Since he was one of the top designers in the firm, I simply dropped my belongings into a plastic bag and left without telling anyone. I went back to my apartment, packed my bags, and caught a business flight back to London.
I remember the guy next me on the plane, oily and expensively suited, who had tried to pick me up. The bubble of poisonous, unreasonable hate I had felt simply because he was Italian made me turn on him with so much revulsion that he shrank back with surprise. But even before we landed in Heathrow I knew I was not broken hearted. It was only my pride that was bruised.
I was not in love with Lupo. I had never allowed myself to be.
He was the most handsome man I knew, other than my brother, Shane, of course. He said all the right things. But he had always revealed his true self in bed. Especially at the beginning of our sexual relationship, when we had sex he would shout out puttana as he came. Prostitute. Even after I had asked him not to, he would sometimes slip up. And when I got mad, he apologized and told me it didn’t mean anything. It was the same as someone else screaming “Oh God!” during their orgasm. Nevertheless it had never sat well with me. And how right I had been.
After I got back to my mother’s house everyone wanted to know why I had left Milan so suddenly.
‘Did anyone upset you?’
‘Are you ill?’
‘Do you no longer want to be an interior designer?’
I never told anyone, especially my second brother, Dominic. Knowing him, he would have taken the first flight out to Milan, beat the shit out of Lupo, and calmly taken the next plane back as if nothing untoward had happened. As far as everyone was concerned, except Maddy, of course, I had come back because I was terribly, terribly homesick.
Now I am determined to start anew in London. On my own. Without any help from my family. I’ll get a job like everyone else. Jake told me I could have a try at cutting it on my own, but I had to live in one of his properties. So I moved into one of his London apartments. I was happy because I was only five tube stops away from the apartment Madison shared with her boyfriend.
Absently, I pick up a tub of Greek yogurt from the shelf and place it into my basket. Turning away, I bump into Ria.
She screams with delight. She is wearing a grey blouse, brown leather jacket, faded blue jeans, and purple and orange sneakers. I don’t think I have ever seen her look so casual.
‘Hi,’ I greet and laugh at her infectious joy at bumping into me.
‘Just the person I wanted to see,’ she exclaims with a huge grin. ‘I was going to call you to invite you to come to my birthday party on Saturday. I know it’s a bit last minute and all, but it is a last minute plan.’
I smile. ‘Twenty-four, right?’
‘Yeah, but after this year I’m freezing my age. I’m gonna be twenty-four now until I am fifty, then I will commence the count again.’ She laughs her machine gun laugh.
I laugh with her.
‘Will you come then?’
‘What kind of party is it?’ With Ria you have to ask. She’s totally unpredictable.
‘Dancing and drinking. Nothing big. Just some of my closest friends and family.’
Ria’s idea of big is not mine. ‘How many people is that?’
‘About a hundred,’ she says airily.
‘You have a hundred close friends?’
‘Don’t you?’ she asks curiously.
I struggle to keep a straight face. ‘No, Ria. I don’t.’
‘Oh!’
‘So, where’re you having it then?’
‘Laissez-faire.’
A warning tinge swirls up my spine. ‘Isn’t that one of BJ’s clubs?’
‘Yup. Free drinks all night! Until last week I was going to keep it family only and have a party at my mum’s house, but then BJ offered his club and I couldn’t believe it.’
‘Look Ria. I didn’t realize that your birthday was going to be held in London. I am spending the weekend at my Ma’s.’
Ria waves my objection aside. ‘No problem. BJ has already agreed to pay for cabs for all my single girlfriends.’
I feel trapped. I can’t very well tell her I can’t go now after I have already agreed. ‘Um … will BJ be there?’
‘Well, he promised to drop in, but he said he won’t be able to stay for long.’
I breathe a sigh of relief. ‘What time?’
‘People are going to start arriving around nine but the party will really only get going about ten.’
‘OK.’
‘When you get to the club just tell them you are there for Ria’s party. Oh! And for ID you have to wear red shoes or a red hat.’
‘Got it.’
‘So what’re you up today then?’ she asks with a smile.