𝚂𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚂𝚊𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜

Chapter-11

I guess stress does really put you in a creative overdrive, I was working on my manuscript day and night. It was maybe an attempt to hide, and not interact with the world.

But then the exhaustion bit of an overdrive kicked in, while I was more than happy with what I had written and completed I was tired. I was drained, being holed into your room isn't such a good idea and I know that now.

I finally decided to get back to Giada and Matteo, who were worried but gave me my space. I think Charlotte had been hanging out more with them since that evening, I guess the racing season must have began because I haven't seen Charles either.

But what did it matter? From what it looked like, he had just used the idea of me as a way to get out of a relationship. Which wasn't nice of him at all, he could have been honest about it. I still don't understand why he created this fictional story, honestly I see storyline writer  potential in this wonderful tale of his.

I had booked my tickets to head back home, I'll probably just see my friends one last time before leaving. Truth be told, I was going to miss this place. It was silly how I let one hormonal teenager ruin this whole place for me, and there was no way I was going to let him win again.

I popped into the shop for a bit, Baba was talking to a customer, instructing how to take care of whatever she had just sold to them. That's the thing about Baba, she would go on these trips to curate things to sell and then get sentimentally attached to each one of them.

"Look who is out of their room!" Baba beamed after letting the person out of the shop.

"I am." I smiled weakly, "I've booked my tickets to go back home, this summer was more and better than everything I had ever dreamed of."

"When did you book the tickets for?"

"Next Saturday." I told her.

She looked at me thoughtfully and then slowly nodded, I knew for a fact her little brain was probably coming up with elaborate schemes to get me to stay for longer.

"We didn't go to the tea place I wanted to take you to." She sighed.

"We still have the whole week, we have today!" I beamed.

"Okay then! Let's dress up and go out for tea."

So that's what we did, we put on our most tea party appropriate clothes and headed to the place Baba wanted to go. It was a cute place, all the decor reminded me very much of a whimsical garden.

We were assigned a table and served with tea and the treats that accompanied them. Baba was smiling from ear to ear, she was so happy right now, I wanted to remember the joy on her face forever.

"Do you think you'll be happy in Osaka?" She suddenly asked.

I was caught off guard, that's where my life was right? I had a whole crew and my career waiting for me there, besides it had created its own little space in my heart now.

"That's where my career is Baba."

"But what about your happiness?"

"I don't understand." I laughed, "I wrote a whole show that's taken the country by storm so yes, that's where my happiness is."

"Okay, if that's what you say." She said smugly, taking a sip of her tea.

"Why don't you say what you have to say? Why the mind games?"

"Nothing, it's just that what you have going on here is so wonderful."

"Hanging out with my friends? Yes of course I'll miss them. But I have a nearly empty bank account from all the wonderful times." I laughed, I mean. It wasn't a lie, I had just checked my bank statements before booking my flight tickets. My checking account was not taking Monaco well, I don't blame her this place was expensive.

"But you will come back right? More frequently?"

"If I can afford to, yes of course."

"Good! Because I love having you around."

"No you like the free labour." I laughed.

After more chatter we got back home, I wanted to start packing things away. I didn't want all of it to pile up last minute, the first thing I put away was the manuscript, it was what led to this trip and now it was time for it to get into the hands of editors waiting back home.

Baba wanted to go back to the shop to arrange some things so I went with her, while she was arranging things I noticed someone walk in. Out of all the people in this world it had to be the girl I was avoiding, unsure about what to do I just continued fiddling with the cash register as if I was doing some serious work.

"Hey." Charlotte waved at me.

"Hi, how can I help you?" I smiled so insincerely.

"I've been meaning to come look at this shop for ages, I was wondering if you have any vintage jewellery?"

"Yes we do! It's a really small collection of them though hold on." I smiled looking for the trays behind the booth.

I placed the trays on the counter, much like when I saw the pieces for the first time, she was in awe. She asked me if she could touch them and I said sure, because clearly she loved and valued them a lot.

"What are you exactly looking for?" I asked.

"A ring with any sort of green stone." She explained.

"That narrows your selection down to these three rings." I placed them in front of her.

She looked at them, carefully examining the hues of the stone. After a good look she decided on the one she wanted and requested to have it billed. The whole time I packed the ring, she glanced at me as if she wanted to say something.

"You look familiar." She broke the silence.

"I was about to say that to you too!" I lied through my teeth, as Joe Goldberg this sounds- I knew exactly who she was.

"Did you go to high school here in Monte Carlo?" She asked.

"Yeah I did," I looked at her thoughtfully, "were you friends with a certain Giada?"

"Yes!" She beamed, "I'm still friends with her, like we recently reconnected."

"It's a small world." I laughed, "I'm friends with her too."

"Oh My God! We should all get lunch together." She smiled.

"Yes we should! I'm going to drop by at Giada's workplace this afternoon, you should come."

"I'll be there!"