His Discarded Bride #thefictionawards2019

Part Six

CHAPTER FIVE

Renato as always was up at the crack of dawn, coffee in hand, staring at his weekly business reports. He saw Leilani scurry past his doorway looking to make a stealthy escape. He was not going to stop her; he'd only end up hearing more of her lies. Instead, he let her leave, knowing that his head of security would be following her every move. By the end of the day, he would know what she was up to and how to approach the proposal.

Given her lack of sex appeal, a straight-out business transaction would be most logical. She didn't turn him on, and he didn't doubt that he would need a mistress. However, he would never publicly embarrass his wife. He would be discreet. As the mother of his children, she would need to be faithful. Having some semblance of a plan, he felt himself relax and concentrated on his work while he waited for updates on Leilani's whereabouts.

Leilani breathed a sigh of relief. While thankful for Renato's hospitality, she didn't want to feel as though she needed to report her whereabouts to him. Her situation was complicated. She was feeling at an all-time low, and she needed to follow through with her plans and not be distracted or dissuaded by anyone, no matter what they thought.

One of her friends emphatically believed that she was entering into homewrecker status. She'd mulled that over, but it took two to tango, right? And why was she the one being labelled a homewrecker? Surely he had to have some accountability for his actions.

She checked her paperwork and followed her maps to her first destination. With her mind filled with fleeting emotions all chasing one another, from dread and fear to anticipation and hope, she didn't notice the sights around her. She must have been walking at a reasonable pace because, before she knew it, she was facing a large wooden door that she was to knock on. It was time to set the ball in motion, and it was too late to turn back now. She knocked on the door and entered.

An hour or so later, Leilani came out of the building, hoping that she had made the right decision. She decided that she would spend the rest of the day exploring the city. She didn't have much spending money, but window-shopping was free, and it would be a nice way to take her mind off things.

Wandering the streets of Rome, she finally started to relax and take in the culture; everything was so different from what she was used to. The streets were amazing, filled with old stone buildings with tiny little balconies or windows; most of them had red, white, or pink flowers in hanging baskets.

Some windows had a few clothes out hanging to dry. The streets were narrow and very picturesque. She found a set of shops and walked in to see what was for sale. The first store she walked into had handmade writing books. Apparently the paper was of the finest quality and, in fact, some of it was made from material such as cotton.

There were also lovely, old fashioned ink calligraphy sets, though a glance at the price indicated they were well outside of her affordability.

Handling the ink pot carefully, she gently put it back on the shelf, while the shopkeeper tried to push her into a sale. "Oh no, I'm sorry; I'm just window shopping." The shopkeeper looked put out, so Leilani thought it best to take her leave.

The next shop had local delicacies and the largest lemons she had ever seen. She couldn't resist; she took a selfie with the lemon in front of her face to give perspective to its size. It was almost the size of her face. She was tempted to buy it, but, really, what would she do with it? The shop attendant was giving her a look, and she buckled in and bought some red, white, and green dried novelty pasta at a well and truly inflated-for-tourists price.

Even though she'd opted for comfy shorts, a T-shirt, and joggers, she started to feel the heat and was working up a sweat, and she thought it best to head back to the apartment. Her early morning visit was also weighing on her mind, making it difficult to enjoy the city.