Page 40 of Cinderella-ish
Chapter 18
Daniella
“IthinkI died and just woke up in heaven, you guys! Look at this room!” I flip the camera on my phone from front to back, to allow Emma and Stacy to get a grand view of my fabulous hotelroom.
I promised them a FaceTime call as soon as I got to Milan and my timing seems perfect for them both. Stacy is working from home today, exhausted from her week-long trip to New York and Emma is off for a school holiday. It’s a little after 9 a.m. in Los Angeles, while it’s just after 6 p.m. here, in gorgeous Milan. It seems like it took ages for Antonio and me to exit the plane, gather our luggage, and get through customs. A driver was waiting to whisk us away via a fancy black limousine to luxuriousBulgari Hotel Milano. A.K.A.Heaven.
“Holy shit. It looks so damn legit!” Emmasqueals.
Stacy and I both scold her about herlanguage.
“It is quite amazing, hun,” exclaims Stacy. “I bet it costs a fortune to staythere.”
I flip the camera view back to my face. “I’ve never stayed in a place like this. I feel like aprincess.”
Emma giggles. “And Antonio Michaels is yourprince.”
“Shut up, Emma. I’ve sworn off men. And besides that, I believe he’s got some Italian model hottie here. I overheard some of their phone conversation and he saidTi Adore,which I’m sure meansI adoreyou.”
Both Stacy and Emma’s faces seem to turn to stone, frozen with a look of shock-filleddisappointment.
“Oh well. Italian hottie or not, he looked like he was pretty into you at the airport,” Stacy says through a stifledyawn.
“Wait. What?” I say, plunging onto the fluffy four-posterbed.
“Oh, you haven’t seen what TMZ captured?” Emma says, disappearing fromview.
“Uh, not yet. Enlightenme.”
Emma comes back into view with her phone in hand. “Well, it hasn’t quite made the show yet, but it is on their website.” She lets out a squeal as she scrolls through her phone, making me think she quite enjoys me being in themedia.
Stacy clears her throat. “Brace yourself,Daniella.”
“You ready?” Emmagrins.
“Sure. Go for it.” I adjust the pillows and prop myself upright, bracing myself for—whatever.
“Okay, so first the headline:Enemies to Lovers? Antonio Michaels and Daniella Belle (Once Known as Miss Potty Mouth) Arrive at LAX…Together. And We’ve Got the ExclusivePhotos.”
Enemies to lovers?Photos?As in more thanone?
Emma holds her phone up to the screen, showing two photos of Antonio and me. The first one shows us walking side by side, stepping through the double door entrance of LAX. In it, Antonio and I are both facing each other and smiling. And the other…a snapshot of us stepping onto the escalator, Antonio’s arm clearly around mywaist.
Emma emphatically points to his arm and grins. “D, you’ve got some serious explaining todo.”
Oh my God.NowI see how situations captured by overzealous paparazzi behind a lens can be thrown out of proportion. I shake my head and I don’t know if I should be annoyed or flattered by the photo’s inference. “You both know I tend to be a little clumsy. I tripped while stepping onto the escalator and Antonio caught me, and it appears as though that photo was captured right at the moment it occurred. It looks like I’m leaning into him and he’s embracing me. But that’s not at all whathappened.”
Both Emma and Stacy flatten their lips and raise their eyebrows. I swear they are like the same person attimes.
“I’m serious!” I say, clearly defending mystory.
“Well, pictures don’t lie, D. He’s into you. I can totally see it.” Emma says, arms nowfolded.
Stacy elbows Emma on the side. “That’s enough. Go shower so we can get ready to buy somegroceries.”
“Bye, D,” Emma says, blowing a kiss. “Send lots of photos. I’ll text you later. Loveya!”
“Love ya too, babe. Behaveyourself.”
