by Lise Gold
“No, it doesn’t. Maybe it would bother me if I was back home, I’m not sure. Or if people I knew saw me like this.”
Nadine nodded. “Well, I suggest you try to get comfortable with it, because it’s something you’re going to have to live with. Not that it’s a negative thing; I feel blessed to be attracted to women. God, I can’t imagine having sex with men.” She grimaced. “Gross is all I can say.”
“Are you saying you think I’m gay?” Rome asked.
“Think?” Nadine laughed. “Honey, I’m pretty sure you are.”
Rome blushed, knowing Nadine was probably right. Staring at her mouth, she saw there was ice cream on her top lip, and she knew she’d left it there on purpose as a bait to lure her in. Feeling brave, she inched closer and licked it off, and hearing the soft moan that Nadine let out left her wanting more. When she was about to lean back again, Nadine cupped her face and held her there to kiss her fiercely, and in that beautiful moment, Rome felt entirely free and kissed her back. The sun was shining on them and Nadine tasted of vanilla as her lips claimed Rome’s with an urgency that turned her limbs to jelly.
The sound of laughter broke them apart, and Nadine looked caught as she looked up at a woman standing next to their bench, shouting something in Italian. She grinned sheepishly and gave her a high five when the woman held up her hand, then turned back to Rome. “Rome, this is Monica. We work for the same agency. Monica, this is Rome.”
“Rome? Che bella!” Monica bent down to give Rome a kiss on each cheek. “That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.” She winked at Nadine. “But I didn’t expect anything less from this one. So, she’d got you all charmed up, huh? Sharing her gelato with you?”
“She has.” Rome laughed. “It’s nice to meet you, Monica. How do you know each other? You never actually go into the agency’s office, right?” she asked Nadine.
Monica and Nadine looked at each other and shook their heads. “We’ve been on a couple of double dates together,” Nadine said. “However, I don’t actually know anything about Monica apart from the stuff she makes up when she’s with her clients. Are you even a geologist? You seemed so confident talking about your stuff.”
“Of course not,” Monica said with a chuckle. “I just do my research, just like you. How’s work been?”
“Busy.” Nadine put her hand over her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sun. “A little too busy for me right now, but I only have until next February, so I tend to take the offers anyway.”
“The big 3-0 approaching, huh?” Monica smiled. “Good for you. It’s been quiet on my front lately, but that leaves me more time to have fun.” She opened her purse and held up a flyer. “I’m on my way to meet friends for drinks at a bar in Monti. You guys want to come?”
Nadine’s eyes widened in surprise. “Are you serious? We can’t just crash your evening.”
“Yes you can, you’re with me.” Monica insisted. “Seriously, it’s going to be good.”
“Okay…” Nadine looked at Rome, who just shrugged and smiled.
“Sounds like fun,” she said, wondering why she felt so spontaneous. It was unlike her to do things she hadn’t planned, but she seemed to be more open to living in the moment, lately.
“Perfect.” Monica gave them a beaming smile. “We can get to know each other a little better.” She pointed to a side street and tapped her heeled foot on the cobbled surface. “Come on, follow me. There should be a cab waiting around this corner.”
39
“Did you just say you want to kiss me?” Nadine tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. If she wasn’t mistaken, Rome was very, very much into her tonight. The way she looked at her and kept licking her lips… She didn’t even realize she was doing it.
Monica and her friends had just waved farewell a few minutes ago and they were sitting in an intimate bar that was built into a hill in Monti. The cave-like setting and low ceiling made for the perfect romantic hideaway. It was a quirky place, with bookshelves full of weird books and velvet heart-shaped loveseats next to antique lamps and glow-in-the-dark coffee tables.
“I did. You look smoking hot and you smell amazing.” Rome glanced at Nadine’s bare arms in the simple, strapless dress. It’s hard to think of anything else, to be honest with you… So, what are we doing here?” she asked, lowering her voice.
“We’re having a last drink.” Nadine gave her an innocent look.
Rome chuckled. “No, I mean with the perfume… are you testing me? I get the feeling you are. I’m wearing mine and you’re wearing yours and yes, I want to kiss you but then again, I always want to kiss you so it’s hard to say if it’s the perfume.”
“No, we’re just having a night out together.” Nadine tilted her head as she took Rome in. The strap of her dress had dropped to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of her royal blue bra. “But it’s a challenge keeping my hands to myself, with you looking the way you do.”
Rome shivered when Nadine’s hand gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. She managed to keep her cool but inside, the impact of the soft touch shot through her body like a thunderbolt. “I agree,” she whispered. “It’s hard. I want you all the time and it doesn’t help that we’re sitting in a love seat together.”
“Yeah. I like this love seat.” Unable to wait any longer, Nadine leaned in, buried her face in Rome’s neck and ran her nose along her warm skin. “Mmm… so good.” She moved her mouth to Rome’s ear and whispered: “But you’re right; I can’t tell if it’s because of the perfume or because I can smell that you’re turned on. It’s like your pheromones are talking to me and I like what they’re saying.”
“Jesus.” Rome let out the breath she’d been holding and tried to force back a moan. Nadine’s words sent a flash of arousal through her, making her shift on the couch.
“Am I right?” Nadine moved back and locked her eyes with Rome’s, leaning her cheek into the palm of her hand.
Rome nodded slowly as heat rose to her cheeks. “Yes, I’m very turned on,” she whispered. They were so close that their lips almost touched, and she was dying to kiss her, but this was a public place, and she knew that if she did, she’d never be able to stop herself. It was hard to understand how her body could react so fiercely to another person. She’d always been skeptical when people talked about chemistry, but now that she was experiencing it herself, she couldn’t deny its existence anymore. In fact, it was by far the most powerful thing she’d ever felt.
“God, I want to kiss you so badly it hurts,” Nadine mumbled, staring at Rome’s mouth while twirling a lock of her blonde hair around her finger. The silence hung between them as they both waited for the other to say something. Nadine looked like she wanted to, but nothing came out as she opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Rome decided to take the lead. “I know this is way too complicated for both of us. It’s bad timing with my job, I’ll be moving back to the US eventually and you make a living dating other people. It’s only a matter of time before one of us gets hurt, but this force is too strong,” Rome continued. “I can’t fight it and I’m not sure I want to because being with you feels incredible and I want you to be mine.”
Nadine swallowed hard and looked like she was searching for words once again. For someone who had a lot to say about things, she was suddenly terribly quiet. Finally, her lips parted, but instead of speaking, she took Rome’s face in her hands, pulled her in and kissed her fiercely. Rome moaned as she felt Nadine’s lips on hers, her tongue claiming her mouth with an urgency that left her dizzy and raging with lust. The fact that they were in a bar didn’t matter anymore because she couldn’t have stopped if she wanted to. She let herself be whisked away to a place where nothing mattered apart from their connection and for a moment, she forgot about Matteo, about work, and about the people around them. The thrilling sensation of their combusting chemistry set her on fire, like it was the first time they kissed all over again. Nadine took her to places she’d never been, and it felt so goo
d. Rome ran her hands through Nadine’s long hair, and she was wet and throbbing as they made out in the loveseat. Finally, Nadine pulled away and let out a reluctant sigh. “I’m already yours,” she whispered.
Rome felt her heart swell, and although she desperately wanted to kiss Nadine again, she was aware of the stares directed their way. People casually turned back to their conversations when she looked around the dark room, and contrary to what she’d expected, there were no giggles or comments, as if this happened all the time. It made her remember Eliza’s words—that Rome was the City of Love. “I’ve never made out in public before but today, I did it twice.”
“I’ve made out in public many times.” Nadine winked. “But it was never as nice as this.”
Rome’s lips curled into a smile. “Maybe we should get out of here before this gets out of hand.” She stood up and took Nadine’s hand without waiting for an answer. “My place? It’s really close.” Shaking her head, she changed her mind. “No, yours. Your bed is bigger.”
40
“Ouch. I think I over celebrated,” Nadine said, grimacing as she sat up in bed.
“Same here.” Rome handed her an aspirin and a glass of water and got back into bed. “It was great fun though, and Monica has lovely friends.”
“Yeah, I had a great time too. I don’t socialize much normally.” Nadine turned on her side to face her. “As I told you I don’t really have any close friends. I get invites from acquaintances but I’m usually tired from going out for work all week, so I tend to stay at home when I’m off. You made me get out there and I like that.”
“So you never do anything at night, your work dates aside?” Rome asked.
“Not really, apart from having dinner and going to church with Luca,” Nadine joked. “You?”
“No, I just work.” Rome scooted closer and nestled herself in the crook of Nadine’s arm, resting her hand on her chest. “But in the weeks that I’ve been here, I’ve been out more than I have in the past ten years at home. I think Rome is good for me.”
“And you’re good for me,” Nadine said, leaning in to kiss her before retracting with a groan. “God, I can’t even move right now my head hurts so much.”
“I didn’t take you for a lightweight,” Rome joked. “You stay here, I’ll go get us some breakfast.”
“Really?” Nadine looked at her gratefully. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“So no one’s ever taken care of you? You poor thing,” Rome said in a mock dramatic tone as she placed a soft kiss on Nadine’s forehead. “Well, that’s about to change. Coffee and breakfast coming up.” She got out of bed and slipped into the clothes she’d worn on Friday. She hadn’t been home since as they’d been working on Nadine’s business plan. She wasn’t at her best, but she was in a far better state than Nadine and was seriously craving the fresh pastries from the bakery she’d grown to love.
Luca came out with a garbage bag just as she was about to go down the stairs. “Here, let me take that,” she said, taking the bag from him. A deep frown appeared between his brows as he stared at her, then reluctantly handed it over, clearly trying to work out if he could trust her with his trash or not. “I’m Rome.” She placed a hand on her chest, then pointed to Nadine’s door. “Friend of Nadine.”
“Ah, Nadine.” A smile lit up his face and he nodded, then rattled off a monologue in Italian. Rome made a mental note to finally start those Italian lessons she’d downloaded. Perhaps today would be a good day to do that in bed, she thought. She waved at Luca and carried the heavy bag downstairs, where the garbage truck was just driving off. “Wait!” she yelled, waving her hands until it stopped. A man stepped out and greeted her, then rolled his eyes when Luca shot off a rant from his window, waving his fist at him. He murmured something that sounded like a curse, then gave Rome a wink before he drove off.
Rome felt herself smiling, and she wondered why something as mundane as taking the trash outside made her happy. Maybe because she finally felt like she was a part of a community, however strange that sounded. She’d never been in contact with her neighbors in Portland, but the social interactions she was now experiencing in Rome touched her, even if they meant nothing. Maybe she just felt more connected to people in general here, where they smiled and greeted each other in passing, and kept an eye out for each other.
She walked to the bakery with a bounce in her step, genuinely enjoying the short trip through the beautiful alleyways. A group of nuns were waiting at the counter, laughing and joking with the baker, who looked like he was making fun of them. Again, Rome longed to speak the language, and deciding to give it a go, she opened her translation app and looked up how to order a loaf of bread and two croissants. To her surprise, the baker understood her, and although she didn’t get what he said after that, she managed to work out how much to pay and even wished him a good day in Italian. Gloating with excitement, she stopped at another store to buy eggs and then moved on to the market to get fresh tomatoes and ricotta, using her app to communicate. Now that she’d finally gotten over her initial shyness, learning the language didn’t seem so daunting anymore.
Nadine had taught her some fundamental phrases and how to count, to say thank you and some other polite basics, but she hadn’t put her learnings into practice until now. As she walked back with bags full of groceries, she imagined herself being fully integrated by the time her job was done, and being able to communicate effortlessly, speaking the elegant language that sounded like music to her ears. And then what? Would she go back home? Continue to live her life in the US like her time here had never happened? Rome shook off that thought, because the idea of leaving Nadine made her feel sick, and she didn’t want to ruin her good mood.
Back in Nadine’s kitchen, she went to work and miraculously managed to whip up scrambled eggs with ricotta and black pepper. She also sliced a couple of tomatoes and added the fresh bread and the croissants onto a tray she found in the kitchen, along with two large take-out coffees from the café below the apartment.
“Here’s breakfast,” she whispered and felt a lump in her throat as Nadine slowly turned and opened her eyes. She took her breath away with everything she did, and even just watching her wake up was a sight she knew she’d never forget.
“Sweet, sweet Rome. You’re an angel.” Nadine sat up and reached for the coffee like it was a lifeline. She shot Rome an adorable smile as she looked over the food she’d prepared. “Wow. The perks of having a girlfriend are becoming clear to me now.” Although she was joking, Rome could tell that it touched her from the way her eyes welled up before she looked down, taking one of the plates and avoiding her gaze.
Hearing her say the word ‘girlfriend’ made Rome blush, and she hid her grin behind her coffee cup as Nadine took a bite. “My first attempt at a real breakfast,” she said smugly, before tasting the eggs. “Not bad if I say so myself.”
“Not bad? This is amazing.” Nadine squeezed her hand. “Thank you, I really mean that.”
“You’re welcome.” Rome studied Nadine, who seemed to have no idea what to do with her sudden emotional state, so she changed the subject. “I met Luca as I left the building and took his trash outside. He was a bit suspicious about me at first, but he chirped up when I said your name.”
“Oh, you did?” Nadine laughed. “Of course he was suspicious, that man doesn’t trust anyone. God, I think I’m supposed to take him to church today.” She checked the time on her phone and sighed. “In an hour.”
“Good thing I woke you up, then. Are you taking a cab?”
Nadine shook her head. “We’re taking the scooter, it’s much quicker.”
“You’re joking, right?” Rome tried to imagine Nadine with the eighty-five-year old on the back and raised a brow at her. “That’s crazy.”
“No, I’m totally serious, he’s fine on the back,” Nadine said as if there was nothing strange about that. “We might even be able to fit three people on my ride if you want to come. Or we can tak
e a cab if being wedged between me and Luca freaks you out.”
Rome laughed and waved a hand. “No, you go. I’m sure he’s much more comfortable when it’s just the two of you.” She held up her phone. “But if you don’t mind me staying in your bed for a little longer, I’m going to start my first Italian lesson today.”
“Really? I’m impressed you’re so keen to learn the language, it’s hard.” Nadine tilted her head and smiled as she locked her eyes with Rome’s. “But then again, you’re so smart that learning Italian might be as easy as pie to you.”
“Don’t big me up.” Rome blew her a kiss. “I’m not that smart, and I have no talent when it comes to languages, but I’m sure I can remember a couple of sentences and manage the basics if you correct my pronunciation from time to time.”
“That’s a deal.” Nadine put her plate to the side and took a sip of her coffee, then rolled over to face her again. “But if you really want to learn, you’re going to have to spend a lot of time with me.”
“I think I can manage that.” Rome’s breath hitched when Nadine ran a hand over her breasts. She caught it and shook her head as she chuckled. “If you start this now, we won’t be done in an hour and you know that.”
“You’re right.” Nadine sighed as she reluctantly pulled her hand away and got out of bed. “Will you be here when I get back?”
Rome nodded, a warm feeling coursing through her as she watched Nadine cross the room naked, searching for a towel. “I’ll be waiting.”