CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Xander swept open the door to Prada, and a flutter of nerves jumbled in my stomach.
Not because of the price tags, but the intimidating staff who guarded these glossy boutiques.
Shopping with Cass had taught me that some salespeople acted more like bouncers than helpers.
But then, a woman dashed out from the back, and Xander’s arms flew open for a warm embrace.
“Hey. I thought you went back to Paris.”
“I couldn’t stay away,” Xander said, fluffing out her hair. “What’s going on here?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I hate my new haircut.”
“It’s not bad, just needs to find its way,” he said, ruffling it more. “More volume, darling. Flat hair doesn’t work here.”
She laughed, then playfully mewled. “Why won’t you move here?”
“Wyatt is Paris, and I’m his, so…” Xander threw up his hands. “We’re Paris, and you love Paris, too.”
“It’s good, but not Milan,” she said and winked at me. “Who’s your new muse?”
Xander draped his arm over my shoulder, and I couldn’t help but grin. “Monica, meet my new friend, Adelina. Adelina, this is Monica.” Relief washed over me that he hadn’t introduced me as Rocco’s wife.
“Well, then, you are my new friend, too,” Monica said, smiling and scanning me. “Bellissima. What do you do, Adelina?”
“I paint and illustrate,” I said in a light tone.
“Wow, that sounds cool,” she said, shaking my hand. “Okay. Let’s shop. Drinks?”
I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
“You know me,” Xander said.
“I do. That’s why I asked if you’re ready for drinks.”
Xander whisked me over to the mirrors. “Give me vision.” Monica appeared with an armful of dresses, heels, handbags, and even sunglasses, holding each up for me to consider.
Xander darted through the racks, plucking out clothes in my size.
Somehow, he already knew it. “Nadia always keeps great records,” he explained with a wink.
At the dressing room, Monica handed Xander a mimosa, and I slipped into a changing stall.
“Love you, darling, but you look like a mother today,” Xander called to me from behind the door.
“Yeah, really conservative,” Monica said. “I thought you were an executive.”
They both laughed.
“That definitely didn’t look like something Nadia would have chosen for you, or we need an intervention.”
“No, it was for my grandmother,” I called out and removed my dress.
“Okay. You’re excused. Now we need to bring out the wild man in Rocco. What do Italians always say, Monica?”
“Hm. La collera? Il furore? La passione?”
“Yes, the passion,” Xander said and chuckled. “We want the caveman-loses-his-head-and-drags-you-off-to-the-den clothes.”
I laughed, and they joined in.
“Where are you going tonight?” Monica called.
“Dancing,” I called back, then stepped out of the dressing room in a leather halter dress.
“Lordt,” Xander said, moving a pair of pumps by my feet. “My man might even come up and celebrate with us. It’ll be insane.”
“Count me in,” Monica said, playfully tapping Xander’s arm.
“I am. That’s why I mentioned it or I wouldn’t have,” Xander quipped.
Monica laughed and pushed his arm.
I slipped into dress after dress, but the unanimous favorite was the leather halter mini paired with killer heels.
“You look sexy, with legs for days,” Xander declared.
I could only hope Rocco would agree. I put on a jumpsuit and heels at Xander’s insistence instead of returning to the dress I wore earlier.
When it was time to pay, Zane stepped up and signed something.
“Rocco didn’t want you to deal with the details,” he explained.
I cleared my throat. “I’d like to do it.”
“Fine.” He stepped out of the way and I took out my card as a team of workers packed everything we chose into boxes. Monica tapped the card against the screen, and I held my breath. Her hand moved back just as fluidly to return it to me.
My hand was steady when I tucked it away in my purse.
All the other corners of my life were like a fairytale, but this moment felt more real.
I was no longer scraping by or waiting for my grandparents to give me things.
The credit card was in my name, and I had a new job.
For the first time in my life, it felt like my life belonged to me.
“Ready for more?” Xander said, linking arms with me.
I grinned. “Yes, let’s go.”
Xander swept us from boutique to boutique in a whirlwind of chatter and laughter. Everyone treated him like he was their bestie. He introduced me around, and I had so many clothes and lots of business cards.
“I won’t be able to wear all this stuff,” I said, handing the bags to Zane after yet another clothes shop.
He chuckled. “I’ll have to get a car with a bigger trunk.”
We stopped outside of Fou de Toi. “Fou de Toi, Crazy for You, is a nod to Madonna, and don’t tell me you don’t know her.” Xander peered at me with amused scrutiny.
I rolled my eyes, smiling. “Of course I do.”
He laughed. “Damn right. This is top designer Hayden Madsen’s shop, and his style is the over-the-top flashy that you see at music award shows and upscale dance party wear. Wyatt, my better half, is one of his designers.”
“Great,” I said to him. “Will I meet the better half?”
“I’m trying,” he said and pouted. “He doesn’t like to leave Paris.” We walked in and “Bad Romance” was on in the shop, and Xander started dancing. “Girl, do you know this dance?”
I grinned. “I do.”
He cocked a brow. “Let’s see you work it.”
I grimaced. “Right now?”
He shrugged. “No one’s watching us except Zane, and he’s friendly.” Xander struck a dramatic pose with his hands entwined over his head, his back arched, and his leg. “Lina time.”
I glanced around, half in disbelief, and laughed. No one in the shop was watching. Still, I set down my purse, rolled my body, shimmied, bounced, dropped to my knee, pop-locked, and struck a final pose.
Xander threw his arms around me. “Oh, girl. You’re my new favorite person in the world.”
I laughed when he let me go.
He fanned himself. “I didn’t know I could still be surprised. I thought you were uptight.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Uptight?”
He shrugged. “I’m judgy. So, tell me, where did you learn to dance?”
I grabbed my purse. “I just learned to make my brother laugh. YouTube had endless tutorials.” It was one of our survival tricks with my father. Reading, painting, and when things got rough, I’d dance for Jacob, and he’d light up every time.
“Okay. Okay. You don’t want to just look fire; you want to dance.”
I nodded. “Yes. I want to dance my ass off.”
He swirled a finger in the air. “Recalibrating…though I’m not ready to give up the sexy dress. But I’ll consider a crop top and leather pants.” A beautiful woman with pink hair strolled up to us, waving her hands. “That’s my ex, Paola.”
My mouth dropped open. “Oh, I thought…”
He jutted his chin. “I don’t do labels.”
He picked up mini-dress after mini-dress, short shorts, and bra tops, and every one of them would make Rocco freak out like he did at the dress for Cannes. Rocco said I needed to be young, but that wasn’t my only concern. “What if I get recorded again?”
Xander gave Paola a dress to return. “You’re going to have to let that go and assume you are always being recorded and live your life. You can’t isolate yourself with a celebrity husband.”
Xander’s advice was good. Celebrity was a part of Rocco’s life, and I had to just deal with it. I was no longer anonymous; people filmed me with my father. We couldn’t isolate and I wanted to celebrate and have fun. “You’re right. Let’s do this.”
“Good,” Xander said and squeezed my arm.
Paola approached Xander, and he clasped her by the shoulders, kissing her cheeks. “Ciao. Hayden is still punishing you. He’s a beast.”
She shrugged. “He’s sponsoring a test line. He owns me.”
Xander nodded. “Yep. Make him unable to live without you. Do me a favor and put on some dance music. I need a charge and Lina’s hips shaking.” He tilted his chin upward and dramatically raised my hand. “Lead-eth the way, Mah Lady Marini.”
Xander came over and put on more mascara than I ever wore on my long eyelashes. I smeared on gloss over the pale lipstick. “Lashes like these need to be dressed. Woo. That gloss makes those lips suckable.”
I laughed. “I hope so.”
Xander squeezed my shoulders. “We all go through some rough patches, but that’s a part of relationships. You can’t expect someone to be perfect. Once that expectation’s gone, you can get past anything. But tonight, put it in a box and let yourself celebrate your success.”
Xander’s energy felt like a much-needed breeze, especially with Cass so far away. His words rang true, and I let myself relax and just enjoy the moment. Rocco and I had successes to celebrate. Who knew what tonight would bring? Rocco had been gone for hours, and all I’d gotten from him was:
Rocco: Meet you there xox
Did the family move up the meeting with the board?
“You’re finally here,” Xander said, jumping up from his seat and rushing over to a handsome guy with a head full of curls and giving him a bear hug. “?a va?”
“Oui, bien.” The man gave Xander a kiss and hugged him again.
Xander’s smile went exuberant. “This is Wyatt, my other half.”
Wyatt walked over, and I stood. He kissed both my cheeks and then scanned over me. “You’re wearing the jumpsuit I designed?”
I grinned. The black leather mini-jumpsuit had been chosen by all of us. It was skintight but surprisingly comfortable. “Yes. I love it.”
Xander handed Wyatt a sheer black top. “She wants to dance and look hot.”
“You look sensational, and I guess I’m playing dress up, too,” Wyatt quipped.
“You love it,” Xander said to him.
“Je t’aime,” Wyatt murmured, and I, for the first time today, saw Xander speechless.
Wyatt took off his shirt, and I turned away.
“Shy?” Wyatt called to my back. “You can turn around. I don’t care.”
“We just met,” I said simply.
Xander draped his arm around my shoulder when I turned back around. “Lina needs at least two stores before she does a catwalk out of the dressing room.”
I lifted my head high and stomped across the room; they laughed and clapped.