it.”
Angelique thrust her hand out. “Give me your phone then.”
Lorenza picked it up off the dressing table and handed it to her. “Go ahead,” she said. “Read it all and find these so-called messages.”
Angelique flicked through her messages but the thread with Iulia was gone.
“You deleted them.” She dropped the phone back in Lorenza’s lap.
“Oww!” Lorenza said, clutching her leg. “Why the hell did you do that, you psycho?”
Angelique hadn’t meant to hurt her but wasn’t about to apologize, regardless.
Lorenza gestured toward Theo. “Look at him,” she said. “He’s involved in work so much more important than this stupid conversation. I know you’re not used to being around people of his stature, people who are actually successful, but he doesn’t have time for all this ghetto drama and your stupid scenes.”
“Ghetto? What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you know, coming in here and being all loud and out there , pointing your finger and raising your tone and accusing everyone of trying to ruin your life,” Lorenza said. “How about you drop the whole victim mentality and get an actual life of your own. Maybe take some responsibility.”
Angelique had to walk away to calm herself, puffing out a stream of air. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You know nothing about me.”
“Good,” said Lorenza. “And I’d like it to stay that way.”
“Are you serious?” said Angelique. “I know you’ve hated me since the moment you laid eyes on me but I’ve at least tried to be polite to you and get to know you.”
Lorenza stood up. “You can stop trying. I never wanted you to try.”
“I didn’t come here for this, anyways.” Angelique turned to Theo, who was staring through the paper, his spirit clearly somewhere else entirely. “What I said about the messages was true. She did say she wants to marry you for your money.”
Lorenza sighed deeply. “Are we still on this?” She crossed her arms. “Well, Theo, who do you believe? Me or this damned liar?”
Theo looked at Angelique. The tenderness in his eyes made her knees give way for a split second before she gained control. Her heart raced and she leaned against the wall to steady herself.
“I believe you, Lorenza,” he said, then turned to Angelique. “Sorry. I’ve known Lorenza for a long time. I know she wouldn’t lie to me.”
Angelique felt like her heart would fall out. Her eyes blurred over with tears and she fled from the room into the hotel corridor, Lorenza’s spiteful laughter ringing in her ears.
As if that wasn’t enough, Lorenza leaned out of the doorway. “Now we’ll get back to doing what we were doing,” she called out loudly. “Without any ridiculous interruptions.”
Angelique fumbled with her keycard at her hotel room door. Her regret was now firm in her mind. She should never have come to Hawaii. As soon as she was inside, she flung open the dresser drawers, clutching her underwear and accessories and flinging them onto the bed. She hauled her case on the bed and unzipped it, strengthening her resolve.
She was going back to the Bahamas, she told herself as she stuffed her clothes in haphazardly. There was no time for folding. Who cared about creases? Her eyes stung as she thought of how tenderly Theo had always looked at her, despite his tough exterior. She had longed to feel the comfort of his embrace, leaning back into his strong chest, being protected by his broad shoulders. She had dreamed of his words caressing all the broken places in her soul that hid underneath.
She jammed her shoes into the spaces between her mess of clothes and tried to close the case, but it was too full. She flung open the lid again, sighing deeply, and began to rearrange. Since she had failed to scope out any sites for the spa hotel she had proposed to Carla and Atreus as part of the Kostas Hotels venture, she guessed she’d stop working for
Angelique thrust her hand out. “Give me your phone then.”
Lorenza picked it up off the dressing table and handed it to her. “Go ahead,” she said. “Read it all and find these so-called messages.”
Angelique flicked through her messages but the thread with Iulia was gone.
“You deleted them.” She dropped the phone back in Lorenza’s lap.
“Oww!” Lorenza said, clutching her leg. “Why the hell did you do that, you psycho?”
Angelique hadn’t meant to hurt her but wasn’t about to apologize, regardless.
Lorenza gestured toward Theo. “Look at him,” she said. “He’s involved in work so much more important than this stupid conversation. I know you’re not used to being around people of his stature, people who are actually successful, but he doesn’t have time for all this ghetto drama and your stupid scenes.”
“Ghetto? What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, you know, coming in here and being all loud and out there , pointing your finger and raising your tone and accusing everyone of trying to ruin your life,” Lorenza said. “How about you drop the whole victim mentality and get an actual life of your own. Maybe take some responsibility.”
Angelique had to walk away to calm herself, puffing out a stream of air. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. You know nothing about me.”
“Good,” said Lorenza. “And I’d like it to stay that way.”
“Are you serious?” said Angelique. “I know you’ve hated me since the moment you laid eyes on me but I’ve at least tried to be polite to you and get to know you.”
Lorenza stood up. “You can stop trying. I never wanted you to try.”
“I didn’t come here for this, anyways.” Angelique turned to Theo, who was staring through the paper, his spirit clearly somewhere else entirely. “What I said about the messages was true. She did say she wants to marry you for your money.”
Lorenza sighed deeply. “Are we still on this?” She crossed her arms. “Well, Theo, who do you believe? Me or this damned liar?”
Theo looked at Angelique. The tenderness in his eyes made her knees give way for a split second before she gained control. Her heart raced and she leaned against the wall to steady herself.
“I believe you, Lorenza,” he said, then turned to Angelique. “Sorry. I’ve known Lorenza for a long time. I know she wouldn’t lie to me.”
Angelique felt like her heart would fall out. Her eyes blurred over with tears and she fled from the room into the hotel corridor, Lorenza’s spiteful laughter ringing in her ears.
As if that wasn’t enough, Lorenza leaned out of the doorway. “Now we’ll get back to doing what we were doing,” she called out loudly. “Without any ridiculous interruptions.”
Angelique fumbled with her keycard at her hotel room door. Her regret was now firm in her mind. She should never have come to Hawaii. As soon as she was inside, she flung open the dresser drawers, clutching her underwear and accessories and flinging them onto the bed. She hauled her case on the bed and unzipped it, strengthening her resolve.
She was going back to the Bahamas, she told herself as she stuffed her clothes in haphazardly. There was no time for folding. Who cared about creases? Her eyes stung as she thought of how tenderly Theo had always looked at her, despite his tough exterior. She had longed to feel the comfort of his embrace, leaning back into his strong chest, being protected by his broad shoulders. She had dreamed of his words caressing all the broken places in her soul that hid underneath.
She jammed her shoes into the spaces between her mess of clothes and tried to close the case, but it was too full. She flung open the lid again, sighing deeply, and began to rearrange. Since she had failed to scope out any sites for the spa hotel she had proposed to Carla and Atreus as part of the Kostas Hotels venture, she guessed she’d stop working for
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