Bingo, a phone.
I dig the cord out and quickly roll it up and stuff both into my pocket, I grab my keys from my side table and I run down the stairs two at a time. “Mom, I have to go out and get something quickly,” I call as I head for the front door.
“Are your friends here already?” she calls back.
Oh shit, I forgot they were picking me up. “Tell them I’ll be five minutes if they turn up, I’ll be back before they get here anyway.”
“Oh, okay. What’s so urgent?”
“I forgot to get some drinks for tonight,” I lie.
I run out to my car and plug the phone into my car charger, and I speed down the street and pull up at the shops and run in.
“Hello, can I help you?”
“I would like to buy a new sim card and some credit for this phone please.”
She types into her cash register. “How much credit do you want?”
All of it.
“Umm, fifty euros please.” I glance at my watch, shit, my friends will be at my house right about now.
After some more typing on her computer, she hands over a card. “This is your sim card here.” She points to a number. “This is the new phone number.” She prints out a receipt. “And here is your credit, the number you type in is right here.” She points to another code on the receipt.
“Okay, thanks.” I pay her and run back to my car and then carefully put the new sim card into the phone and type in the credit and save the number into my phone.
Right. Ready to go.
Now to get it to Francesca…hmm, how the hell do I do that? Enrico said he was going into town, let’s just hope that’s true. I drive back to the house and park out on the street, I sit in my car for a moment as I stare through the large metal gates at all the security guards standing around.
This could go bad, real fucking bad.
With a deep steeling breath, I get out of my car and walk up to the gates.
“Hello,” the guard says.
“Hi, I was just here and I left my phone inside the house,” I lie.
The guard looks to his colleague and the second man nods. “Yes. This is Giuliano. Let him in.”
The man opens the gates. “My apologies, Mr. Linden.”
“That’s okay.” How do they all know my name?
Stay calm.
I walk up the long driveway and past at least fifteen men and up to the front door, I knock as my heart hammers in my chest.
The door opens and I come face-to-face with Olivia. “Giuliano.” She smiles in surprise.
“Sorry to bother you.”
“Enrico isn’t here, he’s gone into town.”
“That’s okay, I think I left my phone here.”
“Oh.” She stands back, granting me access. “Come in.” She looks up the stairs. “Francesca,” she calls.
Francesca comes to the top of the stairs and her face falls as she sees me.
I stare up at her in awe, seriously, this girl is ridiculously hot.
“Giuliano left his phone here; did you see it?” Olivia asks.
Francesca’s eyes widen. “Umm.”
“I think I left it on the table upstairs,” I say.
Francesca opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out.
She can’t lie…oh, I like that about her.
“Help him look, will you?” Olivia asks.
“Yes, of course,” Francesca mumbles.
I take the stairs two at a time and Francesca turns and follows me up the hall. “What are you doing?” she whispers.
I dig the phone and charger out of my pocket and hold it out to her.
She stares at it in my hand. “What’s this?”
“It’s a phone.”
Her eyes widen.
“This way I can text you, you just need to charge it up. I’ve got you a new number and there is credit on it, my number is already saved.”
She bites her lip as if not sure what to do and I hold it out to her again. “Do you want to speak to me or not?” I prompt.
Her eyes rise to mine. “Of course, I do.”
“Then take it, don’t show anyone. Keep it hidden.”
She quickly takes it from me, and we hear Olivia coming up the stairs. Francesca stuffs the phone and charger underneath a cushion on the armchair and stands up guiltily.
“Found it,” I call as I walk back toward the stairs just as Olivia reaches the top, I hold my phone up. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“No problem.” Olivia smiles. “Glad you found it.”
I walk back down the stairs and to the front door.
“Goodbye, Giuliano,” Olivia says.
“Goodbye.” I glance up to the top of the stairs and lock eyes with Francesca, an unspoken message passes between us and she gives me a soft smile. Feeling proud of myself, I bounce down the front steps.
Nobody gets to tell her who she can and can’t talk to.
Nobody.
* * *
The party music echoes from inside and I take my phone out of my pocket and check it.