Can't Be Changed
Dissuasive Italians
Alisa's pink painted fingernails tapped on the laminate table beneath here. Her eyes jealously floated to the stylish clock hanging tantalizingly on the wall adjacent to her. She bit her bottom lip glancing down at her phone laying on the table beside her.
No New Messages
Once again her eyes shifted back to the clock as it ticked ever so slowly on the gray wall. It was 7:48, and Alisa estimated that about that exact time Patrick and his date would be stepping out of their team endorsed limo in their dapper suits and glamorous dresses onto the red carpet of the ESPY Awards. Alisa's fingers continued to drum in anticipation as she waited for the eight hour to hit so she could flick on her Italian TV and search for the channel that would be broadcasting the ESPY's. As soon at 8:00 P.M hit, Alisa scanned all her channels until she finally found the ESPY's, unfortunately they were in Italian.
Some broadcaster was interviewing a very good looking African American football player with a charming smile.
"Oh that's Reggie!" Alisa squealed upon seeing Kim Kardashian hanging off his arm.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear Alisa intently listened to the garbled mess of words she couldn't comprehend hoping to hear something, anything, about hockey. About twenty minuets later the hockey players were being flashed across the screen. Then out of the corner of the screen she saw Patrick in his blue suit and his heart sped up a few beats. He looked marvelous. His beautiful smile graced his features as the cameras snapped some solo pictures of him, the camera moved to his left where a few other Hawks were taking pictures, yet Alisa kept her eyes on Patrick. As soon as he stepped away from the bright flashes of the cameras his smile fell and he walked over to where Angel was standing with a tall blond girl. There wasn't anything spectacular about the girl, he had nice long hair and a simply tan dress with emerald pumps, but what Alisa hated most to see was her arm laced with Patrick's. She couldn't find it in her heart to feel jealous, he looked miserable. The smile she was admiring before was nowhere in sight. The girl was beaming as they strode down the carpet. Angel looked stunning and Alisa made a mental note to compliment her Versace dress later. She flicked off the TV, not being able to watch any longer, missing Patrick too much. She suddenly hopped off the bed and scurried over to the door and slipped on her Minolo pumps deciding she would go for a walk and pick up some coffee to take her mind off of her boyfriend, thousands of miles away.
There was a quaint little Italian pastry shop down the street from her hotel that she decided to walk to. The people of Milan buzzed about her joyously in the Italian summer night, lovers hand in hand as they sauntered through the romantic city. Alisa suddenly felt as though a walk was not the greatest idea. She quickly made her way to the shop in search of a good cup of coffee. When it was her turn to order, she was suddenly panic stricken. She didn't speak a word of Italian.
"Eh, uno coffee, por favore?" She timidly asked, praying to the Heavens the young barista understood.
"Che รจ tutto?" The barista smiled warmly typing away at her register.
"Shit, I can't do this." Alisa shook her head, "Um...do you speak English? Maybe...French?" She hopefully asked.
"She asked if that is all you want." Explained a deep masculine voice from behind her.
Alisa turned the inspect the person who had just spoken up. It was at that moment that she decided she had never seen a more beautiful specimen of a man. He was tall, dark haired and dark eyed, nothing like Patrick.
"Um, yes." Alisa nodded her voice barely above a whisper, "That's all."
"Si," The man nodded to the barista who smiled and went off to prepare Alisa's coffee.
"Thank you." Alisa smiled at the handsome man.
"It was nothing," He replied returning her smile, "Business or pleasure?"
"Excuse me?" Alisa asked a bit taken aback.
"Why are you in Italia?" The man laughed.
"Oh business." She nodded as the man chuckled.
"What is your name, pretty girl?" He smoothly asked making Alisa's knees weak.
"A-Alisa." She awkwardly replied, "Yours?"
"Miguele." He answered as they shook hands. Miguele was so assertive and mysterious, nothing like Patrick. As the seconds went by, Alisa realized she was comparing every little detail of the stranger to her boyfriend back home. Soon Alisa's coffee ready and after paying the barista Alisa hurried off back to the hotel. After slipping out of her heels she changed into her pajamas and with her coffee in hand she got to work on her laptop. She brought up a spread-sheet in Microsoft Excel to go over the business plan she would be presenting tomorrow. She pulled out her cell phone and decided to give Harvey, her assistant, a ring.
"Miss Beck?"
"Oh Harvey! Is it too late to call? I completely forgot the time!"
"It's fine. How is Italy?" He asked with excitement.
"It's alright, I miss home. Listen, how is the banquet coming along?"
"Everything is coming along well." Harvey confirmed, "The invitations went out this morning. And the contract with Project Lomare came in today, ready for your signature."
"Perfect, thank you Harvey." Alisa smiled, thankful she could finally hear a familiar voice.
"Of course, anything else Miss Beck?" Harvey asked.
"Oh Harvey...did you happen to catch the ESPY's?" Alisa asked, trying not to sound obvious.
"I did." Harvey hesitated, thinking that Alisa would continue talking. "Absolutely drab, Miss Beck! She looked like a garden satchel that stole Heidi Klum's wig. And Patrick was awfully bored."
Alisa smiled to herself talking delight in Harvey's words. With a laugh she smiled and told Harvey, "That will be all. Goodnight, Harvey." After ending the call Alisa went back to work, sipping her coffee that would surely keep her up and alert for hours. As the clock on the wall struck midnight, Alisa's phone also rang. Based on the obnoxious ring tone Alisa immediately knew who is was. The smiling screen on her phone only confirmed it.
"I really need to change that awful ring tone." Alisa said answering the phone.
"You secretly love it, and play it over and over." Patrick insisted and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"How were the ESPY's?" Alisa asked with a smile as she played with a strand of hair.
"Fine." Patrick simply said after a pause, "I-I mi-" Patrick broke off mid-sentence unable to finish in fear of what Alisa would say.
"I miss you too." Alisa giggled making Patrick breath out loudly into the phone.
"I'm counting the hours until you come back." Patrick confessed making Alisa blush.
"How was Lauren?" Alisa asked suddenly making Patrick quiet down.
"Great!" He exclaimed, "She's really nice, we had a nice time."
"That's....good." Alisa stated after a pause, realizing Patrick was not going to admit defeat and apologize for bringing Lauren.
After talking for a few hours they ended the call and Alisa fell into a deep sleep, thinking of the person in the world she missed most.
No New Messages
Once again her eyes shifted back to the clock as it ticked ever so slowly on the gray wall. It was 7:48, and Alisa estimated that about that exact time Patrick and his date would be stepping out of their team endorsed limo in their dapper suits and glamorous dresses onto the red carpet of the ESPY Awards. Alisa's fingers continued to drum in anticipation as she waited for the eight hour to hit so she could flick on her Italian TV and search for the channel that would be broadcasting the ESPY's. As soon at 8:00 P.M hit, Alisa scanned all her channels until she finally found the ESPY's, unfortunately they were in Italian.
Some broadcaster was interviewing a very good looking African American football player with a charming smile.
"Oh that's Reggie!" Alisa squealed upon seeing Kim Kardashian hanging off his arm.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear Alisa intently listened to the garbled mess of words she couldn't comprehend hoping to hear something, anything, about hockey. About twenty minuets later the hockey players were being flashed across the screen. Then out of the corner of the screen she saw Patrick in his blue suit and his heart sped up a few beats. He looked marvelous. His beautiful smile graced his features as the cameras snapped some solo pictures of him, the camera moved to his left where a few other Hawks were taking pictures, yet Alisa kept her eyes on Patrick. As soon as he stepped away from the bright flashes of the cameras his smile fell and he walked over to where Angel was standing with a tall blond girl. There wasn't anything spectacular about the girl, he had nice long hair and a simply tan dress with emerald pumps, but what Alisa hated most to see was her arm laced with Patrick's. She couldn't find it in her heart to feel jealous, he looked miserable. The smile she was admiring before was nowhere in sight. The girl was beaming as they strode down the carpet. Angel looked stunning and Alisa made a mental note to compliment her Versace dress later. She flicked off the TV, not being able to watch any longer, missing Patrick too much. She suddenly hopped off the bed and scurried over to the door and slipped on her Minolo pumps deciding she would go for a walk and pick up some coffee to take her mind off of her boyfriend, thousands of miles away.
There was a quaint little Italian pastry shop down the street from her hotel that she decided to walk to. The people of Milan buzzed about her joyously in the Italian summer night, lovers hand in hand as they sauntered through the romantic city. Alisa suddenly felt as though a walk was not the greatest idea. She quickly made her way to the shop in search of a good cup of coffee. When it was her turn to order, she was suddenly panic stricken. She didn't speak a word of Italian.
"Eh, uno coffee, por favore?" She timidly asked, praying to the Heavens the young barista understood.
"Che รจ tutto?" The barista smiled warmly typing away at her register.
"Shit, I can't do this." Alisa shook her head, "Um...do you speak English? Maybe...French?" She hopefully asked.
"She asked if that is all you want." Explained a deep masculine voice from behind her.
Alisa turned the inspect the person who had just spoken up. It was at that moment that she decided she had never seen a more beautiful specimen of a man. He was tall, dark haired and dark eyed, nothing like Patrick.
"Um, yes." Alisa nodded her voice barely above a whisper, "That's all."
"Si," The man nodded to the barista who smiled and went off to prepare Alisa's coffee.
"Thank you." Alisa smiled at the handsome man.
"It was nothing," He replied returning her smile, "Business or pleasure?"
"Excuse me?" Alisa asked a bit taken aback.
"Why are you in Italia?" The man laughed.
"Oh business." She nodded as the man chuckled.
"What is your name, pretty girl?" He smoothly asked making Alisa's knees weak.
"A-Alisa." She awkwardly replied, "Yours?"
"Miguele." He answered as they shook hands. Miguele was so assertive and mysterious, nothing like Patrick. As the seconds went by, Alisa realized she was comparing every little detail of the stranger to her boyfriend back home. Soon Alisa's coffee ready and after paying the barista Alisa hurried off back to the hotel. After slipping out of her heels she changed into her pajamas and with her coffee in hand she got to work on her laptop. She brought up a spread-sheet in Microsoft Excel to go over the business plan she would be presenting tomorrow. She pulled out her cell phone and decided to give Harvey, her assistant, a ring.
"Miss Beck?"
"Oh Harvey! Is it too late to call? I completely forgot the time!"
"It's fine. How is Italy?" He asked with excitement.
"It's alright, I miss home. Listen, how is the banquet coming along?"
"Everything is coming along well." Harvey confirmed, "The invitations went out this morning. And the contract with Project Lomare came in today, ready for your signature."
"Perfect, thank you Harvey." Alisa smiled, thankful she could finally hear a familiar voice.
"Of course, anything else Miss Beck?" Harvey asked.
"Oh Harvey...did you happen to catch the ESPY's?" Alisa asked, trying not to sound obvious.
"I did." Harvey hesitated, thinking that Alisa would continue talking. "Absolutely drab, Miss Beck! She looked like a garden satchel that stole Heidi Klum's wig. And Patrick was awfully bored."
Alisa smiled to herself talking delight in Harvey's words. With a laugh she smiled and told Harvey, "That will be all. Goodnight, Harvey." After ending the call Alisa went back to work, sipping her coffee that would surely keep her up and alert for hours. As the clock on the wall struck midnight, Alisa's phone also rang. Based on the obnoxious ring tone Alisa immediately knew who is was. The smiling screen on her phone only confirmed it.
"I really need to change that awful ring tone." Alisa said answering the phone.
"You secretly love it, and play it over and over." Patrick insisted and she could hear the smile in his voice.
"How were the ESPY's?" Alisa asked with a smile as she played with a strand of hair.
"Fine." Patrick simply said after a pause, "I-I mi-" Patrick broke off mid-sentence unable to finish in fear of what Alisa would say.
"I miss you too." Alisa giggled making Patrick breath out loudly into the phone.
"I'm counting the hours until you come back." Patrick confessed making Alisa blush.
"How was Lauren?" Alisa asked suddenly making Patrick quiet down.
"Great!" He exclaimed, "She's really nice, we had a nice time."
"That's....good." Alisa stated after a pause, realizing Patrick was not going to admit defeat and apologize for bringing Lauren.
After talking for a few hours they ended the call and Alisa fell into a deep sleep, thinking of the person in the world she missed most.
Awww wonder what's gonna happen. Are they gonna try and stay away from what seems to be coming? Can't wait for more.
1/23/14