by Lise Gold
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Our clientele looks a little rough, I suppose.”
“Or maybe it’s you who’s scaring them away,” Nadine joked, raising her glass in a toast. “You know, the other girls from the agency warned me about you.”
“They did?” Angelo threw his hands in the air and shot her his sweetest smile. “But I’m a pussycat.”
“I know,” Nadine said in a chuckle. “And I promise I’ll talk to your mom when she gets here to explain how you got that black eye.” She moved back when a man came out with a large bowl of pasta, two plates and a jar with cutlery and napkins. He smiled at Nadine and Rome, then sneered something at Angelo, which made Nadine laugh even harder.
“The chef is asking me why I’m sitting here drinking beer with two beautiful women while he’s sweating in the kitchen,” Angelo clarified, turning to Rome as he plated for them. “So… would it be indelicate of me to ask what is happening with the pig?”
“The pig?” Rome frowned in confusion until it clicked. “Oh, the pig.” Her mouth watered as she looked down at the steaming plate of mascarpone, tomato and eggplant pasta in front of her. “Right. So, unfortunately the pig is also one of my major investors. He bribed those waiters at the restaurant, and they verified his lie saying that I was the one who was drunk and that it was all a misunderstanding. The police have dropped the case and HR wants to ‘mediate’,” she continued, making quote marks and rolling her eyes, “so I’m not getting anywhere with them either. Since I’ll be stuck in the office for the foreseeable future, and I don’t feel safe around him, I have no other alternative than to sue him.”
Angelo shook his head in disgust. “You know, when Nadine asked me to follow him, I just thought she was being overprotective.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think he was capable of assault either,” Rome said. “But I’m hoping I can help other women too, if I sue him. I’m sure this wasn’t the first time he’s done this.” She took a bite and moaned at the silky texture and full-bodied flavor of the sauce.
“Good?” Angelo asked, a proud smile settling over his face.
“Perfect.”
“More than perfect,” Nadine agreed as she dug in.
“Then my job is done. I’d better get back into the kitchen.” Angelo stood up and hesitated as he looked at Rome. “If you need help with anything, just let me know, okay?”
“Thank you. That’s very kind.” Rome stared at him as he disappeared back inside. “He’s so nice. Are you guys friends?”
Nadine thought about that. “I like Angelo, but I don’t know him that well, even though he’s worked for me over the past few years. I didn’t even know his family ran a trattoria until I met him here earlier this week, but I trust him, and I feel like he’s thawing around me. He’s not just all business anymore.” She twirled some more pasta around her fork. “Plus, these guys really know how to cook. I think I’ve found my new favorite eatery.”
“It’s fantastic.” Rome smiled as she looked at Nadine, who ate with as much passion as she did everything else, savoring every bite as if it were her last. “Thank you for an amazing date.”
“I’m glad you’re having a good time.” Nadine reached for her hand over the table. “I wanted you to see the real Rome. All the rest, you can see from a tour bus, or by yourself in the early mornings when it’s quiet in town. This is a friendly city, and I’d be devastated if Matteo ruined your stay here for you.”
“He hasn’t ruined anything. I still love it here.” Rome locked her eyes with Nadine’s and shifted in her seat as arousal coursed through her. It had been a long time since they’d had sex, and after spending the morning with Nadine, she was unable to think of anything else. “And I love spending time with you,” she added.
Nadine smiled and it made her eyes sparkle in the cutest of ways. It was nothing like the smile she painted on when she was with her clients. This was real, and it touched Rome to her core. “I love spending time with you too.” She stroked Rome’s hand. “But our date isn’t over yet.”
34
“Finally, alone.” Nadine moved the big plant pot further into the corner of the living room and adjusted the rug. The milkman and his son had delivered Rome’s purchases and hung up the artworks for her, and Nadine and Rome had cleaned the daybed that was now in pride of place on the balcony. “I thought they’d never leave.” She walked over to Rome, who was unwrapping one of the palms they’d bought on their way to her apartment. “But it was nice of you to offer them drinks, it was the right thing to do.”
Rome smiled as Nadine helped her lift the big plant into the enameled pot. “It was fun. They’re nice people.” She stepped back to inspect her living room that was starting to look more and more like a real home and felt really happy with what they’d achieved. “Besides, I think I’m addicted to that market now, so I might need their help again.”
“Smart woman.” Nadine wrapped her arms around Rome’s neck, and shivered at the feeling of their bodies coming together. “Do you want to try out that new daybed?” She gestured toward the balcony.
Rome’s eyes darkened as she nodded. “I do.”
“Come on, then.” Nadine pulled her outside and sat down on the spacious chaise that was big enough to sleep on. “It creaks a little, but other than that, it’s very cute.” She expected Rome to sit down next to her but instead, Rome lifted up her dress and straddled her lap.
“Do you think anyone can see us here?” she whispered, shooting Nadine a sexy look.
Nadine looked through the balcony railing that was partially covered in ivy and shook her head. “No, we’re too high up, but I think your neighbors might be able to hear us if they’re outside.” She placed her index finger against her lips and listened to the soft murmur of voices next door and on the balcony beneath them.
“Then we’ll just have to be very quiet,” Rome said, leaning in to kiss her.
Nadine lifted her hips as Rome ground into her lap. She took hold of Rome’s behind, wanting to lay her down on the bed, but Rome stopped her.
“No. Just stay there and don’t move.”
Nadine wasn’t used to other women taking charge or topping her, but she couldn’t deny that it was turning her on like crazy. When Rome traced her lips with the tip of her tongue, it seemed impossible to suppress a moan, but she managed to stay quiet. Heavy breaths flowed between them as she brushed her lips over Rome’s, then ran her hands under her dress, caressing her smooth thighs. She could feel Rome’s need in her tremble, and the way her mouth finally crashed into hers, failing to linger and tease her the way she’d intended to. “I don’t think I can be quiet when you kiss me like that,” she said, keeping her voice down.
“Yes, you can.” Rome said, locking her lips with Nadine’s again. She cupped Nadine’s neck to pull her closer, inhaling deeply while they kissed fiercely.
Nadine’s chest was heaving, and all her nerve endings were buzzing, longing for Rome’s hands and lips. When Rome moved her mouth to her neck, she held her breath, shocked at how intense it felt. Yes, it had been a while, but she’d never thought it would surpass how she’d felt that first time with Rome. It wasn’t just arousal she felt, it was an electrifying sense of euphoria, a need to feel close to her in any way she could.
Rome unbuttoned her shorts and tugged at the hem of her T-shirt, waiting for Nadine to lift her arms so she could take it off. She looked down at Nadine’s full breasts in the white lace bra against her tanned skin and licked her lips. “You are so incredibly sexy,” she murmured, reaching around Nadine’s back to unhook her bra.
Nadine felt a twitch of lust at seeing Rome’s desire for her. There was no way this woman was straight, because no one had ever looked at her like she was the last drop of water in the desert, and there wasn’t a trace of hesitation left in Rome’s previously shy demeanor. She closed her eyes and sank further down on the daybed as Rome pulled off her bra and then kissed her way down to her breasts, sucking a nipple into her mouth and twirling her tongue
around it. “That feels so good.”
“Shhh…” Rome smiled and turned her attention to her other breast while slowly lowering herself onto the concrete floor.
Nadine bit her lip, desperately trying to suppress a groan at the amazing feeling of Rome’s mouth feasting on her while her hands were everywhere.
“Can I take these off?” Rome asked, hooking her fingers under the waistband of her shorts. “God, I want you so badly.”
Nadine nodded and lifted her hips so Rome could slide down her shorts, along with her panties. When Rome pushed her knees apart and settled between her legs, Nadine felt more exposed than ever, sitting out there on the balcony stark naked, soft gusts of wind blowing against her sex. The sun was setting behind the Colosseum, and even after four years, the way the light fell over the terracotta rooftops of the city never failed to amaze her. She was aware of the bright lights in Rome’s apartment as the world around them slowly darkened and the balcony became a spotlight, but the flash of awareness quickly dissipated as Rome’s tongue traced the inside of her thighs until she pressed her mouth tightly against her center, pulling her closer by her hips.
“Fuck!” she cried, then covered her mouth with her hand, the fingers of her other hand weaving themselves through Rome’s hair. Her head fell back, and she bit her knuckle, swallowing another groan at the incredible sensations that were spreading through her core.
Rome let out a chuckle as she briefly looked up. “Quiet,” she whispered again before she continued to devour her, sliding her tongue through her wet folds, then up to her sensitive clit.
Nadine bucked her hips against Rome’s mouth, and tugged at her hair, at a loss for an outlet since she couldn’t use her vocal cords. She pressed her lips together and started shaking as Rome feasted on her, taking her higher and higher until the pulsing between her legs intensified and her whole body spasmed. She was helpless as she crashed into her climax, the energy blasting out of her. Shuddering at the ebbing and flowing of contractions as Rome continued, even after she’d peaked, Nadine let out a quiet moan and sank back into the daybed. “Holy fuck, Rome,” she said in a breathless whisper as she wiped the sweat of her brows. It wasn’t even that warm anymore, but she felt feverishly heated.
Rome got up and straddled her again, a big grin spreading across her face when she saw Nadine’s blissful smile. “I think you liked that.”
Nadine chuckled at her self-satisfied expression as she wrapped her arms around Rome’s waist. “I did. Where did you learn that?” She pulled her in and kissed her, and realized it had been years since she’d tasted herself on someone else’s lips.
“Promise not to laugh?” Rome’s cheeks colored.
“I promise.”
“YouTube,” Rome said, after a moment’s hesitation.
“Seriously?” At that, Nadine burst into laughter. “I’m sorry.” She waved a hand. “But that is just too funny.”
Rome nudged her. “Hey, that’s not fair. You promised not to laugh. I did some research while I was home, you know, just in case…”
“Just in case what?” Nadine was unable to stop laughing, and tears were running down her cheeks.
“Stop teasing me, you know what I mean. Just in case something happened between us again. I’m a nerd; I like to know things, and…” Rome let out a deep sigh of frustration. “Improvising makes me nervous.”
“That must have been one hell of a tutorial. I didn’t know you could learn this from videos.” Nadine arched a brow. “Or were you watching porn?”
“Eww, no, it wasn’t porn.” Rome rolled her eyes. “Just an informative video on how to please the ladies.”
“Well, it certainly worked.” Nadine gave her an endearing smile as she pulled down the strap of Rome’s summer dress to kiss her shoulder. “But now it’s my turn and it’s also not fair that you’re still dressed and I’m not.”
35
“Here. I almost forgot.” Nadine reached into her purse beside the bed and handed Rome the box with the Libra perfume. “This is for you.”
“Thank you. It looks so pretty, and I love the name. Stars Aligned; it’s catchy.” Rome smiled excitedly as she opened it and smelled it. “Subtle, but really good. Like it could be someone’s natural scent...” She paused and breathed in the fragrance again. “But fresher, like after a shower with really great products.”
“That’s the idea. It just enhances your own deliciousness.”
Rome dabbed some on her neck and quirked an eyebrow. “Let’s see if it works.” She snuggled back into Nadine’s embrace and kicked off the covers, cherishing the breeze on her skin that was damp after they’d made love for hours.
Nadine buried her face in Rome’s neck and closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply. “It smells perfect on you.”
“Oh yeah? Well I happen to think you smell pretty perfect too.” Rome rolled off her and turned on her side, resting her head on Nadine’s chest. “I’m excited that it’s ready but assuming it passes the consumer testing with flying colors, what happens next?”
“Do you think it’s going to work, now?” Nadine chuckled. “You sound like you do.”
Rome shrugged. “I’m still not entirely convinced by the star sign attraction thing yet, although you do smell delicious. Are you wearing yours?”
“I am.”
“Interesting… I did notice the difference. I mean, I kept noticing your scent today. But then I was drawn to you from the beginning, so I’m biased.” Rome paused, choosing her words carefully. “I think that even if it doesn’t scientifically work, it will be a very commercial product, so you have to be careful with your go-to-market strategy because you’ll only have one chance to launch it and this has the potential to be a huge success.”
“I know.” Nadine sighed as she cupped Rome’s cheek, and Rome could sense her carefree façade was dropping, just like it had this morning at the flea market. It brought a lump to her throat, and she felt privileged that Nadine was now allowing herself to be vulnerable around her. “Honestly, I’m fucking scared.” She bit her lip, clearly contemplating how much to share. “It’s been ten years since I started escorting, and I’ve always had money to live comfortably, to travel and to pursue my dream of my own perfume brand. But now that it’s becoming a reality, I’m completely freaking out.”
“Why?” Rome pulled her in and kissed her. She felt incredibly close to Nadine in that moment as they both lay naked in each other’s arms, quietly talking, and it almost scared her how much she longed to be with her all the time.
“I guess I’m not sure where to go from here. I mean, I have a plan, sort of. But I’m not used to thinking long-term, and I have no experience in the retail business whatsoever. All I know is how to make people like me and look good. Beyond that, I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’m really worried I’m going to fuck up everything I’ve worked so hard for.”
“You’re worried about failing?” Rome caught Nadine’s hand on her cheek and squeezed it. “You don’t strike me as the type to be insecure at all…”
Nadine sighed. “I know. But I am. I’m terrified. I think I’ve been hiding behind the escort work for too long, and maybe I should have stopped a while back. The product is done, but now that it’s here, it’s like the real world is hitting me so hard, so suddenly, that it’s frightening me.”
“I know it’s scary, but it’s also a good thing that you’ll have to stop escorting when you turn thirty. You’ve been hiding behind it for more reasons than just your perfumes, and I think it’s been holding you back.” Rome regretted the words as soon as they were out.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
“Come on, Rome. You know that the most annoying thing a person can do is make a comment, then say ‘never mind’”.
“Okay.” Rome nervously bit her lip. She didn’t want to ruin their night by bringing up something that was crystal clear to her but that might not be clear to Nadine. But Nadine was right; she’d started this no
w, and so she’d have to finish it. “You’ve been avoiding emotional connections,” she said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Nadine was smiling, but she didn’t look happy, and Rome regretted ever bringing it up. This clearly went much deeper than she’d anticipated, but Nadine wasn’t one to be fooled and now was the time to speak her mind.
“What I mean is, that you’ve been hiding behind escorting when it comes to people too,” she said, dreading Nadine’s reaction. “You’ve been hiding from love.”
“Nonsense. I chose not to go down that path because it’s difficult to maintain relationships while I do escort work. I don’t want to have to apologize for my lifestyle all the time.”
“That’s not entirely true and you know it. You’re scared of getting close to people too.” Rome kept her voice down as she didn’t want Nadine to think she was arguing with her. Nadine was the most amazing woman she’d ever come across, and although she was open and seemed to be in touch with herself to outsiders, to Rome, quite the opposite was true. “Do you have any really good friends?”
“Of course I do.” Nadine glared at her, and Rome was pretty sure she was going to get a mouthful, but she mellowed and remained silent.
“Okay. Name them.”
“Luca,” Nadine, said after a moment’s hesitation, then shook her head and chuckled. “Fine. Luca doesn’t really count, so I suppose I don’t have any close friends. I have acquaintances though, and I hang out with some of the other girls from the agency from time to time.” She paused. “But I wouldn’t consider them friends.”
“See? We’re the same. In all honesty, I expect you to use your job as an excuse to withdraw from me as soon as you start feeling trapped, and I’ve prepared myself for that,” Rome continued carefully. She knew she was treading on dangerous grounds, but if they were going to make this work, they would have to be nothing but honest with each other. “Believe me; I’ve been through enough therapy sessions to know how this works, it’s what I do, too.” She bit her lip and stared intently into Nadine’s eyes. “But I don’t want that to happen between us. And I want you to know that I accept what you do for a living. So, if you’re feeling suffocated at any point, just talk to me, okay? And I’ll do the same. Relationships of any kind are hard, at least for me, so we have to talk about these things.”