by Lise Gold
Nadine gave her a slow nod, her eyes softening with tenderness. “I have feelings for you too. And if I’m honest, I’d like to see where this goes, but I can’t make any promises. Neither of us has experience with relationships; I have trouble on that front, too.”
“Why is that?” Rome asked.
“I don’t know.” Nadine fell silent and stared down at her hands. “I think because of my job. I started fairly young, and I guess I liked that I never had to work hard for anything. Not for money, not for relationships… The couple of times I tried—and with tried I mean that sometimes I dated someone for a week or two—it always ended in arguments about my job, so I just stopped dating altogether and told myself it wasn’t for me without ever really trying.”
“I think you’ve been lonely too,” Rome said, meeting her eyes.
“Maybe.” Nadine let out a deep sigh. “So, what are we going to do?” There was another long silence as neither of them had an answer to that question.
“How about we go out, see how we feel and take it from there?” Rome said in a soft voice. “I have to cancel tonight as I have to speak to HR and go back to the police station, but maybe we can meet up later this week?”
“I’d like that.” Nadine looked resolute as she hesitated. “I have to work Friday and Saturday night. But I can promise you I won’t sleep with any of my clients or anyone else for that matter. I don’t want anyone but you.”
“Okay.” Rome put on a brave smile. “That helps.”
“Can I pick you up at seven am on Sunday? I’ll take you treasure hunting at the flea market if you don’t mind getting up early. We could get you some stuff for your apartment?” Nadine suggested.
“That sounds like fun.”
“Great. Sunday it is. Do you want me to come to the police station with you later today?”
Rome shook her head. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine. I’m not so shaken anymore, mostly furious.”
“So am I.” Nadine pulled Rome out of her chair and onto her lap. “Will you be okay at work?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her from behind.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I doubt Matteo will show his face anytime soon; he’s rarely in the office as it is.” Rome sunk back and buried her face against Nadine’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she said, swallowing down a lump in her throat. “Thank you for being here.”
30
“Mom!” Nadine’s face lit up when she picked up her phone.
“Nadine, honey. How are you?”
“I’m okay.” Nadine put on her faux cheerful tone; the one she always used when her mother called. Not that she wasn’t feeling cheerful, but it was just one of those things she did without thinking. Just like the way some people talked to their kids, or their pets, her voice seemed to go up a notch when she spoke to her mother. Aware of it, she rolled her eyes at herself in the mirror, releasing the curling iron from her hair as she wedged the phone between her chin and her shoulder. “Just got home from work,” she lied.
“Good day at the store?”
“Yeah, fairly busy.” Nadine never elaborated unless her mother specifically asked, as she didn’t like lying to her. “How are you?”
“Oh, you know, this and that. I went to my morning yoga class, and I thought I’d give you a call before I go to work. Xander and I are seeing a play tonight on Broadway, but I can’t remember what it’s called. It’s some small production he’s been involved with.”
“That sounds fun. Everything good with you and Xander?”
“Yes, we’re great. He’s getting close to his retirement date now, but you know Xander; he doesn’t want to hear about it.” Her mother cleared her throat. “What about you, honey? Are you seeing someone?”
“No.” Nadine wasn’t sure why her mother kept asking her the same question, since she always got the same answer. “But…” She quickly swallowed her words, shocked by the ‘but’ that had slipped from her tongue. She was so used to lying to her mother that telling the truth seemed unthinkable.
“But what?”
Nadine switched off the curling iron, put it to the side and sat down on her bed. “I met someone.” She pursed her lips, carefully considering her words. “I don’t know where it’s heading, but I really like her.”
“Sweetie…” Her mother fell silent, clearly surprised. “That’s wonderful.”
“Well, as I said, it’s still very early days, but I care about her a lot.” She smiled. “Whatever happens, I know we’ll always be friends. We just click in the most amazing way, even though we couldn’t be more different.”
“Tell me about her. Where did you meet?” her mother asked eagerly.
“Her name is Rome, and we met in a hotel bar. She’s American, and she’s here to roll out an app she’s developed. She’s incredibly smart and driven and beautiful.”
“Rome, that’s a nice name and very appropriate considering where you are.”
“Yeah.” Nadine suppressed a swooning sigh. “I’m taking her to the flea market on Sunday to find some stuff for her new apartment.”
“That’s sweet. I’m so happy for you, and the way you talk about her is so unlike you.” Her mother sounded emotional. “I was starting to think you’d be by yourself forever.”
“Yeah… I don’t really know what I’m doing as I don’t have much experience with relationships, and I’m scared that I’ll hurt her,” Nadine admitted. It felt liberating to finally be open and honest with her mother. For once, she could just say what was on her mind without being careful with her words or making up excuses. “I’ve been scared of a lot of things lately, and… well, it’s made me realize that maybe I’ve been living in a bubble, that I’ve never actually dealt with real life before.”
“Oh honey, you were always in a bubble, even as a kid,” her mother said in a sweet voice. “Remember your bedroom in our old house? After your father passed away, you spent weeks turning it into something out of a fairy tale, with Christmas lights and white organza draped over the broomsticks attached to your bed. You even covered the lampshades in white feathers; I had to take you to the doctor because you’d superglued your fingers together.”
Nadine shook her head and groaned. “Oh God, I remember that. I haven’t touched superglue since.”
“I let you, because you needed something to focus on,” her mother continued. “And I think it helped you to get through that difficult period. You spent all your time in there, reading your father’s old art books and making perfumes that you bottled in small spice jars and handed out at school. The parents complained their kids smelled like oregano and cinnamon.”
“I think I’ve come a long way from oregano.” Nadine chuckled, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. It still hurt to think about her father’s death, and she generally avoided talking about that time.
“I’m sure you have. Are you still working on those perfumes you told me about?”
“Yeah. it’s going well, I’ll fill you in next time we speak.”
“Okay.” Her mother paused, and Nadine could picture her smiling in her recliner while she was on the phone to her. “I’m glad we’re finally talking.”
“What do you mean?” Nadine asked, knowing very well what her mother meant. “We talk every week.”
“We do, but we don’t really talk, like this. About things that matter. You’re always so confident and everything is always perfect when I ask you about your life. This is the first time you’ve admitted that you’re scared, and that’s a big deal to me because I finally have the chance to be there for you, and to help you as your mother.”
“You’re right. I don’t know why I feel the need to talk now, I guess there are just some things that aren’t in my control anymore.”
“Like love.”
“Yeah, like love.”
“You never dated,” her mother said. “Not even in high school. Kids that age didn’t understand art the way you did, they weren’t touched by music the way it touched you. God knows where you got that cultural
streak from because your father and I were about as ordinary and working-class as people come.” She chuckled. “I hoped that would change once you grew up, that you’d meet someone with the same interests, but no one was ever good enough to live in the beautiful world you’d created for yourself. Your first apartment was like a palace compared to our small house, and I still don’t understand how you were able to afford it, but you made it work, somehow.”
Nadine had no idea how to reply to that because she couldn’t tell her mother she’d been dating men and women in return for a lot of money. “I just never met anyone I liked enough to take it further,” she finally said, remembering the first girl who walked out on her as soon as she found out what she did for a living.
“Maybe. But I’m glad you’ve met someone now. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, Mom. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I know. Just remember that it might be comfortable to live in a bubble, but it’s not real. Life isn’t always smooth sailing and sometimes you have to bite the bullet and deal with things that are difficult or challenging. Relationships can be tough, but don’t give up, just because it isn’t perfect. Will you promise me that?”
“It’s not a relationship,” Nadine said, terrified by that word. Or was it? They had agreed to date and to be monogamous. Wasn’t that exactly what a relationship was? She sighed before she continued, suddenly unsure if they were even dating. Did going to the flea market count as a date? “But yes, I promise I’ll try. I want to try.”
“Good girl. Now go take that woman out and if it feels right, don’t let her go, do you hear me?”
“I hear you. I have to go; I’m meeting someone.”
“Okay. Bye, honey. I love you. Take care.”
“Love you too, Mom.” Nadine hung up and noted that for the first time, she felt calmer after speaking to her mother, and she realized she’d missed feeling close to her. They were always joking and gossiping on the phone, but she never talked about her feelings. Her mother was right; she had to fight for Rome, and somehow conquer her own fear of commitment at the same time. Sunday couldn’t come soon enough but first things first. Rome would be going to the police station soon, and although she’d said she’d be fine by herself, Nadine knew it would be better to have an Italian speaker there with her, just to make sure there were no misunderstandings with such a delicate case.
31
“Are you saying I’m lying?” Rome felt like she was about to burst with anger as she slammed her fist on the desk at the police station. Nadine had surprised her by showing up unannounced, and together they’d waited in the busy station for over three hours, only for someone to tell her the case was about to get closed due to lack of evidence. “Because I’m not fucking lying. My eye-witness is right here with me.”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying.” The police officer opposite her looked genuinely regretful as he shook his head. “But the waiters we interviewed after speaking to Mr. Romano confirmed his story that you had a fair amount to drink, and that your memory might be a bit muddled.”
“She was not drunk,” Nadine said. “I can vouch for that, and so can the police officer who was on duty when we reported this.” She continued in Italian, raising her voice at the officer until he managed to silence her.
“Don’t you get that he bribed them?” Rome held her breath and counted to ten, afraid she might do something she regretted if she didn’t calm down right now. “This man is swimming in money, and those waiters earn minimum wage. I already told you five times in my statement that he was the one who was drunk, not me. And what about my eyewitness?”
“We have your statement too,” the officer said, turning to Nadine. “But the waiters claim to have witnessed the incident too, and they say…” He narrowed his eyes as he looked over the paperwork. “… that it looked like it was a misunderstanding resulting in an argument.”
Rome leaned in and glared at him. “They weren’t even there when it happened. So that’s it? Mr. Romano gets away with sexual assault? Why didn’t your team interview him right away and give him a breathalyzer test? And why didn’t your officer on duty give me a breathalyzer test when I was here? I mean, what the fuck is going on?” She continued, despite Nadine pinching her hand, letting her know she was going too far. “Has Matteo Romano got the police in his pockets too?”
“You need to calm down, Miss Foster. Think about what you’re saying, accusations like that are not taken lightly here.” The officer leaned in too and cleared his throat. “I am terribly sorry, but there’s nothing more I can do for you. Your statement is on file, so if this happens again, we will have the records, but this case will be closed.”
Nadine argued some more with him in Italian, slamming her hand on the paperwork in front of him, but he kept shaking his head and pointing to the dozens of people waiting behind them.
Rome huffed. “So he needs to harass more women before something gets done?”
“I’m not in a position to advise you on anything beyond police business,” the young man said. “But if I may give you some friendly advice, you could always hire a lawyer, if you can afford that.” He looked around the station and lowered his voice. “Mr. Romano is a powerful man. It will take more than one case to take him down. If he is guilty, and he did this to you, he might have done it to others.”
“Right.” Rome nodded, grinding her teeth in exasperation. It wasn’t the junior officer’s fault; he was just the messenger and he hadn’t even been at the police station when she’d reported the assault last night, but she still needed to vent her anger. “So only people who can afford a lawyer might get justice, is that how it works?” She tilted her head and frowned when he didn’t answer. “And hypothetically speaking, how would I find these ‘others’ without help from the police?”
“I can’t answer that, but perhaps your lawyer will have some ideas.” He moved his chair back and stood up, letting Rome and Nadine know the conversation was over.
Rome shook her head as she grabbed her purse and got up too. “I guess I’ll just have to find myself a lawyer then.” She took Nadine’s hand and walked out, tears of frustration stinging her eyes as she sat down on a bench in front of the station. Bella, the head of the HR department, had listened to her story and taken it seriously, but she’d also told Rome it was a case for the police, and that she could only provide mediation between Matteo and her, as no previous cases of sexual harassment against him had been reported. Rome was not looking forward to dealing with fake apologies and nonsense regarding a misunderstanding from her side, and she’d told her she wasn’t ready for mediation yet because she needed a plan first.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Nadine said, looking deflated as she wiped the tears from Rome’s cheeks.
“It’s so incredibly unfair.” Rome took a deep breath and tried to compose herself as she looked at Nadine.
“It is.” Nadine paused. “He’s right. Your only option would be a lawyer now. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you more.”
Rome shot her a sad smile. “I’m just glad you’re here, it really helped.” She searched for her phone in her purse. “There’s no way I’m going to avoid the office; it could take months until this is settled with a lawyer.”
“Of course not. Matteo will have to stay away, and if you make a case against him, the judge might give him a restraining order while you battle it out in court.” Nadine shrugged. “I have no idea how these things work, but I can’t imagine they would let him work with you under these circumstances.”
“I hope so.” Rome looked up the number of her American lawyer. “Now that we’re so close to launching the app, they won’t take back my funding, that’s for sure. People have been hired, investments have been made and the stakes would be too high for them, even if I attack Matteo personally.”
“Exactly. This has nothing to do with Nero, main investor or not.”
Rome let out a long sigh as she closed her eyes and rested
her head on Nadine’s shoulder. “God, this is so messed up. For the first time, I really don’t know what to do.” Normally, Rome was good at problem solving. It was what she’d done since she’d started with the Carbon app; perfecting a system over and over until it was good enough to change the world. Rome couldn’t count the amount of times she’d been stuck so badly she thought she’d never get over the hurdles, but she had eventually. It was crazy how getting justice for a straightforward crime with an eyewitness was more complicated than solving worldwide privacy issues on a commercial platform.
“You do know what to do,” Nadine said, pulling her closer. “You’re going to call your lawyer, explain the situation and ask him for advice. And then, you’re going to fight this bastard, and I’ll do anything I can to help you, okay? I’m here for you.” She kissed Rome’s temple and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s no doubt true that if he’s done this to you, he’s probably done it to others. We’ll just have to find them.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Rome tried to clear her mind and told herself to solve this problem the way she usually would at work—in a calm and analytical manner while anticipating potential obstacles. There was no easy solution, because Matteo was good at covering both his tracks and his own ass, but Rome was confident she was going to find other victims and together, they would make him pay. Being specialized in intellectual property law, Michael was unlikely to take on the case or even be able to represent her in Italian court, but she trusted him and he’d be the best person to talk to first.
32
“Okay, I love them,” Rome said, staring at the enormous electric blue enameled plant pots. And I could definitely do with some greenery in my apartment but how are we going to get them there? I can barely lift them.” Then her eyes darted to the Persian rug she’d been admiring. “There’s so much nice stuff here, but if I’m not going to stay for that long, I’m not sure if there’s any point.”