'I am. Thanks, Zara. Give Tony a kiss from me. I'll catch up with you tomorrow. Good night.'
Flicking through my messages, I saw that all the girls had texted me to make sure I was fine so I very quickly replied to reassure them, before checking my hair and putting on a little more lip gloss.
Luigi was waiting patiently for me. He stood as I approached and sat once I'd returned to my seat.
'I took the liberty of ordering some Tiramisu for us both. I hope you don't mind.'
'Not at all.'
'The article I read stated that it is the best Tiramisu out of Italy,' he laughed.
'Well then it would be a sin not to try it,' I smiled as I took a sip of my wine.
He sat watching me before leaning over and carefully moving a strand of hair behind my ear.
'You really are exquisite, Kate. And what's so wonderful is the fact that you don't see it. That's a rare quality to have.'
I could feel my cheeks blushing. Never before had anyone, let alone a gorgeous hunk of a man, said such beautiful things to me.
'Thank you,' I whispered as I tried to hide behind my wine glass.
He chuckled. 'Don't hide from me.'
Smiling, I put the glass down.
'You know, you never did tell me anything about yourself. All evening, we've talked about me. I want to know Luigi. The real Luigi.'
Leaning back and relaxing into the seat, he very slightly shrugged his shoulders.
'I'm afraid there's not much to tell.'
'Okay then, I'll ask you some questions and you must answer them.'
'And if I don't?' he smirked.
'Well then you have to do a dare,' I said cheekily.
'Truth or Dare?' he chuckled. 'It's been a long time since I played that. Okay then, but you have to play too.'
Sugar. I shouldn't have come up with the idea.
'Okay. I'll start. What do you do for a living?'
'Truthfully, I've had lots of jobs in my time - all in the financial industry. Currently, I'm a financial advisor.'
'Oh, what made you become a financial advisor?'
'With so much experience in the industry behind me, and the fact that I love to help people make good with their investments, it seemed like the natural role for me to play. Now it's my turn.'
Oh God.
'What's your middle name?' he smirked.
I laughed. 'Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven't got a middle name. I'm simply Kate Robinson.'
'Ah, but are you really a Kate and not a Kathryn or a Kathleen?'
I shook my head. 'Just Kate. My turn,' I grinned. 'What's your middle name?'
He laughed. 'I walked right into that one, didn't I?'
Nodding, I watched as the waiter arrived with two dishes of delicious looking Tiramisu.
'As you know, because my mother is English, she wanted me to have an English name too, so my full name is Luigi Ben De Santis.'
'That's a really nice name, Luigi Ben.'
'Thank you. My turn,' he said as he tucked into the dessert. 'Hmm. Not bad. Not as good as my grandmother's, though.'
I took a little spoonful and let it dance on my tongue. Boy, his grandmother's tiramisu must be amazing, because it was divine. So divine, in fact, that I didn't say another word until I'd polished it off.
'I do love to see a woman with a good appetite,' he said as he watched me eat.
'It was so good.'
'Shall I order you another one?'
'Oh, God no, thank you! I couldn't eat another thing.'
'Where were we? Oh yes, it was my turn. Tell me, how did you feel when you found out about your inheritance?'
Oh, I wasn't expecting that but I shrugged my shoulders and told him. I sure as heck didn't want to have to do a dare in the middle of the restaurant.
'How did I feel?'
He nodded.
'Dumb-founded, completely shocked, over the moon, sad...'
'Sad? Why would you feel sad at inheriting a hundred and forty seven million pounds?'
'Because it meant someone had died, and that someone was a really nice man.'
'Uncle Sam?'
I nodded. 'Yes.'
'But he wasn't really an uncle?'
I shook my head.
'Now it's my turn. What made you respond to the article about me?'
'That's easy, you're so beautiful and I genuinely thought there was a chance I might be your, what was it? Fred.'
I smiled sadly.
'Tell me, Kate. What made you hold on to him, or me,' he smiled before continuing, 'for so long? It was such a brief moment in time, wasn't it? Do you really think he is your soul mate?'
'That's two questions,' I smiled sadly, before I looked down at the floor. It wasn't him. Luigi wasn't Fred. I just knew, deep down, at that very moment, that I never met him as a child.
But did it matter? Did it really matter? Luigi was the most amazing, handsome, caring man. Could I see myself with him?
'Kate?'
'Sorry. Truthfully,' I shook my head. 'I don't really know. We just shared something so special, you know? I connected with him, even though it was just a tiny moment in time. It was...' I stopped and looked away. 'It was like it was destiny.'
'Destiny?'
I nodded.
'But perhaps so was this,' he suggested, as I looked up into his eyes.
'Perhaps every single moment of our lives has been leading up to this one. To us. To us finally meeting. Perhaps this is our destiny, Kate. You and me. Kate and Luigi, not Kate and Fred.'
Tears welled in my eyes and I didn't know what to say, or what to do. My glass was empty, I couldn't even hide behind that.
Luigi leaned forward and handed me a clean napkin to wipe my eyes, leaving his hand placed over mine.
A warmth enveloped me as I eventually looked back up into his eyes. Maybe he was right. Maybe all this Fred nonsense was merely fate's way of leading me to Luigi.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
We'd been on five dates, three during the evening and two during the day, and not once had he asked to come back to my place - or suggested we go back to his, wherever that might be. Luigi was a total gentleman, but I was starting to feel there was something wrong with me. Didn't he want me?
I lay in bed with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling. Glancing across at the bedside alarm clock, I sighed when I saw it was only ten past six. But I couldn't lie still any longer. Throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed, I wrapped myself up in the lovely fluffy nightgown Jo bought me for Christmas and went and put the kettle on. Waiting for it to boil, I tapped my fingernails on the worktop. The sound of the phone scared me half to death.
'Hi, honey.'
'Mum!'
I could practically hear her smile.
'You do know it's barely after six in the morning, don't you?'
'Of course I do, my angel. But I felt I needed to talk to you and I wanted to speak to you before you headed off for work, or whatever it is you've been doing with yourself since becoming a very rich young lady.'
'I'm glad you called.'
'Good. How are you feeling? What have you been up to? And tell me about this young man you're seeing?'
'Mum! How on Earth do you know I've been seeing someone?'
She cackled down the line. 'A mother knows these things. Besides, one of the African tribeswomen told me I should contact you. She said you were going to be needing me soon.'
'Oh?'
'Precisely my thoughts, angel. So spill the beans.'
After telling her all about Luigi and the photo shoot and all the fake Freds, she sighed down the phone.
'What? Why did you make that noise?'
'What noise?'
'A deep sigh, like you don't approve.'
'It's not that I don't approve, Katie sweetheart. It's that, well, I have a feeling in my stomach and it's not a good one. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all. Have you spent the night together yet?'
I shook my head.
'Okay, okay, you don't have to tell me,' she laughed.
'No, it's okay. But no, we haven't. That's one of the things that's bothering me. We've been out five times and not once has he made a move. We've kissed, of course, but not the passionate, earth shattering kiss you would expect in the early days of a new romance.'
She sighed again.
'Well? What do you think?'
'Akwasibah told me to warn you.'
'About what?'
'I don't know. All she said is that you should be careful.'
'Well that's totally useful - not.'
Mum sighed yet again as I poured the hot water into the cup.
'What do you think I should do, Mum?'
'I don't know, angel. I'm not really in a position to advise you on anything, these days. All I know is that coming into such a large amount of money will bring you heartache, whether you're prepared for it or not. Akwasibah thinks someone is after your money. Whether it's this Luigi or not is another question. It could be anybody. It could be someone you've not even met yet. One thing she did say, that was comforting, was the fact that you are surrounded by such good friends, who love you very much. She said they will always be there for you.'
Smiling, I nodded. 'Well, that I do know. Thanks, Mum.'
'Don't thank me, thank Akwasibah.'
'But what else did she say?'
I took a sip of strong black tea while I waited for her to reply.
'That you'll be making a long journey soon.'
'I will?'
'Yes.'
'Well, I have been talking about going back to the Azores and over to New York to check out my new apartment. Maybe that's what she means.'
'I'm sure it is, but she told me that it would be a journey of deep thinking.'
O...kay.'
'But enough of all this. Did you go to see your father?'
After explaining all about my trip to Newcastle and catching up on the rest of our news, I put the phone down and sat down at the breakfast bar, my shoulders slumped forward as I pondered the mumbo jumbo that Akibah woman had said. Who was she anyway? And what right did she have to go sticking her nose into my business? It was probably all a load of old tosh anyway.
oOo
'You ready for our double date tonight?' Jo asked happily down the phone later that day.
'Of course! What are you going to wear?'
'I thought I'd wear my slim black trousers with that gold blouse I bought from Lisbon.'
'Ooh, nice, that'll look lovely.'
'What about you, Kate?'
'Honestly, I have no idea. I seem to be totally useless when it comes to dressing myself, these days. I can't understand why.'
'Perhaps you ought to hire a stylist,' she laughed.
'Oh, God! Really?'
'It's not like you can't afford it. But I was actually joking, Kate! Jeeze! What's going on in your head at the moment? You seem to be all over the place?'
'Yeah, I know. I can't put my finger on it. I just feel a bit, I dunno, disjointed, I suppose.'
'Oh really? That's not good. Maybe you need a holiday? Get away from all the madness for a bit. Is everything okay with you and Luigi?'
Shrugging, I flopped onto the sofa so that I was laying down looking at the floor.
'I don't really know. It seems to be going great, but I feel like something's missing, you know? But I'm fine, I'll be fine. We're going to go out tonight and have a great time. I can't wait to see you with Paul. How are things with the two of you?'
Her laugh was contagious. She was clearly smitten.
'Amazing, Kate! I can't believe I've met such a wonderful man. He's so caring and fun. I think I'm falling in love with him,' she said quietly.
'Awww Jo, that's wonderful. I'm so happy for you.'
'Thanks, hon. The other thing about him is that he loves Carly and she loves him too. They get on so well. I never realised how important it was for her to have a man around the house. I'm thinking about… about asking him to move in.'
My squeal almost shattered the glass vase beside me.
'I'm SOOOOO happy for you! And it's all because of me,' I laughed. 'If I hadn't have fallen and got concussion, you might never had met in the first place.'
Jo laughed so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear.
'Are you there?' Jo suddenly asked.
'Yep, right here,' I sighed. 'I'm just so happy for you. All my friends have found true love - you, Julianne, Liz, Anna, Zara. You're all with the men of your dreams.'
'Hey, don't sound so sad. You met the man of your dreams too, remember? Well, kind of.'
'Exactly, I guess I'll never really know if he is, will I?'
'Oh, Kate, don't go down that road again. You really need to get past this whole Fred business now. You do realise that, don't you?'
I tried to stop them but I couldn't, and suddenly my eyes filled with tears and I sobbed like a baby.
'Kate, are you crying? Look, stay put. I'm coming right over. I'll bring my clothes with me and I'll get ready with you, tonight. Just stay there. I'll be as quick as I can.'
oOo
We sat on the sofa for what seemed like ages, Jo with her arms around me as I cried. Letting it all out. Everything. All the pent-up emotions that had been threatening me for years. I cried for losing Fred in the first place; I cried for wasting years trying to find someone that doesn't really exist; I cried for Uncle Sam and for the hundred and forty seven million reasons he left everything to me. I cried for my dad, my mum and for that silly Akibah woman or whatever her name was. I even cried for Jo, who'd lost her love so many years ago and was now ready to love again. And finally, I cried for Luigi, who'd lost a little brother in a fire. A fact I'd been ignoring because all I cared about was finding a boy I'd only seen once, nearly twenty years ago. Then the tears stopped and I looked up to find the most beautiful angel looking at me.
'Is that better?' Jo stroked my shoulder like only a mother can.
Nodding, I blew my nose on the snotty wet tissue I'd been using to wipe my eyes.
She let out a little chuckle and went and fetched a new box.
'Here, use these.'
'Thanks, Jo. Thanks for everything. You're the best friend anybody could ever dream of,' my bottom lip trembled slightly.
'And so are you. Come on, don't cry any more. I don't think there are any more tears to be had, anyway. Not now. Not today. Look at you, you're all puffy,' she said as she pulled me up and led me to the mirror above the mantelpiece.
'Oh, God,' I cried. 'I look absolutely hideous.'
Shaking her head, Jo grabbed my shoulders from behind and looked at my reflection. 'You're a little puffy, that's all. You could never look hideous. We've got a few hours, we can sort this out,' she smiled.
oOo
Never dismiss the usefulness of cold slices of cucumber.
Jo carefully placed them over my closed lids and instructed me to lie on the sofa and enjoy the music while she made us yet another cup of tea.
She'd gone out to her car to grab her favourite CD. I'd heard it a million times before but this time, I savoured it. The sounds of world music drifted into my head, making me think of my mum and how happy she was in Africa.
A combination of music styles from around the world, including Africa, the group was called Beautiful World and it was so relaxing, I could feel myself dropping off.
After twenty-minutes, Jo turned the volume down and nudged me to sit up. Removing the cucumber from my eyes, she handed me her little handbag mirror with a smile.
'I told you we could sort this out.'
Looking at my reflection, I grinned. It was as if the crying had made the colour of my hazel eyes ten times brighter and the puffiness was entirely gone.
'You're a genius.'
'All in a day's work, my love. Here, I made camomile tea, I figured it would help to calm your nerves.'
'Thank you,' I grinned. 'You know, I'm actually really looking forward to tonight now. Now that I've got all
that out of my system. I almost feel re-energised.'
She squeezed my knee and took a gulp of tea just as a faint commotion could be heard outside.
'Oh, God, I hope it's not those photographers trying to get in again.'
'Photographers?'
'Yeah, paparazzi - they've tried to get in to the grounds a few times to get pictures of Tiffany. Luckily they haven't been quite as desperate to get pictures of me. I think my fame is waning a little,' I smiled, standing up to gaze out the window.
A mad woman was shouting at the security guard but he kept shaking his head. Clearly, he wasn't going to let her in, thankfully. I wondered who she was but thought nothing more of it as I turned away and sat down, the mug warming my cold fingers.
'Shall we go and work out what you're going to wear tonight?' asked Jo casually as she leaned back into the soft sofa.
'Yes, let's!' I laughed, standing up as soon as I sat down.
We rushed towards my wardrobe, giggling as we pulled open the doors and started rifling through everything.
But a knock on my front door made me jump.
'I wonder who that is?'
'Not expecting anyone, then?'
I shook my head. 'Not really, but sometimes Zara, Tony or Tiffany pop by for a cup of tea. Maybe it's one of them. I'll be right back. You carry on looking,' I returned downstairs to the front door.
'Oh. Is everything alright, erm, Steven?' I asked the security guard who had been at the gates just moments before.
'I'm sorry, Miss Robinson. I tried to stop her but she just keeps insisting that she won't leave until she's spoken to you.'
We both glanced back towards the gate where, standing on the other side, was a woman with bright red and black hair held up with a garish orange head scarf. She wore black leggings with black ankle boots and an orange parka which she was huddling into.
'Miss Robinson! Kate Robinson!' She yelled, waving when she noticed me.
'Do you know who she is, Steven?'
'Says her name is Gina. All she says is that she has something really important to talk to you about. I'm not going to let her in, unless you want me to, of course. Alternatively, I can call the police if you like.'
'No, there's no need for that, thank you. Erm, okay. I'll come over in just a moment.'
Steven nodded with a nervous smile as I stepped back indoors to put some shoes and my coat on.