Italy is a breath of fresh air for Ray and Laura. The people seemed busy, but they had warm awras and friendly faces. The country has naturally beautiful landmarks, and they can't wait to visit them.
"I've been here once, before," Laura said, attempting to start a conversation while they're waiting at the airport.
"Tell me about it," Ray said without looking up from his book. "Perhaps we have not known each other then."
"Yes, of course. I was a child," Laura started. "My grandfather is half-Italian; his mother is from Italy. I know a little of the language, but I've been speaking in English for all of my life, so I'm not fluent at all. I've tried to learn, but I've not learned much. I don't need it anyways, I use English all the time."
Their short conversation was cut short when a man's voice greeted them. "Ciao!" it said. Ray and Laura turned their heads and smiled at him. "Oh, hey." Ray extended his hand. The man seemed pleased to meet them. "I'm Patricio, and I was sent here for you."
At the hotel, Patricio, who preferred the nickname Rio, told them all about Italy. "Are you enjoying your pasta?" he would ask the two. Ray and Laura liked every food, and even though they wanted more, they've been eating for the past two hours, and they are full. They let him know, and after a few more wine, they went back at the hotel. It was a long day, and they can't wait to rest.
The next day, they're raring to go. At the venue, as one of the head officers of Vogue, Ray is seated at the front, but Laura has to sit at the back. Sitting beside him are public figures he's quite familiar with. "I've been sitting for the past hour," the woman beside him said. "They said it's going to start soon."
Ray turns to face the woman, and he recognizes her. "Rosa," he said, "I've been listening to a lot of your music lately." This flatters Rosa, and the musician doesn't try to hide it. "Oh, Thank you! I'm a huge fan of your work, too. How long have you been working for Vogue?" she asks, to which he replies, "Almost a decade, but not yet." He's unsure of his answer, and he attributes this to the memory problems he's experiencing lately. He has not been to Rina again. When he goes, he's adamant in not telling her.
The show is brief. He enjoyed watching it, although he's not as interested as Rosa. On the other hand, she recorded everything and he saw how excited she was.
"Is it your first time? If it is, it must be very exciting for you," he had told her.
"No, but fashion is a great part of my career. I don't think my music would reach anything if it weren't for my style, and I'm saying this humbly," she said. "Being an artist, as a musician, does not only rely on the music. I have to present myself to people as well, and they have to like what I look like. It's just how the industry works."
For the next few days, Ray is busy meeting with different people. Oftentimes, the person is a fluent English speaker, but there are a few times when a translator is needed. During their last day in Italy, Ray is schedule for an online interview. He liked how the interviewer focused on his role in Vogue. Oftentimes, especially if the interviewer is from a less known network, he would be asked questions that were quite personal, but he is clever enough to dodge them politely.
In the plane ride home, Ray is seated next to a woman with a son whose behavior he is not fond of. The boy is feisty, but the mother has continuously tried her best to keep him in his best behavior. She is not succeeding; but Ray is kind enough to just watch the two of them and not do anything. He sees that the other passengers are getting irritated.
At the far end of the aisle, he saw one man talk to the attendant standing on his side. After a while, the attendant walked over to their side, and said something to the mother. He couldn't hear what she said due to the scattered talking of the people all over the plane. What the attendant said stunned the woman, and she whispered something to her son. They talked for awhile and afterwards, the child stopped misbehaving. This comforted Ray and he decided he could take a nap until the plane lands.
At the airport, he saw Daniel waiting for him. "Welcome back, mate. How was Paris?" he asked.
"Fun," he simply said. "I took Laura with me, she took care of all of my schedule."
"Don't you think you two would look good together?" Daniel joked.
"That's silly," he shook his head. "She's too headstrong of a woman. I've always admired strong, independent women, but I don't think we're a match." he admitted.
The two friends headed to visit Ryan. At the visiting room, Ryan entered with a man by his side, and Ray's quick in recognizing him. James was the first friend he made in prison. He was initially intimidated by James' cold, domineering demeanor, but their shared stories of a wrecked childhood bonded the two of them. James' mother left when he was only three, and he has not seen her since.
"James." Ray extended his hand, and James shook it.
The four men sit while the rest of the room is filled with different voices telling different stories.
"Here," Ray handed the purse to Ryan and he was delighted to receive it. "I saw Mother at home. She tried to talk to me."
Ryan's face is etched with confusion. "She was there?"
"And? You made me go on purpose."
"No way. You know I don't want to cause more rift between you two." Ray isn't convinced, but he didn't push any further.
