Free Still Falling by Bella Costa

 
    “Mama, please! Stop fussing.   I’ve been to hundreds of these events and it
is just decoration.”  
    “Serena, let your poor Mama have this pleasure
please?   It is not often I get to fuss.”
    They
both turned to the sound of a knock on the door.
    “The
dress!” they both exclaimed together.
    Jo had said she would arrange for a special
dress for Serena for the evening but Serena had no idea what dress it would
be.   Serena trusted Jo completely but
given her weight loss, had been very concerned that it wouldn’t fit.   If it didn’t, Serena would only have about an
hour to make adjustments before Tony would be there to collect her.
    “It’s gorgeous!” exclaimed Serena.
    “This is only half of it!” her mother wailed.
    “It’s not so bad Mama, let me put it on and
you’ll see!”
    Serena came out her bedroom ten minutes later
fully dressed.   The dress fitted
perfectly, and was stunning.   Even her
mother agreed.   Milan fashion week had just drawn to a close
and for the first time in a long time, Serena had missed it.   All of it.   She hadn’t even followed it on television or
the gossip pages.   She only had a vague
idea from some of the early designs Revel had been working on before taking
time off as to what Revel would have introduced during fashion week.   She didn’t recognise the design but this must
have been one of the dresses Revel had been working on for the collection. Tony
arrived on time in a Tux, looking good and announcing that not only would he be
driver for tonight but also Serena’s date.    He also announced that because it would be difficult for the limo driver
to also be the date, the company had hired a Ferrari for the evening.
    “Tony, your sister is amazing!   Thank you.   I don’t know if I could make it through the night without you and Jo’s
company.”
    “Well the bad news is Jo can’t make it at all tonight
which is why I’m your date.   Hey and with
all the bigwigs that are going to be there, I might just meet my future
boss.”  
    “Jo’s not coming? But why?”
    “This I do not know.   I only do and say what I am told.” He said with shrug.
    “Tony, why do you want to be a driver?   You can get better jobs than driving bigwigs
around.”
    “Si...but then I would actually have to work,” he
grinned.
    Kissing her mother affectionately on the cheek, Serena
left the cottage to inspect the sleek black Ferrari that Toni had arrived
in.   They were going to get some
interesting attention on the ferry tonight.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter twenty five

 
 
    They arrived amidst storm of photographers
flashes.   A valet parked the car as the
two entered along the red carpet.   Serena
ignored the questions from social reporters about the identity of her date and
her ‘miraculous’ weight loss. She smiled for the cameras and almost dragged
poor Tony along the red carpet to make their entrance as fast as possible.  
    Tony was loving every
minute.   Playing up to the photographers,
waving and flashing his gleaming white teeth and dimples to their best.   He sported an exaggerated pout when they
finally made it through the door.   That
was until he saw the glittering mill of beautiful women both young and
old.   Eyes as wide as saucers and mouth
respectably agape, he took in the view, completely oblivious to the fact that
nearly every woman there had a tuxedo clad escort of her own.   Serena gave Tony a nudge and fought off a
giggle.  
    “Come on bag of hormones.”   Serena noted several glances from the milling
crowd.   She wasn’t sure if they were
critically observing her extremely thin frame or her extremely young date.   It didn’t matter.   A few hours and it would all be over.
    “Let’s size up the competition, shall we?”
    “How do we do that?” he asked eagerly.
    “Well it’s this thing I do at these functions.   I find a spot off to the side where I can see
most of the room but where I can be