An Enduring Love

Chapter 23

When Alex was ready, Tony drove her to a building not far from her hotel. Stepping out onto the awning-covered curb, Alex was greeted by a doorman who led her inside the building to the lobby of the office building. The decorations reminded her of a Grecian palace with its gold-leafed picture frames, gilded urns, tall indoor palms, mossy greens, and naked statues.

The elevator dinged and Alex smiled at the elevator operator, a middle-aged man in a bold red jacket, black pants, and a pill-box cap on his head. He had salt and pepper sprinkled hair and an olive complexion. He smiled a great deal and spoke in two-word sentences, such as, "Which floor?" and "Very good."

The elevator rose to the twenty-third floor then stopped.

Alex stepped out into another foyer, this one identical to the lobby except for the marble floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. A receptionist stepped from behind her desk and approached Alex.

"You must be Ms. McCarty," she said, repositioning a thick pair of glasses on her nose.

"Yes, I am."

"Signor Diamante is expecting you. Please follow me."

The woman wore a simple gray-knit dress with short sleeves and a black belt. Her hair was pulled back and pinned. She looked like a very professional secretary. Alex had expected a platinum blonde, wearing a short skirt, low-cut blouse, and stiletto heels.

Alex followed the woman down a hallway until she stopped and tapped on a door.

"Yes," came the reply.

"Ms. McCarty, Signor."

"Come in, per favors."
They stepped through the door into a vast corner office with the same picture windows, a beautiful view of Rome spreading out as far as the eye could see. Right away Alex noticed the Colosseum in the distance. The view took her breath away. And she didn't get it back when she saw Nickolas.

He was just finishing a conversation on the telephone. The receptionist left the room, allowing Alex to drink in her surroundings and calm herself.

Nickolas lifted one finger and mouthed, "Just one moment," then dazzled her with a smile.

Alex had only seen Nickolas at the fitness conventions in New York and San Diego, wearing double-breasted suits, carrying a briefcase. Today he was dressed in a white polo shirt, khaki slacks that hung like they were tailor made, which they probably were, and soft leather loafers. He looked like he was ready for an afternoon at the country club, taking in a round of golf or sitting on a veranda drinking lemonade.

Nickolas was probably in his mid-thirties, the hair at his temples showing just a hint of gray, but he still had the build of an athlete, tall and lean, toned and muscular. She knew he still skied avidly and biked competitively. The man looked as fit as a twenty-year-old.

"Si, si," he said. "Arrivederci, Leonardo." He hung up the phone. Taking a long look at Alex, he smiled and rushed over to her.

"Alexis, you look wonderful." He kissed her on both cheeks, then pulled back and lifted her right hand and kissed her knuckles. "Welcome to Roma."

She liked how he pronounced the city's name so lyrically.

"I've looked forward to seeing you again for a long time," he said.

She couldn't help but smile back at him. The man was pure class, as handsome as one of Michelangelo's statues, and as warm as a Roman summer.

"How long has it been since I've seen you?" he asked, his eyes gazing intensely into hers.

Alex couldn't help feeling flattered by his obviously heartfelt welcome. "A year next month," she replied.

"You look even more beautiful than ever. And I've kept track of you, Alexis." He motioned for her to sit in a white leather armchair. "You've been busy."

"Yes, I have."

"An ESPN series, a best-selling workout video, a soon-to-be-released cookbook, magazine articles. I was flattered you would fit me into your busy schedule."

"Your timing was perfect. I was between projects. And who could resist your offer?"

"Actually, no one," he smiled with assurance. "I only asked a very select few to join the tour, and they all accepted."

"I don't blame them." She crossed her legs and noticed Nickolas watching her. She pulled at the hem of her beige linen walking shorts and continued, "It's a wonderful opportunity. In fact," she sat up straighter and uncrossed her legs, "where are the others?"

"They will be here shortly. I wanted a moment with you to myself before the others joined us."
"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows curiously.

"I want to talk to you about a business proposition, and I'd like to give you plenty of time to think about it."
What kind of business proposition could he want with her?

"I am about to start construction on the biggest, most technologically advanced health club in Manhattan, no, in all of New York-or perhaps even, all of America."

"Really?" Alex asked. This was interesting.

"We've located an abandoned warehouse right off Times Square. It's a perfect location and size for our club. It will have the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment and will cater to the most elite clientele the city has to offer."
"That's wonderful, Nickolas, congratulations. But what has this got to do with me?"

"I am prepared to offer you a position as director of the aerobic program, and I would like to put you under contract as the new spokesperson for ProStar shoes and athletic wear."

"Me? What about that Russian gymnast you had as your spokesperson?"

"Her contract will be up in January, and we want to broaden our market. We've done well here in Europe, but we want to target North America next. We're ready to launch the biggest promotion ever. We have Robbie Tyler, from the Bulls, but we need a female counterpart. Someone the Americans look up to, someone they can relate to, someone they already love."

"You think that's me?" Alex said with a laugh, motioning to herself.

"My research staff has done marketing surveys and dozens of field studies to find out who the hottest new fitness star is in your country. You're in the top ten and, to be honest, the other nine don't interest me."

"Nickolas, I'm flattered but-"

He reached over and placed one of his fingers on her lips. "But nothing. Please do not answer me until you've had plenty of time to think about it. I realize this means you would have to move to New York."

She'd already been considering moving back to New York to be near her mom.

"I also realize this means you would be tied down a little more than usual, but with some good assistants and a top-notch staff, you would be free to travel as much as you'd like."

Actually, she'd been wanting to cut back on her traveling.

"I am prepared to offer you a complete package that would cover all your moving expenses, and also provide you with a company car, a penthouse overlooking Central Park, a sizable signing bonus and a six-figure salary. That's just for your job as director at the new club. There would be a completely different contract with Prostar we would have to negotiate."

Alex was nearly speechless. "I don't know what to say."

"You must take your time and think about it. There is no hurry. But I wanted to talk to you before you renewed your contract with Nike."

Her Nike contract ended in October. Nickolas's research committee had definitely done their homework.

"Having you in New York would keep you much closer to Europe, which I would be very excited about; I want to get you involved in our international business as much as I can. I need someone from the United States to come to my clubs here, as a consultant, and help get our programs together. We're doing quite well but your American gyms are much better."

Alex's hands were tingling, her spine shivered with excitement. With an offer like this, she wouldn't have to work so hard to build her career; he was handing it to her on a silver platter-actually a diamond platter. A "Diamante" diamond platter.

The buzzer on his phone interrupted his sales pitch.

"I will only be a moment." He answered the phone. "Gracie, Francesca." He turned to Alex and said, "The others are here. Would you mind if we talk about this later?"

"Not at all."

She remained in her seat as he went to his door to greet the other guests.

What he was offering her was much better than what she was doing now. To run a program and be able to consult with other health clubs on their programs would be a perfect job situation. Was this the reason she needed to come on this trip? To get away from Rich so she could finally open her eyes and see that her love was wasted on him? So she could realize that no matter how much she cared for him, there was no future for them because he didn't want one?
Perhaps this job offer was a blessing in disguise.

* * * * * *

Alex felt immediately comfortable with the two other girls, Gabriella and Julianne. The men, Wes, J.J., and Ricky were going to be fun to work with, too. Ricky was from Venezuela, fun and full of energy. J.J. was totally out-of-control-funny, crazy, and a riot to be around. He stood out in every crowd, not because of his dark skin color, but because he was so animated. Wes didn't say much, but his presence had a definite impact. He was big name in Canada, not only for his fitness exposure-he'd won every national body-building competition-but he also acted in popular action movies. Kind of a Canadian Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alex thought to herself. He was handsome, buffed, and very concerned about his image. If there was a mirror in the room, Wes checked his reflection several times.

After the brief meeting the men and women went to separate rooms where they would receive their "costumes" for the tour. They were excited to get all new workout wear since top European designers had an input on all Prostar creations.

"I've been on vacation for two weeks," Julianne said as they walked off the elevator. "I've put on extra pounds in all the wrong places. I hope they have a lot of black leotards."

"You can afford to put on a few pounds," Gabi replied, then turned to Alex. "So could you. You're both too thin."
Julianne put her arm around Alex and said in her proper English accent, "Alexis looks great just the way she is, Gabi. Besides, we're here, not because of how we look but because of our knowledge."

"Naja," Gabi said, "I suppose so. There's a water fountain. I need a drink. Wait for me."

Gabi crossed the room and Alex seized the opportunity, "Thanks, Julianne. I didn't know what to say."

"I read about your eating disorder in a couple of newsletters," Julianne said. "I hope you're doing okay." Her concern appeared truly sincere.

"Thanks," Alex nodded. "I am. I just wish those publications would have given me a chance to share my story when I was ready. I swear they're as bad as some of those tabloids when it comes to someone's personal life."

"Actually, I was grateful to know that you'd had this problem and have been able to overcome it. You know, I mean," she stammered, "for all those woman out there who have eating disorders. I'm sure it helped them."

Alex shrugged. "I hope so."

"I'm sure Gabi didn't know about your anorexia or she wouldn't have said anything. She really is a nice person," Julianne said in Gabi's behalf.

"I know," Alex said mildly. "I wasn't offended."

"Good. Because I want us to have fun. We're going to be together for a long time."

"So," Gabi said as she rejoined them, "where do we go now?"

"Someone is supposed to meet us here and help with the fittings," Alex said.

"Does Signor Diamante own this whole building?" Julianne asked.

"He probably owns all the buildings on this whole street. He has a huge investment and development corporation besides the family jewelry business he owns. He has fifteen or sixteen health facilities throughout Europe, and he's also the owner of ProStar Shoes and Athletic Wear. The man is a billionaire," Gabi told them. "Supposedly he even has Mafia affiliations. He's a very powerful man."

"How do you know all this?" Alex was skeptical.

"Most of the information comes from articles about him in different business magazines. Plus, I am a personal trainer at his gym in Frankfurt, and we hear all about Signor Diamante. He's a very generous man, but . . ." she dropped her voice to a whisper, ". . . I feel I should warn you . . . Signor Diamante is a very big, a- how you say-'ladies' man.' He's made headlines with some very royal women, from Britain and from Monaco. He likes women like you-tall, thin, beautiful-very much. You must be careful. I have seen him with many women and heard about all of his affairs."

"Gabi," Julianne said. "We are professionals, here on business, and he's a very busy man. I doubt we'll be spending much time with him or even see much of the man anyway."

"Perhaps, but I have seen him with the women. He's very . . . uh . . . ," she thought a moment, "persuasive, I think you would say."

Alex didn't see a point to continuing the conversation. Julianne was right. This was a business relationship and they were professionals. Besides, Signor Diamante had been nothing but a complete gentleman when he was around her. Maybe Gabi was a little jealous because she wasn't his type and wanted to be.

Changing the topic, Julianne asked, "Speaking of Signor Diamante, did he give you a pair of earrings just for coming on the tour?" Julianne asked.

Alex opened her mouth to say, "yes," but Gabi jumped in first. "See. I told you, he's very generous. Look-" She pulled back her honey blonde hair on one side and exposed a gold stud earring with a small diamond chip in it. "I put them on right away."

"They're just like mine," Julianne said. With her short-cropped brown hair, Julianne's earrings were just right. The problem was, Alex didn't get gold and diamond studs. Hers looked liked cubes of ice compared to their tiny diamond chips.

"What about you, Alex?" Julianne asked. "You got some, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes, I got some, too," she said vaguely.

"Thank goodness," Julianne said. "I would have felt terrible if he hadn't given us all a pair."

"Buon giorno, ladies." A woman met them at the door. She had on a light blue apron with a measuring tape around her neck, scissors and patterns in her pockets, and straight pins threaded through the apron fabric. "You are here for a fitting, no?"

"We are here for a fitting, yes," Gabi said.

"Good, good. Then follow me please."

She took them to a back room where there was a curtain for them to change behind.

"Gabrielle, these are for you." The woman handed Gabi a pile of sports bras, t-shirts, bike length shorts, and warm-up clothes.

"And these are for you." She did the same for Julianne.

"And these-" she scooped up a pile of clothes off the table for Alex, "-are for you."

The girls took their outfits and stepped behind the individual curtains.

Since Gabi's expertise was in the field of exercise physiology and her focus was on personal training and body building, her outfits were more functional, a lot of shorts, tank tops, and jackets. Her style of dress was very athletic and outdoorsy.

Julianne had ensembles of tights-ankle length, biking length, and even shorter. There were matching leotards, all in blacks, heather grays, and navy, as well as some reds and whites. Julianne was a bit more of a refined dresser, lined slacks, silk shirts, light sweaters under blazers-classy but very crisp and fresh. Very British. But when it came to workout gear and working out, she was funky and hip and was responsible for a lot of trendsetting ideas in the fitness industry.

Alex wasn't comfortable with a lot of her outfits. She liked the leggings and leotards in deep purples, forest greens, and charcoal greys, but there were too many short-shorts, bra tops, and midriff-baring ensembles. Never quite comfortable with her body, Alex wasn't used to such revealing clothes. And now that she'd joined the Church, she wanted to be more careful how she presented herself.

"Julianne," she whispered from behind the curtain that separated them.

"Yes." Julianne stepped closer to her.

"I'm not interested in wearing these. Do you want them?"

Julianne peeked her head through the curtain where Alex was holding up an array of colored sports bras.

"Sure. Those colors are great. Hey, I've got a couple of things I know I won't wear." She handed Alex several leotards and said, "I'm glad we're the same size."

"You can wear anything of mine you want."

"Thanks. I just wish we could have some new shoes. The ones I brought are worn out but I didn't have time to buy any before I came," Julianne said. "Maybe we can go shopping while we're here and find some. Would you want to go with me?"

"Are you kidding? Shopping for shoes in Italy?! This is a dream come true. I love Italian shoes. And I have a couple of new pairs of aerobic shoes if you want to try them until you can get some new ones."

"That would be great. Thanks. I never did have a sister to share clothes with."

"That reminds me." Alex tucked her white silk blouse into her shorts and fastened the belt at her waist. "I met your cousin in Salt Lake City."

"You did?" Julianne slipped over to Alex's side of the curtain when she noticed she was dressed. "Which one?" Julianne held one of the tops up to her chest and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"The one on a mission for the Mormon church. I didn't catch her first name, but we talked and she said you were related."

"Oh, that's Sydney. Her whole family became Mormons a few years ago. Nearly gave my grandmother a stroke when they did. But they aren't as fanatic as I thought they'd be. My mom and dad were really worried when they got baptized. You wouldn't believe some of the crazy things those Mormons believe. Did you know they can have more than one wife?"

Now was her chance to help change a misconception. The experience in California had helped her prepare for opportunities like this.

"Actually, I know for a fact that's not true."

"How do you know?"

"I'm a Mormon."

"What?" Julianne laughed out loud. "You, Alexis?"

Alex looked at her friend directly. "I got baptized three weeks ago," she said proudly.

"Wow!" Julianne stopped laughing, and her forehead creased with curiosity. "Why did you do it?"

"Because I believed its teachings," Alex answered frankly, "and the gospel answered all my questions." Alex paused for a moment then said, "I know it sounds weird, but I just felt like my life was lacking."

"Your life was lacking? You have everything you could ever want-you're beautiful, famous, respected . . ."

"And I'm grateful for all the things I have, but it wasn't enough. I don't really know how to explain it except that I just didn't know anymore why I was knocking myself out, day after day. I wasn't sure what the whole point was. I guess I just wasn't fulfilled anymore."

"Yeah, sometimes I feel that way."

"Finding the gospel gave me the strength to face a lot of challenges in my life, mainly my eating disorder. And that's how I know I'll never do that to my body again. Believe me, I still struggle. It's easy to fall back into old habits." As Alex explained, Julianne tilted her head to the side, listening intently. "But I understand the bigger picture now. This life, what we're doing on this earth, isn't all there is. There's so much more."

"You really do believe this, don't you?" Julianne asked, intrigued.

"With all my heart," Alex said fervently. "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Then I'm very happy for you, and I'm proud of Sydney for going on a mission. I thought she was crazy when she told me she was leaving for eighteen months to teach others about her church, but if she can help people find a purpose in life, then I'm happy she's doing it."

"Ladies, ladies," the clothing coordinator said, "Signor Diamante would like you to join him in his office in fifteen minutes. Does everything fit?"

"Everything's great," Alex said, walking from behind the dressing area with Julianne. She wished she could have continued her conversation with her friend, but they would have other chances to talk about the gospel.

"I have a bag for you to put your things in so you can take them with you."

"Thank you," Julianne said.

They quickly stashed their new workout wardrobe into their bags and headed for the door. "Wait, where's Gabi?" Alex asked.

"She said she didn't need to try on her clothes," the coordinator said. "She's gone to find something to eat. She was hungry."

"I guess we'll see her upstairs then."

"First, you need to go to the room next door. Sergio is waiting to fit you into some shoes."

"We get shoes, too?" Julianne said, nudging Alex with her elbow.

"Certainly. They are waiting for you now."

When the girls stepped outside the fitting room, they dissolved into laughter.

"I love this. Good ol' Nickolas. He's thought of everything, hasn't he?" Julianne said.

"I'm starting to feel a little guilty with all his gifts and things."

"Remember what Gabi said? He's very generous."

"I guess so. But earrings, flowers at the airport-"

"I didn't get flowers at the airport," Julianne said. "Neither did Gabi."

"Oh." Alex wished she hadn't said anything. What was Nickolas up to? Especially his interesting comment on the card. Then she had a thought that sickened her. She'd left the card in the flowers when she gave them to Rich. He wouldn't have read it, would he?

"You got flowers? What kind of flowers?" Julianne was asking.

Alex hesitated before answering, wondering what she could say to play down the issue. "They were roses, but I'm sure it was just an oversight. Perhaps his secretary sent them to the wrong gate, or the people at the airport forgot to give them to you."

"Maybe," Julianne said thoughtfully. "But it's still odd that neither Gabi nor I got them."

Alex grimaced at the thought that Rich might have read the card. She tried to reason with herself that he wasn't the nosy, suspicious type. If he did happen to see the card, he probably thought nothing of it, she told herself, and pushed the thought out of her mind. There was nothing she could do about it now.

Refusing to worry about Rich one more instant, Alex turned to Julianne and asked, "What do you think about what Gabi was telling us about Signor Diamante?"

"That he's a ladies man?"

Alex nodded.

"Is there an Italian man who's not? I think it's a bunch of rot. She's probably just jealous because he hasn't paid her any special attention. Let's face it, she's practically a female version of Hercules. I don't know if I believe all that other stuff. Besides, what difference does it make to us?"

Alex shrugged. It didn't make any difference, really. Alex decided to shift the conversation to a more comfortable topic. "He did a wonderful job pulling our team together, didn't he?"

Julianne agreed. "Gabi is the best in her field at personal training, incorporating resistence and weight training into aerobic classes. But then, one look at those biceps of hers and you know she's doing something right. Of course, everyone knows Wes Griffith, and he and Gabi will work well together. Which I'm glad about," she said. "He's just a bit too much for me, if you know what I mean."

Alex hadn't spent much time around Wes. He seemed nice enough, though the brief time they had spent together in Nickolas's office today told her that his good looks and fame had gone to his head.

"J.J.'s got funk taken care of and a lot of the trendy, new moves like hip-hop and salsa," Julianne continued, "and Ricky's going to be doing boxing and sports moves. I think he's going to cover spinning classes as well. I'm going to present mostly choreography classes. I've been working on methods of starting with simple moves and changing them into higher intensity, more choreographed complex moves. And I was under the impression you're going to work on adding intensity through intervals, and where possible, present water aerobic and nutrition workshops."

Taking a good look at the lineup, Alex relaxed. Nickolas' motive was simply to create a strong group of fitness presenters to represent his European-sponsored tour. Even though his attention seemed a bit slanted in her direction, he was just doing business the only way he knew how. The Italian way. With charm, generosity, and warmth. Why would anyone complain? When they stepped into the next room, Gabi was getting fitted for shoes, and at the same time, eating an Italian calzone, which looked like a pocket of pizza filled with cheese and meat.

After deciding on four pairs of shoes each, they returned to Nickolas's office, where again, they found him on the phone.

He motioned for them to have a seat and continued his conversation.

"I heard he was an Olympic medalist," Julianne whispered to Alex, who nodded.

"He's very handsome, don't you think?" Julianne added. Alex nodded again, then couldn't help but notice how her friend crossed one of her long, shapely legs and angled herself just a little more toward Nickolas's direction. Julianne's background was ballet, and she had the kind of legs that would easily attract any man's attention.

Gabi and Wes were talking weightlifting, Ricky was reading an American sports magazine, and J.J. was slumped down in his chair, his head resting on the back of the seat. If they sat there much longer, Alex was afraid she would start snoozing as well.

Nickolas finished his conversation and hung up the phone. "So," he said, "I apologize for the phone calls. I'm trying to clear my schedule so I can make myself available for much of the tour. You've all received your clothing and shoes?"
The group answered enthusiastically.

"Do you have any questions about the convention on Friday?" he asked them.

"How many people you expectin'?" J.J. asked.

"We have over two hundred and fifty registered but expect to see fifty to one hundred more at the door. The convention center is big enough to allow us to run two classes at one time. We will begin promptly at eight o'clock, after registration is completed.

"There will be booths with fitness and nutrition products operating the entire time. We have a special booth set aside for each of your personal fitness products. Gabi, if you have time to go over to the booth and answer questions about your AbMaster and demonstrate it for the participants, I think it will help boost your sales.

"It's almost four o'clock now. There's plenty of time before dinner to rest or shop or even see some of the sights nearby. We have dinner reservations at the Apollo Club at seven. It is a black tie establishment, so I ask that you leave the sneakers in your hotel room. If you haven't anything suitable to wear, my secretary, Francesca, will locate something for you."

Alex thought about Nickolas's job offer and wondered what it would be like to work for such a man. She admired his confidence and no-nonsense authority, and how he still managed to make a person feel needed and important. He was direct, organized, and obviously highly motivated and disciplined. Seeing this side of him made her respect him even more.

"So," he said with a smile and a hint of an accent as he came around to the front of the desk, "is there anything else we can do for you? Are your accommodations acceptable?"

"Yeah, like, this place is dyn-o-mite," J.J. said. "I haven't seen this kind of service in my whole life. One question though, Signor Diamante, my man. Do you care if we eat some of the food out of that little refrigerator in our room?"
The group laughed.

J.J. had grown up in Atlanta. He looked tough on the outside, with his bald head, baggy clothes, and street-slang, but Alex had never met anyone nicer. Everyone knew when J.J. was in "da house" because the whole place came alive.

"Help yourself, J.J., and please, call me Nickolas. Feel free to order room service, or ask Tony, your driver, to take you anywhere in the city. He would be more than happy to do so."

"My driver?" J.J. said. "Man, I love this job."

"You're all staying at the Ambasciator Palace, so Tony can take you there now, or anywhere else you'd like to go. He'll be outside your hotel at 6:45 to pick you up for dinner. One word of warning. If you do go out into the city, please watch out for pickpockets and gypsies. I would hate to see you lose your wallets and money, or any valuables while in our city. So, if there are no further questions, I will see you all later."

"I'd better get talkin' to that Francesca about some different duds to wear to dinner," J.J. said as they started for the door. "I didn't bring no fancy tux-e-do with me."

Alex laughed at how animatedly J.J. spoke, emphasizing certain words and using his whole body to carry his messages.
"Alexis, do you have a moment?" Nickolas said.

"I'll be right there," she told the others then walked back to the desk where Nickolas waited.

"I took the liberty of having something sent to your room for this evening. Please do not feel obligated to wear it, but I would be honored if you would."

"Nickolas, thank you. You didn't need to do that."

"But you see, my dear Alexis," he said, taking both her hands in his, "I'm trying desperately to persuade you to accept my earlier offers. You will allow me the pleasure of indulging you, no?"

He was almost boyish in his mannerism, yet so completely charming and sophisticated. If charisma had an icon, she thought, it would be Nickolas Diamante.

The intercom on his phone buzzed.

"I look forward to seeing you this evening," he said, lifting her hand and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Rich or no Rich, she couldn't help being captivated by this man. Never in her life had she ever encountered anyone like Nickolas. She regarded herself as too sensible to be wooed or swept off her feet by this kind of man. Certainly he wasn't the type of man a woman could take seriously. But he was a charmer, and it wasn't hurting her ego any to be on the receiving end of so much attention.