Chapter 52: Queen of Egypt

“What?” She widened.

“Yesterday I took her shopping then back to her hotel. She wanted me to spend the night but I didn’t. I bunked with Rudy and the guys. I wanted to make you believe I did.”

This time he had her shuddering.

“I orchestrated a ruse, the same you’re doing with this Rolti guy using him for rebound and payback.” He closed in. She took a step backwards before their foreheads could connect.

“Wait just a sec, why these revelations all of a sudden? And leave Mario of out of it.”

She said firmly standing her ground.

“Like I said, I’m done. I’m also sorry this all started with me rubbing Natasha in your face. I did it with the intention of making you warm up to the possibility of us. Instead, I was an upright jerk to you and her both. She could tell we were involved. I made her feel like a complete tool.”

He beamed to his feet indicating he felt somewhat ashamed of the distasteful deed.

She remained wordless, staring complicatedly at him. She ticked her head remotely from side to side with an oblivious expression. Her inner voice had gone deaf.

“Gina,” he cupped her cheeks delicately. “I know I hurt you by leading to you think I slept with her. I was getting impatient every time you denied me. But I see you with another man trying get into your pants and it drives me mad.”

He uttered to her soft and raspy. Bowing his head grazing her pulp lips with his, she breathed out sturdy without pulling away. He moved in, taking advantage of her docile state. He claimed her mouth clumping the curves of her lip. Wet, mushy, she hummed to the taste of strong whiskey that stung his mouth. His hands wrapped around the smalls of her back. He yanked her onto his chest. Abruptly she yelped the bag fell from her hand. He had to devour every inch of her finally having her in his arms again, when he never wished to let go at first.

“Alex-I can’t,” she chirped.

He slowly and reluctantly edged from the kiss and her. “Damn it, what do I have to do? Publicly wave a white flag for you to see?” He said raising the pitch of his voice.

“I-I-have a party to get dressed for my ride will arrive in less than an hour.”

She attempted to draw apart from him but he instinctively held her tightly refusing to let her escape. “Come on, forget about that.”

He drawled in a roaring manner.

“Alex.” She cringed, the tinkles creeping excruciatingly on her.

“Mario is nothing but some chump you’re using. Javier might have meant something to you but it’s in the past and you said yourself you’ve moved on.” He impetuously let out.

“Huh?” Her eyes diluted.

He then removed his hands from her.

Shit!

Think before speak, Alex, his subconscious lectured.

“How did you know that?” She recoiled. He looked at her guilty. “Did you snoop through my phone messages?”

She repeated the question with more venom.

“Yes.”

Her jaw parted, astonished by his actions. This was too overboard for her to comprehend.

“You bastard,” She grabbed the chopsticks from the table launching them directly at him. “Gina.” He took one on the head ducking the other.

“How dare you?” She shouted in sharp unsuppressed rage.

“I had to know who he was and what he meant to you. You wouldn’t tell me anything.”

He reverted in a yell.

She laughed hysterically at his pathetic defense. “Real petty, Alexander,” she scoffed.

“That’s what you reduce me to be.” He shot back with might. “You’re such a fucking mystery to me. I can’t read you or guess what’s on your mind.”

“So you decided to get your answers the despicable way, huh?”

She snickered snatching her bag from the floor. “Hell with you Alexander.”

She spun on her heel to the powder room next to her. He rushed scooting his way in front her, blocking her path. “Don’t walk away. This doesn’t change anything.”

“It changes everything!”

She yelled giving his chest a big shove. “You crossed the line and invaded my privacy, that’s unforgivable.” She scurried from him.

He didn’t object as she shut the door behind her. He hissed wallowing in another screw up. He located his cell speed-dialing for Rudy.

***

The limo driver courteously held the car door for her while she climbed down the large concrete steps. “Grazie,” Gina thanked and scooped onto the long leather seat. Taking the compact mirror from her clutch she inspected the mascara and blue eye-shadow work she did. Adjusting the braided wig and gold serpent-ornate head band on top she had trouble the wig in place.

She unwrapped and chewed on a mint gum to soothe her heightened nerves. She was still fluttering from Alex’s confrontation. He always managed to get her arouse before making her mad as hell. She didn’t even want to imagine him reading the messages between her and Megan. The gushing about how she having the best time of her life shagging him, like a nymphomaniac, then there was Sara.

She growled out chewing faster, glimpsing out the car window. The line of buildings flying by in a blur by reminded her of the worth-wild cruise on the Vespa. She really freaked Alex out, the look of anger and worry on his face. She had no doubt the stunt would make him let go of the notion of chasing her. Please, as if she were a princess trapped in a tower and he was supposed to be her white knight. Whatever this sensation was that bubbled in her. She hated it, hated it with a passion. She couldn’t express her relief coming out the powder room and found him gone from the suite.

Gina never so petulantly hid from a man having to gasp for air each time he was in good proximity. Get it together, Gina, her inner voice was revived out of the nowhere.

The car circled around left of the illuminated Trevi Fountain, the statues of built-half-naked men and winged stallions were magnificent.

The clear baby-blue water shone in the white lights. The mass of people was just beginning to clamp up, a music mix surrounded the place. She could hear Rhianna singing from inside the vehicle. The chauffeur drove down to the semi-circle of parking space.

The door flew open.

Mario bent draped in spotless cotton robes similar to her own, a golden leafy crown on his head. He extended his hand.

She took it and allowed him to help her out, holding the blue veil tied to her hand cuffs so her ivory strappy heels wouldn’t trip on it.

“Bellissima Cleopatra.”

She smiled dazzlingly with a nod.

“The costume store was limited. It was between her and Lucrezia Borgia.”

She elaborated as he escorted her through the gathering crowd. “Don’t tell me, you choose Julius Cesar?” Gina studied his outfit befitting a Roman emperor. He smiled tipping the leafy crown. “Nero actually, but I’m compelled to ditch the crown and go with Marc Anthony then we’d be history’s greatest lovers.” He hinted with a grin.

“The queen of Egypt needs her faithful soldier.”

He paused at the base of the huge, picturesque fountain. The bungle of tourists huddled vertically snapping endless shots of the flowing water and B.C. statues.

“Tremendous, isn’t it? Salvi was a true Architectural genius.”

Mario remarked and Gina concurred with his appraisal. Her father told her about the tradition to make wishes. He would give her a coin then boost her on his shoulders. She would close her eyes, conjure a wish and throw it into the water. “Are those security guards?”

She gestured to the vigilant muscles in black and white and earpieces positioned between the tourist and the base of the fountain.

“Yep, Fantasia security, I assured the counsel I would aid the local officers in keeping the area free of litter and vandalism. The Trevi’s a treasured landmark. I couldn’t think of a better venue to host this.” He said, leading her up the secured road where the music boomed loudest and the mass of bodies moving to the fist-pumping beat. Musketeers, Queen Elizabeth I, Artemis, Zeus, Joan of arc, European kings in addition flooded the center jumping and shaking their rears. Liquor overflowed spilling from their cups.

“Allow me,” he kindly took her Chanel purse and checked it with the employee under a tent where all belongings were being safeguarded.

At the very top, a large tent was in place. It was the DJ’s temple, spinning CDs, bobbing to the headset. Female exotic dancers dressed scantily clad in belly dancing gypsy get-ups, grinding in random sequence at the front of the tent. The beat died slowly only to blast higher. Her shoulder blades started popping up and down involuntarily. ‘Crazy in love,’ bashed through the enormous speaker boxes. The energetic dancers shimmied wild, the air got thicker with all hot exhales.

Mario raised his right hand signaling for something she couldn’t understand in the DJ’s direction. He nudged his chin to us, switching tracks the music seized completely. Her skin was flashing with green and yellow colours.

She burst into a bright smile watching the LED par lights rotating rapidly. Rainbow colors stroke through the crowd of characters, the dancing stopped. Sweat dripped from the overworked, adrenaline-boosted bodies. Mario’s thumb rose to the DJ and the beat was reborn. Fire sticks abruptly exploded in sparking flames making her flinch.

The dancers twirled the flaring sticks around their torsos like a Drill team with batons. He turned to her.

She gave an impressed smile.

The booming sound mix knocked back and forth until it peaked with a popping clash of beats. The crowd roared hands to the sky.

The rainbow lights rotated painting their perspiring skins.