by T A Williams
‘You and Laney going to be okay with that? Do you think she likes you enough to strip to her underwear and roll around in a hundred-year-old bed with you, with a full camera crew looking on?’
The expression that spread across his face was difficult to define: part satisfaction, part embarrassment, but with a good shot of macho pride. Even before he opened his mouth, Emma realised she knew what had happened. She set down her cup and subjected him to a searching look.
‘You two have slept together, haven’t you?’ His cheeks had the decency to flush a little. ‘So when did that happen? This morning?’
‘Last night.’ He was grinning now. ‘After you and I had our walk and our little talk, I went back to my room. You might be interested to know that I took a cold shower.’ This time it was her turn to blush. ‘Anyway, I’m just coming out of the shower, dripping wet, and there’s a knock at the door. I go across and open up and hey presto, it’s Laney.’
Emma didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. One minute he had been declaring undying love to her and the next he had been prepared to jump into bed with another woman – admittedly the most beautiful woman in the world. The more she thought of it, however, the better it made her feel. She really did like him a lot and she had been worried her refusal might have hurt him irreparably. Such would now appear not to be the case and she was glad for him.
‘And she said…’
‘And she said she reckoned it would be a good idea if we got to know each other a bit better. While I’m still trying to come up with a suitable answer, she reaches over and pulls the towel off me.’ He grinned. ‘After that we didn’t do a lot of talking for a good long time.’
‘And the end result is that you two are now friends?’
‘With benefits.’ He waited until the waitress set down his coffee and about a quarter of a cake and scuttled off to recover her composure, before carrying on. ‘We’re good. We really did talk a good bit… afterwards. She told me about all the trouble she’s had with the tennis player guy and she even apologised to me for being so sniffy when we first met. I’ll be honest, Emma, I find I like her a lot now.’
‘That’s normally a given when you sleep with somebody.’ She grinned back at him to rob her words of offence.
‘Yeh, I know, but I really do.’ He glanced over his shoulder and then lowered his voice. ‘And it was the best sex I’ve had in a real long time.’
‘Ethan, I don’t need to know that.’
‘Well, anyway, we’re all good. Thanks for getting us together.’
For a moment Emma thought about pointing out that she hadn’t expected to get them quite so close together, but then dropped the idea. As he said, it was all good now, and she knew her bosses would be relieved and delighted. She had yet to reply to Dexter so she resolved to pass on the good news to him at the same time.
‘I’m really happy for you, Ethan. So does this mean you’ve forgiven me and you still want to be my friend?’
‘Of course it does, and the other great news for you is that she didn’t get it together with Mark. He’s all yours.’ He picked up his cake and buried his face in it. ‘I’m gonna pay for this tomorrow, but this is one hell of a cake.’
At that moment there was a flash of jet black and Carmen sped up the steps and across the terrace towards them. As she skidded to a halt beside Emma, she reared up on her hind legs and put her front paws on her lap.
‘Ciao, Carmen. Now, get off. Be a good girl.’
Emma persuaded the dog to return to the ground and then stroked her until she slid down onto her back, legs in the air, her tail wiping the floor tiles as she did so.
‘Sorry about that. She’s evidently just very pleased to see you.’ Mark jogged up the steps behind her and, once again, Emma’s heart leapt. ‘Claudio says she’s been sleeping all day, so she’s feeling very bouncy.’
Emma hadn’t been sleeping, but seeing him again, she found herself feeling unexpectedly bouncy as well. Maybe, she wondered to herself, even though she knew it was all going to end in four days’ time, she should give in to her physical desires, just as Laney and Ethan and Marina and Rich had done. Better to have loved and lost…
‘I’ve spoken to the chef and he’s going to make a birthday cake for Rich. He’s even got a box of candles.’ Mark sat down beside them and mouthed the word ‘espresso’ to the waitress. She smiled and ducked back into the villa. ‘And he’s doing a barbecue out here tonight as it’s such a fine evening.’
‘This is a great place you have here, Mark.’ Ethan swilled the last of the coffee around in his cup and got to his feet. ‘I’d better go off and check in with Sinc. He’s been making all the arrangements for tomorrow. But it’s been a really good weekend and I promise I’ll come back once the hotel’s open to the public.’
Mark smiled up at him. ‘Be sure to tell all your friends.’
‘You bet.’
As Ethan headed back into the villa, Mark transferred his attention to Emma. ‘He seems unexpectedly happy for somebody who’s just been turned down by the woman he described as the most desirable in Hollywood.’
Emma felt the colour rush to her cheeks and rushed to downplay it. ‘Hollywood hype. Doesn’t mean a thing. But there is a reason why he’s smiling.’
‘Not Laney by any chance?’
‘Full marks, Sherlock. Got it in one.’
‘So he got over you pretty damn fast?’
‘Precisely.’
‘There must be something in the air.’
Emma liked where this might be leading, but she was to be thwarted as Marina appeared alongside Rich and they sat down to discuss arrangements for the following day.
The barbecue was predictably excellent. Not only were there some massive Florentine steaks, the size of Emma’s grandmother’s old bible on there, the chef had also prepared delicate little pieces of chicken breast, rolled up in the local version of Parma ham, as well as kebabs made up of prawns and cherry tomatoes. Ethan chomped his way through half a cow, while Marylou made short work of the rest. Fortunately there were no horns or hooves or she would probably have eaten those as well. Emma opted for a more restrained meal and helped herself to some pieces of chicken and a prawn kebab.
Laney appeared wearing a stunning, if minimal, silk dress with no bra and Emma grinned to herself as she noticed Mark sitting opposite her, doing his best to avert his eyes. Marina, she noticed, was looking particularly good tonight and Rich, alongside her, was doing a lot of smiling. The dark rings under his eyes were now a distant memory and his whole demeanour had changed for the better. Emma had absolutely no doubt that this Italian interlude had been the best thing for him.
When they reached the end of the meal, the chef appeared with a massive iced birthday cake, loaded with twenty-eight candles and Rich looked genuinely surprised and very pleased. Champagne was distributed and everybody toasted him. Shyly, he rose to his feet.
‘This is great, guys. I’ll be completely honest, I’d forgotten it was my birthday. This means a lot and I know who to thank.’ He held out his glass towards Emma and gave her a brilliant smile. ‘Thanks, boss. You’re a star.’
To Emma’s embarrassment, the real stars around the table all joined in, even Laney, thanking her for organising such a wonderful weekend. Emma tried to tell them it was all down to Mark and his wonderful hotel, but she still had to drink a toast to herself.
Afterwards, as the party split up, she walked across the terrace to the balustrade and rested on her elbows, gazing across at the twinkling lights of Gubbio on the hillside opposite. Above her the sky was a velvety deep purple with a huge full moon so clear she could see the craters. As she leant there, she heard soft footsteps and felt a light touch on her bare shoulder. She turned to find it was Marina.
‘Hi, Marina. That was some meal, wasn’t it?’
Marina smiled. ‘It certainly was.’ She settled down alongside Emma for a few moments and Emma wondered if she had something to say. It very soon emerged that she had.
‘Of course. Anything’
‘It’s about Rich.’ Emma saw her hesitate again. ‘Or at least, it’s about Rich and me. You see, you may have noticed that we’ve grown pretty close over the past week and I’m conscious that it won’t be long before we get to Venice and the trip will be over.’ There was a longer pause and Emma was just wondering if she should say something when Marina continued. ‘In fact, I’m counting off the days and I’m dreading Thursday.’
‘Because he’ll be going back to the States.’
‘Because he’ll be going back to the States.’ She looked up and Emma could see the tears in the corners of her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. ‘And my job means I’m supposed to be staying here. I don’t know what to do, Emma, I really don’t. What would you do?’
Emma paused in her turn. If Marina only knew; this whole subject was very fresh and very raw inside her own head. ‘Has Rich said anything?’
Marina nodded. ‘Yes, he’s asked me to go over there with him.’
‘What, permanently?’
‘We don’t know. Maybe just temporarily to see how it works out.’
‘And if it doesn’t work out, what happens then?’
‘I know. That’s what I’ve been asking myself. I love my job and I think I’m pretty good at it.’ Emma had to bite her tongue as she heard Marina using the exact same words she had used herself. ‘I’d hate to lose the job, but at the same time I’d hate to lose Rich.’ She dropped her head. ‘He’s had such a rough time over the past few years, but he’s doing so well now. I’ve seen a massive change in him just in a few days.’
‘He’s told you about his problems?’
‘He’s told me everything – from first experimenting with drugs to becoming totally hooked. He told me he came over to Europe to escape from his life in California and even spent some time in Italy, but it must have been very tough and very squalid. I can’t bear the thought of him falling back into that spiral of despair all over again.’
Although Marina’s face was turned towards the distant valley floor, Emma could hear the tears in her voice and she stretched her arm around her and gave her a hug.
‘You’re asking the wrong person, Marina. I don’t know the answer any more than you do… I really don’t.’
Marina looked up. ‘Mark?’
‘Mark.’ Emma sighed. ‘Is it that obvious?’
A gentle smile appeared on Marina’s face. ‘It was to me. Rich said he thought it was Ethan, but I knew it was Mark.’ She reached up with her free hand and wiped her eyes. ‘He’s a lovely man, Emma. So, what are you going to do?’
‘I wish I knew.’
‘Hello, ladies. Katya and I are off early tomorrow and I just wanted to say thank you for everything.’
They both spun around to find Erasmus standing close behind them. He had a smile on his face and he didn’t look in the least bit weird – unless you counted the white tuxedo, tonight worn with merely a string vest underneath. Emma released her grip on Marina’s shoulder and they both turned to face him fully.
‘You’re very welcome, Erasmus. I’m delighted you’ve had a good time here.’
‘Um, I couldn’t help overhearing a little bit of what you were saying.’ He held his hands up in front of him apologetically. ‘I didn’t mean to snoop, I assure you, but nobody ever hears me coming in my bare feet.’
Emma glanced down. Sure enough, tonight his feet were bare. As a look, coupled with the tux and the string vest, it was unlikely to make the pages of Vogue Hommes, but he clearly didn’t care.
‘Would you mind terribly if I were to offer you ladies a word of advice? You see, this is a subject very dear to my own heart.’
Both women looked at him in amazement. Emma was the first to reply.
‘Of course, Erasmus. Please.’ She was turning his words over in her head, barely able to believe they had come from him.
He gave them a gentle smile. ‘Try not to think of it as yes or no, either or, black or white, have him or lose him. Choices are never clear cut. Our lives are complicated enough without erecting extra hurdles. Every problem has a solution, although you may not see it at first. It’s just a matter of finding the one that’s right for you, for both of you. Marina, if you think you’ve found the right man, do something about it. In your case, Emma, anybody can see you’re in love with our charming host here at the villa, but you refuse to tell him.’
Emma was genuinely gobsmacked. How could this larger than life character possibly have noticed something as obscure as her feelings? Or had she really been walking around with her tongue hanging out, drooling over Mark? And how did he know she hadn’t spoken to Mark about her feelings? She didn’t have time to pursue this train of thought as Erasmus hadn’t finished.
‘I have three words for you, Emma, and, indeed for you, too, Marina. Amor vincit omnia.’
‘Love conquers all.’ Emma and Marina exchanged looks. ‘But how can love overcome six thousand miles of distance between us?’
His smile broadened. ‘It did for me.’ As comprehension began to dawn on their faces, he nodded. ‘That’s right. That’s why Katya and I are always together, even if our homes are six thousand miles apart.’ He reached out and tapped each of them on the shoulder, almost like a benediction. ‘Let love sort it out. It will, you know. And now, I must go and meditate. We’re leaving early tomorrow, so goodbye if I don’t see you. I look forward to meeting up with you both once more.’
As he started to turn away, he suddenly stopped himself and turned back, looking straight at Emma.
‘Perhaps you should start by telling him how you feel? He’s a man, after all, and we aren’t generally renowned for our perceptive skills in matters of the heart. Now, goodnight and thank you again.’
Chapter 19
After their conversation with Erasmus, Marina went off to bed with Rich, and Emma went for a twilight walk with Mark, now determined to follow Erasmus’s advice and tell him she had been developing feelings for him, even though she feared she might discover that he didn’t share those feelings.
However, all did not go to plan.
As she and Mark strolled along the gravel track through the woods, her hand resting on his arm ostensibly for support, his phone suddenly started ringing. He stopped to answer it and she saw at once that all was not well. He carried on a conversation in rapid Italian and she only understood occasional bits of it. One word that cropped up time and time again, however, was ospedale. Evidently, somebody was in hospital. Finally, he returned the phone to his pocket and turned towards her.
‘I’m afraid something’s happened to my uncle, my father’s brother. He lives on the other side of the valley and he’s just been rushed into hospital in Perugia with a suspected stroke. My aunt’s freaking out. They have no kids and they’ve always considered me a sort of son. In fact, I probably spent as much time at their house growing up as I did here with my grandparents. Would it be all right with you if I dash off now to see what’s what and to give my aunt a bit of TLC?’
‘Of course it would. Just go. If you think Carmen’ll be okay without you, I can carry on with her walk and hand her over to Claudio at the end.’
‘Brilliant, thank you.’ He hesitated. ‘Look, Emma, I’m really sorry. I was looking forward to our walk. I’d really like to talk to you, but I suppose it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.’ He hesitated again and then ducked swiftly towards her, deposited the lightest of kisses on her lips and straightened back up again with an apologetic smile. ‘Like I say, I’m sorry. Talk tomorrow. Ciao.’
And he left.
Emma carried on through the woods, her head still spinning as a result of that kiss, the dog apparently unconcerned that her master had left her in the hands of the new girl. They gradually circled the villa until they ended up on the promontory with the pergola. The sweet scent of the wisteria was overwhelming and enticing and she let herself be drawn
inside, where she sat down on the bench, overlooking the valley. As she did so, there was a movement beside her as Carmen arrived and sat down at her feet, leaning against her legs. Emma stroked the dog’s head as she reflected on their brief conversation.
He had told her he wanted to talk. Might this have been some sort of declaration of affection, or more? Was this to have been the night he told her he felt the same way about her as she felt about him, or was it just wishful thinking on her part? And if this really was his message, what did this mean to her? She thought back to what Erasmus had said and tried to think it through. ‘Every problem has a solution’ had been his words, but was this really the case for her or, indeed, Marina? For Erasmus, the solution had been to hook up with Katya as his permanent companion, travelling the world together, but surely that couldn’t work in their situations.
The hotel here was brand new and it was evident that Mark had to stay for at least a year or two to see it safely launched. As for her, she had high hopes of returning to LA to find herself elevated in rank and responsibility in the company that meant so much to her. As JM had indicated, and as his son had repeated, the sky was the limit as far as her ambitions were concerned. She had no doubt, in spite of knowing him for barely a week, that she loved, or at least felt very, very strongly about Mark, but she also loved her job. Which was she prepared to give up and how on earth could Erasmus’s assertion that a solution existed to everything actually be true in this case?
As she sat there on that warm summer night, the hairy body of the dog resting against her feet, she did her best to take a long, hard look at the facts, but, whichever way she looked at it, she kept coming back to how little she knew about Mark. And how little he knew about her.