-POV ENZO-
I almost couldn't sleep at night, it dawned in the blink of an eye and it was time to go. But despite the sleepless night, I felt strangely relaxed. From the balcony I could see Raoul already waiting for me at the hotel door but I still had one last thing to do before I could finally go.
I picked up the phone and called room service. I thought that booking breakfast in her room would be a good way to improve my image with her. If breakfast didn't work, a bouquet of wildflowers would definitely help my cause.
Now I just needed to think carefully about what to put on that note. An apology maybe? It was not like me to apologize by any means other than face to face and God knows how she would react to such an impersonal apology.
It is her first trip here and she will spend the whole day alone. It would be a shame if she decides to stay in her room instead of visiting this wonderful place, maybe an itinerary of my favorite places here is a good idea. Yes, she will like it. So I hope.
- Buongiorno signori. - Raoul said when I got in the car.
- Buongiorno Raoul.
- Shall we stop by the cafe before we hit the road? - he asked.
- Today I'll take coffee on the train. - Raoul looked at me surprised by the change in itinerary.
- Sorry sir?! - he said confused.
- Don't worry Raoul. - I said laughing. - today I'm gonna need your services somewhere else.
- As you wish, sir. - He shook his head in agreement.
As soon as I got out of the car at Santa Maria Novella station, I handed the paper with the recommendations to Raoul.
- Do as I wrote there and any questions, be sure to call me. - I said, handing him the informations.
- Right. - Raoul answered me.
- Grazie, take care.
On the train, I ordered a strong coffee and croissants to eat while going over the meeting's agenda. Everything needs to be perfectly in order for Nina's presentation. I searched the computer for the folder with the project and its presentation. She is undoubtedly very creative and talented. The old man was right. He always was. I could almost hear my father cursing me for being as stubborn as he was. That memory made me smile and miss that old grouch. I wish things hadn't been so complicated after what happened.
- Attention ladies and gentlemen passengers, we will reach Milano Centrale Railway Station in a few minutes. The disembark will be through the doors on the right. Thank you for traveling with TREMITALIA. - the voice on the speaker has got me out of my moment of self pity.
The office was just a few blocks from the station, so I decided to walk. I hadn't observed Milan's architecture in a while, my life was too busy. Suddenly I found myself taking on so many responsibilities within the company that it was as if something had fallen asleep inside me. It was never my dream to study Architecture, but his. That thought made me a little irritated. It was not this life that I planned for myself.
I arrived at the office with about thirty minutes to go before the meeting, I asked my assistant to bring me a coffee while I went to my office.
- Good morning sir, here is your coffee, everything is already set up for the meeting. Investors are already starting to arrive. - said my assistant.
- Thank you Olivia. Please direct them to the meeting room and then get your things, you will accompany me this time.
- Yes sir. - she replied visibly happy with the news.
Olivia has been working for me for about a year and a half, she was young and ambitious and an excellent employee. I could see the expression of self-confidence on her face at that moment. She knew all the agendas that would be discussed at the meeting. I think it will be a great opportunity and incentive for her.
I entered the meeting room at nine o'clock sharp, and all the associates and investors who would participate in the congress were already waiting for me. The meeting would be long and the next morning we would have one more to deal with other aspects. Around ten o'clock, my cell phone vibrated. Was a message from Raoul with a picture and the legend: "In movimento."
Everything had been prepared for more than three months and I started to question myself what was the real need to go through all these matters for the thousandth time. My mind couldn't focus on the meeting, I couldn't focus on anything inside that meeting room. My thoughts were somewhere else.
- ... right Vincenzo? - said an indistinct voice pulling me back to reality.
Everyone looked at me as I suddenly came back to the real world.
- Is everything all right? - Olivia asked, a little concerned.
- We can take a break if you prefer. - said Marcello.
- No, everything is alright. We have to continue, I am absolutely sure that everything is more than right. I even think we can go straight ahead and anticipate tomorrow's meeting, if it is ok for everyone.
Everyone seems a little confused but they agreed.
I barely finished speaking and my phone vibrated again with Raoul's second message and another photo, proving just how right I was to advance the meeting the next day.
- Continuing, the presentation of Miss Marina Maia will be a highlight of the congress. - said Marcello.
Nina. The mention of her name made me imagine her sitting on a chair across the room, participating in that meeting. It was so real that I could almost smell it.
- I confess that I was surprised when I heard that a newcomer would have a participation as important as the opening of the congress and on behalf of the entire company. For me it is risky, any of us here could do that, but ...
- But the opening of the congress continues with me as it did in previous years, Marcello. - I said, interrupting him. - Nina is an extremely competent and talented architect, she was personally recommended by my father and if everyone remembers the purpose of Barbieri Architecture participation in this congress, it is to encourage and support talented young architects to enter the job market. Nina represents these people well and as I was saying, the opening and closing of the congress will stay with me.
The meeting continued its flow for a few more hours and we were able to advance the agenda for the next meeting. We stopped for about fifteen minutes to grab a bite to eat and finished it all around three in the afternoon.
I still spent another hour in the office solving some issues that required my attention. I requested Olivia to buy a train ticket for the nearest hour she could find and to leave a car waiting for me, my goal was to get to Florence as soon as possible.
When Olivia arrived with the ticket, it was exactly four-fifteen, that gave me twenty minutes to arrive at the station in time and board the four forty-five train and still have ten minutes off. It was practically a mission. It still took me five minutes to get out of the office and to make the traffic worse it was chaos which made me arrive at the station in the nick of time and for a few minutes I did not miss the train.
When I was finally able to sit and breathe, I remembered to check my cell phone and there were two more new messages from Raoul.
It was almost seven at night when I received the last message from Raoul, only this time with a Google Maps link with a location. I was happy to see that I was just a few streets away and when I realized I found myself running. My eyes were searching desperately and suddenly I saw her. Alone, so beautiful and looking lost somewhere. I would give a coin to read your thoughts.
- Nina! - I said going in your direction.
- Marina, here! - I shouted her name as I crossed the street and saw her looking for my voice. By me. And there she was, waiting for me.
- I knew I would find you here. - I said breathlessly.
And that smile seemed to make everything clearer.
Dio santo.
I joined her at the table and started to fold the sleeves of my shirt, I was kind of sweaty but not because I ran to her, It was because of all my anxiety to find her soon. Marina was watching me with a smiling face and my curiosity made me want to know why.
She said I was not doing well and offered to fold the sleeves of my shirt, pulling my forearm towards her. Her little hands were delicate and nimble, I also could notice that on her nails she wore a yellow pastel nail polish that contrasted well with her skin tone. The woman was beautiful to her fingertips.
I was distracted by her relaxed countenance and the smile on her full lips while she was concentrating on her work.
The moment she finished with my left arm and pulled my right arm towards her, my free hand automatically landed on her leg and for a moment I froze, thinking that my thoughtless action could cause a bad reaction on her. But luckily for me she didn't seem to mind, or maybe she was too distracted.
She was wearing a floral dress and half of her thigh was bare, if I had thought about what I was doing, my hand would certainly have stopped a little higher. Damn brain.
We were so fucking close and my mind was flooded with thoughts about her body bare naked, right in front of me. All mine for taking. Fuck.
She ended just when I was about to be betrayed by my dick. I was tense and it was almost impossible to resist the temptation to squeeze her beautiful thick thigh.
By a miracle my caveman brain acted on its own and managed to get me to ask her about her day, which was enough for her to start talking nonstop. At first it was a little difficult to keep those thoughts about her out of my head but eventually I managed to have a coherent conversation and even offered to be her private tour guide the next morning.
We went back to the hotel around ten o'clock, I waited for her to enter her room and left for mine. More than ever I would need a handjob to be able to relax and be able to behave around her during the next day. I was not an animal that only thought about sex. But Marina used to left me like that, tense and fucking horny with an ease that I couldn't understand.
Actually, It was scaring me to try to figure out the reason why she was affecting me like that.