The Scent of Rome

by Lise Gold

A girl who Rome recognized as one of Flavio’s assistants stood up. “I cut my hair short because Matteo kept touching it in passing when it was longer. I never told anyone because it didn’t seem like a big enough deal to report, but he actually made me feel really uncomfortable for years.” She bit her lip and winced. “I liked my long hair, and I hate him for bringing me to the point that I was desperate enough to cut it. And I hate myself for not reporting it, knowing he’s harassed and even assaulted others too.”

  “Don’t hate yourself,” Rome said, feeling her pain. “This is not your fault, it’s all on him.”

  “I always call in sick when it’s our annual off-site,” another woman said. “Three years ago, he cornered me in a hotel corridor and started kissing me. When I pushed him away, he threatened to fire me and said I’d never find a job in this city again.” She shrugged. “He never fired me, and he never tried anything after that, but I avoid him and have applied for a transfer to another floor, so I’ll be sitting farther away from him, even though I love my current job.”

  Rome covered her mouth with her hand while she listened as everyone in the room told their story. Although she was shocked and felt for them, it also gave her comfort to know she wasn’t the only one, and that they were here to help her fight the bastard who had made their lives so miserable. They would be much stronger together, and by the time almost everyone had spoken, she was more convinced than ever that they could bring him down.

  The girl opposite her was the only one who hadn’t said anything yet, and Rome didn’t recognize her. “I don’t think I know you,” she said.

  The girl shook her head. “You don’t. My name is Titziana. I’m not with Nero anymore. I was an intern, in the finance department. Maria called me and told me what was going on tonight. I confided in her after Matteo groped my ass in the mail room just before my contract ended.” She bit her lip and hesitated. “I thought about going to the police, but he made me believe I’d asked for it because I wore short skirts.”

  “Yeah, it’s not the first time I’ve heard that tonight,” Rome said quietly, and reached for her hand over the table. “You didn’t ask for anything, okay?”

  “I know.” Tiziana gave her a small smile. “It might be worth tracing previous interns too. The first thing he ever said to me was that he’d been looking forward to meeting ‘the new intern’, which makes me think he has a thing for young girls.”

  “She’s right,” Eliza said. “Matteo has an eye for either young or vulnerable women. Women with something to lose, or women he thinks he can manipulate.” She turned to Rome, her lilac eyes glaring like she was about to spit fire at any moment. “Are you sure you want to sue? Can’t we just hire someone to kill him? I know people.”

  At that, everyone laughed, brightening the mood a little.

  Rome laughed too. “Believe me, it’s crossed my mind. But this will be worse for him. Public humiliation, a likely divorce, a huge settlement for his wife, for you guys, who have lost out on career opportunities and promotions, but most of all, I want him banned from the office. That’s what we’re aiming for. Unfortunately, we’re not able to sue him for assault, as most assault cases are outdated; there’s a six-month cap on reporting it. I could sue him for assault personally, which would require the police to re-open the investigation, but that wouldn’t help any of you, so my lawyer has suggested we go with harassment through a civil case as we have a greater chance of winning that way. I know it’s not fair, but it’s how the legal system works.” She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

  “That will be Bella, the head of HR,” Eliza said, getting up to open it. “She couldn’t be here earlier, said she had family commitments. I’m surprised she showed up at all, as I couldn’t tell her what it was about and she was reluctant to come.”

  “Bella is here?” Rome looked around the room. “Are you guys okay with that?” She wasn’t sure how safe these women would feel if someone high up in the company joined them, HR or not. It wasn’t like Bella had done much for her apart from arrange a mediation meeting which Matteo hadn’t shown up to.

  “Yeah, Eliza told us she would invite her unless we had a problem with that,” Maria said. “It’s okay.”

  “Are you finally going to tell me what this is all about?” Bella sneered at Eliza from the open door. “I’m a busy woman and I don’t have time for silly games.” She frowned. “Anyway, what is this dump?”

  “Careful lady, this is my family’s dump,” Angelo yelled from behind the bar.

  The room fell silent again when Bella walked in, and her face pulled into a baffled expression as she put her purse down on an empty chair and looked around. Her eyes rested on Rome, who beckoned her to sit down.

  “This is about Matteo,” Rome said, then paused, giving Bella some time to process the scene. “As I already told you, he sexually assaulted me. But as you can see, I’m not the only one.” She gestured to the group. “What you’re about to hear needs to remain strictly confidential. Our problem is with Matteo personally, not with Nero. However, that doesn’t take away that a lot of the harassment took place at work, during work hours. The company is ultimately responsible for providing a safe work environment, and none of these women have felt comfortable discussing what happened to them with your department. That’s going to change right here and now.”

  Bella’s eyes widened as she stared at the number of women sitting around Rome, her snobby demeanor dropping immediately. “All of you?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yes, and quite possibly more.” Rome waited until Angelo put a coffee in front of Bella, then continued. “Once I update you on everything I’ve heard this evening, you have two choices. You can either choose to be a part of this, or you can turn a blind eye, but if you do decide to go with the latter option, I wish you good luck fighting all of these brave women. That includes me,” she said. “Because just like all these women, I didn’t make it up, there was no misunderstanding, and mediation is not an option.”

  Bella’s bottom lip started trembling, and Rome could see she was getting emotional. “My God,” she whispered. “I really had no idea he was like that.”

  “Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t.” Rome shrugged. “But my lawyer, who will be representing all of us, is coming over next week to talk to everyone, and we’re going to sue Matteo. I’d like the company to come out of this unscathed, or at least in the best shape possible, as all our jobs depend on Nero.” She glanced at Bella. “Including yours.”

  “Of course.” Bella nodded and cleared her throat. “You must think I’m some kind of monster, but I swear I had no idea.”

  “In my opinion, you didn’t handle my case appropriately,” Rome said. “But you’re getting a second chance to do right by everyone else here, and we could really do with your support. The police are unlikely to investigate their cases after six months, but they can be reported to HR at any time, and you’re going to document them all.”

  51

  “You two have been amazing,” Rome said after everyone had left. They were still at a table, sharing a bottle of wine with Angelo, who had prepared some food, too.

  “You have Eliza to thank.” Nadine squeezed Eliza’s shoulder as she got up to go to the bathroom.

  “That’s not true,” Eliza said. “Your girlfriend has been incredible, helping me with talking to them. She really has a way with people.”

  “I know, she’s great like that.” Rome turned to Angelo. “And thank you for letting us use your trattoria.”

  “No problem.” Angelo shrugged. “A lot of secret meetings take place here. The union, my family meetings…”

  Rome figured she’d rather not know what was discussed during his family meetings as she gave him a warm smile. “Well, I really appreciate it. Would it be okay if we made this our regular meeting place? I’ll pay you, of course, for your expenses and some more on top, so you’re not losing out.”

  “No need to pay me.” Angelo sank down in his chair. “We’re closed on Mondays
anyway, so you can use this space every other Monday, when nothing’s going on. I’d like to see that man go down just as much as you do.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate that, but we’ll work something out to compensate you.” Rome let out a deep sigh and took a sip of her wine. “Those women are so brave, doing this. I can’t make them any promises, but I’m almost positive we can nail him, now.”

  “I agree, I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Eliza said. “It’s twenty-three against one.” She waved a hand and laughed. “Make it twenty-four, even though Bella has not been subjected to his gropey hands.”

  “Matteo would think twice before he forced himself upon the HR director.” Rome shook her head. “God, that woman is one tough cookie and I can’t say I like her for the way she treated me, but I did feel sorry for her when she started crying.”

  “I guess it’s a wake-up call for her,” Nadine said, joining them again. She tilted her head and chuckled as she watched Eliza nibble at the leftovers of Angelo’s gnocchi. “It’s good, right?”

  Eliza nodded. “It’s the best. Seriously the best gnocchi I’ve ever had. And my mama makes great gnocchi,” she added, then regarded Angelo with interest. “You got a girlfriend?”

  Angelo laughed and shook his head. “No.”

  “Why not? You’re handsome, you’re a good person and you’re a great cook. What more could a woman want?” Eliza put her fork down and sat back, draping her arms over the back of her chair so her breasts were pointing right at him. She’d clearly tried to dress appropriately for tonight, wearing a simple black suit and high heels, but even dressed down, she still stood out with her lilac hair and colored lenses.

  “If you like me so much, why don’t you ask me out on a date?” Angelo said with a challenging twinkle in his eyes before his gaze lowered to her cleavage. Somehow, he’d managed to make Eliza blush, and she tried to suppress a grin but failed.

  “Hmm… I don’t know. I’m kind of traditional that way. I like the man to ask me out.”

  “You don’t seem like the traditional type,” Angelo retorted.

  Eliza shrugged and hesitated for a moment. “You’d be surprised.”

  “Okay, I think it’s time we get going, don’t you?” Rome said to Nadine, getting up. Although the two of them would most likely be a disaster if they got together, with Eliza breaking Angelo’s heart as soon as she got bored with him, they were clearly physically attracted to each other and she was starting to feel like a third wheel.

  “Yes, let’s go.” Nadine gave Angelo a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, buddy.”

  “Anytime.” He looked up and shot Rome a wink. “I’m glad it went well.”

  “Me too,” Rome gave Angelo and Eliza a quick wave. The two had switched places so they were sitting next to each other now, and they didn’t look like they were planning on leaving anytime soon. “Thank you so much. I’ll see you soon.”

  “I definitely sensed some romance there,” Nadine said when they were back in her apartment. They were sitting on her balcony and she had her leg draped over Rome’s lap while Rome gave her a foot rub. “That was a good call of yours to leave.”

  “Yeah, poor Angelo.”

  Nadine tilted her head and shot her an amused smile. “Why? He’s a big boy.”

  “But he’s too nice for her,” Rome said, admiring Nadine’s perfect pedicure. Her middle toe was a little longer than the rest and the sweet imperfection made her heart swell.

  “What do you mean? I like Eliza, she’s super nice, too.”

  “She is,” Rome said, taking Nadine’s other foot. “But she’ll eat him up and spit him back out when she’s done with him. That’s just what she does.”

  “Maybe it will be different with him.”

  “Maybe.”

  “You’re sounding awfully cynical for someone who wasn’t even into women before you met me.” Nadine groaned when Rome started kneading the ball of her foot. “Oh God, that feels so good.”

  Rome took a deep breath as she looked up at the moon. Sitting out here under the dark sky with Nadine had become one of her favorite pastimes, and although it was way past midnight, the meeting had given her so much hope and energy that she was wide awake. They were both wearing Nadine’s robes after a shower and the classical music she’d gotten so used to was softly playing in the background. “You’re right. I shouldn’t judge her like that.” Her lips curled into a smile as her fingers trailed over Nadine’s foot. “Do you know your middle toe is longer than the others?”

  Nadine’s eyes widened, and she retracted her foot. “Hey, of course I’m aware and it’s not something I enjoy you pointing out.”

  “But it’s so cute,” Rome argued, pulling it back and kissing her toe. “I love your toes, and I love the little patch of darker skin in the back of your neck that goes bright red when I touch you, and I love the beauty mark on your lower back and the way you snore softly in your sleep.”

  “I snore?” Nadine looked mortified. “Please tell me I don’t snore.”

  “A little. Sometimes, when you’re really tired.” Rome smiled sweetly. “But I love your imperfections, and love that I know you like no one else does… I love everything about you.” She swallowed hard and flinched at her own honesty. Nadine remained quiet, staring at her. When Rome looked into her teary eyes that were suddenly filled with emotion, everything became clear to her. She cursed while a million things ran through her mind. “Fuck.”

  “Fuck?” Nadine stroked her arm. “What’s so bad?”

  Rome shook her head. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”

  “Come on, Rome, you have to say it now,” Nadine persisted. “Just tell me.”

  “I ehm…” Rome paused for a long moment. “I think I love you.” The words came out in a quiet mumble, but Nadine had heard them loud and clear. She got off the bench, went down on her knees before Rome and took both her hands.

  “Rome, look at me.” She waited until Rome finally met her eyes and took a tighter hold of her. “I love you too.”

  Rome felt a tear trickle down her cheek and shivered at the warm buzz that enveloped her. The sense of belonging she felt was overwhelming, and she started crying, shaking as she stood up, falling into Nadine’s arms. She hadn’t felt this in a long time. Not after her mother had left. Now that she’d uttered those words, it was like a wall had been knocked down, and she felt the need to say so much more but didn’t know where to start. “You got me looking at the moon,” she said through sobs. “You got me smelling things at the market, and looking up as I walk. I see things now, notice the beauty in everything around me. You got me listening to music that moves me, and I’m even more in touch with myself because of you. You opened me up. How did you do that?”

  “I didn’t do anything.” Nadine kissed her softly and wiped away her tears. “You opened me up too, you know. I didn’t plan this, you just happened to me.” She paused. “I never thought I’d say those words to anyone.”

  “Me either.” Rome took Nadine’s face into her hands and stroked her cheeks. Nadine’s beautiful eyes looking into her soul was all she needed. Nadine really knew her, and it felt good to be known. “I hardly dare say it, but maybe this was meant to be. I know I’m not one for astrology or any of that stuff, but this is almost too good to be true, and maybe our stars were aligned after all.”

  Nadine sighed as she pulled her into another tight embrace. “I have no doubt they were.”

  52

  “So, that’s the situation.” Rome stood up from the table, leaving Flavio and Rob baffled. “I understand this may come as an unpleasant surprise, but I’d rather keep you in the loop, as I too, want the company to come out of this in the best shape possible. And now you also know why Matteo wasn’t invited to this meeting.”

  “HR already informed us you were suing him,” Flavio said. “And Matteo told me he expected problems a while back,” he added, upon which Rob shot him a surprised look.

  “Well, I hope I’ll have your support, and
that you’ll work with me rather than against me.” Rome hadn’t mentioned the twenty-three other women as she wanted to protect their identities for as long as she could. The two men probably thought she didn’t stand a chance against Matteo on her own, and that was fine, but she needed to know if they were decent people so she could continue to work for them.

  “It’s a delicate situation,” Flavio finally said after much deliberation. “I suppose the judge will decide whether he’s guilty or not, and if he is found guilty, Nero will, of course, take the necessary steps for the safety of its employees.”

  “I agree,” Rob followed. “I don’t know Matteo very well. We all have our own families and circles of friends, and apart from the board meetings and business dinners—which only happen when we’re closing new deals—we don’t see much of each other.” He kept stabbing his pen into the table; a sign that the conversation was making him agitated. “What I can promise, is that I won’t work against you, and that if he’s found guilty, we’ll deal with the consequences. My wife is on the board of an Italian charity for women’s rights and Nero makes yearly donations to them. Aside from the fact that I’m personally invested in the cause because of my wife, the company is invested too, and it could make for some really, really bad press.”

  “I understand.” Rome pursed her lips as she thought about that. “But if we work together and anticipate the bad press, we can come up with a plan of action. You, me, the HR department and the PR department. I can’t talk to you about the details of the case, but I can tell you one thing for certain: you’ll find out soon enough what a scumbag Matteo is, and he will be found guilty.” She stood up and gave them a polite nod. “I suppose you might want to discuss this between yourselves, so I’ll leave you to it. Thank you for meeting with me.”

  Rome walked out of the building with a bounce in her step, relieved to have gotten it out of the way. Michael would be coming over in a couple of days to meet with her and Anton, and despite the circumstances she was actually looking forward to seeing him again. Since he was reluctant to bill his hours, Rome had insisted on booking the hotel and flights for him and his wife. Three weeks in Rome in exchange for support and advice throughout the beginning of the trial was a deal they were both happy with, and she was excited to meet his wife. Michael had stood by her side from the very first day she’d tried to get her app out on the market, and even now, he was invested in the case and genuinely concerned about her. It was time that she let him in too, that she embraced new friendships and welcomed any help she could get.