Page 80 of The Bombshell and the Bodyguard
“Duh. I mean why did you let her leave? Why are you tellingmeyou love my sister instead of tellingher? She flew out to Italy this morning believing you don’t really care.”
I studied my friend. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing—or that you’re so calm about this. What happened?”
Hap smiled. “Well, let’s see... first Jessica read me the riot act about interfering in her love life. Then she informed me that you were the ‘perfect gentleman’ on the island and that I was a ‘big, fatheaded bully’ for accusing you of seducing her. And then, on the way to the airport this morning, she told me she was madly in love with you and that you were ‘the one’andthat if you and she didn’t end up together, she’d hold me personally responsible and make me explain to my future children why their unmarried Aunt Jessica was bitter and angry at all the family holidays.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed.
Hap went on. “But what really happened was that once I had time to think about it and get over my panic about the kidnapping, I realized there’s no one I’d rather see her with. I mean, it’s hard to accept the idea of my little sister withanyguy, butyou are the best guy I’ve ever known. I understand why she loves you. And Iknowyou’ll treat her right—because if you don’t, I’m gonna beat your pretty face seven ways to Sunday.”
The two of us laughed then locked hands. Then we stood and embraced, laughing some more and slapping each other on the back.
“Your blessing means the world to me,” I said. “Now—I’ve got to go catch a flight and find out if I’ve screwed up and lost your sister for good.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
King Frog
Thanks to thejoysof international travel and the massive crowd, the show had already begun by the time I arrived in Venice.
The concert venue was like none I’d ever seen. The stage wasn’t tucked amongst the historic buildings of the city itself but floating in the Venetian lagoon, moored in front of the Piazza San Marco.
High scaffolding on either side of the platform held massive speakers and video screens.
Speakers lined the front of the stage as well. Bright lights shone on Jade’s band and the beautiful singer herself, who wore a sparkling short romper decorated in a vertical stripe pattern with green and black sequins.
A standing-room-only crowd filled the piazza. The air buzzed with excited chatter in a variety of languages.
Between the city and the floating stage, boats of every imaginable shape and size bobbed on the Venetian lagoon. Gondolas snugged up to party barges. Fishing boats floated around pocket yachts like little Remora fish orbiting whales.
I stared across the two-hundred-yard distance between the piazza where I stood and the floating stage where Jessica was performing. The saying “so close and yet so far” had never been more apropos.
She had let all my calls go to voicemail and hadn’t returned my texts or emails. I recalled her words—“If you want to see me, you can buy a ticket like everyone else.”
Well, this concert was free, but at the moment I had no better chance of speaking to her in person than any of the other three hundred thousand or so spectators. Which meant I needed to find a way to get to that stage.
It was the only thing I could think of that would make her listen to me. And maybe, if I was really lucky, make her say, “yes.”
Watercraft had begun pulling up to the barricade lines this morning. Now, they surrounded the stage like an armada. Even if I’d been able to find an available boat at this late hour, getting through the floating blockade would have been impossible.
Therewasa temporary pontoon bridge stretching from the piazza to the stage, and a few pedestrian stragglers still crossed it—probably VIPs who’d paid a fortune to sit on a platform directly in front of the stage.
The walkway was lined with police and private uniformed guards. There were alotof them. On one hand, that pleased me. Jessica was taking her safety seriously. On the other, it was going to make things damn difficult.
Approaching one of the guards, I showed the man my business card and ID, explaining I’d been in charge of Jessica’s security in the States and that I’d like to cross the walkway to the stage.
The guy waved me off, speaking in perfect English. “Nice try buddy. Now move along and enjoy the show.”
Fantastico.
It was poetic justice, really. Thanks to my own stupidity, Jessica had fired my company and gotten her own security personnel. None of these guys knew me from Adam.
The guard was armed, so I didn’t argue. I did reach in my pocket and extract the small velvet box I’d brought along. Turning to a female officer, I opened the box and showed her the ring. I explained his situation to her, that I was Jessica’s... uh, Jade’s ex, and that I was there to propose and beg her to take me back.
The woman narrowed her eyes first at the ring then at my face. She also spoke in English but with a heavy Italian accent. “I saw the video from Coachella. Jade has a lot of stalkers—you might be one of them.”
“Actually, I was her bodyguard that night,” I corrected.
The woman scowled. “Even worse. You let her get kidnapped. If you reallyarea... friend of hers...” The guard’s expression showed her extreme doubt. “... then you can just see her after the show at her hotel.”
