Into the Lion's Den (78 page)

“Georg von Lintorff will not accept this. He will revolt against us.”

“He will do nothing that could endanger his own money. He's perfectly aware that I can destroy him in a matter of weeks. He will not lift a finger for his sister.”

Rome

The elegant building of
Bellissima-Top Models,
was located near the Spanish Steps. Piero della Rosa, owner and manager was on the brink of a nervous breakdown after a fight with one of his best known faces. First, she had broken up with her best sponsor; almost €10,000 per month with a visit now and then, when he was around Rome and other services paid aside. If he needed some more girls for his friends, he was always paying and never complained about the prices. 'The cow should understand that she's thirty-eight, not twenty-one any longer. Too old for this job'

'I'm getting tired of this stupid slut. Ten years ago, she was hot, but now she's old and bitter. She should be very glad that this stupid German gave her a flat and money for starting this TV show. She's out since a long time ago! Not a single designer has called her since 2001. Grannies don't do well in catwalks! Besides, she's getting fat.

Must be the menopause.'

'I still don't know why I waste my time with her! I have much good looking girls working fine and discreetly! This Russian is her golden opportunity and she should take it because I'm sick of getting the door in my face to get sponsors and interviews for her damned show! She's not Claudia or Naomi! Just Stefania!'

Still very crossed he decided to give her another call, but this time in different terms. She'd better be in London in three days or she would be fired.

“What's up now?” she mumbled, already knowing that it was Piero.

“About the Russian. He only wants to meet you and offers €10,000 for an interview. He admires your career and is thinking on investing in a models agency in St. Petersburg. I've checked him and he has a lot of money and several agencies in Central Europe. Look, that girl, Larissa Rumanova comes from his agency! She just got a contract with L'Oréal and another with Belfast. It's a perfectly legitimate business!”

“I'm not a call girl! If he wants me, he should come and visit me at your office!”

“Boris Karamazov is a well known manager. He has four agencies. All the Russians girls in
Haute
Couture
belong to him and the designers like them because they're elegant, tall, quiet and most of their customers are Russians nowadays. We can't afford to lose the Russian Market. They swim in money and spend it like crazies. They have shopping malls where the cheapest article cost a million dollars.”

“I'm a celebrity.”

“You were a celebrity so move your dammed ass to my office to pick up your ticket if you don't want to look for another manager! I'm sick of your diva airs. You're old. Even the boring German got sick of you!” Piero yelled very vulgarly.

“I don't need to hear this! My father has a—”

“Yes, your father has and he hates you. You will not see a single cent from him till he dies and the motherfucker is in perfect health! Plans to live up to his 90th birthday! So, do your work or put an ad in “
Tuttoaffari
”!

“
Stronzo
!”

“Move your ass and do your job!”

Stefania couldn't believe that he had hung up on her! But if the show didn't work at all, she was doomed.

Fucking Lintorff! Since he had decided to fuck with a French-Russian little whore, insignificant excuse for a boy, most of the friends she had acquired through him had disappeared; one even had had the audacity to ask for one of her younger girlfriends' phone number after turning her down!

December 26th

I don't remember a Christmas so happy in my life. Not even when my father was alive because I was
always thinking that he would go away soon. No, this one was just perfect. I'm so happy!

The week after I was in the hospital—I swear I will never take one of those macaroons ever again!—

Konrad stayed in the house as he had promised me. He spent all his time with me and was so tender and loving! He
took care that I had everything, checking every second that I would be warm, had my pills, happy, and without any
stress. We remained most of the time in the library, where he worked sitting next to me, kissing, hugging or just
holding me. I don't think he was very productive but he was on holidays!

Sometimes he took me out for a short walk in the garden and more or less he made his peace with
Mopsi… Well, he bribed her as I found him feeding her under the breakfast's table, just to get rid of her. She's very
possessive of me and does not like if he's around on top of me. Once, when we were on the garden, Konrad told me: “I
can't live without out you, Guntram. Promise me that you will stay with me.” He sounded so desperate that I was
speechless. “I love you more than my own life. Don't you ever go away!” I could only say: “I love you too, but it's not
in my hands. I'll love you till my last breath.” He hugged me to the point of almost breaking my ribs and whispered:

“Promise me that nothing and no one will split us up! Only God!” “Konrad, I love you because you made me want to
live again. Before I only wanted to die but now, I want to get better and grow old with you!”

“You will live many years and I will do all what's in my hand to make you as happy as you make me. No
one ever made me feel what I feel next to you. You're my life, Guntram. I never knew how empty my life was till you
came to me. You're a present from God.”

I was speechless; so moved I was and could only smile and kiss him. “I'll stay with you my love as long
as I can.”

We returned to the house and Friederich decided to take a photo of us. Coming to think, there's not a
single picture of us together. Konrad accepted gladly and I let him do it because I knew it made him happy.

Friederich took several in the garden, covered by the snow and in the yard near the cherry tree. Konrad said that he
wanted one copy for his office and I blushed.

I was surprised to hear that he had cancelled the Christmas lunch with Ferdinand's and Albert's
families. He told me that I needed to rest and he was very tired after the past week. He had invited Albert, his whole
family, Elisabetta and Armin, the eldest (Albert's younger brother, a bohemian who is a film maker) and his wife and
children for New Year. A total of twelve people more. I asked why Ferdinand was not invited and he only told me that
he was having some troubles with him and his wife and preferred to keep distance till everything was sorted out.

On Christmas Eve we had a light dinner in the small dinning room and went to bed early. The whole
staff was very happy that day. I guess this year's bonus was nice.

On Christmas morning, Konrad was like a child, an oversized one, but so sweet in his eagerness. He
shook me awake at 7 a.m.!

“Is it not possible to sleep longer one single day in this house?” I complained jokingly.

“You're the one who sleeps the longest! Look, you want to sleep now instead of checking if you got
something for Christmas!”

“What makes you think that you got something?” I asked, doing my best to be serious.

“I was very good this year,” he said haughtily and I laughed, rising from the bed to kiss him. “But I got
my one already,” he returned my kiss with much more passion, making me lay against the pillows while he climbed on
top of me.

Just when I was thinking that I was going to get finally lucky—against the doctor's orders; absolute bed
rest for two weeks—he broke the kiss and jumped out of the bed, completely dressed and shouted; “Hurry up or you'll
miss it!” He dashed out of the room, toward his studio.

Sighing, I left the comfortable and warm bed. It's useless. He lives on a permanent caffeine rush. I
washed and got dressed very informally with black corduroy trousers and light blue shirt and beige jersey, before
joining him in his studio. He closed with a loud thud the folder he was reading and took it with him before going the
stairs down, to the big (monster size) Christmas tree that had arrived yesterday and we had been decorating under
Friederich's frown.

Friederich had been very kind as to help me hide Konrad's present—yes, despite the size of this castle
and who knows how many rooms it has, it's very difficult to hide anything from him!— and had left it, wrapped under
the tree. I was surprised to see other two large square boxes under the tree, obviously wrapped for children because
of the old toys paper, topped with a large red ribbon.

“Konrad, if you think that two boxes will keep Albert's children happy, you're seriously mistaken,” I
joked.

“They're not for them! They're for Klaus and Karl, but I think it's fine if you open them.”

“It's not all right to open children's presents,” I said, thinking that perhaps those were the children of
one of the maids. “Come, open mine!” I gave the painting to him. Honestly, what do you give a man who has a fat
bank account? Not many options left. A painting; well a watercolour. Like a child, he tore the paper and got the
painting out of its tube. He was looking at it enraptured.

“It's…”

“San Capistrano, the view from the terrace.”

“Yes, that's when you told me that you loved me.”

“I always loved that place and it was my place to run away when everything was too much for me. The
loneliness of the plain was always very appealing to me. It was the perfect place for me to ask you to be my consort.

You have captured its essence, but it has a new light at the same time.”

“I'm happy you like it.”

“It goes to my office, I know exactly where.”

“Please don't do that! You have real things there!”

“It's my office and I decorate it as I like. Now, open your present! He nudged me like a child and showed
me again the boxes.

“Konrad, this is for two children!” I protested but he shut me up with a kiss.

“Open it, my love. We can wrap it up together later,” He whispered in my ear, knowing that I can't resist
his voice. I knelt on the floor and saw that both boxes had the names of “Klaus Maria” and “Karl Maria” written in
his perfect handwriting. Still feeling bad about it, I carefully removed the ribbon, hoping it wouldn't be ruined, from
the “Klaus” box and opened the paper by carefully removing the tape. Inside was a box with a large Steiff teddy bear
in a brass colour, with a serious expression. Still puzzled I looked at Konrad and he only showed me the other box. I
repeated the process and inside was another teddy bear, but in a dark brown shade for “Karl”.

“I thought it would be a good idea to protect our own ones. They are the 1920 model and in a size that a
small child can carry.”

“I don't understand.”

He only gave me the folder he had been carrying and I opened it. Inside were several pictures of an
ultrasound in 3D of two babies.

“Those are our children, Guntram. Klaus and Karl. They're four months old. They will be born on May
15th according to the doctors,” he told me very softly and I was petrified, unable to remove my eyes from the pictures.

My eyes were glued to them, memorizing each little detail and unable to believe that they were there.

“Is it true?” I croaked and he had to steady me because everything turned around.

“Yes, my love. Our children.”

“I…” Lord, I was on the brink of a collapse. So unexpected but so wonderful!

“I didn't tell you before because there are risks in any pregnancy and I didn't want to make you suffer till
we were sure that the babies were fine and on their way. Are you happy?”

“Are they real?”

“Of course, two boys so far. Klaus Maria is the name for the eldest and Karl Maria for the second. Do
you like the names?”

“They're perfect,” I whispered.

“Are you all right?”

“I'm in shock. They're so beautifully wrinkled and they have fingers already.”

“Children improve with time, Guntram,” he told me and I blurted a laugh. “The law does not allow me
put you as father in the papers, but I will name you their legal tutor and Guardian of Estate in case something
happens to me. They will be as much yours as mine. We are a real family know. Promise me that you will always be
there for them.”

“I swear I will love them as my own flesh,” I promised and got lost in them again, so happy to see them
and know that they were really coming to us. “This one puckers the chin exactly as you do.”

“NO! Children can change a lot! And I don't pucker my chin!” He said, holding me tighter than before
as I caressed reverently the two bears. “Guntram, you have already one teddy bear. If you want another, just say it.

Those are for Klaus and Karl,” he joked and I hit him with the folder, making him laugh.

“We have nothing ready for them!” I realised.

“We have two teddy bears and they will arrive in May!” He chuckled at my concern.