Chapter 19: CHAPTER NINETEEN

Claiming their bags had not taken as long as Dwight expected and in just a short while he and Savannah were walking towards the general direction of their hotel. He had thought about securing a black corvette convertible to add to their Italy experience, but since he had never been there either, he felt that it would be more authentic to walk or take advantage of local transportation. Besides, he’d been observant enough to realize that Savannah wasn’t into that type of stuff.

He was looking forward to their week together. He held her hand with his free one and tried to maintain his grip as she pulled him to the taxi stand near them. The small, stocky man smiled and reached for their bags. Dwight handed him a scrap of paper with the address on it and they were off.

They passed rustic buildings tucked between shops and boutiques. Stone walls softened the look of the updated structures. He smiled at the bevy of small Italian women who were on the streets talking about one thing or another. Couples hand in hand seemed to be carried down the streets. Dwight felt as if the streets were so small that he could touch both sides of the street at the same time. Every building looked as if it was a work of art, with sketched linings in the stone and metal structures at the tops of them.

Savannah scooted closer to Dwight. After a while, they pulled up in front of the Bauer Palladio Hotel and Spa. The place cost a lot, averaging about $700 dollars a night. But his work put him in contact with different types of people and one of his satisfied clients, who worked in Italy, had arranged for him to take the trip at an extremely reasonable price. Initially he was going to take Isabella, but that kind of trip for a four-year-old would be wasted. Izzy was content with a party at Chuck E. Cheese and coloring books. Besides, this was a place for lovers.

“It’s beautiful,” Savannah gasped as he helped her out of the car. Within seconds, a few bellboys appeared, placing their luggage on the big, gold cart they pushed out from the lobby.

“Buon pomeriggio signore, Clarke.”

He caught the surprised look on Savannah’s face. His client had said that he was going to make sure that this trip went perfectly well for Dwight. His gratitude that Dwight had saved his company from a 45-million-dollar mistake was evident in the package that had been put together for the week. Dwight wasn’t sure what kind of activities and events were planned for him and Savannah but for a free trip to Italy, he would go along for the ride.

“I didn’t know you were internationally known.” She smiled and followed the bellboys into the hotel. Dwight turned to pay the cab driver when he heard his name.

“Signore Clarke, that is not necessary.” An older gentleman, with short dark hair and a thin mustache approached him. He reached into the pocket of his black velvet blazer and handed the driver several bills. “We were informed that you and a guest...” he paused to look at a small note in his right hand, “A signorina Savannah White, would be joining us for one week and that we were to oblige your every request. Please follow me.”

Once inside the hotel, Dwight suddenly felt very calm and relaxed. The lights had been dimmed so that its harshness did not make his eyes uncomfortable. The lobby was decorated with several small sitting areas made up of tan couches and black coffee tables. Tall plants were spread around the lobby as well. A water fountain that ran the length of one of the walls forced colored water through decorative figurines. The floors were black marble and large flat screen televisions displayed the happenings around the town for the week. Large columns added luxury to the place and Savannah felt herself mesmerized by the works of art: the statues, the paintings, the sculptures. Bellboys dressed in burgundy and black waited near the front desk, like an army waiting for orders from their general.

Savannah had been guided to one of the couches and was enjoying what looked like a smoothie. She smiled pleasantly at him as she held up her drink for him to see. He waved and followed the gentleman to the counter.

“I am Frederico Suarez, and I will be making sure that your stay here is very enjoyable. Here is your room key. We have assigned you a driver.” The man paused. “Ahh. Here he is now.”

Dwight turned to see a man, perhaps in his early forties, walking towards them. He was the same height as Dwight, a slighter build and looked like a model. “I’m Gabriel. I’ll be your driver for the week. Do you have any plans for the evening, signore?”

Dwight looked at Frederico. “Do we?”

Frederico smiled. “We received an itinerary from Alex Dutes. From the looks of it, he has arranged for you to get the best of Italy in seven days. If you would like, dinner will be at Bella Mama’s. At 7.”

Dwight looked over at Savannah who had finished her drink and was laying against her arm, despite the smile on her face. “Can I call you around 5:30 and let you know?”

“I’ll call you at that time.” Gabriel adjusted his jacket and headed to a doorway behind the front desk.

Dwight finished registering at the front desk and he and Savannah made their way to the room. “I can’t believe how beautiful this place is.” Savannah followed Dwight into the large suite that had been provided for them. She stepped down into what she believed was the sitting area where there were two rounded, leather couches in soft cream. The walls were painted gold with a stone print on it. Tall, elegant lamps cast soft light across the room. Large windows from floor to ceiling were bordered in long, white curtains, sheer with solid panels. On the other side of the room was a medium-sized dinner table, with plates and utensils already on it. It was a deep rich mahogany and shined from a very good polishing. On each wall hung a large, colorful print of the beach and flowers. Two large floor-to-ceiling windows were bordered with the same elegant curtains. She twirled and looked up at Dwight who was making his way towards her.

“It’s beautiful.”

He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. “I want you to have fun.”

“I’ll just call and check on the boys.”

Dwight smiled, knowing what it was like to be a parent and knowing that no fun could be had until it was determined that the children were okay. He had called to check on Izzy while on the plane himself. While she walked out of the room carrying her cell phone, he carried the luggage to the bedroom. The master suite was large with a small sitting area near one of the windows, complete with two oversized, black loveseats adjacent to one another. A large cream and black area rug sat underneath them. A large opening in the adjacent wall opened to where the bed was. The king-sized bed was covered in silk, rose and cream-colored linen. Two beige nightstands stood on either side. There was no television in sight. Obviously, this room was to be used for something other than catching up on the sports teams. Across from the bed was a wall and in that wall were two French doors. He opened those doors and walked into a walk-in closet. In the middle of the closet was a medium-sized ottoman. He set to work unpacking his clothes.

After unpacking he headed back to the bedroom and sat on the bed. He pulled the velvet box from the pocket of his blazer and twirled it around in his hand. His pulse began to quicken, slight at first. He cleared his throat which seemed to be a little dry. When he had proposed to Sandra, he was nervous as hell. His palms were sweaty, and he was close to hyperventilating. Apparently proposing twice did not do much to calm one’s nerves and as he heard Savannah approach, he tucked his surprise away and turned to her.

“The boys are okay. They gave me a list of everything they wanted me to bring them from my trip.” She smiled. It was a nervous smile, twitchy at the corners of her mouth.

“They’ll be fine. Did you want to take a nap?”

“A nap? In Italy? No such thing. I want to take a walk.” She practically floated to the window, her yellow sundress billowing from the movement.

“All right. We can do that.”

On the street they walked, hand in hand and stopped to talk with people that Savannah thought were interesting or venture into a store where she tried on several things and bought small trinkets. The ring was burning a hole in his pocket and all he could do to keep from proposing to her right then and there was to keep his lips closed and smile and nod when she talked to him. Gabriel was not that far from them, trying his best to be inconspicuous. Dwight had tried to explain to Frederico that he and Savannah would be okay, but Alex had arranged for them to be protected and so, exasperated, Dwight had finally agreed. He wasn’t sure why Alex had gone through all the trouble of arranging a bodyguard, but he was eccentric. He lived with a pet puma that he had purchased when it was a very tiny baby. He wore lavender and royal blue suits to meetings. He refused to eat any kind of meat and lived by a smoothie made from seaweed and B vitamins. And he was filthy rich.

Alex Dutes had walked into Dwight’s office, wearing a periwinkle suit with a rose-colored ascot tied at the neck. His white shoes shined as he made his way over to the desk, with his hand extended. “I’m Alex Dutes.” He said in a voice that was too deep and masculine to be coming from such a colorful man.

Dwight had not known what to say and so he gestured for Alex to sit down. “How may I help you?”

“I understand that you are a genius when it comes to other people’s money. I need you to look at mine.”

“How much are we talking about?” Dwight opened a new file on his computer and quickly typed in Alex’s name.

“260 million.” Alex’s face was calm as he waited.

Dwight had almost swallowed his tongue when he heard the number. The largest sum of money he had worked around was ten million. It was then that he looked closer at Alex Dutes. Tiny earrings in his ears that looked to be made of black diamonds. The suit he recognized as Markup Seze’s new design, not even in production yet. His shoes were immaculate, cut from a good leather, he could tell from the lack of creasing. On his hands, which were manicured and moisturized, were two platinum rings on each pinkie and they were covered in diamonds. He certainly looked the part.

“All right. What I do is investigate where your money is going. I investigate every investment, every check, every business deal to make sure that everything is legit. I do nothing illegal, so if I discover something going on, I must report it. This is where you can back out now, Mr. Dutes.”

Alex’s eyes squinted and Dwight kept his gaze even and calm. He was hoping that he would get the client, but he wasn’t starving. Besides, Alex looked like he was a handful and the last thing he needed was some grown-up cartoon character giving him a difficult time.

“Everything sounds good, but you don’t stay a millionaire if you go only by what sounds agreeable. Is that okay, Mr. Clarke?”

It had taken Dwight only a week to discover that the company that Alex was getting ready to partner with was a con game. The owners would get these huge lucrative deals signed with wealthy investors, promising them a design of some product that would revolutionize the world. Alex’s promise was a group of airplanes that would be designed as if it were a hotel suite. What they would then do is use the money to buy equipment and other things like stock and cars and forge a receipt showing that the money was actually used to purchase materials for the building of the planes or whatever the investor believed he was getting. Before the investors found out, they would clear out and take all the money with them. After Dwight had written his report, he received a hefty bonus and some of the men involved were placed in prison. Since then, Alex had become a long-time client and surprisingly, a friend.

“Is something wrong?”

Dwight looked at Savannah, her eyebrows furrowed at the center and her eyes puzzled. “I was just thinking about this crazy guy I know.”

“I asked if you thought that dress would look nice on me.” She pointed to a long, silk gown in emerald green, displayed in the window of a store. The straps were thin and made of gold fabric. The front had a sweetheart cut, a feature he noticed because of Sandra’s incessant hounding when she was searching for a wedding dress. The mannequin the dress was on was too thin and he was sure that with Savannah’s healthy hips and her firm breasts that the dress would look even better.

“Let’s go try it on.”

The boutique looked like the walk-in closet of some celebrity. There were walls and walls of clothes in various jewel tones. Savannah found herself drawn to every mannequin draped in the finest colors and fabrics. She turned her attention to the dress she had seen and hoped that she would be able to do it justice. She was glad that she had chosen to wear her hair down and softly curled.

“May I help you?” The woman was slender, tall, with porcelain skin. Her lips were stained red, and her hair pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her black pantsuit was immaculate and fit her like a glove. Her expression was pleasant, and she reached her hand out to Savannah. “I’m Justine. Welcome to Spice.” She turned her attention to the dress Savannah had been looking at. “If you follow me, you can try it on back here.”

Savannah turned to Dwight and when he smiled, she followed happily after Justine. Dwight busied himself with playing with the box in his pocket and looking at the dresses. He looked up and saw Justine looking at him.

“Your wife is very pretty.” Her smile was genuine.

Dwight started to correct her but stopped. Technically, she was about to be his wife anyway, right? “Thank you.” He blushed.

“Her skin tone is perfect for that color.”

He hadn’t heard her. Hadn’t heard the chime of the bell when a woman entered the boutique. Hadn’t heard the traffic outside. The only thing in his ears now was the sound of his pulse racing. He was looking beyond Justine to where Savannah was standing, the dress draping across her brown body. Amazing was a word that could not even begin to describe how she looked. Her hair fell around her shoulders. The gold straps shimmered on them. The dress pulled in at the sides, accentuating her slender waist. And there was a split that he had not seen that spread so that her thigh became visible with every step that she took. Within seconds he had closed the gap in between them and was running his hands up and down her body.

“Oh my.” He mouthed into her ear.

“You like it?”

“Love it.” He turned to Justine. “We’ll take it.”

“But we don’t know how much it is.” Savannah was heading back towards the dressing room.

“I don’t care.” He headed the other way, to where Justine was standing.

“But what about these?” Savannah had turned around and pulled up the bottom of the dress, revealing a pair of jade strappy sandals.

“Whatever you want.” He called behind him.

They were once again walking, hand in hand, down the streets. Savannah was pressed closely to his side, her hair blowing in the soft breeze. She was slightly disappointed that she did not have a bag to swing around but having her packages delivered to the hotel was a luxury she could get used to. The day was starting to dim, a cool haze beginning to cover the air. She yawned quietly.

“Sleepy?”

“A little. But I’m not sure if I’m ready to go in.” She yawned again. “How can we be in Italy and I get tired?”

Dwight squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. We can just call it a night.”

“How was your walk?” Frederico asked when Dwight and Savannah walked through the hotel lobby.

“Very nice,” Savannah replied, grabbing hold of Dwight’s hand.

Once in the room, she hung her new dress in the closet and put her shoes under it. Dwight had stretched across the bed, so she decided to take a shower. She looked around until she found one of the fluffiest towels she had ever felt. But once she got to the bathroom, the large Jacuzzi tub changed her mind. Sliding down into the bubbly water, she finally exhaled. A few months ago, she had no idea that she would be in Italy, with a man who loved her, and be happy. She stared down at her toes, brown and newly painted white. Once she had accepted his invitation for the trip she had run out and got everything waxed, shaved, pedicured and manicured.

Dwight was the one. In all her experience as a woman, with all the relationships she had navigated, her heart had not burned as it did now. Thomas had managed to jolt it, but Dwight had made it really beat. Not to mention the slight panic at the back of her brain when she considered the possibility that she was completely in love with him. She closed her eyes and drifted down until the back of her head rested against the tub.

Dwight stared at her. He loved the peaceful look she had on her face. He awakened from his nap, looking for her. The sound of the rumbling from the bathroom gave him a clue. “Savannah,” he called to her.

She slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Hi.”

“Hey.” He moved closer to sit on the edge of the tub. “Gabriel wants to know if we want to go to dinner.”

“Hmm. I just got comfortable. But how can I resist.” She stood up slowly, water and bubbles cascading down her body.

Dwight stared at her curves, eyeing her breasts. He swallowed hard, not knowing what part of her to look at first. His hand twitched. He barely blinked. Savannah stepped down onto the plush carpet, seemingly unaware of her nakedness. She moved to stand in front of him. He brought his hands to her hips, letting his finger touch her gently. She placed her lips against his as the room became fuzzy. Savannah grabbed the towel and began to wrap it around her body. “We should go before we’re late.”

Dwight had forgotten all about dinner and thought hard of some reasons for them to stay indoors, touching her being the main one.