Lessons Learned, Healing Hearts

Rest and Relaxation (Chapter 4)

The next day, once again creeping down the highway, Marlow felt herself becoming more agitated the longer they sat trapped in a sea of parked cars. Sighing heavily, she rested her head against the headrest.

"What's up?" Piero asked, seeing Marlow's mood darkened.

"I'm trying to figure out what to do. I probably won't have time to get you back to the hotel to freshen up before we have to leave again."

"Don't stress yourself out. We don't have to go back to the hotel."

"You're all OK if you don't?"

"Yes. So long as we can find someplace where I can relax, I'll be happy," Ignazio said.

"Well, I know of a place," Marlow said. "If you're up for it, I could take you back to our office. We have an area for clients to freshen up and relax when delays like this happen. The great thing about going there is that when it is time to go to the TV station, we won't have to plod our way through the traffic as we will already be close to downtown."

Getting a nod from each of them, Marlow pushed her way across two lanes and exited the construction.

***

Pulling up to a residential house, all three passengers looked out the window.

"This is the office?" Ignazio asked, slightly confused. "It looks like someone's house."

"It used to be my boss's grandparents' home. He renovated it about five years ago when office space this close to downtown skyrocketed." Pulling into the garage, Marlow added, "It's pretty amazing inside. Come on."

Designed to shield clients' privacy from prying eyes, a small hallway led from the garage to the home's walkout basement level. Bright and spacious, an entire bank of windows offered an unobstructed view of the ocean and distant ships.

"Wow, this is nice," Piero said, entering the spacious room.

"Come check out the game room."

Opening the door, Marlow gave them each a chance to peek in.

"Yes! Air hockey. Awesome," Ignazio said, scanning the room with keen interest.

Entering the main client area, Marlow pointed out that there was ample seating for everyone to sit comfortably, chat, read, or even take a nap.

"And if you're hungry, there's plenty of fresh fruit and other munchies. While we don't have alcohol, there's a Keurig machine with an assortment of pods, and the fridge is stocked with lots of water, juice, and soda pop. Feel free to help yourself."

Continuing the tour, Marlow stopped in front of a closed door.

"Now, this is my absolute favourite part of the house." Opening the door, she stepped aside as Piero, Ignazio and Gianluca entered the room.

"Are those what I think they are?" Gianluca asked excitedly, sitting in the first available heated massage chair.

Hitting the switch on the wall to raise the hidden TV screen, Marlow smirked when all three shouted, "Yes!" Handing Piero the remote, she left them to relax and headed upstairs.

***

"Hey," Marlow said, tapping on the glass wall before popping her head around the corner.

"What are you doing here?" Sawyer asked, glancing up from his computer. "Shouldn't you be on the road?"

"We got caught in construction on Highway 99, so I brought them here to relax until we head out again. Have you heard from Mark yet?"

Sawyer lowered his eyes and nodded.

"How is he doing? I can't imagine his family's heartbreak right now."

"I know. We were all so thrilled for Mark when Branson was born, so to get the devastating news only five months later that he was so sick, it's so sad."

Priding himself on making his employees feel like family, he had celebrated a few graduations, marriages, and three births with his staff. Unfortunately, he also felt their sorrow and struggle at losing a loved one. Walking around his desk, Sawyer hugged Marlow tightly as she silently cried.

"All he needs right now is our love."

Standing in silence, Sawyer gently pushed Marlow back. Pulling a Kleenex out of the box, he handed it to her before sitting back at his desk.

"How is it going with you?" he asked. "Are your clients respectful and reasonable in their requests?"

"It's good. Everyone is great." Having expressed the word great a little too enthusiastically, Marlow lowered her eyes when Sawyer raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Uhhh... I'm going to go check on the guys," she said, pointing over her shoulder. "I'll talk to you later."

***

Returning downstairs, Marlow could hear lots of chatter and laughter from the entertainment room. Not bothering to disturb them, she tidied up the glasses on the counter. Then, grabbing a granola bar for herself, she stretched out on the sofa.

Pulling out her phone, she again clicked on the Il Volo Bio link from this morning. Clicking on Piero's profile, she chuckled upon reading the opening sentence. "Piero Barone is what you might call a phenomenon." That he was, and not just musically.

As she continued, she learned that his family was from Naro, Sicily, and he had two siblings: an older brother and a younger sister. His grandfather, a well-known singer from the area, had been credited with discovering his grandson's musical gift when he was only three years old. Clicking on several photos, one in particular, stopped her from proceeding further. It was a close-up of just his face.

Pulling his sunglasses partially down, his eyes were framed by the kind of long, thick lashes girls always envied. An almost black ring encircled a pool of dark chocolate that made her heart pound and mouth salivate. His smile, showcasing a row of straight, pearly whites surrounded by rosy, plumb lips, hinted at a knowledge of his sexiness but without arrogance. Startled when she heard Gianluca's voice behind her say, "I think we should get going," Marlow dropped her phone to her chest and sat up. Studying his face, she wasn't sure if he had seen what she had googled. And, not saying anything to her, she didn't bother bringing it up.