish to be disturbed. She placed her meal on the fold-down table and looked at the unappetising food.  A serve of chicken, vegetables, a small dinner roll with a foil packet of butter on the side and a slice of chocolate cake. There was also some crackers and cheese in packets.

Maybe it was the headache; she felt slightly queasy and ended up just toying with her food. She finally put her fork down and left the majority untouched.

Renato looked at his plate and tried to determine what was what. Not much looked palatable, so he stuck to the cheese and crackers. “Do you mind if I steal your cheese and crackers?”

“Go for it, I’m not feeling all that hungry.”

Finally after what seemed like the longest time they landed in Hong Kong. Renato had hoped for better progress and decided a move needed to be played to gain her attention. He reached up and gathered her bag and passed it to her. She looked exhausted, and her face had gone from red and blotchy to pale and sickly. Leilani did not travel very well, which could be good news for him.

“What will you do while we wait for the connecting flight?” he asked as they headed out into the airport.

“I had hoped to look around the airport, but I’m not feeling all that well. I think I’ll just find a seat somewhere quiet and wait it out.”

“I have a better idea. Come with me I know a good place to relax.”

“Um,” she hesitated.

“Come, we are in the airport. There is nothing to fear, and he led her towards the premium lounge.

“I don’t think we can go in there and to be honest even if we can I know I can’t afford it.”

“Leave it to me,” he replied confidently. Moments later they were seated in comfort and Leilani had a glass of water and a couple of headache pills in front of her.

“It’s what you were hunting in your bag for is it not?”

“Yes, thank you. You can’t possibly know how much I need these right now,” and she swiftly downed the pills with half the glass of water.

Renato took a newspaper and opened up to view the business reports.

Leilani looked around at the lounge, it was fabulous and not feeling one hundred percent she appreciated the extra comfort. However, what she really ought to be organising accommodation for Rome. She checked her mobile and realised that it wasn’t working. She would need access to the internet and a phone. “Renato, do you think that there would be a public computer here that I could make use of?”

“What is it you want to access? I have my laptop here you could use that.”

“Oh, I just wanted to look at booking some accommodation.”

Renato raised his eyebrows at her in surprise. “What part of your trip haven’t you organised?”

Leilani felt the disapproval as she stuttered out the truth, “Um, well, all of it. I put together this trip on short notice, and I hadn’t quite got around to booking my accommodation yet,” she justified.

“Mio dio, are you crazy? You travel to the other side of the world on your own, and you haven’t the sense to pre-book your accommodation? That is precisely how young women find themselves in trouble. What do your parents think of this?”

“I’m long past the point where I need parental permission,” she said stiffly. “I also don’t need yours. Now if I can’t borrow your laptop then you’ll have to excuse me while I go find out if there is a public one available,” she stood to leave.

“Sit down and don’t be so touchy,” he grabbed his laptop, entered the password and passed it to her.

“Thank you.”

“Before you book you better let me double check for you. You are unfamiliar with the area, and I’d hate to see you book in an unsafe location.”

“Please, I’m hardly your concern. Thank you though.”

“I insist. You are here on your own, and if I read about a misadventure befalling you in our local paper, then I’ll be blaming myself. Particularly knowing your plight, I’d be even more upset that I’d done nothing to ensure your safety. Don’t be resistant, it is no trouble, we are sitting here with nothing else to do,” he insisted.

“Fine, in that case, I appreciate your help.”

Leilani scrolled through the various accommodation sites without any luck. She couldn’t believe the price of the hotels in Rome. She wasn’t quite prepared to backpack it yet at this rate she might have to consider it. It was peak season, the middle of summer, and it appeared that a lot of the accommodation was already booked out. The remaining rooms were over-priced. It looked like Renato’s knowledge might be needed after all. She should be thankful to be sitting with a local. “Um, Rome seems quite pricey. Could you recommend a surrounding suburb that I might search for?” she asked chewing her lip.

“You are finding it difficult because it is our summer time. We get many tourists at this time of the year. I have a better idea, but I think you may get nervous at the thought of it. I have an apartment in Rome, and you are welcome to stay there,” he stated and sat there gauging her reaction.

Alarm bells were ringing in her head. “I don’t think so, but thank you for the thought. I mean I don’t know you and even though you seem like a nice guy, well I’m sorry I just don’t feel comfortable.” Leilani wondered if this was the price she was supposed to pay for allowing him to gain them access to the members lounge.

“I’m hardly likely to abduct you or do anything silly. I think you can feel quite safe with me. You practically have every newspaper worldwide watching my actions.”

Leilani’s eyebrows furled together, “I don’t get your meaning.”

“Huh,” he apparently didn’t believe her but at her blank stare he asked. “Are you to have me believe that you don’t know who I am?”

Defensively, “Well we did only just meet. Short of knowing your name and that you’re Italian I’m not quite sure what else I’m expected to know without being told.”

Renato was now intrigued. Was it possible that she honestly didn’t know who he was; he doubted it and wanted to know what game she was playing. He knew how much women loved their games, and he’d seen a multitude of angles being played to snare him. The difference was that she didn’t need to play a game to catch him. It was he who wanted to capture her. He pointed to the table, “Grab that magazine,” he instructed.

“What?”

“Just take it Leilani,” he directed and she complied plucking it off the glass. “Skip through the pages and let me know if you find anything interesting.”

Leilani flicked through the first couple of pages and then stopped in her tracks as she noticed a two-page spread featuring Renato. Her eyes flickered from the magazine to his face. There was no doubt that the man scowling on the page in front of her was the very man sitting beside her. “Oh my god, I had no idea,” she uttered.

“I find that hard to believe given that I appear on a regular basis in magazines and papers across the world.”

“Well I’m sorry but I don’t read the paper or magazines so forgive me if I’m out of the loop on this,” she defended. He’d managed to make her feel as though she was doing something wrong by not instantly recognising him. In fact, she still didn’t understand why he was so newsworthy but bit down on any questions for fear of further demonstrating her ignorance.

Something in her face must have given him pause for thought. “I’m sorry if I got a bit touchy, a poor habit of being the victim of unscrupulous people trying to inveigle themselves into my life.”

Leilani really couldn’t imagine him being the victim in any circumstance. He appeared sharp as a razor, and she doubted many if any got past his defences.

“As you can see you have nothing to fear. So you may as well take up my offer,” he picked up his paper finalising the conversation.

Only Leilani wasn’t quite so convinced. An appearance in a magazine did not alleviate all of her fears. She still had no idea who he was, and that was enough to concern her. “I’m sorry, but I still don’t think it's a good idea.”

Renato couldn’t believe his ears. In all of his years, he’d never needed to persuade a woman to stay with him. “You are stubborn. You have no accommodation booked; you are here on your own and you prefer to take your chances in God knows what neighbourhood by yourself rather than stay in my apartment that is perfectly safe. What if I organise a few references for you to attest to my honourable intentions?” he was exasperated.

Taking the offer seriously, “Fine but I get to choose the referees?”

“No problem. Who would you like to hear from?” he was keen to complete the process.

“I’d like to speak to one of your parents please and a work colleague.”

“My mother has passed on, and my father is elderly and not well,” there was no way he was putting her on the phone to Vittorio.

“I’m sorry…”

He cut her off without a trace of emotion, “I have an aunt who can attest to my character, and I’ll find you a colleague.” Renato flicked through his phone and put her on so she could ask a few questions.

“Are you satisfied now?”