Page 6 of Wicked

And scary.

As I start touring Italy, I wonder how much of the accommodation money and per diems I can save and how.

I can likely use my annual leave to finish my novel, and if I live cheap, by the time I leave Italy, my novel will be done!

My first few days are amazing, and it’s perfectly sunny and warm. I adore the country, and the culture is spectacular. The food, the history, the clothing, the people, and the architecture are to die for.

As I drive, I take photos and use a voice recording app. I eat and beam. I cannot believe how amazing it is. After visiting Rome, the Vatican, Florence, Venice, and even Lake Como, where Clooney supposedly has a home, I head towards Tuscany.

Besides the sites, the gorgeous Italian men blow my mind. They are beyond flirty, and their eye fucking is next level.

As I pull over for gelato, Italian ice cream, on the most perfect stretch of coastal road, I lick, then freeze.

I do a three sixty, and realize my bag is gone. And so is half of the cable tie. Sighing, I try to work out what was in it.

Everything, except for my novel, passport, and really important things. Gone are most of my clothes, my vibrator and basically everything else.

“Oh God,” I say as a car horn blasts and a car streaks by.

I decide against driving back hundreds of miles. In no way can I remember every road I’ve taken today, plus I’d also lose an entire day.

I look down at what I am wearing, and the few clothes in the sports car. I finish the cone, slide back in the car, and mutter ‘life’. I start the car, remind myself to be less of a loser, and I blast off along the stunning coast.

Over the next few days,I drive around the Italian coastline. I swim in the ocean where it’s private, and I swim in my blacklingerie. I have no swimsuit with me now, and no spare money to buy one. I am in awe of the Tuscan rolling hills, vineyards, restaurants, and endless gorgeous pasta dishes. Also, its coffees and foods.

I adore the rich culture and history, and I get distracted with the endless beauty. I stay at affordable hotels on the way, and I eat more of the spectacular local food.

The weather is perfect, and I start to wonder why Italians ever came to our wonderful nation in the day, especially NYC. The Italian architecture, arts, culture and old castles are stunning. The history is on another level.

As I drive on, I write the travel article, and I take photos. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Something however worries me, and I know something this good cannot last. I suspect the universe is messing with me and that chaos is just around the corner.

2

DANTE

As our private jet travels towards Rome, I rub the back of my neck, exhausted. Running my fashion empire between NYC, LA and London is starting to take its toll.

Thomas sits in the next row of seats, and he goes over endless agreements and banking details.

As I study work from new designers, both our own and our competitors, I make notes for my execs. I am in the zone and where I like to be. Right at the tip of the fashion spear.

I’m wearing my casual uniform of a black T, tailored dark blue jeans and black boots.

The jet is as I like it, silent, and as usual, we have very few crew. Just enough to get by in terms of comfort to allow for maximum focus.

I don’t understand some executives in entertainment, music, fashion, and banking who fly in their own jets and have many staff, meaning so many distractions.

Maybe they feel like rockstars. Maybe they’re just A-holes.

As I lean back in the seat, I check my watch. In another hour, we’ll land in Rome.

I go through this month’s stack of global fashion magazines in detail, then I put my notes aside. Thomas and I discuss a planned new fashion label, and he takes detailed notes. I try to focus on the big picture, and I aim to spin the fashion brand off another and develop it alone.

My aim is to create the hottest street fashion brand in the world.

Starting fashion trends is high risk but get it right and you own the market before others play copycat.

My global fashion company is on fire, and I cannot complain. The new fashion brand should, however, expand at a faster rate.

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