Summer in Sorrento (5 page)

But Camilla, who had obviously forgotten the young woma
n’
s discomfort, spoke first
,“
She is here to attend a frien
d’
s wedding
,”
she said simply.

Amelia looked pale

“
Well, what a perfect place to get married
,”
Lori noted.

Amelia looked around and shrugged her agreement.
 “
I suppose. But no offense, it would
n’
t have been my first choice
.
”

Camilla shot a knowing look at Maia
.“
Well then i
t’
s lucky, yes?  That you are just friends with the groom
.
”

A cloud passed over Ameli
a’
s face, and she turned away from Camill
a’
s inquiring eyes, casting a longing look to the Bay of Naples.  She looked as if she wanted to be anywhere except there.

“
Well actually, tha
t’
s the thing....  It wa
s…
supposed to be me.  My friend, the groom, h
e’s
… h
e’
s actually, my ex.  And tha
t’
s why I am here, to watch him marry someone else
.
”

The three woman stared in silence at Amelia, all (except Camilla it seemed) surprised by what she had just revealed. Amelia on the other hand, suddenly looked light as a feathe
r—
as if she had been looking for a way to get that little revelation off of her chest.

              Lori was the first to speak
.“
H
e’
s your ex?  And you ar
e
attendin
g
his wedding
?
”

              Amelia took a long slug from the wine glass.  She seemed to take a minute to ponder the taste of the red liquid, and once again threw a look out over the Bay, as if debating whether or not to answer the question. Finally, she nodded.
 “
Yes.  Aaron.  He and I were engaged actually.  And now he is marrying someone else.  Sh
e’
s his co-worker.  They were always goo
d‘
friend
s’
when we were together
.
”

            
 “
Are you saying he cheated on you with this woman
?”
inquired Camilla, disgust thick in her voice.

              Amelia shrugged and brushed a loose strand of blonde hair from her face.
 “
I really have no idea.  I
t’
s just awfully convenient, I suppose. All I know is that he ended it with m
e—
he said he was
n’
t ready to get married. 
I’
d just bought my dress the day before.  Everything was set.  And he said he was
n’
t ready.  You would have thought this might have dawned on him before he proposed to me, do
n’
t you
?
”

              Camilla was nodding her head vehemently, agreeing with everything that Amelia was saying
.“
So what happened next
?”
she asked, seemingly on tenterhooks.

              Taking a deep breath, Amelia continued.
 “
He had asked me to be hi
s‘
frien
d’
.  That he still loved me.  That I was still th
e
bes
t
person in his life
.
”
 
Then she let out a small shudder.
 “
But within six months he was engaged t
o
he
r
.
”

              Maia sat silently shaking her head.  She sometimes could
n’
t believe the drama in some relationship
s—
and she knew that she had been lucky.  Her relationship with Jim had always been drama free. Quietly she asked the question that all of them were thinking.

            
 “
So Amelia, then why are you here
?
”

              The British girl shrugged.
 “
To be honest, I really do
n’
t know.  When the invitation showed up in the post what I really wanted to do was put it through a paper shredder.  I honestly saw red.  But I did
n’
t want to be that person.  I decided at the last moment to come.  But I could
n’
t stay at the hotel with the wedding party.  His parents would be there, and I always loved his parents.  I knew I would see the pity on their faces.  I suppose to answer your question, I came because I needed to see it happen.  I needed the visual confirmation.  I suppose I am a glutton for punishment really, voluntarily attending a wedding to watch the love of my life marry another woman
.
”

              Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.  Maia immediately jumped forward to put her arms around the young woman.  As cleansing as her speech and her explanation about why she was in Italy might have been, it had obviously taken its toll on her.

            
 “
Oh sweetheart,
I’
m so sorry.  I can say you are very strong being here, attending this wedding.  I do
n’
t know if I would have been able to do the same.  What you are doing is very brave
,”
said Maia kindly.

              Amelia sniffled.
 “
My best friend said I was just sadistic
.
”

            
 “
No
,”
insisted Maia.
 “
Yo
u’
re not.  I think you have a good philosophy actuall
y—
looking for closure.  But if you really want to move on, you have to realise that just seeing him get married is
n’
t enough.  I think there are plenty of people out there, men and women both, who have pined over someone who is unattainabl
e—
only to have their heart broken time and again
.
”

              Lori was nodding, agreeing with Mai
a’
s words.
 “
Watch him get married.  But you have to find a reason to check out before you head to the wedding, if you get my drift
.
”

              Amelia wiped her eyes and furrowed her brow.
 “
And how do I do that
?
”

              Lori smiled.
 “
I always say that the best way to get over a guy is to get under another. And hey, this is the perfect place for an Italian fling
.
”

              Maia rolled her eyes and laughed.
 “
Amelia, I do
n’
t want to sound like an old fuddy-dudd
y—
and while Lori means wel
l—I’
m not sure if immediately diving into another relationship, fling or not, is the best advice.  I think what she meant to say is you have to figure out what makes you happy, outside of the way you might have felt, or feel, for this Aaron. I think you should figure out how to love yourself first, tha
t’
s the way to get closure.  Because a woman who has confidence in who she is and what she has to offer, will never allow herself to be taken advantage o
f—
and her happiness will never be held in the balance because of the actions of someone else
.
”

              Camilla was once again smiling and nodding.
 “
Sh
e’
s right, you know.  In my life, I never let any man be in charge of my happiness.  And they follow me around.  I pick who makes me happy.  And he is lucky for it
.
”

              Maia laughed loudly.  If one thing was for sure, Camilla had no deficiency in the confidence department.

Later, Maia was keeping a watchful eye on the kitchen door as she and Camilla began the process of making dinner for the house.  Amelia had been gone a while now, had left for a walk t
o“
clear her hea
d”
but Maia still felt a great deal of concern for her.  While she had never had children, she was pretty sure that Amelia was of the age where she could in fact, be Mai
a’
s daughte
r—
and she was feeling some maternal concern over the state that Ameli
a’
s heart was in.

              No one deserves to be put through such an ordeal, Maia thought to herself as she breaded chicken breast filets, to feel like you have to watch the love of your life get married, just to find closure. 

              She was sure that she could never put herself through the same sort of scenari
o—
she could have never watched Jim marry another woman.

            
 
Do you think I gave her good advice, honey
?
she asked, turning her thoughts to the ether.  It sounded like Amelia had been put through the ringer by this Aaron fellow, and while it was true that she was
n’
t sure if he had been cheating on her with his co-worker, the signs pointed to this. 

              Maia also felt confident in the idea that if there was one spot where Amelia might be able to find peace, it was here.  Maybe it was a blessing then, that the wedding just happened to be taking place in Sorrento.  Maybe Amelia was meant to come, and stay here in the home that Maia and Jim had created, just to find herself.

              She felt comforted by the thought.  Maybe she had been right to do this.  It looked like all this was about more than just providing shelter and a bed to weary travellers.  Thinking of the diverse little group that was lodging in her home at that moment, Maia wondered if maybe they all were
n’
t there for a bigger purpose.

“
Oh, h
e’
s back!  H
e’
s back
!
”
 
Camilla exclaimed just then, quickly turning her attention from the kitchen window to her cleavage.  Standing up straighter and adjusting the neckline of the top she was wearing, she then brushed her dark hair back and fluffed it.  Tossing it seductively, she looked at Maia.
 “
How do I look
?
”

            
 “
What do you want me to say? Hot
?
”

            
 “
Yes. Am I hot
?”
pressed Camilla.

              Maia nodded.
 “
Yes, yo
u’
re definitely hot
.”
In more ways than one, she thought with a smile.

            
 “
Good.  I hope he like
s
Pollo alla Cacciator
a
.
”

              Maia simply hoped for Jaco
b’
s sake that he was hungry this evenin
g—
otherwise Camilla was going to be completely unforgiving if another dish was wasted on him.

              The kitchen door opened shortly thereafter, and Jacob entered.  His eyes quickly darted around the room, assessing the situation and finally fell on Camilla, who was all but preening under his gaze
.“
Welcome back Jacob
,”
she smiled sweetly.
 “
You have great timing.  We are just finishing dinner.  I hope you are hungry now
.
”

              Jacob instinctively put a hand over his stomach and Camill
a’
s eyes followed, no doubt imagining taut six-pack abs.  For a moment however, he looked poised to decline the invite, but then Maia spoke.

            
 “
I hope you know i
t’
s bad luck to turn down the culinary efforts of an Italian woman two times in a row
,”
she said over her shoulder.
 “
If your family is Italian that should be part of your genetic makeup
.
”

              Jacob opened his mouth to probably argue that point, but then he shut it again and provided them both with an unexpected, but incredibly handsome, smile.  It was
n’
t the first time they saw him smile, but it was the first time that it looked genuine.              He put up his hands, signalling defeat.
 “
I think you might be right Maia.  I surrender.  And yes
I’
ll eat.  Sorry, sitting down for dinner is
n’
t something that I think about a lot.  I have
n’
t eaten since I was on the plane, and that was
n’
t much
.
”

              Camilla looked confused.
 “
How on earth do you not think about eating? And you call yourself Italian? Now go, sit
.
”

              Jacob did as he was told, taking a seat at the kitchen table.  After considering Mai
a’
s offer of a beverage and settling on a Peroni, because he said h
e“
needed it
,”
he sat back in his chair, and rolled up the sleeves of the white dress shirt he was wearing. 

            
 “
Thanks
,”
he said, taking a sip of the beer from the bottle.  He swallowed and took a deep breath.

              Maia went about setting the table for six, anticipating that all of her guests would eventually sit down and eat at some point.

            
 “
Been a bit of a hard day then
?”
Maia commented off-handedly, hoping she was
n’
t overstepping her boundaries.

              But he appeared to be a bit more relaxed than he had been earlier.

            
 “
Understatement of the year.  Kind of throws your life out of whack, when you wake up one morning and all is normal, but by the end of the day you are on a flight to Italy.  Not the best time honestly, and i
t’
s hard for me to get away even when I plan a trip for months
.
”

              Maia nodded politely.

 
“
So is it your job then? The reason you do
n’
t think about eating
?”
Camilla asked, unconcerned about protocol.

Though Maia agreed he seemed like your typical New Yorker, fast, urgent-minded, short of time.

            
 “
I suppose you could say that.
I’
m a hedge fund manager
.
”

            
 “
Wall Street
?”
Maia asked.

              He ran a lazy hand through his hair.
 “
Yes. Go ahead, you can cast the stereotypes out there right now.  I do
n’
t mind
.
”

              She smiled and shook her head.
 “
Not my style
.
”

              Camilla placed a bottle of sparkling water on the table.
 “
So you had to leave New York fast then
?
”

              Jacob shrugged.
 “
If
I’
m being honest, I was
n’
t going to come at all but I was receiving pressure from a persistent female to do the right thing. And like you said Maia, i
t’
s not wise to argue with Italian women
.
”

              Camill
a’
s eyes darted to Jaco
b’
s left hand.

            
 “
Pressure, from your wife
?”
she queried.  She knew some men did
n’
t wear a wedding ring.
 “
Or your girlfriend
?”
she added coyly.

              But Jacob shook his head and took another sip of his Peroni.
 “I’
m single
,”
he smiled, his eyes involuntarily and briefly appreciating the cleavage that Camilla had been intent on showing off.
 “
It was my sister actually.  She lives in Boston, but she has been here for about a month, helping out.  She insisted that I get my ass over here
.
”

              Maia grimaced.
 “
So your father is badly ill then
?”
she commented gently.

            
 “
H
e’
s been dying for years
,”
Jacob said, bitterness creeping into his voice.
 “
But Adriana, my sister, said this time i
t’
s for real.  He has cancer
.
”
 
Maia exchanged a glance with Camill
a—
where their conversation had been somewhat easy going, awkwardness had now crept in.
 “
Sorry, I do
n’
t mean to come across that way.  I
t’
s just, my dad and I do
n’
t get along
.
”

              Maia pondered what to say next.
 “
You do
n’
t have to talk about it if you do
n’
t want to
.
”

              Jacob thanked Camilla as she placed a chicken breast and pasta on his plate and offered him salad and garlic bread.  He picked up his fork and sat silent for a moment, as if figuring out whether or not he did want to speak.

              Finally, he took a deep breath
.“
My mom, sister and I, we moved to New York when I was four, Adriana was seven.  You see, my dad, he had left my mothe
r—
and she found that she did
n’
t have a bunch of options here in Italy as a single mother.  So she took us and left.  He did
n’
t fight her on it.  And he started a new famil
y—
just like that, like we had never existed.  But my mom, she was just responsible for rebuilding her entire life, with two little kids, in a foreign country, all by herself, she worked as a cleaning lady, scrimped and saved, did everything she could for us, just to get b
y—
he never helped.  Hell, he could barely even be bothered to send us birthday presents
.
”
 
He took a bite of his meal and his eyebrows rose out of appreciation.
 “
This is great, seriously - fantastic
,”
he said to Camilla, who looked as proud as punch at his compliment.
 “
Anyway my mom always did well by us, and since I have been an adult, I have always been intent on paying her back, for all of her sacrifice
s—
I bought her a townhouse in Brooklyn, she wanted something with a yard.  I make sure she always has what she needs and more.  But him, well, I do
n’
t have a lot of patience for him.  Real men do
n’
t leave their wives, abandon their families.  Tha
t’
s just how I feel
.
”

              Maia put her fork on her plate as she considered Jaco
b’
s admission.

            
 “
So your sister is closer to him, yes
?
” Camilla ventured.

              Jacob nodded.
 “
Adrian
a’
s always been a more forgiving person.  But I suppose that she also remembers some of the happy times with him.  She was older than m
e—
I just do
n’
t remember him being anything other than a jer
k—
and my mo
m’
s struggle, after he left us, tha
t’
s always been forefront in my mind.  Adriana thinks that she convinced me to come over here out of some sort of dut
y—
but I ca
n’
t say that I did for that reason
.
”

              Maia finished chewing the food in her mouth and swallowed.
 “
So why did you come
?”
she asked tentatively.

              Jacob seemed to consider his answer.  A beam of sun suddenly entered from the kitchen window, striking the table where they sa
t—
fading in its light against the pale pink backdrop of the summer sky.
 “
I suppose I came because I wanted to show him I am successful, and that I do
n’
t pity hi
m—
that we do
n’
t have a relationship and we never will, because soon, h
e’
ll be dead, and
I’
ll go on with my life like he never existed
.
”

Maia felt a bit blind-sided by just how frank this dinner table admission was.
 “
Are you sure you want to feel that way
?”
she asked.

              But Jacob did
n’
t have time to answer because the backdoor opened and Amelia strode in.  Her cheeks were rosy and she looked the tiniest bit windblown.  She definitely looke
d…
happie
r
.

            
 “
Oh
,”
she stumbled.
 “
I seem to keep interrupting when people are eating
.
”

            
 “
Nonsense
,”
said Maia, jumping up.
 “
I
t’
s what you do in Ital
y—
ea
t—
several times per day.  Please, sit down.  What can I get you to drink
?
”