You are my girl, italian

Preface

Las Vegas

Nicki was on her seventh drink, she first went to the casino and spent a while there gambling, she was pretty good at poker and bluffing, but after playing a few hands, she got bored. That day was the anniversary of André's death, he would be turning twenty"six. She still remembered his smile, his affection, his sincerity. She adored him, he was her best friend, almost like a brother, and when he died, a part of her died too. For a long time, she barely ate and just cried, but then, due to her uncle and aunt's insistence, she began to live again or at least try to. She was already feeling drunk, those days were when she remembered everything the most and wanted to disappear. In fact, she did, she almost always drank until she passed out and stayed away from everyone for a few days and/or spent her time crying in the cemetery. But this time, she would have to settle for drinking until she fell asleep in bed. Luckily, the casino had a hotel, and she was staying there. She wished so much to be in Italy, but her uncle and aunt had asked her to come see some clients in Las Vegas. She had met with one of them in the afternoon, and he had accepted the new wines and requested more. Her family owned one of the most important vineyards in Italy and distributed it worldwide. The young woman ordered another drink and saw a very handsome man entering through the doors. He went to the bar, but on the opposite side of where she was. She stared at him for a while, he seemed pensive, and she took a risk. She went over to where he was and sat next to him.

"Hello..."

"Hello," the man replied, still looking straight ahead.

"I'm Nicki... Are you okay? Are you from here?"

"Mmm... I'm Dylan, just passing through. And you?" he said, looking at her and raising an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Neither am I, I'm here for... you could say business..."

"Business, huh? Me too, actually, I've already finished what I had to do, but I didn't feel like taking another flight home."

"Lucky you. I have to meet with a client tomorrow night."

"Mmm..." he looked at her and touched her hair, and they both felt that electric current running through them.

"Can I sit with you and we have a drink together?" she asked.

"Of course, then... tell me, what's a pretty girl like you doing alone on a Friday night?"

"I (...)"

They were chatting for a long time, about everything and nothing at the same time. Nicki was affectionate with him, she was already quite drunk and just laughed.

***

Dylan looked at her, enjoying the view. He had arrived exhausted, but happy to have signed a new contract. His company was growing by leaps and bounds, and both he and his partner and friend Ryan agreed that they should expand to Europe. When he arrived at the bar, he did so with an idea, to have a drink and then go upstairs to his room to sleep for a while. His flight would leave at dawn, and he would only have time to take a nap and then leave for home, to Chicago. However, when that woman approached him, and after talking for a while, he realized that his plans could easily change. The girl looked very happy, but also out of it. It was weird, but she made him curious and made him want to get to know her better. At one point, when she fell silent, he could see sadness in her face and, wanting to cheer her up, he said,

"Hey! Wipe that face off. Come on! What do you want to do? Do you want to go for a walk? The night is beautiful," he barely finished saying that, he realized how cheesy it sounded. Well, that night he was behaving like a teenager. It was obvious that alcohol softened him.

"Mmm?" suddenly her face blushed slightly. "Hey, do you want to marry me?"

"What? Get married? That's too drastic," he chuckled, thinking it was just a joke.

"Come on!" she got up. "It'll be fun. Are you a boring man who always does what he should and never takes risks?" she mocked him, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

"Hey!" he complained. "Attacking my vanity won't get you anywhere."

"Come on! You know what they say, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," she insisted, pulling him and leading him down a hallway a few meters away.

They arrived at a hall where there were a few couples in costumes. At one point while they were still waiting in line, Nicki started laughing, and Dylan looked at her puzzled.

"What's happening?"

"It's just that," bursts of laughter came out of her. "It's just that... look over there," she pointed to a couple who were being affectionate. "That couple is an avocado, an avocado! Do you understand? Each one is a half. The man wears the seed so well, he has such a belly. They're so funny, don't you think?"

"What I think is that you're too drunk," he said, trying to get her out of line.

"Of course not!" she raised two fingers and said, "look, here I have... two... yes, two fingers."

Minutes later, it was their turn, she gave her details, which she managed to babble in any case, and he did the same, knowing that he would regret it later.

***

After a few signatures, they were already husband and wife. Nicki laughed incessantly, and asked and answered silly questions that aroused more laughter. Dylan rummaged through his wallet for the key to his room and made her enter almost dragging her, as she was clinging to him and almost not letting him walk. Once there, she went straight to bed.

"My room is a suite, don't you like it? I love it, it has springs, look!" she stood on top and started jumping up and down like a little girl.

"Stop it already! You're going to fall!" he scolded her, worried. "Even if you deny it, the alcohol has gone to your head, and if you keep it up, you'll hit your head." He took her out of bed and put her on the dresser. When he put her there, she vomited on him and looked at him embarrassed. He sighed and said, "Stay here, I'll go change in the bathroom."

Dylan went to the dresser, took off his shirt, and cleaned it as best he could. He came out and saw that Nicki was sleeping in the middle of the bed, curled up, hugging herself. He placed her in a position that would be more comfortable for her and covered her carefully so as not to wake her up. Although, if he thought about it, not even a stampede would wake her up.

Married... he was married... how did he let himself be convinced? Dylan thought to himself, he sees a pretty face and does what she wants. He took off his pants and lay down next to her, wearing only boxers. Tomorrow he should fix that problem, he couldn't be married. He was not in favor of marriage, in fact, he had sworn never to make.

The next day, Dylan woke up first, realizing that nothing had been a dream; the ring was on his finger as well as on the girl's. She slept peacefully, her shiny blonde hair spread over the pillow. They were face to face, sideways, and unconsciously, he had her waist in his grip. He looked at her for a while; the young woman seemed to be having a bad dream or feeling unwell because she furrowed her brow and clenched her hands. He proceeded to loosen her fingers and gently caress her face. That woman was beautiful, and he, although he wouldn't admit it aloud, had a lot of fun with her. Nicki was funny and suddenly threw out those bewildering phrases that made him wonder what kind of life she had. Whenever he asked her a very personal question, she redirected the conversation to something she felt comfortable with. He let it go since, as he had decided, he would stay in Las Vegas to enjoy her for a few days, until the spark faded. Then they would arrange the divorce, and it would be as if it never happened. Simple.

He slid his thumb under her eyes; she had dark circles. She instinctively reacted and, still asleep, grabbed his hand and placed it under her head.

"Don't leave me, André," she murmured. "Please don't leave me, I love you too much... please... please," she continued.

Dylan got out of bed in anger. He wouldn't be anyone's second fiddle. He, thinking about undressing her, and she thinking about someone else. A lover? Boyfriend? He felt like a fool, betrayed; he had asked her if there was a man in her life, and although she answered no, from experience, he knew that women lied right and left. This one was no exception. He wouldn't have sex with a woman who, when with him, thought about someone else.

He searched for his clothes and put them on. He searched the room and found his watch. He checked if he hadn't forgotten anything and looked back at the bed. They would have to sort out their marital status soon. He wouldn't remain married, especially not to such a false woman. He took off the ring she had and put it in his pocket, heading towards the door.

"Goodbye. I hope you regret meeting me as much as I do," he whispered, then left and closed the door forcefully.

1. Italy

"Nicki had been back from Africa for two weeks now. She had rented a new house, and her family and friends had suggested she buy it, but she refused. She didn't want something tying her down to a place. She thought a lot before deciding; maybe if her home was small, there wouldn't be as much mess, which was characteristic of her. The house had a backyard, perfect for her new puppy to enjoy. She found him injured a few streets away from a bakery she always frequented. He was dirty and skinny, so she imagined he didn't belong to anyone and decided to keep him.

She yawned and lay back once more. She felt very tired. While in Africa, she did everything she could to help the children and people there. She particularly worked with the youngest ones, taking care of them and giving them all the love she could. They needed more money than helpers there, so since she had more financial stability (her own), she started donating money to an account that had been created for that purpose.

For almost a year now, she had been going back and forth, contributing her bit, and it made her feel very satisfied. The first time she went, she caught a virus that kept her sick for several weeks. Sometimes she felt unwell and had to resort to the pills the doctor had prescribed, but she tried not to take them if possible. She didn't like depending on medication.

It would soon be her friend's wedding, who had already given birth while she was still in Africa. Her niece was beautiful; she saw her while she was still sleeping, but she recognized that she was absolutely adorable. Gina and Ryan, her parents, were besotted with her, and Nicki couldn't blame them. There was also little Marco, the child her friends had recently adopted. Marco was dark"skinned and had a particularity; he had heterochromia, and according to what she heard, people didn't want to adopt him precisely because of that, because they saw him as abnormal. She didn't understand how there could be such closed"minded people. On the contrary, she found him adorable. If it were up to her, she would smother him with kisses. At that moment, she heard little steps and looked down, smiled, and spoke.

"Come here, baby, give mommy a kiss." The puppy, as if understanding, gave a comical little jump onto the bed and licked her face.

She hugged him tightly and left him on the bed. She went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Then she grabbed the comb and tried to comb her hair, but as it was so tangled, she gave up and left it like that. Since her hair was straight, it wasn't noticeable that it was messy. She put on some perfume and hurried out. Ten minutes ago, she should have arrived at Gina's house, but accidentally delaying the alarm, she was late. She drove fast and rang the doorbell. Her friend greeted her happily and hugged her tightly for a few seconds.

"Hey! What's up? It's obvious you missed me, right?" Nicki laughed.

"Of course, you did. Come in," Gina replied. "Maia is sleeping, but Marco is playing with the toy cars my little brother brought him."

"Ugh! Every time I come, the girl is sleeping. Who does she take after?"

"Maybe her aunt? You're the sleepiest person I know," she scolded.

"Anyway... we weren't talking about me. How's Marco? Look what I brought him." She ran off and went to the trunk of the car to get the skateboard she bought.

"Nicki... you didn't have to bother," she looked at the gift. "He'll really like it, I assure you. My dad gave him an electric quad bike, but he's still too small to use it. I'm sure he'll be able to use the skateboard right away. Do you want to give it to him yourself?"

"Of course," she said, heading over to where Marco was.

"Auntie," the little one shouted when he saw her. He launched himself at her, and she hugged him tightly and kissed his round cheeks. She breathed in his baby scent and smiled at him.

"How's my beloved boy? Look what I brought you," she said, showing him the toy.

"Thank you," the boy blushed. He looked at his mom and asked, "Can I play outside?"

"Of course, darling, just be careful. Auntie and I will be watching you from here, okay?"

The boy went out happily, jumping onto the skateboard instantly. Gina looked at her.

"Is everything okay? You're looking at me weird, Gi."

"No, everything's fine. But, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, tell me," Nicki replied, puzzled.

"Are you seeing someone?"

"What? Seeing someone? Hmm... no. Why?" She wouldn't even think about telling her that for a few months now, she had been having a recurring dream: a man with a penetrating gaze and a sweet smile visited her in her dreams. Her friend would think she was crazy. In fact, she thought so herself; she didn't even know that man. But when she dreamed of him, she felt safe and protected. The only one who knew about it was Lucca, her best friend, and sometimes he teased her about it, saying it was a sign that she needed a man.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if you were with someone."

"Ah, well, no. In fact... yes, the last time I was with someone was that time when you were still here. Remember?" She pointed mischievously.

"And you haven't been with anyone since then?" her friend continued probing.

"Mmm..." she rubbed her chin. "No, why? I'm dating Lucca now that he's back from New Zealand; we're spending a lot of time together, but you know he's gay, and we're just doing it as friends."

"I know. I like how he is with you, he takes care of you and loves you a lot."

"Yes, I'm lucky. We train together, and he's always encouraging me that I can do more. He has a phenomenal sense of fashion; he helped me buy a wardrobe for the upcoming events. Oh... speaking of events, regarding the foundation's documents... do you know if Ryan was able to do anything?""

"Yes, Ryan has been working on that. He said they'll probably be ready by next week. He's doing everything he can to expedite the process. And speaking of events, how do you feel about the wedding? Ready to be one of the bridesmaids?"

"I know he went to the registry. And he told me you want your support to be kept secret. Can I ask why?"

"It's just that... I prefer people to think I'm frivolous or even silly. I don't want them to think I'm a good person, nor do I desire recognition or anything like that."

"Oh Nicki, it doesn't matter what people think, you are beautiful, inside and out," Gina said, looking at her affectionately.

"Maybe, but it's better if nobody knows."

"Okay. Will you be here for the wedding, right?"

"Try to stop me," at that moment, the girls heard a babble from the baby monitor, and Nicki hurriedly asked, "Can I bring her? I'm eager to see her," she said excitedly.

"Go, I'll stay here watching Marco; he's happy with his new gadget."

"Thank you, thank you," she said and rushed off to the room.

Minutes later, Nicki returned with the girl in her arms and a smile, looking at her mesmerized.

"Really Gina, this girl is a sweetheart, look at those big eyes and that perfect little nose. And these little hands? They're soft and delicate. You outdid yourself by making her," she laughed.

"I can't believe she's mine; sometimes I look at her and I'm scared of what I almost missed," Gina said excitedly.

"Thank God you're both okay. When I arrived, and Alina told me what happened to you... I was so scared for you and Maia. I don't know what I would do without you; you're one of the people I love and need the most. You and she are my best friends," she said, absentmindedly stroking the girl's head.

Gina's pregnancy was high"risk, and she was very complicated for a while.

"We adore you too. And we want you to be happy."

"Well, I'm happy like this. I have you, I made up with my uncles, my sculptures are going great, and so is the foundation."

"Okay, I won't insist anymore." Just then, they heard the sound of keys, and Ryan entered with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and in the other, a pink stuffed bunny and a nearly thirty"centimeter fire truck.

"Hello, girls!"

"Hi, honey. You're early," Gina replied.

"Yes, in fact, the client postponed our meeting for the afternoon, so I went to the mall and bought something for our kids, and since you love jasmines... I didn't hesitate to bring them. The seller told me they're fresh; you can smell their aroma."

"Thank you. It wasn't necessary. You spoil me too much," she hugged him. He grabbed her waist and enveloped her in his arms.

"Nothing is enough for you guys. I love spoiling you."

"Well, people," Nicki cleared her throat and continued, "Here we have children," she raised her eyebrows mischievously. "Anyway... I was just asking Gina if you managed to process the foundation's paperwork."

"Oh, sure. Everything's done. I was going to bring it to you this afternoon, but I'll take advantage now," he looked at his wife and took her hand, "will you come with me?"

"And why would she accompany you? Don't you know how to take off your tie or open the drawer to look for the papers?" she laughed at her own joke, "just kidding, just kidding, it's the habit of always having to give a comeback. Sorry guys, go, go," she said as she kissed the baby on her cheeks.

***

Gina and Ryan entered the room, and he hugged her tightly.

"We've been together for hours, but I missed you a lot when I was away. I love you too much, redhead."

"I love you too. So much, you and our children are what I never thought I'd have, but now I can't imagine my existence without you," a few seconds later she inquired, "did you find out if my brother and Nicki are truly married?" as Ryan helped with the legal part of Nicki's foundation, he recently found out that the girl was married, and with none other than his brother and best friend.

"Yes, they definitely are. It's legal. Did you probe the situation with her? What did she say?"

"It's weird, I asked her if she was seeing someone, and she said no, that there hasn't been a man in her life for almost a year, and I know her, I know she was telling me the truth, so I don't know how they could be married. I love my friend, but I know her, and she would avoid any genuine romantic relationship with someone. Hanging out is okay, but when she sees signs that a relationship is becoming deeper, she runs away. And let alone getting married, which involves knowing and loving the other person."

"I'll talk to Dylan then. I'll ask about what happened in Las Vegas. As soon as I talk to him, I'll tell you what he says, okay?"

Dylan arrived in Florence two hours late. There was so much traffic that he ended up being delayed and had to catch another flight. On top of that, just before leaving, he almost did something stupid. He called his friend, and as soon as his friend answered, he asked where he was.

"I'm at the offices, and where are you?" his friend replied.

"I just got into a taxi, they're taking me to the hotel. Do you know if Gina is at home?" Dylan asked.

"No, she went to see Alina and her other friend," his friend responded.

"What a pity, I wanted to see the kids, well, I'll do it later," Dylan said.

"Alright, come to the company, I need to consult you about something, and then we can go to my house," his friend suggested.

"Excellent. I'll leave my suitcases and head over there. Goodbye," Dylan said, hanging up the phone and giving the address to the driver.

***

Once he entered, he checked in and went to his room. After freshening up a bit, he went out again. First, he went to the car rental, and after choosing a Maserati, he headed to the company. When he arrived, he went to Ryan's office and greeted him.

"How's the new dad?" Dylan asked.

"Happier than ever, I think. How's everything in Chicago?" Ryan responded.

"Good, well, normal. Lots of work, clients keep coming, and we need to keep looking for suppliers. But all is great," Dylan replied.

"Well, we're also growing here. I can barely keep up," Ryan said.

"That much, huh? But that's great. Anyway, when you get married, you'll let me take over here, and you'll go on a honeymoon somewhere, right? Because I tied up everything there in Chicago," Dylan joked.

"Well, actually, Gina prefers to stay here. Spend time with the kids, her family, and friends. I do too, actually. But if you stay here, I'll tell her we should go to Paris for at least a few weeks," Ryan said.

"Of course, you should. You deserve it. And the kids can stay with me. My parents will come for the wedding and stay a few days," Dylan offered.

"I appreciate your offer, but neither she nor I want to be away from our kids. They're too young," Ryan explained.

"I understand," Dylan replied.

"Well, I need to ask you a question that might surprise you, since I've never directly asked you this, but... are you dating anyone?" Ryan asked.

"No," Dylan replied without hesitation. "I'm too busy to meet or have sex with a woman," he explained. "In fact, days ago, I almost fell into Elizabeth's game. She follows me everywhere, saying she wants to win me back. Make herself noticed that she's the one for me," he mocked. "She knows I'm not with anyone, so she thinks it's because of her. Even when I got off the plane and turned on my phone, I got a lot of messages from her saying we'd see each other soon, that she would come here so we can make up for lost time," he finished, annoyed.

"Hmm... how does she know where you are?" he asked, puzzled.

"I don't know," he grimaced.

"So, if you're not dating anyone and it's only Elizabeth who's around you... do you know a girl named Nicki?" Dylan looked at him, jaw clenched. The dreaded day had come; it was obvious that Nicki had searched for him until she found him. Now, she was bothering his family, and he regretted leaving everything in her hands. He scolded himself; he was always predictable and anticipated any problem.

"Damn it! How did she find you? What did she tell them?"

"So you know her... you're married to her," he affirmed.

Dylan got up from the chair and started pacing, cursing under his breath.

"Why didn't you tell us anything? Your sister asked Nicki, and she didn't say anything either."

"What are you talking about? What do you mean Gina asked her? Does she know her?" he asked, confused.

"Of course, she does. Nicki is Niccola, your sister's best friend. She always talks about her."

"But... it can't be," Dylan sat back down, frustrated.

"What happened? You're married, but you're separated. I don't understand."

"Well," he sighed, "we met in Las Vegas; I had gone to close the deal for our company, remember? Everything went well, and then I went back to the hotel where I was staying. She approached me, we talked... she charmed me, I don't know... her innocence, her silly jokes... I went along when she said we should get married. Pure attraction. I was stupid," he lamented. "What did she tell you guys?"

"She didn't say anything. Gina asked her subtly, and she didn't take the bait. Anyway, why aren't you together? Neither of you wears rings."

"We were more or less drunk. She more than me, actually."

"Did you take advantage of her?" Ryan looked at him.

"What? Of course not! I left her asleep in her room the next day. She wasn't honest with me; she blatantly flirted with me, but..." he trailed off.

"But?" his friend encouraged him to continue.

"But when she was waking up, she murmured longingly the name of a man. The day before, I asked her clearly if she was with someone or if she was in a relationship, and she said no."

"And did you talk to her about it?"

"Obviously not. I took off the cheap ring and left. I was irresponsible not to request an annulment immediately, but I imagined she would take care of it. Well, another man was eagerly waiting for her, so she would need to be free anyway."

"And now? What will you do?" Ryan looked at him expectantly.

"I need to talk to her, sort out our affairs," he suddenly fell silent.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking?"

"Is she seeing someone? As Ryan stared at him, he continued, "Nicki... is she still seeing whoever she was dreaming about months ago?"

"I don't think so. She's alone. Why?"

"Because, just as she used me, I can do the same. I can use her as a screen, so Elizabeth stops pestering me. If she sees me with someone... she'll give up. Do you understand?"

"I think so... but it doesn't seem like the best idea. I doubt Nicki would agree."

"She will. I can convince her."

"I don't think it will be that easy," he fell silent for a moment, and seeing the determination in his friend's eyes, he sighed, "Just don't hurt her. In the time I've known her, I've come to truly appreciate her."

"I won't. It'll be convenient for both of us, I assure you. But what I ask is that you don't tell Nicki about my plan. I want to catch her off guard, unprepared."

"Alright," he agreed, quite reluctantly.