Dreaming of Rome

by Dreaming of Rome (retail) (epub)

  ‘Any particular reason for your wanting to meet up?’ She wanted to make it clear that this had been his idea, not hers.

  ‘Not really. I was just so surprised to see you on TV, I had to get in touch. Shall we go and sit down?’

  Jo led him across to the same cafe where she and Corrado had sat that very first day she had met him. As they took their seats, she found herself drawing comparisons between the two men. As far as classic good looks were concerned, Christian was probably ahead by a point or two, but as far as everything else was concerned, he wasn’t even in the same league. Yet again, Jo gave a surreptitious sigh for what might have been with her soon-to-be brother-in-law.

  ‘What can I get you?’

  Christian was clearly on his best behaviour and Jo found herself wondering yet again if he had an ulterior motive for wanting to meet up.

  ‘Just a sparkling mineral water, please. It’s so hot.’

  ‘I know. I’ll have the same. The humidity the other night played havoc with my hair. Yours is looking good, though. It’s longer than I remember.’

  ‘That’s because I haven’t had time to go to the hairdressers. I’ve got a new job and I’m working all hours.’

  Reluctantly, she told him about her new position at the charity as the waiter brought them their drinks. In return, he told her about his career, which appeared to be going from strength to strength. He recited a list of cities, from New York to Prague, where he had been over the past five months and she was impressed. Things were looking good for him. But that wasn’t all.

  ‘And, of course, my big news is that I’m engaged.’

  Jo blinked. She had been expecting pretty much anything, from an appeal for money to an attempt to win her back, but this?

  ‘Really? To your Icelandic lady?’ She was still trying to digest what he had just said.

  She saw him flick his fingers through his fringe dismissively and, for a moment, she even managed to feel sorry for six-foot Helga. It was a gesture she recognised so well. It was his way of indicating that something no longer interested him; be it the remains of the food on his plate, a half-read magazine, or a person.

  ‘That all ended almost immediately.’ He shook his head. ‘Iceland in winter is so dark and cold and boring. You wouldn’t believe how boring. No, that didn’t last. My fiancée’s American. I met her in New York last month.’

  ‘Last month?’ Jo was genuinely gobsmacked now. She knew he had a habit of being impetuous, but engaged within a few weeks of meeting somebody? ‘And you’re already engaged?’

  ‘Yes, amazing, isn’t it? We just clicked on all levels.’

  ‘But that’s…’ For a moment she felt like telling him he was crazy, but then it occurred to her that maybe he wasn’t so silly after all. If he really felt so strongly about this girl, did it matter that they had only known each other for a short while? She had only known Corrado for a matter of days, but she knew that, deep down, she had developed powerful feelings towards him. In her case, she and Corrado knew it couldn’t, it mustn’t, develop, but Christian didn’t have these same constraints. She found herself wondering whether, if things had been different, if the complicated family situation hadn’t existed, she, too, might have thrown caution to the winds and declared herself to Corrado. Maybe Christian was doing the right thing after all. She sighed internally.

  ‘And is she a model, too?’

  ‘No, she works for a charity.’ He grinned at her over the rim of his water glass. ‘Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?’

  ‘It certainly is.’

  Before she could say more, they were interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Jo spotted a black flash running across the piazza towards them and then the next thing she knew was a cold, wet nose nudging her, while two hairy paws scrabbled at her bare knees as the dog tried to climb onto her lap. She leant forward and caught hold of Daisy’s collar, ruffled her ears with her other hand, and set her back down on the ground again.

  ‘Daisy, you shouldn’t be running about like this.’ She looked back up again and searched for any sign of Corrado, wondering for a moment if Daisy had escaped from home and was running loose. Through the crowds of people, it was impossible to see far, so she stood up to get a better view. For a second, over by the fountain, she spotted a familiar tall figure with light brown hair, but he was almost immediately blocked from view by a trio of seriously overweight tourists walking down the middle of the square eating enormous ice creams. Then, as they strolled slowly by, she heard a piercing whistle. She wasn’t the only one. Daisy, who had been standing up on her hind legs, pawing at Jo’s belt, dropped back onto all fours and shot off. Jo stood there and watched her go. Within seconds, just as her master had done, the dog disappeared into the anonymity of the crowd.

  ‘Friend of yours?’

  Jo sat down again and looked back across the table towards Christian.

  ‘Yes, a very special friend.’ As she spoke, she wondered why Corrado hadn’t come over to say hello. Of course, the sight of her with another man might have been a bit of a surprise, but as he and she had clearly established that there was nothing between them, he could hardly feel jealous, could he? Had he genuinely not seen her? She was still mulling it over as Christian turned the questioning to her.

  ‘So, what about you, Jo? Have you found yourself somebody else?’

  She hesitated, uncertain what to say. She had come here fully intending to tell him she was happy without him, even if she wasn’t involved with anyone else. In the light of his news, she knew that was going to sound a bit pathetic, so she improvised.

  ‘It’s none of your business, Christian, but, yes, I’ve moved on.’ This, she felt, was an acceptable white lie. After all, she had been promoted at work and had found some new friends – one in particular – over here in Rome.

  He looked almost relieved. ‘And who is he? An Italian, maybe?’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Not the owner of the dog by any chance?’ Something must have shown on her face as he nodded. ‘Well, good for you. I had an Italian girlfriend once. They’re fun, and so very good-looking.’

  ‘Was that before you knew me, or while we were together?’ This time she saw a guilty shadow cross his face, and her heart hardened. ‘Anyway, Christian, I have to go. I wish you and your fiancée well for the future.’

  ‘But we’ve only just sat down.’

  Jo emptied her glass, stood up and opened her purse. She took out a five Euro note and put it on the table.

  ‘This should be enough to pay for my water, even in a place like this. Goodbye, Christian, and good luck with the rest of your life.’

  She shook his hand and left him there.

  She walked off in the direction the dog had taken, hoping she would run into Daisy again along with Corrado, but to no avail. After a while she came out of the pedestrian zone into a chaotic world of double-parked cars and kamikaze scooter riders. With great care, she crossed the busy road running alongside the river and found herself on a narrow, ancient stone bridge, now off limits to traffic. She stopped and leant on the stone parapet, looking down into the murky brown waters of the Tiber, her head still spinning from Christian’s revelation.

  In spite of the beauty and antiquity of the Eternal City, she found herself feeling unusually dejected. Everybody was moving on – except her. Christian had already got engaged, her best friend appeared to have found happiness with George, her little sister was getting married, and the only person who had expressed interest in Jo herself was creepy Markus. Worse still, the only man whose touch had ever sent a lightning bolt through her whole body could never be more than a friend to her.

  Humphrey Bogart’s immortal words in her favourite film, Casablanca, came to mind. ‘The problems of two little people weren’t worth a hill of beans in the greater scheme of things.’

  But that didn’t help to take away the sense of loneliness that invaded her.

  * * *

  By the time evening came, she was feeling a bit better
. This was mainly because her solitary walk around Rome had been interrupted at half past five by a text from Victoria.

  George flown back home. Can I stay with you again tonight? Fancy a cup of tea? Vic

  Jo replied immediately and they agreed to meet in the cafe at the bottom of the Spanish Steps where Jo had seen – and misjudged – Corrado with his friend’s heartbroken wife the other day. The expression on Victoria’s face when she arrived was bittersweet; not dissimilar from the way Jo herself was feeling.

  ‘Hi Vic, had a good week?’

  ‘I’ve had a great week, a really great week.’ Victoria sighed. ‘It’s just such a pity it had to end.’ She slumped down in a seat alongside Jo, protected from the sun by a parasol, although the heat was still intense. ‘What about you?’

  ‘Good… no, a lot better than good. It’s been wonderful, apart from a couple of incidents. And Rome is such an amazing place.’

  ‘Isn’t it just? I’ve been sightseeing for four full days and there’s still heaps left to see. So, incidents? What incidents? Tell Auntie Vic all about it.’

  Jo told her about her meeting with Christian this afternoon and his incredible news. Victoria sniffed and shook her head. Clearly this only served to further damn him in her eyes.

  ‘What a moron! How can you get engaged to somebody after barely a week or two? Good luck and good riddance, is what I say.’ She shook her head in stupefaction and Jo decided not to mention her reflections about the short space of time she had known Corrado. This was best left unsaid. ‘And what else has happened? You said a couple of incidents.’

  ‘I’ve met Markus.’ Jo recounted the story of his sudden appearance outside the conference hall and the success of her stratagem with Ricky the American. This brought a smile to Victoria’s face.

  ‘Ricky sounds like a good guy. Pity he lives in America.’

  ‘And the small matter of him being married and having four kids.’ Jo returned her smile. ‘Anyway, George has gone back to London?’

  ‘Yes, he got a message saying he had to leave immediately, just as we were about to sit down to lunch. I went out to the airport with him and we had a sandwich together while he was waiting for his flight.’ Victoria sounded despondent, so Jo did her best to cheer her up.

  ‘But you’ll see him again soon?’ She and Victoria were on the same flight home at eleven the next morning.

  ‘Yes, indeed. If all goes well, I said I’d cook him a meal tomorrow night.’

  Jo felt glad for her and went on to recount what she had been doing this week and all about the time she had spent with Corrado. Her frustration must have shown through. Victoria raised an eyebrow.

  ‘So, you’re telling me you’re just going to go home and forget about the delectable Corrado?’

  ‘Well, not forget about him, but certainly try to concentrate on thinking of him as just a good friend.’

  Victoria looked sceptical. ‘People can change, Jo. He can change. How old did you say he is? Thirty-five?’ Seeing Jo’s nod, she continued. ‘He’ll mature, he’ll change. You can take my word for it.’

  ‘I’d love to think you’re right, but nothing he’s said or done has indicated that in any shape or form. I’m sure he likes me, maybe likes me a lot, but nothing’s ever going to happen between us. No, it’s quite clear that he’s happy the way he is and that’s that. As far as he and I are concerned, he’s doing what he thinks is right, which is keeping things all above board, and I agree. We’re going to be in-laws and that’s the end of it.’

  ‘And you haven’t even kissed him?’

  ‘Of course I’ve kissed him. We’re good friends.’

  ‘Jo, I’m talking kissed, not pecked on the cheek. Tell me you’ve at least tried.’

  ‘Well, just once and only for a second. And that was by accident.’ She conveniently forgot to mention the kiss she had bestowed upon him after their ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ dash to the hotel. That definitely hadn’t been an accident on her part.

  ‘And how did it feel? They say you can tell after just the slightest touch, you know.’

  Jo took a big sip of cold water before answering honestly. ‘It felt amazing…’ Her voice tailed off as she remembered the sensation.

  ‘Oh, Jo.’

  At that moment Jo’s phone buzzed and she saw she had a message from Corrado himself. It was short and anything but sweet.

  Hi Jo. Very sorry but something’s come up and I’m not going to be able to join you for dinner tonight. Thanks a lot for inviting me. Have a good flight home and I hope to see you again some time soon. Corrado.

  She passed the phone across to Victoria and did her best to stifle the wave of disappointment that swept over her. It wasn’t easy.

  ‘That’s a real bummer.’ Victoria handed back the phone and squeezed Jo’s hand. ‘Was it going to be just the two of you? Somewhere romantic?’

  Jo answered distantly. ‘No, with Angie and Mario, and now you as well if you’re free. I invited them to the pizzeria George took us to, as my way of saying thank you.’

  ‘Well, maybe it’s for the best if Corrado’s not coming after all.’ Jo could hear that Victoria was trying hard to sound encouraging. ‘From what you’ve been saying, you’ve got yourself into an impossible position. I can imagine it’s a bit like an open wound that stings every time you see him. This way at least you can enjoy your pizza without raking that all up again. And of course, I’ll be there. I’ll cheer you up, I promise.’

  The pizza was as fabulous as the last time and their table for four was sheltered from the setting sun by tall buildings on both sides of the street, while a little breeze kept the temperature bearable. Mario and Angie didn’t appear surprised by Corrado’s absence and Jo read sympathy in her sister’s eyes. They didn’t, however, discuss the possible reasons for it. Victoria did her best to keep her promise to make it a cheerful evening and she succeeded – up to a point. Jo ordered a bottle of Prosecco as well as red wine for the table and probably drank a bit more than she should have done. While this definitely relaxed her, it also made her a bit pensive and a bit glum by the time she and Victoria walked back to the hotel together. It had been fun to be with her sister and Mario, the food had been great, the restaurant lovely, but the elephant in the room – or rather not in the room – had been unavoidable in spite of Victoria’s best efforts.

  Jo kept on wondering what sort of other commitment had prevented him from coming. Maybe it was a work thing. Her subconscious helpfully reminded her it could also be another woman and Jo made the mistake of suggesting this to Victoria as they walked through the dark streets towards home.

  ‘Don’t be so silly, Jo. He wouldn’t agree to have dinner with you and then change his mind just for the sake of a bit of nookie.’

  ‘I’m not so sure. From what he told me, his limbic system’s all in favour of sex.’

  ‘Limbic system? Jo, I’m an English teacher for Christ’s sake.’

  ‘Sorry, Vic. It’s a brain thing. He told me himself he liked sex.’

  ‘Jo, we all like sex. You too, if you can remember that far back. But he’s not the sort of guy who would just blow you off for something like that. I don’t know him as well as you, but I’m quite sure about that. I bet you find he’s got a proper reason and it isn’t just some random girl.’

  ‘I wonder…’

  Chapter 12

  The flight home the next day was uneventful, apart from Jo nursing a hangover and a deep sense of regret for what might have been. She and Victoria parted company at Earl’s Court and Jo travelled on down to her flat south of the river. As she came out of the station it was drizzling and grey, in spite of almost being August, and her sandaled feet were soon damp as she walked the last few hundred metres home. Somehow this matched her mood and she was in a sombre frame of mind as she climbed the stairs to the second floor and rummaged in her bag for her keys. As she did so, the door behind her opened and the smiling face of Kevin appeared, with his partner, Justin, grinning from behind his shou
lder.

  ‘Hi, Jo, or should that be buonasera?’

  She felt a smile on her face for just about the first time today, so she put down her suitcase and went over to give them both a big hug.

  ‘Buonasera, Kevino e Justino. How are you both?’

  ‘We’re fine. Just a bit bored. Why don’t you come in for a cup of tea and tell us all about romantic Rome?’

  ‘Just let me dump my case and I’ll be there.’

  Jo unlocked her door, collected the pile of junk mail interspersed with a handful of real letters from the doormat and pulled her case into the flat. It was hot and stuffy in here so she went round opening windows to let in some air before digging out the tea towel she had bought for the boys and going across the corridor to see them.

  ‘Come in, come in.’

  There was a wonderful smell of baking in their flat which was, as always, spotlessly clean. As usual, she felt a sense of shame that her place, in comparison, looked so permanently untidy.

  Kevin appeared at the kitchen door. ‘Justin’s been making brownies. You arrived at just the right time. Now, come and sit down and tell us all about your adventures.’

  Jo spent an hour with them, telling them all about Rome and the conference. She deliberately left out a lot as she knew Kevin was one of the biggest gossips in London. She did, however, tell them Christian’s news and they were first predictably shocked, and then supportive.

  ‘It just goes to show the man’s off his head.’ Kevin caught hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. ‘First he goes off and dumps the most wonderful girl in London.’ Jo smiled; Kevin could never be accused of understating things. ‘And then he shackles himself to some random woman he hardly knows.’ He shook his head ruefully. ‘And an American as well.’

  ‘What’s wrong with American women?’

  ‘Three thousand miles of ocean for a start. What’s he going to do? Move over there?’