Chapter 13
chapter thirteen
MARISOL
I had two more glasses of that wine before Leo and I said our goodbyes and made our escape from Marina’s, but it did nothing to help the heady rush I feel every time Leo looks at me.
It was as if when I asked him to touch me, I opened the gates to an unknown territory, and his affection came rushing in. And I…liked it?
I groan at myself in the bathroom mirror, ripping the towel off my head and letting my wet hair fall over my shoulders. Did I like it? Or did I just like the idea of it?
I’ve never been in a relationship where my partner was so attentive.
Jack was always in my space, and he was confident in me.
He saw my value in terms of what I could achieve, the success that I could bring him.
But sometimes, it didn’t feel like he cared about me, Marisol the human, the girl beneath Marisol the model.
He looked after me when I was sick or hurt, he cared for me and protected me, and at the time, I relished it. But looking back, all I can see is Jack protecting his biggest asset. His money maker.
Leo looks at me like he still remembers the girl who used to help him with his English homework, as if he is working it over in his head how I got from there to here. He looks at me like he would get on his knees and bark if I asked him to, simply because I’m the one asking.
Marisol the human.
But Leo has always looked at me like that. It’s just that all of a sudden, it feels different. But maybe it’s simply this situation I’ve dragged the two of us into. Here we are, playing house, but none of it is real.
Leo is one of the most important people in my life. He has always been there for me, and that’s why I knew I could trust him with this scheme. Because I knew we could do this and nothing would change. Nothing will change. It can’t.
A knock on the door sounds, and I jump, wrapping my towel around my body before yelling, “Come in!”
The bathroom door slides open, and Leo leans against the frame, but when he notices my state of dress, his eyes go wide.
“Shit, sorry.” He whips around like a bolt, giving me some sense of privacy.
“I just, uh…” He scratches the back of his neck.
“I came to give you these.” He holds up the sweat set I was wearing yesterday, and something flutters in my chest.
Stop it.
“They look better on you anyway.”
I need to get sober. Fast.
I approach his back, carefully taking the sweats from where he holds them out. “Thank you.”
He doesn’t respond, just continues staring out into the hallway, and it has me wondering how sober he is himself. I was too busy with my nose in a cocktail glass that I wasn’t paying attention to how many beers Leo downed beside me.
He stays facing the other way as I quickly get changed, slipping into the deliciously soft fabric once again. I nearly groan when I pull the sweatpants on, my freshly shaved legs meeting the plush fabric.
“So, what are we wearing tomorrow night?” Leo says, still staring out into the hallway.
“Don’t worry your head about that.” I open my toiletry bag with a small smile, and the sound of the zip must signal to Leo that I’m done because he turns around. “I’ve got it all sorted.”
Amusement pulls at his cheeks. “How?”
“I know people,” I say, pulling the lid off my serum and pumping a small dollop onto my fingers.
Leo sits down on the toilet next to me, watching me intently as I spread the serum over my face. “Ah, of course.” His voice is a low whisper, and his eyes are trained on my movements.
All of a sudden, it feels like all the air has been sucked from the room. I try to take a deep breath, but then my phone buzzes on the top of the vanity, the Charlie’s Angels theme filling the silent bathroom.
Relief washes over me as I swipe to accept the call, taking the opportunity to cut through the buzzed tension in this room, but I leave it on speaker so I can finish my skincare. I need to keep my focus on anything but Leo right now.
“Thought you’d be long asleep by now, Eva,” I say by way of greeting.
She scoffs. “How am I supposed to sleep when I just landed you a spot on Vittoria Ales’s runway?”
“WHAT?” I slam the lid of my moisturizer onto the countertop. Vittoria Ales is one of the biggest names in designer clothing right now. Her brand is fairly new, but everyone knows her name.
Eva laughs, and I can feel my heart beating a million miles an hour. “The agency had a model drop out, and I don’t know how, but I managed to convince Chiara that this was the perfect opportunity to get your reputation back on track.”
I squeal. I literally squeal. Chiara is the director of Regina Models, and she has been paying close attention to my status since I signed on.
“Oh my god, Eva! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I jump up and down on the spot, and when I finally find a way to stand still, Leo’s hand finds the back of my thigh, his thumb rubbing tiny circles.
If it wasn’t already beating so fast, I’d wonder if my heart stopped.
For a moment, I forgot he was sitting there, and when I look down, he is grinning up at me, as if this is the best news he’s heard in a while. I can’t help but grin back, because this is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.
“Thank Chiara when you see her at the show in Rome next weekend,” Eva says. “Oh, and bring the boyfriend.” And then she hangs up, leaving the bathroom in silence again, aside from my quick breaths.
“Well,” Leo says, taking his hand from my leg and leaning back like he’s sitting in a comfy armchair, not on top of the toilet. “I guess we’re going to Rome.”