Dress Shopping
“Try this one,” Avaline held a pretty yellow sundress with tiny white flowers up. “I think it would look gorgeous on you.”
“It’s really pretty.” She tried to look at the tag, but Avaline yanked it away.
“Stop looking at tags. I told you. We’re spending the money we’re taking from the fat abusive priest, though he doesn’t deserve the title. I cannot wait for you to meet the priest of our church back home. He is a lovely man. He’s kind, gentle and a perfect example of what a man of God should be. I sent him a video Icaro took of you singing in the church and he’s hoping when you’re more comfortable with us, you’ll sing.”
“Avaline,” she blushed at the words.
“Now,” she lifted up a pair of white linen pants, “I think these with the green top over there would be stunning.”
In no time she was in the changing room with Sidonia in the next room with her. Sidonia was still in a bit of a sour mood following the events of the night before.
“You okay, Sid?” she asked while their mothers-in-law were selecting other options for them.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She poked her head out of the curtain and looked past Zorah’s curtain. “How are you getting past it? All the women?”
“I’m not,” she admitted quietly. “He tells me he’s known my whole life I was his and then he slept around anyway, and it really hurts. I barely know this man. I’ve known him a week, not even, really and yet, I feel so betrayed.”
“It wasn’t really bothering me at all until we were in the club. There was easily six different women who tried to dance with him and yet if anyone approached me Vodingo was ready to throw fists.”
“I hit at a woman in the club,” Zorah admitted sheepishly.
Sidonia slipped into the changing room, holding a dress to her chest, “you hit a person? You?”
“Yeah. Apparently, I shouldn’t drink and go to clubs. I threatened a bunch of girls and swore at them.”
“Was Icaro mad?”
“No. He said it turned him on but then he was really mad at the Walrus guy. He saw me on the balcony yesterday and was going to seduce me but then it turned out I belong to Icaro. Walrus became annoyed Icaro seems to get everything he wants and sabotaged our date.”
“Icaro salvaged it?”
“Ever since I freaked out in the hotel room Saturday night and he sedated me, he’s been better at listening and being open minded. It was his idea to wait thirty days to have sex.”
Sidonia turned around, “zip me up?” She wriggled, “I like sex, and I don’t know if I would want to wait thirty days for Vodingo, but I wish he was a bit more remorseful over his past.”
“Did he really say women flocked to his penis?”
Sidonia looked at her reflection in the mirror frowning, “I don’t like this dress and yes, he did. He speaks before he thinks. Sometimes it’s cute because he’s blurting shit out but then other times it’s making me question how the hell, he can be Icaro’s right hand man. He’s thick, Zorah. I mean really thick.”
Zorah giggled as Sidonia zipped up the dress, “Icaro isn’t thick. He’s actually really thoughtful and I can tell when it’s something important to him, he really contemplates what he’s going to say. I think it’s what makes it this much worse.” She waved at the dress, “let’s go look in the big mirror out there.”
Emerging from the dressing room, they were surprised to see two other women in the space and both Eleanora and Avaline scowling at them.
“Mrs. Lucchesi, it’s so good to see you,” one of them cooed. “Do you remember me? We met last year at the –”
“No,” Avaline cut her off. “Why would I remember you? Your face is one I have seen a hundred times. It is not novel or extraordinary.”
“Who pissed in Avaline’s cereal?” Sidonia whispered.
“I danced with your son.”
“Ah, there it is,” Zorah rolled her eyes. She stepped forward, “Avaline, I tried the sundress on. Thoughts?”
“Oh Zorah, you looked perfect. Icaro is going to be excited to see you in this one.”
“I like it,” she twisted and turned in the mirror.
“Who are you?” the girl with her hair in the high blonde ponytail asked Zorah boldly.
Zorah held her hand out, “Zorah Lucchesi.”
“American?” The girl ignored her hand.
Avaline lifted an eyebrow, “I was born in America. I came back to Italy as a small child. Is there something wrong with being American?”
“No. It was only an observation, Mrs. Lucchesi. Are you family, Zorah or are you –”
“Mrs. Lucchesi,” Avaline cut the girl off. “You address my daughter as Mrs. Lucchesi. Not Zorah. You have neither the right nor the social standing to address her by her first name. Am I clear?”
The girl blinked at the cold tone of Avaline. “Yes ma’am.”
“Did you sleep with Icaro too?” Sidonia asked the girls, “either of you? Or Vodingo Lucchesi? Did you sleep with him?”
“No. We were servers at a party last year for the family and we were introduced. We are sisters and our father works with Mr. Lucchesi.” The girl waved her hands frantically in denial.
“Not anymore if you don’t leave.”
“Why are you so annoyed with me?” the girl protested, her bottom lip pushing forward in pout a toddler would be proud.
“You are here because the attendant,” she motioned to the girl watching the door, “texted you to tell you I was here. My security agent outside,” she held up her phone, “texted me to let me know how the two of you were chatting outside about coming in here and befriending me with the intention of getting close to me so you could be near my son again. Let me tell you this,” Avaline wriggled her phone messages, “next time you decide to suck up to the old lady, don’t discuss her in front of her most trusted advisors. Also, Icaro is married to my beautiful Zorah. She has more class and grace in her pinky finger than you do in your entire half-dressed body. Now,” she turned to the store manager who was glowering at the attendant near the door, “I want them removed or we’ll simply take our shopping elsewhere and as I said when we came in, we’re here for all new wardrobes for our stay in Sicily.”
The manager flicked fingers at security dragged the protesting women out the door.
“I swear if it’s not someone who has slept with them it’s someone who wants to,” Eleanora groaned but she was smirking at the way the women were manhandled.
“Zorah,” Avaline reached out, “you will find a huge difference in Sicily. There is never this level of disrespect and while Icaro has taken lovers everywhere else, he’s never taken one back home.”
She was surprised, “really?”
“Never shit where you eat, Zorah.” Eleanora piped up.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
