Page 16 of Once Upon a Time in Venice

Lucia and Davide had met one year ago. He’d been planning a remake of the classic film La Dolce Vita, and Lucia was being considered for the role of Sylvia, made famous by Anita Ekberg and her iconic scene dancing in the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Lucia decided against the part, it would have interfered with her American tour dates, but her chemistry with Davide was electric, and the two of them would spend a dizzying few hours together whenever they were within a short flight of each another.

Right now, Davide was in the Caribbean with his wife and children, and Lucia was furious. She’d barely heard from him, and had the terrifying feeling that he had forgotten about her. She wondered if he was reading the Italian papers while he was in Mustique; whether he’d seen her on every front page and remembered what he was missing out on. Lucia desperately wanted him to leave his wife for her; she was La Leonessa, after all – what man could resist? But so far he’d refused. Lucia was infuriated, which only made her more determined and, after all, what was sexier than a challenge?

But right now there was no call from Davide, no rehearsal until after lunch, and Lucia was bored. She ran through a few vocal trills – the acoustics in the bathroom were always the best – then stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a fluffy white robe. A bored Leonessa was a dangerous one. She was on the hunt to find something to entertain her, and the world had better watch out.

Gina knocked on the door of the Presidential Suite, where Brad Redford was staying. She’d had a call from his assistant, Issy, asking if she could pop up and had, of course, instantly obliged.

‘Gina, hi! Come in,’ Issy said warmly. The two women had been in regular contact before and during Brad’s visit to the White Palace, and had developed a mutual appreciation, recognizing the unique pressures they both worked under. ‘The guys from Elicotteri Conti are here. Brad’s worked with them before, so they’re catching up.’

Gina strode across the suite looking elegant and businesslike in a navy pencil skirt and matching tailored jacket, teamed with a cream silk blouse. Her outfit was in stark contrast to Issy’s more casual combination of bootcut jeans and a fitted black bodysuit, with a check shirt knotted at her slim waist.

Gina’s assessing gaze took in the group in the centre of the room: Brad, expensively casual in designer jeans and a close-fitting sweater that showed off his movie-star physique, standing opposite a shorter man with dark hair in a ponytail.

The third guy caught her attention; he felt somehow familiar, but she couldn’t place him. He was tall, with dark blond curly hair and a Roman nose that looked as though it had sustained a break or two. While not classically handsome, he was undoubtedly attractive, with the build of an athlete. Beside him was a young girl with dark brown hair tied back in a plait, bundled up inside a pink furry coat.

‘Gina! Here she is, the woman who makes all my wishes come true!’

‘We aim to please,’ Gina laughed at Brad’s comment. She enjoyed his positivity and optimistic outlook on life; his cup was always brimming over.

‘Good to meet you, Gina. I’m Marco DiMaggio.’

Gina’s eyes slid to the taller man. To her surprise, she felt heat stealing across her cheeks, a warmth suffusing her body. ‘Ah, yes, we’ve spoken on the phone. We’ve sent a lot of business your way over the years. Good to finally meet in person.’ They spoke in English in front of Brad, and Gina realized her tone sounded stilted and cold as she tried to regain her composure.

‘He’s my stunt double in the movie,’ Brad explained, throwing his arm around Marco’s shoulders and hugging him close. ‘Can’t you tell? We’re practically twins.’

Gina laughed, but found herself comparing the two men, noticing the similarity. Both were tall and broad-shouldered, with the same muscular build and hair, though Marco’s hair was a little darker than Brad’s. And while Brad might have been a Hollywood movie star, Marco certainly wasn’t lacking in the charisma department. His warm eyes lingered on Gina for a moment, then the other man cut in, shaking her hand and introducing himself.

‘I’m Edoardo Conti. Like the company – Elicotteri Conti. But you can call me Edoardo.’

‘Buongiorno,’ Gina said neutrally, quickly noting a suppressed tension emanating from him.

‘Gina, these guys are the best,’ Brad grinned. ‘I worked with Marco before – how many years ago was it?’

‘Six, since Man of Fire.’

‘That long? Wow. I’m getting old,’ Brad joked. ‘But you don’t look a day older,’ he grinned, clapping Marco heartily on the back. ‘Who’s this? It can’t be Daniela, the little girl who only came up to my knee the last time I saw her?’

‘She’s eight now – going on twenty-one – so not so little any more,’ Marco smiled, as Gina took in the revelation that he had a daughter. Her eyes slid to his left hand, and she saw the gold band on his ring finger. In her line of work it was important to notice the little details, she told herself.

‘And how’s Lexi?’ Marco was saying. ‘I met her on set a couple of times and she was always cool, always friendly.’

‘She’s good – I’ll tell her you said hi. She’s crazy-busy with work, though, so I’m not sure if she’s gonna make it out here for this shoot.’

‘That’s tough,’ Marco sympathized. ‘Great that she’s so in demand, though.’

Brad laughed. ‘So much so that I can’t even get a slot in her diary. Issy here has to block-book me in.’

‘Work is the master,’ Marco smiled, enjoying their easy rapport. Then he turned to Gina. ‘Do you mind if we take a look at the helipad?’

As well as being Brad’s home for the next few weeks, the White Palace would also be starring in the movie, with its ballroom and bar used for location shooting. Elicotteri Conti would commandeer the hotel helipad for the main stunt – the dramatic chase across the lagoon and the Venice rooftops. Brad would be pursued by the movie villain who would be flying a black helicopter – in reality, flown by Marco – before it crash-landed in St Mark’s Square.

Gina nodded. ‘Of course, but I’m sure you won’t find any problems. The helipad – like everything at the White Palace – is maintained to the highest standard.’

‘I’d like to confirm that for myself,’ Marco returned, his tone polite but firm.

Gina bristled, alert to any potential criticism of the hotel. ‘I understand, but you must be quick and discreet. I don’t want my guests to be disturbed.’

‘It’ll take as long as it needs to take,’ Marco shot back. ‘If it’s a choice between my client’s safety or inconveniencing your guests while they drink a Spritz, I know which one I’ll go for.’