The Scent of Rome

by Lise Gold

  Nadine frowned as she processed what Rome was saying. “You sound like my Mom.”

  Rome shook her head and laughed, relieved that the tension between them was melting away. “That wasn’t what I expected to hear, but okay.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Nadine sighed. “Call it hiding, call it taking the easy way out, I have purposely avoided relationships. And yes, I’ve used my job as an excuse to avoid committing myself to a relationship with someone.” She swallowed hard. “And yes, I may feel suffocated at some point, I can’t promise you I won’t.”

  “Then at least promise me you’ll tell me if you do and I’ll back off a little. And I’ll tell you too, if I feel the same way.”

  Nadine nodded. “You know, you’re really in touch with yourself for someone who’s emotionally detached.”

  “I’m not so sure about that, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.” Rome took her hand and kissed it. “I’d like to help you with your business plan.”

  “No, that’s very sweet of you, but you’ve got enough on your plate as it is.”

  Rome placed her thumb on Nadine’s lips, hushing her. “Please. I’d be so happy if you’d let me help you. You’ve done so much for me and well… I’m usually not one to brag, but I’m actually really good at stuff like that.”

  Nadine shot her an amused look. “I have no doubt you are, but…”

  “It will only take a couple of nights,” Rome interrupted her. “I could come to your place after work on your days off and it will be done in no time.” She really, really wanted to help Nadine and this way she could finally give something back. “Seriously, a professional consultant wouldn’t be able to do a better job than me; I know my stuff.”

  “I love your confidence.” Nadine laughed. “Okay. If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all.” Rome traced her waist and her hip, craving her all over again. Her desire for this woman had no limits apparently, and she hardly recognized herself from the person she was before she first came to Rome. Nadine’s body, her smile, her energy… She worshipped everything about her, and she was going to fight for her, no matter what.

  36

  “So, that’s the story so far.” Rome took a sip of her coffee and looked at Eliza, who had been listening intently for the past twenty minutes.

  “I can’t believe it.” Eliza shook her head and grimaced in disgust. “Matteo needs to be punished; he can’t get away with this. How can they just dismiss the case? I don’t get it.” She paused and rubbed her temple. “I don’t want to work for someone like that, it’s…”

  “No,” Rome interrupted her. “Please don’t go there. You’re working for me, not him, and I really need your help. That’s why I asked you to meet me; I didn’t know who else to approach and well… I trust you.”

  “I’m glad you told me.” Eliza leaned in and squeezed Rome’s arm. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Although I don’t want to think about what might have happened if Nadine hadn’t shown up.”

  “Nadine sounds like a really, really great woman. Kind of badass too, and she clearly cares about you very much.”

  “Yeah, she’s amazing.” Rome sighed with a faraway look in her eyes, her thoughts drifting back to Sunday and their delicious marathon of lovemaking. Nadine was working tonight, and although it didn’t bother her that much anymore, she couldn’t help but worry about her after the incident with Matteo. “Truly amazing.”

  “Oh my God, you are so into her, it’s almost sickening,” Eliza teased. “Anyway, what do you need from me?” She waved the waiter over to order them another espresso and looked at Rome intently. “Anything, babe.”

  Rome gave her a warm smile. “Thanks. The thing is… if he’s done it to me, there might be other women in the office who have been harassed by him in one way or another. And if there are, I’d like to find them so we can build a case against him together. I have an Italian lawyer now and he informed me it’s going to be close to impossible to start a criminal proceeding against him as we’d have to get the police to reopen the case and at the moment we can’t do that without any actual proof. He recommends making this a civil proceeding, in which case we’re much more likely to win if I’m not the only one suing him. That also means we have to sue him for harassment instead of assault, which sucks, because I’d love to see him getting locked up.” She bit her lip and paused. “On the other hand, banning him from the work floor will ensure the safety of female Nero employees, and it’s likely there will be a payout—if we win—which will hit him where it hurts most, which is in his wallet. I don’t want anyone to know what’s going on though. I’m worried about jeopardizing the Carbon project, so this is a very delicate situation.”

  “Yes, I get that.” Eliza took her time to think it over as she ran a hand through her lilac hair. She looked immensely out of place in the tourist-filled coffee shop next to the office, wearing a complicated black four-sleeved blazer and tutu combo by some obscure Korean designer she’d been raving about. “The unemployment rate is high in Italy, so even if you do find other victims, they might be reluctant to talk for fear of losing their jobs.” She shrugged. “Even getting them to admit it might be hard.”

  “I know,” Rome agreed. “But you’re Italian and I’ve noticed you’re very social and that you hang out with a lot of women from the office. I figured they might trust you more.”

  “Hmm…” Eliza thanked the waiter who brought their espressos over and stirred in a bag of sugar, tapping her long, lilac fingernails on the wooden table. “You’re right about that, they might be more likely to open up to me. I can try, but that’s all I can do.”

  “Trying is all I’m asking for,” Rome said.

  “Okay, so what’s your strategy?” Eliza asked. “Civil cases can drag on for years, usually until one of the parties runs out of money.”

  “I know. But if Matteo’s done this before, depending on how many women come forward of course, we’ll have a good case. I imagine he’s keen to preserve his image and would want to settle quickly.”

  “Of course, that makes sense. In other words, this all has to happen very quietly, without the board finding out we’re asking around?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Right.” Eliza nodded. “I think that can be done. Women who haven’t spoken up before won’t be vocal about it now, not to their colleagues anyway. And unless Matteo has a harem of mistresses scattered throughout the departments, I doubt anyone will tell the board what’s going on if they find out. He’s not very liked in general.”

  “That makes me feel better,” Rome said. “I’m suing him personally, not the company. I don’t want to put people’s jobs at risk over something Matteo has done.”

  “Good thinking. I’ll let you know as soon as I have anything to report.” Eliza sat back and crossed one leg over another, studying Rome. “You know, you’re the opposite to what I expected you to be.”

  “Really? How so?” Rome asked.

  “Well, for starters, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to take the job at first. The idea of working for some eco-warrior app developer seemed beyond boring and honestly, the generous salary was the only reason I got on board. But then I learned about the product, which I’m now incredibly excited about, and I got to know you…” Eliza tilted her head, continuing to look her over. “You have way more to you than meets the eye, Rome. I mean, you’re beautiful, but you’re also compassionate, fun, smart, fair and a great leader, and I totally get why that stunning woman is pining over you.”

  Rome laughed. “I don’t think she’s pining over me.” She sat back too and sipped her coffee. “Although we’re in a really good place right now.”

  “So, she came to her senses, did she?”

  “It’s a little more complicated than that,” Rome said, not wanting to give Nadine’s private business away. “But yeah, we’re dating.”

  Eliza’s eyes widened in excitement. “What?” She clapped her hands together. “I
t’s official?”

  “You could say that.” Rome was unable to hide her blush. “At least we’re trying, and it’s been pretty incredible so far. She took me on the most amazing, weird date on Sunday and I’m seeing her again tomorrow night.”

  “You lucky devil.” Eliza winked. “As I said, there’s no better feeling than being in love. And you, girl, have fallen deep, so enjoy the ride.”

  37

  “You were right. You are good at this.” Nadine flicked through the forty-page file they’d worked on during the week which included distribution, direct marketing, PR, a go-to-market plan and a financial forecast, and with Rome’s help, she’d even enjoyed the tedious chore she’d been putting off for months. If she’d been impressed by Rome’s intelligence before, she was even more impressed now. Even in a field in which she had no knowledge, Rome was able to see the bigger picture and provide a strong strategy. Things were suddenly looking a little brighter and she had her cute girl to thank for that. They’d also written a great pitch for the retailers, which was so strong that she couldn’t imagine anyone saying no to her product.

  “Told you so.” Rome blew her a kiss. “And it was my absolute pleasure.” She closed her laptop and slipped it into its sleeve, then headed for the kitchen. “Do you have any wine? I’ve had more coffee than my body can handle, and I think we should celebrate.” She grinned. “Aren’t you the one who claims everything should be celebrated?”

  “So true. And it’s the first Saturday in a while that I don’t have to work.” Nadine got up too, walked to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of red wine. “Let’s have a glass here first. But after that, I want to take you out. Are you up for that?”

  Rome glanced down at her outfit, pulling a questionable face but Nadine shook it off. “No need to dress up, but if you want to, you can borrow something of mine.”

  “I don’t think I’d do your fabulous dresses justice.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Nadine looked her up and down while she opened the bottle. “You really have no idea how stunning you are, do you?” She smiled when she saw Rome blushing. “I want to show you off.”

  Rome laughed and rolled her eyes. “And how do you propose doing that?”

  “Well, in Italy…” Nadine checked the big antique clock on the wall. “It’s almost show-off o’clock.” She poured them both a small glass and handed one to Rome. “Are you familiar with the Italian term la passeggiata?”

  “No, what’s that?”

  Nadine frowned. “Hmm… it’s a little hard to explain. I guess you could say it’s the principle of dressing up and going for a drink or a stroll in the early evening, when it’s starting to cool down. The sun is low, and you see lovers kissing, mothers showing off their babies, and people generally dress to impress, especially on the weekend. I call it peacocking.” She laughed. “It’s the time for courting and flirting, for aperitifs and ice cream and everything in between as long as it involves socializing and flaunting.”

  “Are you serious?” Rome asked. “I didn’t realize the Italians were actually making an effort at all. I’ve always thought that their elegance came naturally to them.”

  “It is natural, in a way. More natural than it would be for us, for example. But keeping up appearances is important here, so it’s not entirely effortless.” Nadine smiled as she took a sip of her wine and beckoned Rome to follow her to her bedroom with glass in hand. She opened her closet and started flicking through her dresses. “I take it you’ve never heard of the term la bella figura either? I don’t think there’s an actual translation for it in any other language.”

  “No.” Rome was surprised at the modest size of Nadine’s closet. Having seen her in some spectacular dresses, she’d expected her to have way more clothes. “Tell me.”

  “It’s the concept of being your best self,” Nadine said, taking out a black dress and handing it to Rome. “Not just in the way you present yourself physically, but also in the way you behave. To Italians, it’s not just manners that are hugely important but also who and what you know, and that can mean anything from recommending the right restaurants or hairdressers, to introducing the right people to each other.”

  “God, that sounds tiring.” Rome held up the dress and studied it. It was simple but elegant; a sleeveless cotton-silk number with wide shoulder straps and a cute peplum skirt. “But also intriguing.” She took off the kimono robe she’d borrowed from Nadine, as they hadn’t bothered getting dressed after their morning shower, and tried it on. “It fits me perfectly.”

  “It does.” Nadine arched a brow as she looked her over. “Very cute, and you can wear your sneakers with it, so you won’t be uncomfortable.”

  “I expected you to have more clothes,” Rome said as she sat down on the bed and watched Nadine get dressed too.

  “No, I don’t need much when it comes to clothes. Shorts, jeans, T-shirts and some nice dresses, that’s all. Most things I wear out on dates are provided by my agency or by clients who are trying to impress me. Although they’re technically gifts, I tend to send them back the next day, so I don’t feel like I owe them anything.”

  “That’s smart.” Rome took her hand and pulled her toward the bed. “You look great,” she said, tugging at Nadine’s jade green strapless dress. “Although I prefer you without clothes.”

  Nadine chuckled and leaned in to kiss her. “I prefer you naked too, but it’s getting late and I want to show you off.”

  38

  “I need you to try this gelato.” Nadine pulled Rome along toward a small, artisanal gelato shop behind the market. The terracotta building was overgrown with vine leaves and nothing but an old wooden sign above the door hinted at what they sold.

  “It looks super cute, but I’m so full,” Rome protested. “I can’t possibly eat any more after those snacks we had with our cocktails. Are you insatiable or what?”

  “I am. On many levels.” Nadine shot her a flirty look and stepped inside, not taking no for an answer. “Seriously, it’s insanely good and we can share one.”

  Rome grinned as she looked over the deliciously looking selection of flavors. “You want to share your ice cream with me?”

  “Of course. It’s what gelato is for. It’s sexy.”

  “Is that so?” Rome felt herself blushing when she noticed people were listening in on their conversation. A woman behind her, who obviously understood English, chuckled, but Nadine didn’t seem to care. Looking at the colorful selection of creamy goodness, she licked her lips, and the unconscious gesture made Rome’s heart race. It was crazy how much she longed for Nadine, and after quietly discussing the amazing sex they’d had over drinks and cicchetti whilst sitting in an adorable little square somewhere in the historic center, she realized what a one-track mind she had. “What’s your favorite flavor?”

  Nadine shrugged. “Depends on my mood. I’m feeling sweet today. You?”

  “I like sweet.” Rome pointed to a white gelato. “Vanilla, rice and dates. That sounds intriguing.”

  “Good choice.” Nadine ordered a cone with two scoops and handed it to Rome before she paid. “The top one is honeycomb and macadamia. I think you’ll like it.”

  Rome tried the ice cream while they walked back out onto the market square and sat down on a bench as the sun was setting. It wasn’t the most famous square, and the fountain they were sitting beside was one of the lesser known of the thousands of fountains in Rome, but just like every part of the city, it was breathtakingly beautiful and utterly charming. Around them were restaurants and bars, the tables outside decked out with white linen and large bottles of olive oil. To her amusement, she was now aware of the people sitting there facing the square. They looked like they were there to be seen; all dressed up, big shades, styled hair, and it was easy to separate the locals from the tourists, who looked sunburnt and tired as they made their way back to their hotels. The condensation from the fountain cooled her skin and the mist-like tiny droplets in the air were forming an array of magical rain
bow colors around them. She shielded her eyes from the low sun, took it all in and realized that this moment was pretty damn perfect. “Oh my God. You were right; this is so good,” she said as she licked her ice cream and chewed on a piece of fresh honeycomb that was dripping with honey.

  “Told you so.” Nadine tried it too. “Mmm…”

  “I don’t usually share my ice cream.” Rome watched her lick her lips again and fought the urge to lean in and kiss her. “And you were right; it is sexy.”

  “It is. And you know what’s even more sexy? In Rome, we eat ice cream like this.” Nadine took Rome’s leg and pulled it over her thigh. Then she turned to her and flung her other leg on top, wedging Rome’s leg between her own.

  “Really?” Rome looked equally turned on and confused as she scanned the market square, studying the locals. When Nadine’s poker face broke and she started laughing, Rome gave her a playful slap on her thigh and laughed too. “Okay, you’re lying. That is definitely not how others eat ice cream here.” She leaned in closer, Nadine’s irresistible lips tempting her. What was happening to her? She was sitting intimately on a bench in public, sharing an ice cream with another woman and not only did it feel completely normal, she was also giddy like a teenager. “Do people have a problem with gay people here?” she asked, just to be sure.

  Nadine shook her head. “Nah. Just like everywhere, there are fanatics, of course, and Italy is a pretty religious and family-oriented country so I can’t imagine it’s easy for young people in the countryside, but Rome’s a big city and all in all, it’s fine. There’s a genuine appreciation for love, whatever form it comes in.” She tilted her head, studying Rome as she ran her tongue through the creamy substance. “Does it bother you, sitting here with me? Like this?” she asked, patting Rome’s leg.