by Sophie Love
Keira laughed. As far as pickup lines went, it was very heavy-handed. “You speak good English,” she laughed. “Magnitude. That is very poetic.”
“Perhaps majestic is another word you will like?” Luis continued.
Keira laughed aloud. The whole encounter seemed thoroughly amusing to her. She tried to imagine how Bryn would handle such a situation—probably by taking all their numbers and dating them in turn! But once again Keira found herself reticent, hesitant. What was it that made her shy away so often?
Just then, Cristiano returned, a pink gelato in either hand. When he looked upon the scene of Keira and the three men, she noticed his face fall. It was the first time she’d seen him show any emotion other than nonchalance or a flirty smirk.
“Cristiano,” she said, suddenly feeling guilty. “These gentlemen came to keep me company while I was alone.”
Cristiano handed her the gelato, but kept his gaze fixed on the other men. Keira realized that it was like watching animals defending their territory. She’d never seen this side of Cristiano before. Was it because he saw danger in the three men that she herself had not? Or was it because he did not like the idea of her flirting with anyone other than him? It was a confusing situation for Keira. Surely Cristiano wasn’t as taken with her as she was with him!
“Well, now you are not alone anymore,” he said, his dark eyes seemingly becoming several shades blacker. “So your gentlemen friends can leave us be.”
Luis stood, his hands in truce position. “We didn’t know she was taken,” he said.
“But you should keep a better eye on your woman,” Jorge added. “We won’t be the first men to try and steal her away.”
Keira watched on, caught between two very opposing emotions of excitement and alarm. On the one hand it felt exciting to be at the center of the heated debate, to know that Cristiano had been riled by the idea of her being hit on, but there was a bit of fear there too that he’d had to posture himself that way in the first place.
“Were they bothering you?” he asked, sitting beside her at last, looking about him cagily.
“Not really,” Keira replied. “They were just trying it on. Flirting. Sweet talking. Nothing I can’t handle.”
Cristiano looked suddenly crestfallen. “I should not have intervened?” he asked.
Keira studied his face, trying to understand what was going on in his mind. “I mean in the sense that I didn’t need rescuing. They weren’t being creeps or anything, just trying their luck.”
She watched as Cristiano exhaled, his chest sinking, his shoulders hunching.
The boldness that Keira had been lacking over the last days suddenly appeared.
“Cristiano, are you jealous?” she asked.
He shook his head emphatically. “Not at all.”
For all his perfection, Cristiano was no actor. He may have said the words that expressed his lack of care but his tone revealed quite the opposite.
Keira realized for the first time that Cristiano may indeed have feelings for her too. Not in the stereotypical way he’d warned her not to pay too much heed to, but in a real way. Was the real reason her two opportunities to make a move had faltered because she’d picked up these small micro-expressions from him, his resistance because of having sworn off love and marriage forever?
It all seemed suddenly very clear in Keira’s mind.
“Cristiano,” she said, more firmly. “Do you like me?”
He looked away from her, not even answering the question, his silence in itself an answer. He’d been flirting with her before because it was his way, but somewhere along the line he’d started to feel something, to get close, in a way he’d avoided doing since his divorce from Maria. The resistance, the hesitance, it was all coming from him.
“We are reaching Naples now,” Cristiano said in what Keira took to be a deliberate attempt to change the focus of the conversation. “Then it is a long drive to Rome. I hope you are well rested enough.”
Keira watched him speaking, suddenly seeing him in a different light for the first time. It became so clear to her now that he may be falling for her in the same way she was with him and that both were scared of those feelings and where they might lead.
As the ferry pulled into the harbor at Naples, Keira realized that now was definitely not the time to explore their new emotions. Not in Italy’s least romantic city and definitely not when they were on a busy road stuck in a traffic jam heading to Rome. Capri had been the perfect backdrop for a romance to begin, but it had not been the right time for either of them. Keira could see that now.
She wondered if perhaps in Rome the stars might align for them.
As she climbed into the rental car passenger seat, beside the hunk that was Cristiano, she wondered whether she had the patience to even make it that long.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cristiano slowed the car to a crawl so Keira could really drink in the sight of Rome. To her right was a huge cobblestone square, a baroque-style palazzo. To the left a stunning mixture of architecture, from the ancient-looking ochre-colored villas, medieval towers, and Renaissance-era houses, to the even more ancient ruins of an abbey.
“It is two thousand years old,” Cristiano explained as he saw where she was looking. “Built under Augustus’s command.”
Keira couldn’t even find any words to speak. She felt like she was staring back into the past and could almost feel the ghosts of that era with her.
But Rome wasn’t all crumbling ruins, Keira learned as they drove on through the city. It had a Bohemian edge as well, with a vast array of unique independent stores, restaurants, and cafes with ivy-draped doorways. Rome truly was a marvel to behold.
“Are you hungry?” Cristiano asked. “We have a very busy day today with lots to pack in, but there is always time to eat.”
Keira caught sight of an organic cafe and produce store, with crates outside displaying brightly colored vegetables. It looked very appealing.
“Why don’t we grab something we can eat on the move?” she suggested, pointing out the cafe ahead. “We’ve had lots of sit-down meals and I don’t mind getting the occasional quick thing on the go.”
Cristiano shook his head jovially. “That is the American in you. Eating on the go.” He tutted loudly. “Eating is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It should not be rushed.”
Keira laughed. “Usually I’d agree. But so is seeing the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and the Vatican, wouldn’t you agree? I think today I’d prefer to feast on history and culture rather than food.”
Cristiano’s face burst into a gorgeous smile, the one that Keira loved to see the most. He nodded in agreement and slowed the car to a halt.
They both went inside the store and up to the deli-style counters at the back where different cold salad and pasta dishes were on display. Keira chose three items for her lunch, an enormous ravioli parcel stuffed with herbs and ricotta, a broad-bean salad with vinaigrette, and puréed hazelnuts on rye toast. Cristiano picked a simple spaghetti carbonara. Then they both took their meals into the car to eat on the move.
Like everything Keira had eaten thus far, her lunch was a real treat for the taste buds. She was certain that she would write a whole section in her article about falling in love with the flavors of Italy.
The tour of Rome was quite the whirlwind. Cristiano took Keira to see the Baroque-style Spanish steps, a mishmash of flights of stone steps, vistas, and flower-filled terraces with huge fountains upon them, all leading up to a gorgeous church at the top.
Then they hurried on, reaching the two-thousand-year-old Pantheon. Keira was shocked by how well preserved it was, unlike many of the other Roman-era ruins in the city.
“The composition of material is a mystery,” Cristiano told her. “A secret that fell along with the Roman Empire. It has similar properties to modern-day concrete, which is why it has stood so long.”
Keira was awestruck. The Pantheon was enormous, its huge domed center seeming to defy the laws of ph
ysics. The hole in the middle—the oculus—provided the only source of light inside. To Keira, the ray of sunshine that streamed through, illuminating the marble floor, looked like light coming directly from the heavens.
But there was no time to bask in the beauty of the Pantheon, for there were still so many places on their list that Keira needed to see.
They hurried on, this time heading to the Coliseum. Again, Keira was struck by the power of history, by the sensation of ghosts all around her. Here, Roman gladiators fought to the death for the entertainment of the citizens. It was such a horrifying thought, and so incongruous with the utter beauty and majesty of the architecture.
“This is the largest amphitheatre the Roman Empire ever built,” Cristiano told her. “Big enough for over fifty thousand spectators.”
Like the other sights of wonder Cristiano had shown her, Keira felt like she could happily spend an entire day at this location, thinking, daydreaming, soaking in the history and culture of the place. But staying here would be sacrificing another site, and they were soon back in the car heading toward Vatican City. They passed over the river, taking the large stone bridge, then Cristiano parked and they walked the rest of the way.
“The queues are extraordinary here,” he told her. “But I have tickets already, and the early afternoon is the best time to visit as it is a little bit quieter.”
Keira quickly saw that he was right. There were tourists everywhere, lining up beside the huge gray wall that encapsulated Vatican City.
“Will I see the Pope?” Keira asked, laughing. “My mom would be thrilled if I got a picture of the pope-mobile!”
Cristiano laughed. “No, unfortunately not. He does his blessings on Wednesdays, so we will not see him.”
It was early evening when they got inside the walls of the Vatican, and once again Keira was overwhelmed by what she was witnessing. Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint Peter’s Square, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel; she could hardly believe she was seeing such places with her own eyes. She was utterly exhausted, in part due to all the steps she’d had to climb to reach the Vatican dome, but also from her unadulterated sense of wonder and awe.
When all their sightseeing was done for the day, Keira’s feet were throbbing with pain. But she didn’t care, she was glad to have seen so much in one day, to have absorbed so much inspiration.
“There is just one last place for us to see,” Cristiano said, as the evening air began to cool slightly.
They were strolling along, slowly now, more at Cristiano’s laidback Italian pace as opposed to Keira’s quick New York pace. They were eating gelatos again, and Keira tried not to think about her expanding waistline.
“Where is that?” she asked.
“The Trevi Fountain,” Cristiano told her. “Have you heard of it?”
Keira shook her head and regarded Cristiano contemplatively in the fading light. It seemed that the changing colors of the sky seemed to all have the effect of making his appearance even more stunning and unique to her.
“It is one of the oldest water sources in Rome,” he explained. “Named the Aqua Virgo, or Virgin Waters, in honor of a Roman girl who led soldiers there so they could replenish themselves with the fresh spring waters. Now people throw money in and make wishes that are granted by the virgin girl. I believe the figure is close to three thousand euros a day, which all goes to charity. One coin grants you a safe journey. Two coins grants you a great romance. Three, an enduring love.”
Keira raised an eyebrow, wondering what purpose Cristiano had for bringing her here.
They reached the structure and Keira was confronted with a cross between an art piece, a sculpture, a mansion, and a fountain. It was enormous, lit by bright white lights.
“Will you make a wish?” Cristiano asked her. He held his palm open, showing her three coins inside.
She looked up at him, knowing that the number of coins she took from him would communicate more than perhaps she was ready to. But the romance of the gesture was overwhelming.
Keira picked up the first coin, closed her eyes, and made a wish before throwing it into the fountain. One coin for a safe journey. She looked back at Cristiano, into his hopeful eyes, and plucked up the second coin. Two coins for romance. Then, finally, she went back for the third coin. Three coins for love.
Cristiano closed his palm, his gaze still fixed on Keira. Keira knew the moment was now. Everything was in place. The perfect location, the perfect moment, and she knew that Cristiano too had put his fears to one side; she could read it in the inviting expression on his face.
Swept up in the romance of it all, Keira leaned slowly toward Cristiano, bold and excited for the kiss that had been a long time coming. She saw him reach his fingers up toward her jaw bone and a tingle of anticipation rocketed through her body, waiting as though in suspended animation for the moment their skin touched.
But the moment didn’t come. A tourist had accidentally barged into Cristiano’s back, and he turned. The young woman apologized to him, and Keira saw in her eyes that moment of wonder that must befall all hot-blooded women when first witnessing the beauty of Cristiano.
“Could you take a picture of me?” the woman said in a breathless American accent, looking utterly transfixed.
Keira saw herself in the woman and squirmed uncomfortably. It made her feel extremely awkward to watch another foolish American girl acting all weak at the knees in Cristiano’s company. Was that how she looked? Like a silly girl going gooey over the most handsome man in the world? It made her feel embarrassed to think that she’d acted just the same way when she’d first met him. This must happen to him all the time.
She watched on as Cristiano took several photographs of the young woman beside the fountain.
“Now, one with you too!” the woman cried brashly.
Keira’s heart began to beat harder as she watched Cristiano accept the woman’s offer, standing next to her by the fountain and posing up a storm. Anyone would be forgiven for thinking the two of them were an item from the familiarity with which they were taking photos together. Keira’s skin began to crawl as an icy feeling overcame her.
“So is it true?” the woman asked Cristiano as he handed her camera back to her. “About the wishing fountain granting you eternal love?”
Keira noticed the way her hands lingered on his, drawing out the amount of time their skin was in contact. And to her horror, she saw the twinkle in Cristiano’s eyes, the returned flirtation.
“Yes, it is true,” he said, locking his gaze with the woman’s intense one. A flirty smile played on his lips.
Heart pounding, Keira looked away. A moment of realization came crashing down upon her shoulders. There was nothing symbolic about the coins. Cristiano was just very good at his job, at making her feel important and cherished, well cared for and safe. None of it was real. Here, before her very eyes, was the proof that Cristiano would behave this way with anyone he’d been paired up with for work. She wasn’t special. She was just a client.
She was a fool after all for thinking anything could come of her infatuation with Cristiano.
The moment ruined, Keira turned away, hoping Cristiano would not notice the tears in her eyes.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
That night in her hotel room, Keira felt low. She’d come so close to a breakthrough with Cristiano, but it had been dashed in one moment.
She sat heavily at her desk and quickly checked her phone. Just the usual messages from Bryn, Shelby, Maxine, and her mother. Nothing from Shane. Nothing from Zach about the money he owed her. Curiously, there was also nothing from Viatorum magazine.
She stowed her phone away and got to work. She’d hardly had a chance to sit down today, so there was a lot to do. She looked back through her notes and then began to type.
There is a reason why Rome is known as the City of Love. Rome and romance go hand in hand. Indeed, it is not a city one should explore without a hand to hold. Strolling through its streets and parks is inherently r
omantic. Violins played at the bottom of the ludicrously gorgeous Spanish Steps urge lovers to dance their way across them, and the Trevi Fountain even promises a lifetime of love for those who buy into the legend of the virgin girl (literally, it costs the lovelorn just three euros for the promise of future wedding bells). With the weather warm well into fall, and architectural marvels that chronicle two thousand years of history, Rome is a city to love and find love in.
She stopped typing and sighed heavily, recalling the giddy sense of romance she’d felt during the whistle-stop tour of Rome. She craved that feeling, wished for its return, to be transported back in time to the moment before she’d seen the reflection of herself in the American tourist’s goggling eyes, and seen Cristiano’s flirtatious response.
She fired off the new section of her article to Nina and Elliot. She wasn’t expecting a response, but Elliot replied quickly.
You’ve found your muse, Keira. I love it. Just one thing, though, you’re not giving us much in the way of a personal story. We want our Romance Guru to fall in love with more than just the country. Involve yourself more. Your feelings. Your romance, if there is one. I hope there is. Anyway, keep up like this and I may have to promote you.
She reread the email, surprised to receive such a positive response. Elliot was all over the place at the moment, a rollercoaster of emotion. Clearly some good news had come his way to make him reply so euphorically to her. What promotion he could be referring to, Keira had no idea. There wasn’t anywhere for her to go at the moment; Lance had taken over Joshua’s job and that was the only one above hers.
As she ruminated on Elliot’s use of the word muse, Keira realized that Cristiano himself had indeed provided her burst of inspiration, as much as, if not possibly more than, the country itself. But she had now sadly lost that.
As for the real-life romance Elliot was requesting, it seemed unlikely she’d be able to fulfill his desire. Injecting her and Cristiano’s failed romance into the piece would be a disaster.