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Love Struck Page 8


  Gloria was so furious she could have lashed out at him, how she managed to refrain herself was a testament to her love for him, she took a moment to calm herself down. “What are you going to do?”

  “I can't change my mind now, she's got her hopes up, I couldn't bear to shoot her down.”

  She stopped to think about it. Paulo waited anxiously for her blessing, he hoped with much tension she would comprehend and see it his way, and know why it was important to him, and to his superstar.

  Gloria looked at him, she knew she had no hope of making him change his mind. She let out a defeated sigh, this was out of her control, a battle she had no hope of winning, much to her peeved annoyance.

  It was a first in her life, she was giving in to someone else's demands and giving them what they yearned-for, instead of the other way around.

  Paulo may have won this round, he would not be making it a constant habit, he got lucky and away with it this time. Next time, Gloria would be calling the shots and the status quo of her having it her way, and her boyfriend doing what she said would be permanently back to full swing.

  “Fine, you can be her tour guide.” she reluctantly said, it annoyed her a great deal to submit and not have it go how she wanted it.

  Paulo grinned rapturously, she was thinking of him and what it meant to him. He was the happiest guy in the world. “Great, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “I think I do.” she stood intimidatingly close to Paulo, the grin was wiped clean off his face. She was not messing around, her authority was not to be taken lightly, he was on thin ice with her. She would give him one tough but fair warning to take with him when seeing his precious starlet. “I want you to keep one thing in mind. If I discover that this is a plot for you to score with her, we're through.”

  Gloria violently grabbed his vulnerable appendage: his crotch, without warning. Slowly she applied constricting pressure to his manhood. The pain crushing at his groin was indescribable. She was giving him a little something to take with him, to remind him of what she would do to him if he dared try anything while alone with the woman he thought the world of.

  “And you can spend the rest of your break with your precious Sara Sarracini.”

  Paulo let out a silent yell of insufferable anguish. Her grip tightened, grasping his manhood in a painful clasp. The bags dropped out his released grip, he couldn't feel anything but the aching pain shooting throughout his inflamed body, his nerves were electrified by an agony only a man could experience.

  “Do I make myself clear?” she grunted under her gritted teeth, her face turned red from the high pressure she was applying. It was the toughest form of her love.

  He nodded, unable to get a word out his strained, clenched throat choking on the excruciation.

  “Good.” Gloria released his manhood, freeing him from her scorned hold, the redness of her infuriated face faded. Paulo gasped in relief, he could not have lasted one more second of her tough love.

  Gloria walked on, leaving him to sort himself out and get her bags.

  Paulo rubbed his aching manhood. “That was a close one, little buddy.”

  He picked up the bags, staggered along behind. His expression showed great discomfort from his nether regions. He had felt her claws shoot out at him in his most tender area, has she expected, Paulo would not want to go through it ever again.

  CHAPTER 21

  A first-class heaven that would have rivalled any esteemed palace for a king and queen towered with all its class and brilliance in the classy and brilliant resort.

  Sara and Tommaso walked to the main doors, glass framed around fine gold plating with the hotel's prestigious insignia imprinted for all to revere and know they were dealing with quality of the highest sorts. It was a five-star hotel with praise sang from all over the world for a reason, they served the best in every category, they had a title to uphold and a reputation to upkeep. Anything lesser than perfect was unacceptable, the staff were kept on their toes at all times to deliver the ultimate service to the important guests. As Sara would soon be finding out for herself, a woman of her importance was well suited to a hotel of this one's impressive stature.

  Sara was amazed at the expensive presence of the hotel, it was a bit too much for an actress, it looked more suitable for a visiting princess, with a reservation at the private, secluded penthouse. Not a star taking a break from her long, thrilling and exhausting film shoot.

  “Is this the right place?” she asked in complete awe, she had never been to a hotel like it, not even when she was at the height of her career years ago.

  “The one and only.” there was no other hotel Tommaso would have been satisfied with booking for his diva. It was the best or not at all.

  The inside was even more spectacular than the outside had suggested. It was like stepping into a regal palace owned by a noble king and beautiful queen, only they could have fitted in their luxuriant abode decorated in bright lights with crystal chandeliers hung above the red carpets in the grand, spacious lounge, with well-to-do guests roaming in and out, and the staff wandering about in an orderly fashion, dressed in their deluxe uniforms to represent their deluxe hotel.

  Sara was blown away by it all, she didn't know what to say. The only question that could spring to her mind was “How much did this cost?”

  “Money is no object for a star like you.” utilizing every last penny from his savings stored for a rainy day was worth it for her, it was what it was being saved for, a big special event for Sara and there was nothing more bigger and more special than her glorious return to cinema.

  They stopped at the reception desk to the mature and refined receptionist with her mousey hair tied in a bun, she greeted them charmingly with a pleasant smile. They went to introduce themselves, they did not have to, Sara was instantly recognized among the hotel, her appearance had been greatly anticipated. The door behind the Receptionist was opened, the great Sara Sarracini was personally greeted by the short and plump hotel owner, a proud and high-strung man who resembled David Suchet from the Hercule Poirot television series.

  Whether he realized it or not with his thin waxed moustache, short jet black hair and physique, their similarities were uncanny. He could have passed as his twin. The only difference was his voice, no trace of Belgium in his accent, he was distinguished by the native language he spoke, Italian.

  “Welcome Ms. Sarracini.” he boomed with his powerful, expressive vocals that held the force to give an opera singer a run for their money.

  “Please, call me Sara.” she kindly requested, she found the little enthusiastic man so delightful, she liked the owner of the hotel instantly.

  “Sara.” he gasped at speaking such divinity “What a beautiful name it is.”

  He could not help himself, he was driven to lean down, take her hand and give it a tender kiss to express his devotion to the finest star he had ever seen.

  Sara didn't know where to look. “Oh, I'm charmed.”

  “I am more charmed with you.” said the swooned manager as he lifted his head up to meet her striking blue eyes gazing down with a shyness. The Hotel Manager released her delicate hand, pulled himself back up. “We have the penthouse all set up for you, as requested by your personal assistant. He demanded the finest room available, he did not care about money, the price was not a problem when dealing with, as he rightfully said, a priceless treasure like you.”

  Sara looked to Tommaso, she was lost for words at his generous kindness all for her. “Oh, you didn't have to do that for little old me.”

  Tommaso gave her a modest smile, he appreciated her selfless modesty, it made the surprise so much more rewarding. He had to do all this in her sweetest name “You're the best, you deserve to live like a queen.”

  She could not refuse the penthouse, it would have destroyed him, it was unthinkable for her. Sara graciously accepted his generosity to her, it was a tribute that outmatched any others in term of dedication and thoughtfulness. Even after thirty years, To
mmaso was vastly good to her.

  The Hotel Manager passed her the gold plated key to the voluptuary penthouse reserved all for her. The Receptionist handed Tommaso the humble key for his respectable room.

  The owner of the glorious hotel was not finished, he had something else to present his celebrated guest “We ourselves have a surprise for you too.”

  The Receptionist pulled out a bouquet of roses from under the counter.

  Sara was thunderstruck with the loudest clap to ever be heard and sensed, she did not know how to react to all the red carpet treatment. It was outdoing the courteous attention she received on the cruiser by a gigantic mile.

  “Stop, please.” she blushed the same colour as the roses in her arms “This is too much.”

  The Hotel Manager did not see it as too much, it was too little, if he had the manpower at his disposal and the free time, he would have done so much more for her. “Please, it's our way of welcoming

  you not only to our hotel, but also welcoming you back to the glamorous world of cinema.”

  Sara gently held the sweet smelling bouquet, she was immensely grateful. “I don't know what to say.”

  “My dear” his voice was softer on her ears “you don't need to say a word, the gratitude on your face is the best response anyone can give.”

  Sara smiled warmly, she blew both the kind receptionist and the gracious owner her sweetest kiss. With that, she headed to the elevator with Tommaso.

  “One more thing.” came the booming, echoing operatic voice of the owner.

  Sara stopped, turned to the Hotel Manager with a curiosity. “Yes?” she wondered what else he had for her.

  “Will you do us the honour of giving us your autograph?”

  Sara smiled like the divine angel she was, it would be her greatest honour.

  CHAPTER 22

  Sara and Tommaso waited side by side in the compact elevator ascending to their designated floors. He yearned to hold her close like lovers did, he knew like a bad inch stuck in the back of his head where he was unable to reach and scratch, he could not. It was a real test of his professional code of conduct as a personal assistant, a lesser man would have given in. Sometimes he wondered if he should have been one of them, as opposed to be being something more than a man.

  The elevator stopped, the doors opened. Tommaso wished he could have stayed with her for a while longer, reality said to him in a coldness that he could not.

  “This is my stop.” he said, reluctant to want to walk out. It was his duty to step out.

  Outside her warm fellowship in the snug elevator, he was out in the wide and empty cold corridor. He slowly turned to her. “If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to see me, I'm always here for you.”

  Sara looked at him with much sincere appreciation, he was like her own personal angel and there was no other angel she would rather have at her thankful side “You really are something, you know that?”

  “If you need someone to talk to, I'm always happy to spend time with you.” he said, reaching out to her, giving her a piece of his unconditional heart that beat for her and her alone “Like they say, what are friends for?”

  “I'd like that.” she would have said more had it not been for the abrupt interruption of the elevator doors automatically starting to close. “I'll see you.” she gave him a sweet wave “Have a great time.”

  “You too.”

  Right as the doors closed, Sara blew him a lovely, sweet kiss. Tommaso caught the kiss, placed it softly on his cheek. The elevator ascended.

  Tommaso waited for the sound to fade before he walked on his solitary way, left alone in his own world which lacked any substance, deprived of any relevance when his reason for getting out of bed and seeing the days in their entirety was distant from him. He was a different man when she was not around.

  His true face came through, he was tearing the mask of a man who had everything he needed aside. He was a desolate man who had nothing without her. He had been living for her, he had no idea how to live for himself. There was little meaning in anything unless she was there to give it significance. His happiness came from seeing her happy.

  He was an empty man surrounded by a grey cloud formed over him called loneliness, all he could do was wait until he was graced with her colourful vicinity to brighten his world and chase the greys into obscurity, painting his existence with the same vibrancy as her.

  She was a dazzling rainbow of sheer beauty, sheer sweetness and sheer joy that never ceased to make his day so beautiful, so sweet and so joyful.

  It would be a long and dreary day until he was required to be of Sara's service again.

  “You are the wonderfully beautiful and wonderfully divine jewel on the most magnificently enchanted and most magnificently blessed crown of pure gold to me. There will never be another jewel on another crown of such importance for as long as I live, you are the only true important treasure to me.” he murmured to himself, imagining someday telling it to Sara in person and not solely in his private fantasy where he was accustomed to what it meant to know purpose and felicity with his dream lover, his dear Sara Sarracini.

  If only he had the nerve to tell her how he felt towards her on the ship, maybe things would have been different, perhaps he would have been spending a romantic holiday with Sara, seeing the island together as a joint couple.

  Instead, because of his lack of passion and fear of taking any risk to obtain his dreams, he may have very well lost her to another a second time. It was hard enough to bear once before.

  His fear was coming true, what hurt the most was he had the power to prevent it, but he stalled and now he was facing the consequences of it.

  Tommaso would be giving himself a stern reprimanding when he stepped inside his hotel room. He would not hear the end of it for the remainder of his stay at the resort and then back home for the rest of his solitary, meaningless days, punished by the inner turmoil of having another chance to be with her and squandering it, condemning himself with losing the woman he loved till the day he died a lonesome death.

  Her young, handsome admirer did not know how lucky and how blessed he was to be spending his time with a woman who defined the meaning of perfection.

  In this world, life was short, Tommaso knew most of all, he could feel biological clock was ticking away with every passing minute. Every moment had to be valued, he hoped the young stallion would always give his devoted, dedicated and unconditional time to her she was are worth every true second, every true minute, every true hour of anyone's time shared with her, the most absolutely magnificent, absolutely wonderful and absolutely precious woman of all time.

  As long as they were happy in each other's company and enjoying their time together, he figured that was what really counted. What Tommaso did with his time was irrelevant in comparison to the bigger picture.

  The picture in question he saw would be of Sara, not only would she paint the town but the whole world in the most truly stylish, truly striking and truly spectacular colours that stood out so elegantly, so radiantly and so superbly like the excellently beautiful, excellently classy and excellently dazzling first-class super starlet that she was. The thought of her having the time of her life during the vacation would transcend his own smaller needs. To know at least she was happy would see him through the day.

  CHAPTER 23

  It was the perfect palace for a perfect queen. Sara stepped in the spacious, overly designed penthouse packed full of the finest furniture, decorations and atmosphere reserved for the most essentially special people on the planet. Sara fitted the bill flawlessly, who else was more qualified as essential and special than her on the face of the earth.

  She was instantly lost for words yet again, three times in a row, at the sensational hotel. It all seemed way too much for her, she was stunned that it was all for her to indulge in. She felt undeserving to be granted such grandiloquence, a little selfish to be indulging in this kind of lavish fancy living while others could not.

 
“I feel like royalty.” she remarked to herself, the penthouse was too on the rich side for her to take, but she would make the most of it, Tommaso had spent every last penny of his money to book her the finest suite imaginable, she would relish her time there for him, to make him happy. It gave her a feeling of consolation to see him smiling, his happiness made her feel the same rhapsodic emotion.

  She was at her liveliest when with him, the chemistry they had triggered a superior reaction every time, it was enigmatical. The two fed off one another like a plug and a socket, working together in a united cycle to power each other up.

  Sara remembered they had a strong connection, but she did not remember it being as powerful as it was, the years spent apart during her retirement, he was busy as a personal assistant for a star who paled in comparison to her, and she was occupied devoting her time to domestic life, away from the glitz and glamour of stardom, and lacking his bright spark. It made her realize how invaluable he really was in her life, she could hardly imagine ever being without him.

  What she felt for him was more than platonic, it was more deeper than that, she often wondered if he felt it too. Sometimes he gave her the impression he did, and sometimes he seemed to be holding it back. She frequently longed to tell him her feelings, to ask if he felt the deepness in his heart for her as she did for him. But she did not want to make him feel uncomfortable and jeopardize their relationship. It was uncertainty that held one's wings at bay by mistrusting their own instincts and prevented them from flying out to their close but far dreams.

  Maybe what they had was sufficient, maybe he was content with the way it was, maybe she was being greedy wanting more from him, he had dedicated so much of his life to her already, and she did not want to risk losing him for her own ambitious needs. She hoped one day he would tell her, after thirty years when she saw him again, he remained the same towards her, she was beginning to think he would not. She could not bear waiting alone for the impossible to come true.