Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 189 -

Allegra.

"You're serious?" I asked, my voice dripping with excitement. My phone was pressed up against my ear as I lounged on the couch, a genuine smile playing on my lips. "Yes," Kimberly said, giving a sigh. "They're interested. Do you know how many hoops I had to jump through? I should have asked for more than three percent."

"Mhm, thank you, your highness," I muttered sarcastically. Maybe Kimberly had some use after all. I couldn't help but feel relieved. After our conversation last time, I'd been worried she wouldn't be able to pull strings properly. Now, I had my chance despite having that relatively inconvenient past. Kimberly replied, "You're welcome. I've got things to do. A little less whining on your end, going forward, would be appreciated." Then, she hung up. Nope, still an annoying bitch. But one who would get me what I wanted, so I allowed myself to feel a little bit grateful.

I wandered through my living room, reaching up to rub my eyes. I hadn't been getting the best sleep lately, as I'd been worried about the results from Kimberly. Now, I'd keep a roof over me and food in my belly.

A very comfortable one, might I say. My stomach growled, causing me to let out a sigh. Switching course from my bedroom to my kitchen, I decided to make myself breakfast.

Nap or call Layla first? I had to admit, the butterflies in my stomach had me very hesitant. Surely the bad feeling I had about what Layla could be thinking was wrong. Surely she still intended on going to Italy with Becca and company. James and Becca did intend on coming back here, right? I frowned, cracking an egg and putting it on the pan. I salted my meal, focusing on it and trying to drown out that growing pit. The smell of food had my mouth watering, a welcome distraction, at least.

After a sigh, my mind drifted to other things. More daydreams of what Layla and I could be. I hoped she enjoyed walks under the moonlight where we could tell stories or chat about how we were feeling because I would treat her to many of those.

If this modeling worked out, and I returned to my former glory, I could even get her an entire library. She was so intelligent, she'd love that. She could nanny for kids here, too.

My thoughts then, inevitably, turned to kids of our own. We could adopt one, two, maybe even three. We'd need a grand wedding, first, indeed with those thousands of doves flying through the air and rose petals raining down upon us. I smiled as I thought about all this. Eventually, my breakfast was done, and I let the egg slide onto a plate. It was sunny-side up, done to perfection. Hopefully, I could cook Layla something this good in the future, too. My success with things like this could vary.

Sitting down at my table, I began to eat, my thoughts shifting to the inevitable modeling business I would be partaking in. Runways, outfits, the whole nine yards. This would certainly be less dangerous than spying.

That life was behind me, though. While it had been adventurous, and I'd been able to help my country, back when I was dedicated to it, my life had been impacted so heavily because of it.

I was no longer allowed in the United States, hopefully something that would be accommodated for when I worked in Rome on the runways. They wouldn't send me to such a place if I refused, right? I shuddered, not wanting to know the impact of that right now.

Rather, I painted the fairy tale in my mind that now, because of my connections, everything would work out. I would glide along the runway like the superstar I was, catching eyes and cheers. A trendsetter, in this area. That's what I'd be! Layla would be there right alongside me in her own way, surely. I saw that twinkle in her eye, the way she looked at me. She adored seeing me in a variety of outfits, and I recalled lovingly how I joked I'd wear one home someday. One with very little coverage, of course. Something to feed her gorgeous mind. I licked my lips at the thought of pleasing her enough with a style that I could drag her to bed and take her in all the ways she'd beg me to.

I finished off breakfast, giving a sideways glance at my phone before deciding to call Layla later. She hadn't texted me back, and I didn't want to come across as desperate. I may also have been avoiding a sinking feeling, but I sure as hell wasn't going to admit that.

Striding through my living room and toward my bedroom, I placed a hand on my forehead, giving a laugh of relief at the situation. Life could go back to normal. Well, except for that one teeny tiny issue.

Neal still hadn't killed the remaining Michaelson brothers.

They were ruthless, an ongoing problem, and needed to be stopped. I wished my brother would get on with it. We needed this done to properly move on, and it was a shadow over my head every time I tried to think of a future for myself. I lay down, staring at the ceiling while mulling this over. No amount of lecturing toward him would make things faster, much as I wish my very sharp words could turn the gears of fate and speed this up for both of us. With a sigh, I shook my head, closed my eyes, and tried to sleep. It was a little early, 9:00 PM, but the lack of sleep should have made it easy to slip into dreamland. The anxiety, however, was proving to be difficult.

I needed to call Layla. I was incredibly excited about this opportunity. Sure, the Michaelson brothers weren't put down yet. But that didn't matter, that whole issue would be closed soon. Neal needed more time. Fine. Life could go on.

My heart pounded as I reached for my cell phone, and slowly began to dial a number. Wait. I shook my head, going toward our texts back and forth first. I opened messages, noting how my last one, a simple: 'Thinking of you!' had been read, but not responded to.

Layla must be super busy with the kids, and the trial, and that's why she hadn't said anything. I licked my lips, telling myself not to let anxiety stop me now. I had always been incredibly confident in most things I did, so there really was no need to stop now.

After narrowing my eyes, I finally decided to dial the number. It rang for a few times until I heard her wonderful voice. Part of me wished it'd gone to voicemail so I could get restful sleep in case this conversation turned into what I dreaded. No such luck.

"Hello?" Layla asked her tone far away.

"Hello, Layla," I said, my voice careful. "How are you? Well, I hope? I hope I'm not interrupting anything, you must be busy." That may have been a poke to see if she got my former message. I tried to avoid doing that with her, but couldn't help my anxiety right now.

"Well enough," she said. "You're not interrupting anything, though it has been busy, and stressful. Becca is here; James isn't. We're going to get the outcome of the trial tomorrow. Things are looking interesting. I guess. The kids are here. How are you?"

"Interesting how?" I asked, avoiding her question about how I was doing for now. I wanted to replace out about how her day went before gushing. Maybe that would put me at ease about why she felt so distant.

"Well, James didn't do great in his testimony. His past was brought up, along with Tally's death. He didn't take it well. Becca followed with an amazing speech on how much Alessandro meant to her. James currently can't see the kids. That's what they ruled for now."

"Oh. A temporary order, I hope?"

"Hopefully," Layla said, her tone dripping with concern. "We'll see. The kids deserve their father. I'm a bit more confident in Becca, but I hope for her sake that it doesn't become a permanent thing."

I swallowed, then asked, "Does Becca still want to move back to Italy? And, more importantly, do you?"

There was a pause, and she said, "I think so." I didn't know if she meant herself or Becca. Maybe I could sway her.

"Well," I offered. "I got the modeling job." I couldn't help it. I began to gush. "Now, I can dominate the runway and make plenty of money for us to be comfortable. The apartment I have is big, in a great area, and more than perfect for us. You'll love it here. The theater is close by, we can watch a play after you've settled in."

"That sounds wonderful," she said, though there wasn't much feeling to her words. In fact, she was being very different, which caused the anxiety to swell even more within my gut. Was it wonderful, or was she just saying that? "Once the business with Becca and James is situated, you'll be treated like the queen you deserve to be, Layla. I promise. I can't wait for you to see some of the trends I'm going to set here," I said, really hoping she'd be a bit more excited about this. "I'm sure they'll be lovely," Layla said, far less emotional than I expected. My heart sank. She then added, "I have the kids to occupy right now, though, Allegra. It was nice talking to you; I'm really happy to hear things worked out." "Okay. I'll talk to you soon, then."

"Goodbye."

I wasn't put at ease at all. In fact, I was feeling far worse than when she didn't respond to my message for a day. I wasn't obsessive, but I knew she used to reply much faster, with lots more love and enthusiasm, too.

I brushed it off as her being busy, but now? She was so distant. What if she didn't want to come to Italy at all? What if Becca didn't? Would she stay there to continue being a nanny for Alessandro and Dahlia? Her connection to those kids, at this point, was stronger than I thought.

A tear crawled down my cheek as I tried telling myself not to worry about this too much. It was just my worries and fears, nothing more. She was probably so busy that she didn't have time to think through what I told her.

Excuses, excuses. No matter what I told myself, I couldn't escape the obvious. What if Layla just didn't want me anymore? So many mistakes in my past, and without a stable job, at this point, too. Sure, Kimberly hooked me up. But that wasn't the end all be all.

Layla should have been far more excited if she really did want me. I let out a breath, shaking my head and covering my face with my hands. I told myself not to cry dramatically at the lack of feeling in her voice, but I couldn't help it.

I loved her so much. If she fell out of love with me, for whatever reason, I would have to let her go. My heart was utterly shattered at that notion. Would it be wrong for me to beg her?

For my sake, yes. It would be futile, stress her out, and stress me out, too. The only option I had was to wait and see. I would either have Layla's heart or have to move on for good. Either way?

I needed to focus on the new modeling opportunity Kimberly found. Maybe I was looking into things too much because of the stress, I didn't know.

Either way, for myself, too, I needed to knock this out of the park.