Romance: My Italian Prince, Undercover Love: Sweet Romantic Comedy (12 page)

Chapter 11

Back at the hotel, the hoard of jumping girls had vanished and they could drive all the way to the entrance and without any hick-ups they were back at their suit. Mitch had felt quite bad after realizing Alex had been at their hotel the whole time during which they had been on the movie set. To make up for it, he had arranged for the three of them to be placed on the guest list of the premier. When they entered the suit, Vanessa caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and almost fainted from shock. She began crying and sobbing until Mitch, concerned over that his chanting and healing moves didn’t work to calm her down, promised to get them new dresses and make-up. Vanessa stopped crying at this promise and now she and Kat sat each in a white comfy hotel robe being fixed up by two makeup girls doing their best to get the theater make-up of them, sipping from champagne glasses served by Mitch. He himself was sipping on a smoothie as he had gone off alcohol for good and was getting a foot massage from a male masseur after Kat had waved the young girl first arriving with his footbath away and asked for either someone really old or male. Mitch had laughed and kissed her in such a sweet way that made Vanessa feel almost jealous. Did they have to be so goddamn cute?

Not only did they get new dresses for the benefit, they got new shoes, new necklaces, and new hair.
New hair.
The hairdressers that had worked on them hadn’t even told them they were doing it. Vanessa got quite the shock when she saw herself in the full-body mirror. One moment ago she looked like and old pirate and had cried her eyes out and the next she was sipping champagne and stood ready to go mingle on a movie premiere in the most luscious, glossy extensions she had ever seen. They streamed down her waist in a mahogany colored river and with the makeup and dress; she looked like a movie star herself.

“You look fantastic,” Kat said as they both stood admiring their transformations in front of the mirror.

Kat was in a beaded shift dress, the color of the sea and her necklace had a mermaid on it. It was all very much Kat but in a glamorous packaging.

“Well so do you, Vanessa said as she plucked on her Armani Couture Dress which was very flattering around the waist, she had to say so herself.

It was styled with a diamond choker necklace and her hair was in a complicated half -up-half-down- do so her new hair could wisp freely around her waist. A little tipsy from the champagne they stood giggling and practiced how to stand on the red carpet. Kat had found a guide on the internet and asked Mitch to get it printed out for both of them. Legs crossed, elbow out, chin tucked in. Vanessa took up her pose and Kat copied her.

  “I look like I’ve got a double chin,” She said fretfully. “Are you sure this is right?”

“Maybe we're tucking in our chins in too much.”

Vanessa lifted her chin and immediately looked like a soldier.

When they stepped out from the elevator and into the lobby area, Vanessa couldn’t help but give a little squeak of excitement. Everything had changed since they’d walked this way just a couple of hours ago. From a normal hotel lobby, although a very luxury one, to something that looked like the Golden Globe Awards. There weren’t any crowds like at the Globes, but there were barricades and banks of photographers, and a red carpet. There were huge screens that displayed the face of Alex in all possible angles. After a few seconds, she realized that they were promos for both his charity
and
his new production company. She smirked at the bizarre combination.

“Are you ready?” Kat squeezed her hand and gave her an encouraging smile.

“Yes,” Vanessa took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

This was it, she was going to see Alex again, and Mitch would talk to him so he would understand what Brunetti had been up to. And maybe, maybe he would see clear and they could begin working things out between them. They both step out on the carpet. Mitch has taken the back door, as he preferred going unseen, he had explained.

“The limelight is all yours, ladies,” he said and gave Vanessa an awkward-looking hug. Kat on the other hand received a kiss on her mouth.

“Wait, what? Where did all the cameras go, they were here a minute ago?” Vanessa turned around to see what was going on and sees them all clustered around a blonde girl in blue. Vanessa didn’t even recognized her, was she a real celebrity?

Kat emerged from behind her and looked around, bewildered. “Where are the photographers?

“There,” Vanessa pointed, “With her.”

“Oh, but what about us?”

“I suppose we’re not celebrities,” Vanessa said with a small sigh but underneath she felt relieved.

She had been nervous about the photographers and even if she and Kat had practiced a whole lot of poses and in the end gotten the exact right posh-spice look. She felt better this way. Maybe they could sneak in unseen, find Alex, and then leave.

“Well, never mind,” Kat shined up. “We still have the red carpet, let’s pretend I’m Julia Roberts and you’re… Glenn Close.”

“Glenn Close! Never, I want to be Julia!” Vanessa and Kat started laughing and walked towards the Security Guard.

“We’re guests,” Vanessa handed him their last minutes invitations and he scanned them dispassionately.

“This way, Senoritas,” He pointed to some kind of side route
away
from the red carpet and the celebs.

“No, we’re going on the benefit” Vanessa explained.

“This
is
the way to the benefit, turn right and you will be in the auditorium. Have a good evening,” The security guard nodded towards a dark corridor and opened a rope barrier.

He didn't get it, maybe he was a bit slow. Vanessa could feel the panic rise in her heart, she had to go in here at the main entrance, this was the way to the VIP-area where Alex was supposed to be, Mitch had clearly explained the route to her and Kat. That was the whole reason for them to do the red carpet walk, they couldn’t just go in with the rest of the guests who had seat tickets to the premiere. They had to get into the VIP-area and the only way was through the red-carpet entrance.

“We have our Gold List Guest invitations,” Vanessa pleaded to the security guard. “We need to go this way.” Vanessa gestured at the red carpet where a group of photographers clicked away at a man and a woman who looked like they were important.

“Only Platinum List Guests will be walking the red carpet, Senorita”

“Platinum List Guests, why aren’t we Platinum List Guests? Typical Mitch to screw up like this.”

“Come on,” Kat dragged Vanessa towards the ropes. “Let’s take it easy Green,” She talked in a calming voice as Vanessa was on the verge of a breakdown. She was.

“Vanessa!” A high-pitched voice suddenly came from behind them.

She recognized that voice. Vanessa turned around and saw Raffi, the boat boy, lunging towards them from the other side of the carpet.

“Raffi!” Vanessa felt so happy to see him she almost got tears in her eyes. They embraced each other like long lost friends while Kat looked on in disbelief.

“Eh, what’s going on?”

“This is Rafael, the boat-boy. You know the guy I told you about, the one who totally saved me when I had a panic attack in Monaco.”

“No boat-boy anymore,” Raffi said and pointed at his shades. It was a bit odd to wear sunglasses inside the hotel Vanessa thought but gave him a smile.

“Yes, they suit you perfectly, great shape for you face,” she said and gave his arm a little squeeze.

“No Mademoiselle, I’m security staff now. Don’t you see?” He gestured over his dark suit and polished shoes.

“Oh wow, congratulations.”

“Yes, and it’s all thanks to you Mademoiselle. Monsieur Brunetti gave me this title when I gave him your letter so he could pass it on to Monsieur Di Savoy. He was really proud of me he said.”

“Wait, what? You gave my letter to Brunetti?” Vanessa couldn't believe her ears.

“Yes, and he gave it to Monsieur Di Savoy,” Rafi's voice trailed off as he slowly began to realize his mistake.

“She did get an answer,” Kat chipped in. “Not from Alex but from Brunetti. This explains a few things, doesn't it Vanessa?”

Vanessa didn’t listen. She stared at the group of guests just arriving at the red carpet. It was Alex. He stood in the middle of the carpet dressed in a tuxedo. His millionaire golden tan was there and he had gotten some highlights in his hair, which was a bit longer than she could remember. He looked gorgeous. Vanessa's whole body ached and longed for him and she had to focus hard not to make a run at him and throw herself in his arms. Well, she wouldn’t have fit in his arms as she saw how he put his arm around the waist of the red-haired actress the same one who stole all the photographers attention from Vanessa and Kat earlier. They beamed at each other and the photographers. Behind him lurking in the background were Brunetti and three other men in dark suits.

“Oh god, oh god,” Vanessa took a step back and tried to hide behind Kat’s sea-colored dress.

Finally, she recognized the woman next to Alex, she was the one that posed with him on the magazine cover, although at that picture she had been blonde. Movie stars seemed to constantly change their appearance, who could keep up?

“What is going on over there, Raffi?” Kat nodded at Alex and the woman.

“They, they I don’t know.” Raffi suddenly seemed nervous. He took off his shades and began polishing them with his jacket.

“Come on Raffi” Kat looked him sternly in the eyes.

“Okay, okay, I’m not sure about this, but this lady she’s a friend of Brunetti and he had her introduced to Monsieur Di Savoy a while ago. I heard some rumors around the staff that he think she’s a nut-case, but he takes her along to premieres just to please Brunetti. That's what I’ve heard.” Raffi sighed and looked at Vanessa. “He’s not in love with her. He’s in love with you, I know that.”

“Oh,” Vanessa didn’t know what to believe.

“Ok, that’s good intel Raffi. Thanks for that, but now you need to get us into the VIP-area.” Kat ordered.

Raffi took one quick look at Brunetti and then looked back at Vanessa who stood pale and panting for breath behind Kat.

“Ok, let’s go. This way” Raffi sounded resolute and almost pushed them towards the sympathy-lacking security guard at the entrance.

After a heated discussion between him and Raffi, the guard finally decided on opening the ropes and with a displeased nod, he gave them clearance to step inside.

“Yes, we’re in.” Kat threw her fist in the air as a victory. “Let’s go find Mitch and start this intervention as it seems as his Royal Highness is in real need of one.” She dragged Vanessa out to the sea of people in evening dresses, jewels, and a cloud of scents. It felt as if they were swimming in the wrong direction against a very sparkly, flower-scented tide.

“Sorry,” Vanessa kept saying, “Just looking for someone... Excuse me.”

At last, they reached a small plateau area and they paused to try to locate Mitch in the crowd.

“Oh, there he his, Kat pointed in a direction of the crowded salon,“ You stay put and I´ll go and find Mitch. Then we find Alex, ok?”

Vanessa didn’t answer, her head was swirling around trying to catch sight of Alex. He was nowhere to be seen.

“Green! Do you read me Green?” Kat almost yelled at her.

“I read you,” Vanessa said in a faint voice. She felt dizzy by the whole situation, where was Alex?

Kat jumped back into the glamorous sea of people and soon Vanessa lost sight of her. She turned to Raffi who stood behind her eyeing the crowd with creased brows, chest up, back straight as if he were mimicking a soldier on a mission. Vanessa's eyes followed his over the beautifully decorated salon. In the center, there was a stage, where dancers already were performing on, a dance floor and plenty of circular tables with amazing flower centerpieces.