sinking ships - succession

chapter sixteen

      It was a week later.

It was now June and she was in Italy for the wedding of her mother. She was greeted by her mother at the entrance.

"Hello, dear," her mother kissed her on the cheek after giving her a hug. "No tall, handsome stranger with you, I see?"

"No, Mom," she blushed a bit.

"I just want to see you happy, my little Rose."

She rolled her eyes at the old nickname, "I am, Mom."

     "If you say so, dear," Caroline said before she introduced the man that joined them. "Well, this is Peter."

"Pleasure to meet you," Peter smiled as he shook her hand. "You don't mind if I get an autograph, do you?"

"Oh," she said in surprise. "Sure."

"Excellent. I'll just go get a piece of paper. I'll be right back."

"You're the most famous person he's met," Caroline explained."

"Seems like I'm the only famous person he's met."

"Oh, don't be that way," Caroline waved off. "He's harmless."

"If you say so."

_____

After getting inside her room, she changed into a bustier sundress that flowed down to her ankles. It was a blue and white floral dress that had a slit on the sides to reveal her legs.

Lukas called while she was tying the string attached at the top of the dress over her breasts into a bow. It was a FaceTime call so she just simply hit answer and let him stare at the ceiling while she finished getting ready.

"Hey," she greeted. "I'm just getting ready."

"What are you wearing?" he asked.

She finished tying the bow and grabbed the phone before giving him a once-over with the camera of her outfit. He chewed on his lip as he smiled, "So pretty."

She blushed a bit before he admitted, "I miss you."

They hadn't seen each other for a week since the party. But they had made plans to see each other at her next fashion show.

She smiled softly, "You'll see me in Milan after the wedding."

"You don't want me to be your hot date?" he grinned.

"And have my mother's eternal wrath. No, thank you," she said. "It would completely ruin her wedding as it would become a business deal."

He hummed before he grinned again, "No, I'd just tell your Dad to fuck off."

"Oh, yeah," she smiled in amusement. "I would love to see that."

He chuckled before he stared at her softly through the phone, "You should never not smile. It's so fucking pretty."

She giggled a bit as she smiled wider, "Well, if I stay with you, then I'd say it's pretty possible."

"Yeah?" he smiled.

"Yeah."

He sighed as he whined, "I really fucking miss you."

"Okay, clingy," she teased. "Well, I miss you, too. But I have to go and make the rounds. I'll talk to you later."