AGAINST THE TIDE Book #2

Chapter Fifteen: The Bid

Vittoria's POV
"I'm so sorry for this." I apologized to him.

He has scrunched up his nose, his face disgusted by Vienna's actions. He mattered something to himself. When he looked at me he shook his head. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. You shouldn't see her like this."

"It happens to those who have had too much to drink. It's okay."

"It's not." He stated firmly and carefully put his mother in the back seat of the car. "She shouldn't carry herself this way. It is bloody embarrassing for a woman her age not to have it together!"

He slammed the back door shut and held the bridge of his nose. Vienna turned sixty years old today and she got drunk. I know better than to drink. Not after Sydney. I only drink when Marcelle is around me because I know he will take care of me.

I reached out and rubbed the side of his arm. My actions made him stare at me in a strange way so I quickly retracted my hand. "I'm sorry."

"You have a tendency to apologize a lot. Like I said, it's not your fault. But thank you for being with her. Someone would have taken advantage of her." He opened the front door. "Well, come on now."

"I'll just uh..." I haven't made reservations because the whole idea was to go back to her house. "I think..."

"You don't have a reservation. That's okay. My mother will be happy to see you in the morning. Do you have any bags?"

I pointed to Vienna's Porsche.

"I'll follow you."

"All right. Keep up." He got into his car as I settled in Vienna's. I don't know London at all and it's still raining. I don't like driving when it's raining but at least there is traffic and I cannot be faulted for moving slowly.

Marcelle was calling me when I was struggling to get Vienna to the car. I should call him back. He agreed to let me visit London without bodyguards. I feel free.

"You've reached Marcelle. Leave a message."

"Hi. Mi dispiace. I wasn't able to answer when you called. Is everything okay? I'm okay. No trouble. Text me? Call me? Text me. Bye." I hanged up.

I also noticed a call from an unknown number. I'll call back later.

It's dark and now it's raining much more heavily. I can't tell where we are going but I'm following Vicar closely. He made a turn to a narrower street with a row of houses. This is not where Vienna brought me earlier. This is a different house. I parked behind his car waiting for him to give me further instructions. He tapped the window.

"Yes?"

"You can come out of the car."

I stepped on and hurried to the cover of the front entrance where he is waiting with his mother in his arms. We stepped into the house and he left me at the entrance as he went upstairs the stairs. It's a nice house. I still think the penthouse is the better.

"Why are you still over there? My you're soaked!" His eyes dropped to my chest where my close is clinging to my breasts. I quickly accepted the towel and covered myself. He reached for my dripping hair. "I think I have a blow dryer around somewhere. I'll show you to the guest room."

He picked up my suitcase and carried it ahead of me. I hesitated for a moment before I followed him up the stairs to a room just off the staircase.

"Grazi."

"What does that mean?" He asked me.

Sometimes I forget. When I'm with Marcelle we speak a lot of Italian. Sometimes we are rude enough not to care of we are in a group and the others don't understand what we are saying. "Mi dispiace... uh sorry. It means thank you."