CHAPTER 23

L'Africana was a nightclub carved out of one the natural caves that sat on the coastline. The dancefloor was a few metres above sea level and its views were simply views one wished to live forever in. A weekend in the Amalfi was a much needed reward for all of them.

Naomi had flown in Celine and Miriam, and along with her apprentices Francesca and Magdalina, she'd rented a cosy villa for them and for most of the day spent time at the beach.

Two days ago, her client had come to collect her dress. Seeing the smile on the woman's face and to be financially compensated for the time and effort to create something she loved doing - there wasn't a gratification like it. It was of the best kind.

And Naomi knew she'd really pushed her apprentices, almost to their limit. She'd dedicated nearly all her time to this one assignment, even foregoing going to Paris which Saint-Luc had quite a lot to say about.

But to Naomi, there was a lot riding on the success of a single couture, she wanted her first happy customer but what Saint-Luc kept pointing out to her was she already had a happy audience.

Nevertheless, the night had been a night of celebration and that is why Naomi couldn't have predicted what would happen in the next moment.

The next moment, it was five pm on the Sunday. After dropping off Francesca and Magdalina to their homes, her and her friends were making their way into the hotel lobby when she was approached by two police officers, saying they wanted to take her in for questioning.

In another moment Naomi was in the police station answering questions in relation to her drug-dealing ex-neighbour who was currently in police custody, due to a drug raid that happened in his apartment a few days ago.

They wanted answers. They were aware of her, her fashion, marriage. They'd asked intrusive questions about her and Saint, implications that she was a buttana. They'd wanted her to confirm how long she had lived in her previous address, why she wasn't living with her husband.

Things that should have been of no concern to them.

In relation to her ex-neighbour, she denied everything. She wasn't stupid. This was Napoli.

With nothing to hold against her other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time, it would be two hours later that they'd reluctantly let Naomi go.

By then Naomi's spirit had been deflated. It hurt seeing the suspicion and discrimination in their eyes. It hurt knowing that the country she dearly loved and identified with didn't always see her as one of their own.

All she wanted was Saint-Luc holding and consolong her. But she knew that that would give much reason for her husband to say “see this is why you should be in Paris.”

When she'd gotten to her room, all her friends were waiting expectantly for her. She could barely manage a smile as Miriam rambled off about what she thought about policemen.

The next day she dropped them off at the airport, to get their flight back to London.

From the airport, she had made her way to her store to see how the contractors were doing with the renovations. The walls needed a fresh coat of white paint and she'd planned to go out and buy some but she'd bailed out on the idea.

Naomi decided to have an early day. It had briefly passed her mind that she had been more tired as of late and the August sun was not helping.

A sigh left her lips as she swiped the card to enter her room. All day she had been pretending to be in greater spirits when her emotions were in the pits since the questioning.

Lying down in bed, she dialled her husband's number waiting for him to pick up. All she wanted at that moment in time was to be in Paris.