Chapter 7: Isabella

Early sunlight shines through my hotel room, making me sit up straighter with a fresh mind and a relaxed body.

Memories of last night flood my brain, and I can't help the smile that flows freely off my face. I haven't allowed a man to touch me since that night, and I can't believe I didn't even stay awake long enough to make sure he was alright.

God, who am I kidding? Of course he's alright... he's a bloody boss for crying out loud.

After checking my watch for the time, I realise I have half an hour till I have to be at the Winchesters place for our viewing and to go over set designs that they have asked I could create for them.

I notice my phone is on charge, and I know I didn't do that, and when I click on it for the Home screen, I see a few messages on there.

Evie: So sorry I didn't make it last night I got swamped with some problems. Looking at removals on ears because my boyfriend doesn't listen.

I will stop by tonight and we can check in.

Me: Ha! Don't worry, I fell asleep by 9:30, I think.

Coming off our chat, I find Lorenzo's name on my phone with a simple text.

Lorenzo: Sleep well, Princess.

I don't respond because I don't want to have the embarrassment of what he did to me last night again.

I have never allowed myself to relax in front of men before, and I have never once thought I could relax either. Every nerve in my body was still, and every ounce it took me to relax and to feel comfortable around him was hard, but I couldn't deny the pleasure and the contentment he made me feel.

After getting ready, I make my way to the door only to find Cody standing there with a grin on his face and 2 takeout cups in his hand.

"Morning," I say, hoping to sound casual and not like a woman who had a blast of an orgasm not 12 hours ago. Yet here I am, standing in my hotel doorway and ready to pluck one of the cups out of his hands when he finally speaks.

"Good night last night?" He asks.

"Yup. Was asleep by 10 at the latest," I say, not meeting his eye. He's too much like my mother's side of the family; she and Aunt Jenna are sisters, and they are too alike, to say the least.

Both are curious, and both can't keep secrets, and unfortunately, it got inherited from me, Evie, and Cody.

"Hmm. See, I went over to Boss's house last night to discuss something, and his phone's pinging location from Dante's computer set it in this area. Did you see him?" And he already probably knows the answer to that dumbass question, but I still feign ignorance.

"Nope"

"Isabella Maria Moreno"

"Yes. Fine, I saw him. He stopped by and then left a while later. Happy?"

"Very. Because for some reason, he's given me the day to be around you. So today, my sweet, lovely cousin, I am your bodyguard. My boss doesn't have a stick up his *ss so whatever you did or he did, I'm thanking you by buying you lunch"

I smack his chest as I walk out but not before his face turns serious again and the need for him to pester me becomes his primary mission.

"Izzy... are you okay?"

"I'm good," I say because I am good. I have been feeling so wound up and unrelaxed for ages, even before Mom's diagnosis. Well, okay, since I found out about it and since I basically have no one except my cousins and yes, their parents but looking at them right now only makes me wish I had mine here.

"Isabella?"

"Cody, I'm good, honestly. We spoke for a while and he told me he looked into my past and he wanted to help "

"Okay, I don't need the ins or outs of your s*x life"

"There were no ins apart from fingers-"

"LALALA," he playfully shouts while plugging his ears with his fingers and I can't help the laughter that comes out of my mouth. Laughter that I haven't felt in a while, and it feels so nice! So... natural.

"Are you finished being a child?" I ask playfully.

"Are you done trying to make me not look at my boss and best friend?" He fires back but he isn't annoyed at me; he's just Cody. That's about as much as you'd get from happiness. Cody is always playful, relaxed and confident, so to see him any other way would be a pain.

"I don't need to kick his *ss then, no?"

"No. I fell asleep before I could even say bye, and it's the first night in ages that I slept all night."

By the time we reach the front door to the hotel, I have already explained how I still hate going to sleep and how I was supposed to meet Evie but she never showed up... Thank f*ck she didn't either or she would have seen my *ss on full display.

Not the first time that's happened.

"You driving me to my appointment?"

"Appointment? I thought you were working," he says as he pulls out his keys for a black SUV Range Rover.

"I am you idiot, but they are called appointments. You can't come in but I appreciate not having to taxi my way there"

"I can wait. Started chatting with this girl," he says with a smirk, and now I'm intrigued.

"A girl? Wow. Name"

"Sadie. She lives in New York and she drives an old-style Chevy Impala that was her grandfather's"

"Don't hurt her or string her along. She isn't psycho, is she?"

His laughs make me laugh when he speaks over his fit of laughter. "Every woman is psycho because... I swear my mothers chased me around the house at least once a week with a spatula," he says, but his tone makes no room for annoyance or any resentment because that's just how Aunt Jenna is.

"Yes, I believe we have all had our fair share of that run-around," I tell him once again, feeling a smile appear on my face.

I don't even want to message Lorenzo just in case he isn't bothered or if it's a one-time thing or what.

➿➿

After finding the place I'm meant to be going to, which is a 3-bedroom house with a happy, quiet family of 3. They make all the introductions and explain what it is thereafter, and noting their ideas down, I begin to speak to them.

The child pulling at my leg is a little girl who looks to be around 5 years old, maybe younger, but she's got such beautiful blonde hair.

"Hello," I say, crouching down to her level. "I'm Isabella; what's your name?"

"Lydia," she says with such confidence.

"Wow, that's a beautiful name! Well, Miss Lydia! I hear your room is going to get decorated?"

"It is, it is! Mommy and Daddy said I could have a princess room"

"What! No way, I'd love a princess room!"

"Really?" she asks, bouncing up and down. I look at her mom, who's smiling down at her little girl.

"I have! But right now, I want to focus on your room! I have a few princess designs with some ideas that could be created if you would like to have a look with me?"

"Yes, please!" her squeals follow her as she runs into the living room, and when I stand back up, her mother is there with a smile a mile long.

"Thank you!"

"No, please. Don't thank me because I have so many designs that are expensive and could really use your go-over," I say with a hint of worry in my voice. I've never done it this way; I've only just started and only done a few virtual ones.

"Money isn't an issue here, sweetie! Believe me, if she wants a full Disney princess room, then my girl gets it"

"That's a relief!" I say as I guide her through the rest of the house, taking measurements and noting down certain Greys that they would like in their living room.

"What colour is this?" she asks, pointing to my favourite type of grey.

"It's steel grey. I actually have this colour in my kitchen" Okay, so not my kitchen... it was my mother, but I can't seem to get my head out of that whole "it's not home anymore."

"We will go for this one, please," she says while pointing at the grey.

-

After spending over an hour with the Winchesters and sorting through Lydia's designs and which wall will have what type of vibe she wants, I leave their house and head back to Cody's car.

The fall season in New York is such a beautiful experience, but because my work calendar has been freed up since my next client has got the flu, I ring Dunken and see what he wants me to do.

"Isabell, how did it go?"

"Morning Dunken! It went well, actually. They've got all their designs in order and which room will have what colour and I even managed to snag up some extra space to have it done ASAP. It will all be in your email I send you with the measurements and requirements. They have taken the job and we worked out the sales price while we were there"

The usual fees are around $13,000-$17,000, which is a shot tonne more money than what I make every 6 months. Thankfully I get a hefty commission for doing most of the arts and decoration as well as the general introductions and modifications.

"Go on"

"Mrs Winchester has a minimum of 26," I say into the phone, still not believing I've managed to pull it all off.

"$26,000?"

"Yes, sir," I say, still looking at the notes she wrote down.

"Minimum?"

"That's correct"

"HOLY SH*T!"

"Dunken!" I laugh. I have never heard the man swear, so hearing his voice say it down the phone gives me an opportunity to laugh, and I wish it was a recorded call so I could lay it at every meeting.

"Isabella, please tell me you are pulling my keg?"

"Sir, I will be heading back to JFK tonight, and I'll be seeing you as early as 11 o'clock tomorrow. My client for tomorrow has cancelled due to the flu"

"Christ. Alright Dear Well, we will talk about this once you're back. You could always stay an extra night if you wanted to"

"No, thank you. I've already booked my ticket and got myself sorted," I say just as my phone pings with a text.

He's on loudspeaker, so Cody can hear everything I'm saying and hear what my boss is saying too. Once I've hung up, I turn in my seat to face him.

"You're going home?" And the way he says it makes me feel like sh*t that I am.

"Yeah. I have no other reason to be here now that I've finished my work," I explain.

Explaining it doesn't do much; it seems that he huffs his annoyance loud enough for me to know it. "You could come back to my place or even go see Evie."

"I can't! I have to go home, and besides, I'm meeting with Elena tomorrow evening. I think that's what the message says.

I check the message again, and sure enough, it's a panic text.

Elena: My life is about to be over. Dad has finally lost the plot, and me—a Greek god—has been shipped off to marry an Italian ass! CALL ME!

My. My. My.