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The next morning, Lana awoke around eight. Looking at the bright light spreading around the edges of the curtains, she realized that she had, in fact, been sleeping later and later on the island. It was good for her, she shought, stretching happily in bed. She was learning to let go a little. Learning to relax.
Back home in New York, the day’s work usually began to crowd her mind from early in the mornings, waking her up early. But here, she was blissfully free of it. And her mind and body thanked her.
That was when she realized. Said the word over again in her mind. Home. How strange it sounded to her.
Indeed, where was home, now that she and Tom were over?
What would she find, when she returned to NYC?
She shut her eyes, blocking out the thoughts that suddenly began to tumble in her mind. She saw the moving out van ... all the arrangements that would need to be made. Could she go on living with Tom until that was all settled? Until she had another place to stay? She shook her head. No. There was no way. She’d lived her last day with Tom without knowing it, before they left for Capri. Now, everything was different. There was no way she could return.
Could she stay with her mother out in Rhode Island for a while? Yes. It was an option. But the thought of being back there made her feel like it would be a step backward, a reversal of all the independence and confidence she’d so recently gained.
What other options were there? Hotels? Yes, but those could get pricey, and fast.
Would Alex be prepared to move out? Maybe just for a while? No. No way. Firstly, the house was his. And secondly, she was the one who had called it quits. That meant she was the one who had to find a new way forward, and a new place to stay.
Her mind spinning with all the details, she realized that she’d forgotten that she’d sent in her manuscript to the agency the night before. She smiled again. It was an amazing feeling. She took a deep breath, knowing that soon all her words would be read by Heidi Smith, the agent of her dreams.
In some ways, it gave her the strength to face what she’d need to. To make the plans she’d need to shape her path ahead.
Suddenly, she realized exactly what her first step needed to be.
Without a second thought, she sat bolt upright in bed, grabbed her phone, and began to dial the number of her airline to cancel her return ticket home. The last thing she needed was to be stuck on an airplane with Tom for all those hours ... And then what, they’d take a cab home together, so that she could start packing up her stuff?
No. No way. She couldn’t have that happen.
After a brief hold, an agent answered the phone. Politely, the agent asked for her name, flight details and how she could help.
The story suddenly flowed out of her. Lana couldn’t help it. She realized she was talking a mile a minute. Usually, she would have been polite, reserved in a situation like this, giving only the most necessary details, nothing more. Now, the words were flowing out of her. She caught her breath, feeling a little foolish.
“Hold on, honey,” the agent said, with a kind voice. “Hold on. So you’re telling me that you split with your fiance while on vacation?”
“Yes,” Lana replied. “Yes.”
“And you told him it was over, because you knew in your heart that he’s the wrong guy for you?”
“I did.”
“And now you want to cancel your return ticket, because you don’t want to spend hours and hours on a plane with this guy?”
Lana nodded. How extreme it seemed. She was embarrassed that she’d told the agent so much.
“Hang on a sec, honey,” said the agent and put her on hold. Elevator-type music played in the background while Lana waited. She had climbed out of bed and was slowly pacing the room, her phone pressed to her ear. Outside, it was another beautiful day on Capri. Cloudless, warm, sweet, endlessly inviting. If she couldn’t cancel the flight, or couldn’t get a refund, she wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do. The tickets hadn’t been cheap and she’d paid for her own, out of a sense of independence. It wasn’t money she could spare ...
The music suddenly clicked off. The agent, Marcy, was back on the line. “Miss Davis?”
“Yes. Here.”
“Miss Davis, company policy states that the airline doesn’t grant cancellations or refunds so close to the scheduled flight date. None, except under extreme circumstances - funerals, medical emergencies, things like that.”
Lana felt her heart sink in her chest. She sighed. Well, at least she’d tried. Given it her all–
“But, honey,” Marcy’s voice suddenly brightened a little, “see, I spoke with my manager and we both agreed on one thing. Policy or no policy, that’s there’s no way you’re getting back on a plane with your fiance. I mean ex-fiance. So ... I’ve pulled a few strings here. The short of it is, you’re 100% percent canceled, and due for a full refund.”
Lana felt like a cold wave had just broken over her. “What ... What do you mean? Really?”
Marcy gave a little laugh. “It’s your lucky day, honey.”
“I ... I can’t believe this. Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
“Sometimes, fairy godmothers can work their magic over the phone,” said Marcy. “And besides, you’re doing something for yourself right now that it once took me years to realize I needed to do for myself. You’re doing what’s right for you. And you keep on doing it. You have a good day, Miss Davis,” and she rang off.
Her skin tingling, her mind reeling, Lana put the phone aside. Without thinking, she rose and headed for the shower. The warm water raining down on her skin, she started to sing.
The knock at the door was audible even through the rush of the shower.
Shutting off the water, Lana wrapped a towel around her and walked to the door, opening it a little and peering around the corner.
There stood Giuseppe and Signora Emilia, both smiling, just as on the previous day.
“Buon giorno!” said Giuseppe. “Ah, we come at a bad time, I see!”
“Yes ... I ... Just give me a minute,” said Lana, feeling a little flustered.
“Yes, si, of course.”
Gently, Lana shut the door, threw on some clothes, and reopened the door again.
“Signora Emila, Giuseppe, buon giorno,” she said. Then her voice trailed off.
How hadn’t she noticed ...? In Giuseppe’s arms was the biggest, most beautiful bouquet of red roses she had ever seen.
“For the signorina, from Signore Alex,” said Giuseppe, handing her the flowers with a broad grin. “And today the flowers even come with their own vase.”
“Oh, my ...” Lana was lost for words. She took the tall glass vase and buried her face in its gorgeous, heady blooms within it, inhaling the aroma. That was when she noticed the small envelope, tucked in between the flowers.
“You slept well?” asked Giuseppe, brightly.
“Yes,” she said. “Very.”
“Good. Then ... if you are well rested, you have some time this morning, perhaps, to meet with a famous gentleman of the island?” he asked.
Lana shook her head, a little confused. Did he mean Alex? she wondered.
“I ...”
But Giuseppe interjected before she could speak. “Signore Ricardo Marino requests your presence at one of the island’s most beautiful cafes, Cafe Isabella.”
“... Ricardo?” Lana could hardly believe her ears. “But ... why?”
Giuseppe grinned. “I am, ah, just the messenger, as they say,” he replied. “Signore Ricardo did not say.”
Suddenly, the old lady began speaking in Italian. Her eyes widened and she beamed, talking fast, waving her hands. Giuseppe listened to her intently, smiling all the time. Then he turned to Lana to translate. “The Signorina says that Signore Ricardo Marino is one of the most important men on Capri. To have an invitation from him is magnificent, she thinks. Marvelous!” he chuckled. “He would like to see you at eleven, if you will agree?”
Lana found herself agreeing instantly. Even though, she acknowledged, she had no idea, none at all, what Ricardo could possibly want to talk to her about.
"Bellissimo!" said Giuseppe, bringing his hands together. “The Signora can find her own way there, safely?” He gave a wink. “No, ah, accidents?”
She smiled and nodded, thinking of the little pearl-color scooter. “Yes. I’m sure I can,” she replied.
“Wonderful,” he said.
Suddenly, Lana found her heart filling with joy at the prospect of seeing Ricardo again. Seeing the man who’d told her one beautiful night, not long ago: “Call me Papa.”
Next, she lifted the envelope from between the flowers and opened it.
A wave of emotion broke over her as she began to read.
It hadn’t taken Ricardo Marino very long to work out how his son had found Lana again. He’d suspected almost instantly that Giuseppe had a role to play. Giuseppe seemed to know and hear everything that went on on the island. And when he’d questioned him, he’d had his suspicions confirmed.
Now, he ordered a tall orange juice from the waiter and looked out over the beautiful bay. The cafe was perched high up the mountainside, giving exceptional views over almost all of Capri. Below, the ocean was calm, a magnificent shade of almost unearthly blue. In the marina, yachts bobbed quietly. Around him on the cafe’s terrace, the wind blew gently.
Life was beautiful, Ricardo thought. Truly beautiful. Beautiful because it was all so bountiful. So wondrous. So full of joys. And even at his age, so surprising.
The night before, his son had sent him his final designs, early, well before the deadline. Settling himself into his study chair with a glass of whiskey, Ricardo had looked through them closely, studied them from all angles, and felt his heart give a surge of pride. He’d known his son was talented. Known it since he was a little boy. And yet while he trusted his son’s aesthetic eye, he had never seen his boy produce work like that. Work that was so rich. So full of character, feeling, soul. The designs were in a class of their own. They had taken his breath away.
He’d marveled at his boy for a moment. Then, instantly, he’d known what was responsible for the change. It was her. The mysterious siren of the sea. The woman who’d obviously stolen her son’s heart. And at the same time, the woman who had awakened something new in him. Something profound. Something that was always there, but which had lain dormant, asleep ...
Then and there, pacing his study near midnight, he’d determined to find Lana the next day. Of course, he didn’t want to meddle in his son’s business. And his son was certainly old enough to handle his own affairs. So he resolved to just say what he had to, then leave it totally in her hands as to what she did next. She was obviously a woman who had no problem making up her own mind, going her own way in life. He simply wanted to make sure that she made up her mind knowing everything she needed to.
Since he was a young man, Ricardo had been able to identify a machine simply by the sound of its engine. Now, Ricardo felt his ears perk up at the sound of the scooter’s approach. And though he knew what he’d see before he saw it, he felt a wave of pride as he watched Lana crest the hill on the little scooter and park not far off, daintily lowering the kickstand with her heel.
He rose as she entered the little cafe and she made her way over to his table.
“Ah ... Signorina,” he said with a broad, welcoming smile. “Buon giorno. It is wonderful to see you again. Thank you for meeting me here. Please, sit.”
“Buon giorno.” She sat opposite him, looking radiant. The breeze caught a few wisps of her hair and blew them back from her face. Her mouth was full, her eyes rich, her skin glowing.
She was, truly, a gorgeous woman, Ricardo thought, smiling at her. Someone her son could be immensely proud to have on his arm. She was wearing a white camisole and jeans. Even dressed so casually, she looked beautiful.
“You have been enjoying your time on the island?” Ricardo asked, waving a hand over the scene around them.
“More than. It’s been wonderful. More than I could ever have hoped for.”
“You have seen many beautiful places?”
She nodded, and told him about some of the many places she’d visited.
He smiled. “You have certainly not wasted any time, I see,” he said. “And you’ve seen it all on that little scooter I see parked just there?”
She nodded. “I don’t know what I would have done without it.”
“Ah, grazie,” said Ricardo as the waiter placed down the glass of orange juice in front of him. “And for the signorina?” he asked.
“Campari and soda,” she said. She’d wanted to taste the unique Italian drink for some time now. This seemed like the perfect opportunity.
“Ah, you are becoming a real Italian, I see,” Ricardo said.
Lana chuckled. “I don’t know quite what I’m becoming,” she admitted. “But the island is certainly working its charms.”
“You are staying here on Capri much, ah, longer?” He didn’t want to probe too far. But there were certain things he needed to find out.
“I, ah, actually canceled my return flight home just this morning,” she replied.
“You canceled it?”
“Yes. It was the right decision. I can reschedule a flight home at a more ... appropriate time.”
“So for now, you are here?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“Bellissimo!” exclaimed Ricardo. “It is good you will have more time in such a ... beautiful place.”
She nodded. Ricardo was being so kind to her, so warm, so gracious. He hadn’t once mentioned her leaving the villa, or asked her to explain the reason why, something she’d certainly not wanted to do. Her heart warmed to him. More than a wealthy businessman and famous creative spirit, Ricardo Marino was a true gentleman, through and through. And now, it was clear, he had something important to say.
“Last night,” Ricardo said, weighing his words carefully, “I received Alessandro’s final designs, as part of the challenge I had set. He mentioned wha he was working on to you?”
She nodded. “Yes. I know that he’s been working on some new designs. Designs for you to factor in as part of your decision about ... the future of your company. I also know that the designs had been causing him some ... difficulties.”
Ricardo nodded. “Yes,” he agreed. “For Alessandro, this has been a difficult time. A time of a lot of pressure. And change ...” He steepled his fingers on the table, looking around. “And yet, last night, I received some of the most incredible designs I have seen, ever. In my whole life.”
Lana felt her heart swell with pride for Alex. The feeling came suddenly, washing over her like a warm wave. Well done, Alex she thought. For pulling through. Focusing. For producing work that Ricardo seemed to think was of such a high caliber. “I am so pleased,” she said. Then, suddenly, she was more curious than she’d ever expected to be. “Do you think I could ... see it?” she asked. “The design, I mean? Do you have anything on you that you could show me? Of course, I’ll understand if not.”
Ricardo seemed surprised, but only pleasantly so. “You want to see the design?”
“Yes, very much.”
He smiled. “Well ... ah ... of course. I see no reason why not.” Reaching down, he pulled a tablet out of the small briefcase at his feet and turned it on. Soon, the design was there, right before Lana’s eyes.
“You can see it?” he asked. “There is not too much glare?”
“Oh, I can see it,” she said, breathless. “I can see it.”
The car was more beautiful than Lana had ever dared dream possible. Classic. Sleek. Unutterably sexy. With bold, unexpected lines, and curves that drew the eye along seductively. She knew Alex was talented. But this, this, was a work of genius.
“It’s magnificent,” she murmured. “I never imagined ...”
“Nor did I,” said Ricardo. “Never, never.”
Without thinking, Lana began looking at Alex’s notes on the engineering side of things. “And the engine? V8? Straight six? What kind of displacement?”
Ricardo looked at her, fascinated. “You know about cars? Engines?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “A little something. And I’d like to know more about this one.”
A bold smile came to Ricardo’s face. He couldn’t help it. Couldn’t hide his excitement. Where had his son found this woman? How? She was not only beautiful, but passionate, intelligent, unafraid to be different. A woman who was creative yet practical. Yet one with deep, deep soul. She was a rare gem. One never, ever to be lost ...
Suddenly, Ricardo found himself talking. Talking fast. Moving his chair around to the other side of the table so that he could better show her the detail, discuss some of the more minor engineering points. He was at his best like this. Totally engaged. Totally passionate. The whole world fell away.
They talked for a long time at the table. Talked until every detail had been examined, discussed, marveled at.
When it was over, Lana realized she’d finished her Campari and soda without noticing. That, seeing the grand clock inside the cafe, it was later, far later than she thought.
Ricardo’s eyes were lit with joy. “And this ... all this ...” he tapped the design, “it is all thanks to you.”
“What? Thanks ... to me? What .... What do you mean?”
Ricardo took her hands in his. “You have awakened something in Alessandro,” he said. “It is you, you, you. Only and ever, you.”
The early evening sky was blue, clear, unutterably deep. A warm wind came from the north, carrying with it the smell of the ocean, the scent of the island’s headiest blooms.
Lana had spent that afternoon in Anacapri, seeing the Punta Carena lighthouse, walking the Phoenecian steps, reflecting. Then, when she could stand it no more, she’d hopped back on the scooter and returned to her room at the bed and breakfast, flipped open her laptop. She’d tried to nap, tried to rest, tried to push the thoughts from her mind, the intense feelings from her heart. She’d tried her very hardest. And yet she’d been totally unable. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest. Her legs felt weak.
That morning, in his letter, Alex had invited her to his yacht that evening. He’d said that he would be at the Marina from sunset, waiting for her, no matter whether she chose to come or not. He said he had something he needed to tell her. Said it was something, he realized, he’d waited his whole life to say.
Lana shut her eyes, burying her face in her pillow.
Then she heard her email ping.
Without thinking, she opened her laptop. One email stood at the top of the list, this time from Heidi herself.
Her hand trembling, Lana opened the mail and began to read.
I loved your book. I adored it. Read it all in one go ... I want to represent you, Lana. When can we arrange a meeting at my office in New York?
Lana’s heart felt like it was going to explode out of her chest. Everything began to spin.
She lay down on the bed. It was ten minutes before she could calm herself down enough to reply.
She was in Capri, she wrote to Heidi. She was honored by the offer of representation. It was an honor, a dream come true. They could set up an in person meeting as soon as she returned to the city ...
She hit send.
And with that, she knew she had something far, far more important to do next. Quickly, she showered, did her hair and makeup, and slipped on the midnight blue cocktail dress.
Soon, she was back on the little pearl scooter, making her way down to the marina. She arrived just as the sun slipped below the horizon.