Chapter 7
Grace couldn’t sleep that night. She kept seeing how angry Antonio had been, and she worried about facing him the next day. She wondered if he would hit her. Would he have done so had Estefan not been there?
Grace dragged herself out of bed and put on the same clothes she had been given the night before. She combed her hair and used the curling iron in the bathroom to give it a nice touch. Then, she put on some earrings that had been placed on the bathroom counter. Had Estefan put them there or Antonio?
Grace emerged from the bathroom and walked down the hall to the kitchen. Antonio was sitting there. He was eating breakfast that Estefan had ordered up.
“Yours is there,” Antonio said, pointing at a second plate with a cover on it. Grace sat down beside Antonio, ignoring his attitude, and began to dig into her plate. The food was good, and that was one part that Grace was really enjoying about this whole adventure.
“I thought we would get your clothes situation sorted out,” Antonio said. “We can go shopping today, and don’t worry about prices, I’ve got it.”
Grace nodded. “Thank you.” But she couldn’t help but worry about his exterior motive. Was he only doing this because Estefan was making him? However, Estefan didn’t seem to be present. “Where’s Estefan?”
“He has a room on the floor below us,” Antonio answered, still completely focused on his food. Grace wondered why he would get a room on the floor below them when there was more than enough room here. But, she decided not to say anything. She obviously didn’t understand this lifestyle.
“I’m ready whenever you are,” Antonio said, taking the plate to the service cart and leaving it there. He was wearing black pants and a leather jacket. His fedora once again brought the whole ensemble together.
“Yes, I’m ready,” Grace said. “I’m not too hungry. I think all this rich rood is upsetting my stomach, because I haven’t been very hungry.”
“Try drinking water,” Antonio said. “That always helps me.”
Grace took his advice and drank some water before they approached the penthouse’s front door. To Grace’s surprise, it opened easily. Herman was waiting on the other side of it, but still, it was open. She could leave if she wanted to.
Antonio held his arm out to her, and Grace slipped her arm through is. “Where are you from?” he asked. Grace peered at him strangely. Did he really care or was he just asking because Estefan had given him some strange order?
“Are you okay?” Grace asked. “You seem kind of serious.”
“I didn’t have anything to drink last night,” Antonio said. “I think it’s affecting my body. I just feel tired, but I know you need to go out.”
“Oh, well, I’m from Benton. That’s southern Illinois.”
“Small town or big town?”
“Small. I’ve been to St. Louis, the capitol of Missouri, but I’ve never been to my own capitol because it is so much farther.”
“So, we just need to get you enough clothing for your time here. When we get to Aruba, we can get you clothes there that will be more suited to your role.”
Grace nodded as though she was receiving orders to complete a mission. She wasn’t sure if she would enjoy their little outing, but she was pleasantly surprised.
“I haven’t seen Chicago by daylight yet,” Antonio laughed. “It’s actually quite pretty.”
“This is what happens when you sleep at night and are awake during the day, like a normal person,” Grace laughed. “It does wonders for you.”
“Point taken,” Antonio said. “But please, won’t you come to a club with me one night? We can leave at a reasonable time.”
“Like what time?”
“Midnight or one? Just give it a try. Have you ever been to a nightclub before?”
“A couple times,” Grace shrugged.
“But you’ve never been with me,” Antonio said. “I guarantee whatever fun you had before is nothing in comparison with the kind of fun you will have with me.”
“Do you know how to dance?” Grace asked. “I don’t just mean wiggling your hips dancing but real dancing?”
“I’m Prince Antonio of Aruba. Yes, I know how to dance,” he said. “In fact, I bet I am a better dancer than you.”
“If that’s a challenge, I am so taking you on,” Grace laughed. Antonio was pretty arrogant, but she probably would be too if she had been raised knowing she was someone important, instead of her parents ignoring her and telling her to take care of herself.
“I don’t understand that. You are taking me?”
Grace laughed. “It’s an expression. Taking you on, means I am challenging you. I think I can beat you.”
Antonio raised his eyebrows. “We will see, then. So, do you have a big family?”
Grace shrugged, wanting to avoid the topic. Her parents had been in their forties when she was born, and they saw her as more of an annoyance than anything else. That was why she had left home as soon as her eighteenth birthday rolled around. “No, my family was small. I have two older brothers and my parents.”
Antonio nodded. “Well, you family is bigger than mine. It is just me and my younger brother. Look, what about this store?” Grace looked in the window and saw the kind of clothes that she would call daring and sexy. Did Antonio think she should dress like that? Would she even look good in those clothes?
“Alright,” Grace said. “Let’s go inside.” She let go of Antonio’s arm, and he held the door open for her to enter. Once she was inside the store, Grace saw it was the kind of boutique where the sale rack had things that cost minimum $150. She immediately went over to the sale rack as she had in all of her prior shopping experience, but Antonio pulled down a jumper from the wall.
“Would you wear something like this?” He posed with it in front of him and put his hand on his hip like a diva.
Grace shook her head. “No, that’s too short.”
A few moments later, Antonio pulled down another jumper that was longer and had a lacy back. “What about this one?” he asked.
Grace turned away from the sale rack.
“Are you going to be suggesting things all day?” Grace asked with a laugh.
Antonio shrugged. “I have to look at you in it, don’t I? It should at least be something that I like to see.”
Grace raised her eyebrows. “Well, I have to wear it, so I think it is more important that I like how I look in it.”
“I will give you an honest opinion,” Antonio said. “I think this would look good on you.” Grace had never worn a one piece, and she wasn’t sure what she thought about it. She had already taken enough dares. It was time for something comfortable and familiar.
“How about I show you the kinds of things I like to wear, then you can begin to suggest ideas?” Grace said.
“Hmmm, only if you promise to try this on.” He dangled the jumper in front of her again.
“Fine, I promise, but trying it on does not equal a purchase,” Grace turned back to the rack.
The sales lady appeared amused by their conversation. “Is there anything I can help you find?” she asked.
“Perhaps a chair for him,” Grace said, “so he can sit quietly while I take care of my business.”
“Actually,” Antonio said. “Could you show her to a dressing room? She’d like to try this on.”
“Hey! I didn’t say. . .”
“You said you would try it on, why not now, so that you can see how right I am?”
“How would you know anything about women’s fashion?” Grace mumbled, taking the garment and following the saleslady to a dressing room. “Thank you,” Grace said to the lady as she entered the dressing room. She changed into the jumper.
This one, while longer than the first one, was still a bit shorter than what she normally would wear. She turned and swept her hair up to see the back. It was pretty cute. Grace imagined herself with big shades covering her eyes and an expensive purse on her arm. She had really entered a totally different lifestyle.
“We want to see,” Antonio said.
“I am coming. Be patient!” Grace said, emerging from the stall. She placed a hand on her hip and posed then gave a spin and made a pose again.
“You are ready to be a model,” Antonio said.
“Okay, give me your honest opinion, not your ‘I want to be right and Grace wrong’ opinion.”
“I don’t have one of those opinions,” Antonio responded with a straight face. “Honestly, I think it looks good, but with your light skin, you need a color like purple or maybe blue. Do you want to try another color?”
Grace shrugged and enjoyed playing rich girl for a little bit. She ended up getting the jumper in a dark purple color along with a pair of white capris and two shirts.
“Next stop,” Antonio said, once again opening the door for her. “Shoes. The pair of shoes you have. . .smell a little bit.”
Grace knew that. They were her work shoes and had never been prepared to help her walk around while she received the news of being a princess. The morning passed, and Grace made more purchases than she had made in all her years working as a waitress. There were some perks to having seemingly endless amounts of money.
“Lunch?” Antonio asked.
Grace wanted to agree, but she felt as though she might be sick again. “I think I just need something light, like a smoothie with no milk. I don’t know why my stomach is acting up.”
“I’d still like something to eat,” Antonio said. He shoved a twenty-dollar bill in her hand. “Why don’t you get something you want, and I’m going over to that sandwich shop over there.”
Grace was on her own in the big city of Chicago for the first time, but for some reason, she didn’t feel like running away. She felt drawn to Antonio. Even though he was a bit stuck up, she understood how he could be that way. He really had impeccable manners though, and Grace wondered if it was possible that they could actually work out. Her curiosity was driving her to learn more and more about this mysterious man.
She ordered a smoothie and made her way back to the park. She spotted Antonio on a bench. He was talking to a girl, and Grace immediately felt her stomach knot up. But she shouldn’t be surprised. He had said as much the night before that if he wanted to have sex then he had better have a woman sent to his room. Grace had somehow imagined that had all changed during their morning shopping trip. Maybe Antonio’s behavior was a habit that would never be changed.
Grace stood off to the side, wondering if she should approach and say something or just wait until the girl left. The girl seemed to be getting comfortable, so Grace made her way over. She wasn’t going to drink her whole smoothie standing up. She was tired. Grace sat on the other side of Antonio without saying anything. She continued to drink her smoothie as she searched through the bags for her new sunglasses. She finally found them and slipped them on. Unfortunately, the girl and Antonio were talking in Spanish, so Grace had no idea what flirty lines he was playing out. Grace realized that as much as the people around Antonio might try to force him to respect her and be loyal to her, he would never do so unless he really wanted to. And it seemed as though Antonio would never want to.