Dreaming of Rome

by Dreaming of Rome (retail) (epub)

  She accepted one glass of red wine, but refused a refill, preferring to stay on mineral water. When Angie queried this, Jo was quick to explain.

  ‘I’m going to need a clear head tomorrow. There’s the possibility I may get asked to be on a panel for a Q&A session.’

  The other reason she wanted to stay sober was to avoid the very real risk of giving in to the temptation to leap on her future brother-in-law, who was looking ever more desirable whatever his drawbacks, and tear his clothes off. This, she told herself, had nothing to do with love. This was pure, unadulterated lust and, for once, both she and her subconscious were on the same page. This must never happen.

  At the end of the evening, Corrado gave her a lift back into town. The journey was mainly spent in silence apart from loud snores from the weary dog in the rear. When they reached the hotel, Corrado pulled up right outside and extended his hand formally.

  ‘Well, good night, cognata.’

  Jo understood the word and what he was trying to say with it. Cognata was the Italian for sister-in-law. Clearly, he was reminding her of the true nature of the relationship between the two of them and the inadvisability of their straying towards anything more. Jo nodded to show she understood and shook his hand.

  ‘Buonanotte, cognato. And thanks for everything.’

  It was, however, with a sense of considerable regret that she headed back to her room. It was dark in there and, as expected, there was no sign of Victoria, and Jo found herself gazing out over the beauty of the Eternal City with an acute sense of loneliness. Maybe it was because of this that, without sleeping on it as she had promised, she picked up her phone and texted a reply to Christian.

  I’m here till Saturday but tied up tomorrow and Thursday. How about a coffee after I finish work on Friday? Meet by the fountain in Piazza Navona at 3.00? Jo

  She did not, however, reply to Markus.

  Chapter 9

  Wednesday did involve a panel session, as Jo had expected, but she felt it went pretty well. The fact that she had Ricky sitting alongside her added extra reassurance. One of the questions was even on the research Corrado and his team were doing, and she vowed to herself to thank him for the valuable information he had passed on to her. She turned her phone back on again as she left the conference centre at the end of the afternoon and immediately saw she had two messages. One was from Christian, agreeing to their rendezvous on Friday, and the other was from Markus.

  Hello, Jo. I’m not sure if you got my message yesterday. I’m in Rome and I wondered if you felt like having dinner with me one night. Call me. Markus.

  Jo toyed with the idea of replying in no uncertain terms, telling him to take a hike, but decided on balance that the best reaction was to ignore him and hope he went away. She hadn’t given him her home address in London or the name of the hotel she was staying at here in Rome, so she felt pretty confident he would take the hint and this would be the last she heard of him.

  She showered and changed, taking a bit more care than usual over her appearance. Even though it was to be outside in the open air, the fact that it was a classical concert made her choose a light summery dress rather than shorts, but she opted for sandals rather than heels as Corrado had said they would be walking. He had arranged to meet her in the hotel lobby at seven. She was dressed and ready by six-thirty, so she went out for a short walk first, looking for a present for her mum and some sweets or biscuits for her colleagues at work. As she was walking around in the oppressively humid heat, looking in the shop windows, she had a surprise.

  As she emerged onto Piazza di Spagna, just at the bottom of the Spanish Steps, she spotted Corrado sitting at a table under an awning, drinking what looked like a little espresso. Alongside him, very close alongside him, was a woman. His arm was around her shoulders and his other hand was gripping hers on the tabletop. Jo stopped dead and retreated into the shadows, wondering what to do.

  Given that nothing was ever going to happen between her and Corrado, he was free to drink coffee with whomsoever he chose. It had nothing to do with her, and she didn’t need her subconscious to reinforce this. However, annoyingly, it patently did bother her to see him with another woman. The fact that this was totally illogical did not escape her, but she was powerless to help herself.

  After lurking there indecisively for a couple of minutes, she saw from her watch that it was almost seven, so she took a deep breath and marched across the square and up the steps without a sideways glance. She had no idea whether he’d seen her or not and she didn’t look back, even when she reached the hotel and popped in to deposit the packets of biscuits in her room. After a few mouthfuls of mineral water from the bottle in the fridge, she checked her appearance and headed back downstairs again just as the bells of the church of Trinità dei Monti struck seven.

  Corrado was waiting by the lift, this time minus the Labrador. He was wearing grey trousers, an immaculate white shirt and a dark blue linen jacket. He looked very smart and she was glad she had decided to dress up a bit. As he saw her, his eyes lit up and she found herself wondering if they did this automatically every time they saw a woman. Dismissing the thought, she went over and kissed him on the cheeks. After seeing him with the other woman, she found his touch less stimulating than the previous evening, so maybe, she told herself, the message was finally getting through to her limbic system that he and she really were never going to be anything more than in-laws.

  ‘Hi, Jo. Good day?’ He looked weary.

  She nodded. ‘Yes, thanks. Far less stressful than yesterday, thank goodness. And you? How’s your day been? You look a bit tired.’

  They walked out into the street and the heat hit her again like a slap in the face. If anything, it was even hotter and more humid tonight than any of the previous days. She looked up and, for the first time, saw ominous grey clouds on the horizon. As he turned right and started walking up towards the church, he answered.

  ‘It’s been pretty hard going, to be honest.’ She glanced up at him and for the first time registered the signs of strain as well as tiredness on his face. ‘Do you have any experience of cancer?’

  Jo did a double take and stopped dead. ‘No, why? Has somebody got cancer?’ A cold shaft cut through her body. ‘Not you, Corrado?’ She looked down and saw she was gripping his forearm with both of her hands.

  He laid his free hand on top of hers and summoned a weak smile. ‘No, thank God, not me, but a very close friend of mine. His doctors have been doing scans and other tests to discover how far advanced it is and I’ve been talking his wife through what all the medical jargon means. In fact, I was having a coffee with her just now.’

  ‘And is it bad?’

  Corrado nodded sadly and made no attempt to remove his hand from hers, or her hands from his arm. ‘It’s really bad. The doctors have given him three months and, from what I’ve seen of the results, I seriously doubt if he’ll last that long.’ He glanced up at her and the expression of anguish on his face made her squeeze his arm supportively. ‘We were at school together. He’s only thirty-six, less than a year older than me.’ She saw him take a deep breath. ‘I’ve just spent half an hour trying to encourage his wife, and all I managed to do was to start crying myself. Poor girl, she ended up trying to comfort me.’

  Jo felt a total rat. Once again, she had misread the situation. Her mum was definitely right about her habit of judging people too harshly and jumping to the wrong conclusions. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped an arm around his and hugged herself tightly against him.

  ‘Do you feel like going to a concert after something like that? Why don’t we just go for a quiet meal together or even just do nothing? Maybe you’d be better off at home.’

  He shook his head. ‘No, definitely not. I’m looking forward to the concert. It’ll take my mind off things. Besides, I enjoy your company and that’ll cheer me up as well.’

  ‘I thought that was Daisy’s job. By the way, who’s looking after her this evening?’

  ‘She’s look
ing after herself. I gave her a huge bone-shaped biscuit thing and left the TV on for her. She’ll be fine.’

  ‘Is she a documentary or a soap opera sort of girl?’ Jo was doing her best to bring a smile to his face. It worked.

  ‘You know they say dogs can’t see things on TV? Well, I’m sure she does. If there’s another dog, or a wolf, or even a bear – I’m not sure her eyesight’s that great – she gets up, goes over to the screen and either barks or wags her tail depending on how she’s feeling.’

  Jo gave him a final squeeze and released her hold on his arm. As they walked past the church and onwards gently uphill, the panorama over the rooftops of Rome to the left of them would have been outstanding if the view from her terrace hadn’t already spoiled her. Even so, it was a delight to look out over the sea of pink roof tiles interspersed with towers, spires and cupolas. The huge bulk of Castel Sant’Angelo down by the Tiber initially shielded the Vatican from their sight but, as they walked further along, the massive dome of St Peter’s gradually emerged into view in the distance. It was a magical scene and a magical evening. Whatever their relationship, or lack of it, Jo was very happy to be here with Corrado and hoped her presence would help to cheer him up.

  The concert was scheduled to take place in the private walled gardens of a stunning Renaissance villa. As they walked in past two security guards, they were offered cold champagne by immaculate waiters. Clearly, this was a very upmarket affair. The seats were set up in a semi-circle around a low stage and on their way there, Corrado stopped regularly to greet other guests and to introduce Jo as his future sister-in-law. He was obviously very well-known and she got the impression he was well respected, too. From the finery on display, Jo felt seriously underdressed and she grabbed his arm and grumbled in his ear when she got a quiet moment.

  ‘“Don’t dress up,” you said. “Come as you are,” you said. “It won’t be a dressy affair,” you said. Just look around you, would you? I’d need a mortgage to buy some of the clothes these ladies are wearing. In comparison, Corrado, I feel like a tramp.’

  He slowed and turned towards her, his mouth so close to her ear she felt sure she could feel the touch of his lips.

  ‘You’re the most beautiful woman here, Jo. Like I told you, you could have come in your bikini and you’d still be the most elegant.’

  Whatever her good intentions, a shiver went through her. Yes, he knew the right things to say all right. Not for the first time she questioned what terrible act she had committed in a previous life to find herself saddled with such a desirable, but untouchable, future brother-in-law. Now, if Angie had gone for one of her buck-toothed, horsy friends in Woodstock instead of Mario, this problem surely wouldn’t have arisen. She sighed once again and took a sip of the very good champagne.

  They made their way to their seats and she saw that these were right in the middle at the front. She gave him a quizzical look.

  ‘The best seats in the house. You certainly know the right people.’

  He smiled back. ‘To tell the truth, I’m one of the trustees of the charity and we do tend to get preferential treatment. Mind you, I’ve probably donated enough money over the past few years to buy this villa!’

  Soon the lights were dimmed. As she waited for the concert to begin, she suddenly became aware of little pinpricks of yellowy-green light flashing in the darkness all around them. To somebody interested in flying insects, these were an added bonus to an already magical evening. Although they were technically beetles, rather than butterflies, the sight of fireflies in the Roman sky was a real treat and Jo felt genuinely sorry when the stage lights came on and the fireflies faded from view.

  The concert was introduced by a very glamorous lady in a silver sheath dress with a gravity-defying décolleté, who talked about the work of the charity. Corrado whispered to Jo that this was a very well-known TV personality. The presenter repeated what Corrado had already said, that the charity’s raison d’être was similar to that of Jo’s own organisation. They were trying to raise money to help clean up the oceans and protect species in danger of extinction. As the lady finished speaking, Jo swallowed the last of her champagne and carefully set the glass down under her seat. Yes, she thought to herself, with free champagne and a big-name hostess, this was quite some event. No doubt tickets hadn’t been cheap and the charity stood to do very well out of this evening.

  The concert itself was delightful. The first part was an excellent string quartet who played a number of well-known works by famous composers. Although, as Jo had said, she wasn’t a classical music aficionada, she recognised and enjoyed most of the pieces they played. This was followed by an interval during which more champagne was served, this time accompanied by a mouth-watering selection of canapés. Jo wondered if Corrado had intended to go out for dinner after the concert, but these were more than enough for her. She tapped him on the arm after eating her third deep-fried, Japanese-style king prawn in breadcrumbs.

  ‘This food’s amazing, but I’m full already. There’s a limit to how much caviar and wild salmon a girl can eat, you know.’

  He smiled down at her. ‘I came to a similar event last month so I knew what to expect. I should have warned you. But you can’t be completely full yet. You haven’t had the profiteroles. Save a bit of space. I promise they’re worth it.’

  Jo wondered idly who had accompanied him the previous month, but immediately did her best to chase the thought away. She did, however, follow his advice and try the profiteroles when they came past. They were twice the size of any she had ever tasted before, smothered in rich sticky chocolate sauce and filled with cream. She could almost feel the pounds settling on her hips as she ate them – she had to have two, after all – and she rounded on him with mock irritation.

  ‘I get it now. You’re trying to fatten me up so I’ll have to struggle to get into my bridesmaid’s dress, aren’t you?’

  He gave her a grin as she licked the chocolate off her fingers. ‘That’s the first time I’ve ever been accused of trying to get a girl into a dress, rather than out of it.’ Seeing the expression that leapt to her face, he hastened to apologise. ‘Sorry, that’s in bad taste. I don’t see you in that light, I promise.’

  Jo glanced at him. ‘How you spend your life’s none of my business.’ Nevertheless, she knew she owed it to herself to query his choice of words, even though her subconscious was screaming at her to let it go. She took a mouthful of champagne for a bit of Dutch courage. ‘But, seeing as we’re on that subject, what is it about me that prevents you from seeing me in that light?’

  He dropped his eyes and hesitated before answering. It was such a long pause she found herself seriously regretting embarking upon this topic. If only she had had the good sense to steer clear of anything so intimate. Finally, he replied, his voice low and his tone unexpectedly serious.

  ‘This’ll probably surprise you, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days about that exact same subject. I suppose there are three reasons really why I’ve been trying hard not to see you in that light. First of all, you and I are going to be part of the same family before long and we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. If you and I had a crazy little affair and then, inevitably, split up, that could seriously screw things up for the two of us, and for Angie and Mario as well.’ Jo nodded in agreement, but he didn’t see, his eyes still firmly fixed on the shadows at his feet. What she hadn’t been able to miss, however, was the fact that he had indicated he maybe did find her attractive and had been trying to avoid temptation. What the possible ramifications of this might be remained to be seen. After another, shorter pause, he continued.

  ‘And the second reason is that I know you aren’t that sort of girl. You’re beautiful, you’re intelligent, you’re sexy, you have a body to die for, and you’re very, very desirable, but I know you’re looking for more than just sexual gratification, and we both know that’s all I can offer. So it should never happen.’

  Jo was repeating in her head the ad
jectives he had used to describe her. There could be no doubt he was indeed indicating very clearly that he did, after all, find her attractive and, in spite of everything, she felt almost relieved to know there wasn’t anything awful about her that had been putting him off. He lapsed into silence again and she gently prompted him.

  ‘You said there were three reasons, Corrado.’

  This time he finally looked up, straight at her. His expression was gentle, but serious.

  ‘I like you too much. You’re bright, you’re kind, you’re fun. You’re far too good a friend to risk losing. Of the three reasons, this one’s the real deal-breaker. I want to keep you as a friend.’ His expression softened and she saw a look of almost apprehension in his eyes. ‘That’s if you’ll have me as a friend.’

  Jo felt her eyes tingle with emotion. She reached out and caught hold of his hand and squeezed it.

  ‘That’s the sweetest non-declaration of love I’ve ever heard. Of course I want you to be my friend. For what it’s worth, I’ve really enjoyed being with you these past few days and I know I like you a lot, an awful lot but, like you say, it’s all just too complicated.’ She looked up at him. ‘Yes, Corrado, you can be the big brother I never had. Please can we be friends and remain friends forever?’

  A smile spread over his face. ‘It’s a deal. Friends forever.’

  She felt his fingers tighten against hers and for some reason she had to fight to stop the tears.