Chapter Eight

894 Words
When Kate walked into the travel agent, her heart was racing. Was she really going to do this? Could she actually leave the country and go to a strange and foreign place. One where she doesn’t even speak the language? All alone! Kate was second-guessing her decision, but she would soon find out she had a lot more courage than she ever gave herself credit for. She casually handed over her store voucher and allowed the salesperson to add on a few little extras; limousine transfer to and from the hotel, daily room service and a very expensive bottle of Chianti on arrival. She hoped to make her way over to Tuscany at some point during her trip, but in case she didn't, Kate would at least have her wine. As she walked out of the store, tickets tucked safely in her purse, Kate's heart did a little happy dance. She had the strongest urge to join in but she knew way too many people in the area and didn't want to embarrass herself. She was done with the mess that had dictated her life for these last few weeks. She was finally going to see Rome and all its sexy ruins and old men! Hold on, oh who cares! Her head was in such a flurry, her thoughts were getting all messed up. Kate was going to see everything Rome had to offer and she was leaving in just three days. Three very short days and there was so still so much to do.  She had settled on a one-bedroom apartment, a few short blocks from the office and would start the lease in seven weeks. She planned to spend five weeks in Italy and leave enough time to deal with the jet lag and relocating, upon her return. Kate had a number of her belongings in storage and knew it would take a few days to have everything moved in. She wanted time to readjust without feeling like she had to dive right back into her work.  Kate had spent much of the evening packing as she wouldn’t have much time for it after tonight. For the most part, she stayed in her room to avoid her mother, who had spoken with Elise earlier in the day. It was the first time they had spoken since Dianne was told the truth about Kate and Ryan's break-up. Since their phone conversation, Dianne had a look of death plastered on her face. She had not said more than a word to Kate and Tony, unable to avoid her, was having to deal with the worst of it. Kate couldn't wait to get out of there and was happy knowing her father would have to accompany her into the office tomorrow, a small saving grace for leaving him alone with his ever moody wife once again.  She packed the basics and essentials; make-up, travel accessories, toiletries, underwear and socks. She also packed some cute summer dresses, sandals, a few pairs of shorts and cami’s and a simple teal bikini that tied up at the front, one she wouldn’t dare wear at home. Kate had always been unnecessarily self-conscious, her sexy curves and long golden-brown hair were both features most women would envy. She had never liked showing off her body, even in front of Ryan, she always insisted they make love in the dark. Deep down she knew that part of her inability to love her body stemmed from her mother's criticisms. Kate grew up constantly being told to cover up her legs and wear a singlet under her low cut tops. She had dreaded spending a part of their honeymoon down near the Amalfi coast for that simple reason. Knowing she would eventually have to put on a bathing suit and spend the entire time trying to block out the voice inside her head. The one that constantly told her to "go put a t-shirt over it" or that the knee-length dress was "still too short for the office." Now that she was going alone, it was almost as if she had lost all her inhibitions. She was excited at the thought of lazing about on the beach, getting lost in a long romance novel and sunbaking. Simply allowing herself to relax, to think about absolutely nothing.  Kate would spend the next few days in the office with Nina and sorting out client handovers with her father. She was so grateful that Tony had agreed to step in. He would be taking over Kates role for the next 7 weeks and was very relieved he now had an excuse to leave the house on a daily basis. Kate had heard from her father who had heard from her mother that Elise and Ryan were returning to Maplewood by the end of the week. This was a surprise to Kate, she was sure they would have moved into Ryan's old apartment in the city, not back to Maplewood, there was nothing for them here. According to Tony, Elise had called to see if she still had a job at Moretti and Associates, but by the time Dianne was done with her, Elise was in tears and had lost the nerve to ask for her job back. Ha! The timing of Kate's trip could not have been better.
Free reading for new users
Scan code to download app
Facebookexpand_more
  • author-avatar
    Writer
  • chap_listContents
  • likeADD