Her Sicilian Arrangement Read Free Page A

successful
career…that was her main priority at that point and it was all she
needed to keep going.

CHAPTER 2

    “Benvenutos a Palermo, Sicily !”
    Meagan moved through the crowded airport as she pushed her
luggage in a trolley searching desperately for the airport’s car
rental facility for the car that the firm had arranged for her. She
sighed, feeling completely jet lagged and then continued moving
through the foreign mob as she spotted a large green and red sign
marked: ‘Macchina Noleggio’. From her quite small knowledge of the
Italian language, she could decipher that the words meant ‘Car
Rental’. She walked eagerly up to the counter, as several person
bumped into her harshly, and sighed loud enough to draw the man at
the desk’s attention.
    “Buongiorno !”
he greeted her after straightening his red beret.
“ Come posso aiutare
te ?”
    “ Uh…,” she murmured, feeling clueless and frustrated. “I—I
don’t speak Italian.”
    “ Ahh….You are American, yes?” he slurred in his deep
accent.
    “ Yes,” she smiled and looked to the Heavens that she was
finally getting through with something. “Um, I’m Meagan Summers. I
was to pick up a rental car here.”
    He
looked at his computer monitor and then averted his eyes to her.
“ Sí! One second,
Signora !”
    Meagan watched him as he unlocked a glass cupboard and then
retrieved a gold key from a hook. He then signaled her through a
door and down a short hall until they entered a lot filled with
cars of almost every kind. Impressive! She thought and looked
around at the vehicles. She could not believe that they the Chief
had gotten her such an expensive rental…of all the cars there
parking before her, she honestly could not have chosen if that were
the case.
    “ Which one is it…?” she asked, steadying the trolley at her
feet.
    “The
silver convertible is yours, Signora, for a month if I have
my informazione correct.” Her eyes flew wide open as he walked over to the car
and smiled. She pushed her trolley closer and shook her head in
disbelief. He then handed her the keys and said, cheerfully, “I do
hope you enjoy your stay here in sweet beautiful
Sicily!”
    “Grazie !” she
returned, her mood instantly switching from restlessness to
excitement. The man walked out of the lot and she placed her
luggage in the trunk and they few extra bags on the bag seat. After
releasing a brief breath, she slid into the car with care and then
drove through the opening with the huge Uscita -Exit sign above it. She then slowed along a curb and
pulled out her map of the island from her handbag. From it, she saw
that the hotel she had reservations at was just a couple blocks
away. Hotel Trinacria…that was what it was called. From her
research, it was the best hotel in the entire city. It had been
destroyed along with majority of the city more than a century ago
and was rebuilt to its current state.
    Sicily had been began as the most beautiful island in the
Mediterranean but as the countless volcanic eruptions and
earthquake activities took parts of their landscapes away, the
natives had and continued to work hard to renew their home to what
it had been before. It thrived on his many agricultural produces,
minerals, sulphur, and the petrochemical industry. Agriculture was
the main occupation of Sicilians, as she could see several men
driving their pick-ups loaded with countless crops stacked neatly
inside. However, many others sought the professions of
manufacturing wine, citric acid or orange juice among others.
Tourism also contributed to their economy as many people came from
far especially to visit the Palermo Cathedral as well as the Greek
ruins scattered over specific cities.
    All
of that intrigued her a lot more than she had expected and for a
moment, she wished that she had enough time to slow down and take a
look at the sites before her time was due there. She could tell why
Marco Mussolini had made millions from his occupation. Since most
of