30-03-2019, 07:01 PM
It was one on the afternoon when La Contessa and Maria were done making their way through San Finzione's fashion district. After visiting twelve shops, 20 new outfits for Helena and 14 for Maria were being delivered to the castle. Most businesses closed from noon until 2 PM in the city, but word spread quickly that La Contessa was on a shopping spree, and they decided to remain open for her.
As the two walked back to the Ferrari, a text came in for La Contessa. Her targets had been at an outdoor café, talking to an old woman, and one of the surveillance officers had spotted La Contessa and her maid approaching their position. Helena replied that she understood and that she was safe. The officers were to keep their distance, no matter what happened.
She pulled Maria into one of the shops they'd already been to and instructed the maid to just grab items at random from the racks. When they had enough to fill three shopping bags, Helena paid for everything, took one of the bags, and instructed Maria to carry the other two.
"I know better than to question La Contessa," Maria said as she trailed behind her with the bags. "But I cannot help think why we no have these things sent to the castle with the others?"
"We're about to 'bump into' some old friends while out shopping. We should actually be carrying some shopping. And don't walk behind me like you're just some servant. I mean, yeah, you're my maid, but not JUST my maid, you know?"
They rounded a corner and she saw them up ahead at the café, sitting at a table with an old woman dressed entirely in black, her head covered in a kerchief. ("Troy would call her a yia-yia," La Contessa thought to herself as they got closer.) Helena had seen the old woman every time she passed by the café; one of those permanent fixture people who drinks her wine and watches the world go by every day.
Julie was seated with her back to them, but the big, floppy, white sun hat she'd been wearing since she arrived at the hotel was distinctive enough to spot her. A bag of their own shopping sat at her feet. As they got nearer, Troy turned his head and saw them approach. "Helen?" He asked as he rose from his seat. Julie turned her head, showing that she was still wearing the gaudy red sunglasses; and saw Helen and Maria as well. She stood as well as they both walked toward her and Helen noticed the 3/4ths-empty red wine bottle on the table. There was only one glass; presumably, they had bought the bottle for the yia-yia.
"Oh my God, Troy? Julie?" Helen said with mock surprise. She dropped her bag and ran toward them to give them both giant hugs and kisses on the cheeks. Maria dutifully picked up the bag and continued walking toward them.
"Why, Helena, we haven't seen you since the wedding," Julie said, acting surprised to see her right back. "And I wouldn't have expected to see you down here amongst us peasants." She gestured toward the castle on the hill, visible from most places in the city.
"Well, I thought building a Prada store into the castle would look tacky. And nobody calls my oldest friends peasants." Helena pulled up a chair at an empty table. "Maria, dear, why don't you set those things down and bring the car around? I'd like to talk with my friends here. Oh, Troy, Julie, this is Maria, my personal maid. Maria, this is that wonderful couple whose wedding I flew to America last month to attend."
"Ciao," the maid said with a curtsey as she set the bags down. "I see video of wedding. Is nice to meet you."
Julie sat at the table with Helen as Troy went to politely excuse them and say goodbye to the yia-yia. "Maria seems nice," Julie said, watching the girl walk away.
"Oh, she is," Helen said as she took out a cigarette and lit it. She saw Julie make a frown at the cigarette. "Oh, don't worry, honey; smoking's only bad for Americans."
"I don't mind," Julie said with a smile. "I think I'm safe. I've had a nice safe, secure feeling ever since our plane landed."
"You should have called; I'd have sent my own jet to bring you."
"Now, Helen, dear, the last thing we'd want to do is abuse your friendship. It starts with something like that, and the next thing you know, we're having your helicopter fly us to church."
"Oh, that was wonderful, dear, by the way. Totally played me there, I loved it. That wasn't your whole scheme, was it?"
Julie had to push the big, red sunglasses down almost until they fell off her nose to peer at Helen over the top of them. "Any answer I gave to that question would be a criminal waste of perfectly good sarcasm."
As the two walked back to the Ferrari, a text came in for La Contessa. Her targets had been at an outdoor café, talking to an old woman, and one of the surveillance officers had spotted La Contessa and her maid approaching their position. Helena replied that she understood and that she was safe. The officers were to keep their distance, no matter what happened.
She pulled Maria into one of the shops they'd already been to and instructed the maid to just grab items at random from the racks. When they had enough to fill three shopping bags, Helena paid for everything, took one of the bags, and instructed Maria to carry the other two.
"I know better than to question La Contessa," Maria said as she trailed behind her with the bags. "But I cannot help think why we no have these things sent to the castle with the others?"
"We're about to 'bump into' some old friends while out shopping. We should actually be carrying some shopping. And don't walk behind me like you're just some servant. I mean, yeah, you're my maid, but not JUST my maid, you know?"
They rounded a corner and she saw them up ahead at the café, sitting at a table with an old woman dressed entirely in black, her head covered in a kerchief. ("Troy would call her a yia-yia," La Contessa thought to herself as they got closer.) Helena had seen the old woman every time she passed by the café; one of those permanent fixture people who drinks her wine and watches the world go by every day.
Julie was seated with her back to them, but the big, floppy, white sun hat she'd been wearing since she arrived at the hotel was distinctive enough to spot her. A bag of their own shopping sat at her feet. As they got nearer, Troy turned his head and saw them approach. "Helen?" He asked as he rose from his seat. Julie turned her head, showing that she was still wearing the gaudy red sunglasses; and saw Helen and Maria as well. She stood as well as they both walked toward her and Helen noticed the 3/4ths-empty red wine bottle on the table. There was only one glass; presumably, they had bought the bottle for the yia-yia.
"Oh my God, Troy? Julie?" Helen said with mock surprise. She dropped her bag and ran toward them to give them both giant hugs and kisses on the cheeks. Maria dutifully picked up the bag and continued walking toward them.
"Why, Helena, we haven't seen you since the wedding," Julie said, acting surprised to see her right back. "And I wouldn't have expected to see you down here amongst us peasants." She gestured toward the castle on the hill, visible from most places in the city.
"Well, I thought building a Prada store into the castle would look tacky. And nobody calls my oldest friends peasants." Helena pulled up a chair at an empty table. "Maria, dear, why don't you set those things down and bring the car around? I'd like to talk with my friends here. Oh, Troy, Julie, this is Maria, my personal maid. Maria, this is that wonderful couple whose wedding I flew to America last month to attend."
"Ciao," the maid said with a curtsey as she set the bags down. "I see video of wedding. Is nice to meet you."
Julie sat at the table with Helen as Troy went to politely excuse them and say goodbye to the yia-yia. "Maria seems nice," Julie said, watching the girl walk away.
"Oh, she is," Helen said as she took out a cigarette and lit it. She saw Julie make a frown at the cigarette. "Oh, don't worry, honey; smoking's only bad for Americans."
"I don't mind," Julie said with a smile. "I think I'm safe. I've had a nice safe, secure feeling ever since our plane landed."
"You should have called; I'd have sent my own jet to bring you."
"Now, Helen, dear, the last thing we'd want to do is abuse your friendship. It starts with something like that, and the next thing you know, we're having your helicopter fly us to church."
"Oh, that was wonderful, dear, by the way. Totally played me there, I loved it. That wasn't your whole scheme, was it?"
Julie had to push the big, red sunglasses down almost until they fell off her nose to peer at Helen over the top of them. "Any answer I gave to that question would be a criminal waste of perfectly good sarcasm."
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