Roman Encounter

by Lily Zante

  Her time away had at least shown her that her mother could survive. If her mother could survive, then so could she. As long as she didn’t risk her heart and reputation by doing any more reckless things. She had started to believe that Christian was a good man, despite his arrogance. She had started to believe that beneath that rugged and strong exterior lay a true gentleman. She should have known it was too good to be true. A man with a face and a body like that should have come with a warning label.

  She walked into her office and, no sooner had she sat down, than Ines popped her head in.

  “I’m so glad you’re back,” cried Ines. “It’s been manic here.” She could well imagine. The launch party for the new hotel was this coming weekend, and she was already dreading it.

  “You wait until you see the new place, you’ll want to stay there.” Ines had been to Ravenna on many occasions for photo shoots needed for marketing purposes. Gina had never been, even though Nico had invited her along many times. She had never had the time to go for a day trip to Ravenna.

  “Is it formal wear?” Even as she asked the question, she knew. Of course it would be, with many of Verona’s wealthiest people probably turning up in full length evening dresses or sexy short cocktail frocks. Black ties, tuxes, diamonds and beautiful, shiny, sparkly things.

  She was supposed to have gone shopping with Davide, back when she had shown him the invite. But after their split, she had pushed everything to do with the Ravenna party to the back of her mind, locked it out of existence and thrown away the key.

  Everyone would be in pairs. Everyone but her. She had half a mind to concoct a silly lie and not turn up, but she wasn’t the type of person who could let down her friends. She owed it to Nico and Edmondo to be there, single and lonely, and being a wallflower.

  “Formal attire, yes. Nico is excited. But I get the feeling he’s more excited about introducing Elisabetta to everyone,” said Ines.

  “Elisabetta.” Gina smiled thinking of the beautiful little girl. It wouldn’t be so bad, she told herself. She would see Ava and Elsa as well. “It will be good to see everyone.”

  “And will I finally get to meet your boyfriend?” Ines asked.

  Gina felt a knot form in the back of her neck. She didn’t know what to say, but she was sick of not saying anything. “We split up.” It was so matter-of-fact, and it no longer mattered. Davide was the least of her misery now.

  “You split up?” Ines’ facial expression twisted into angst worthy of an Oscar nomination.

  Gina glanced at her watch. “But I’m over it,” she said, rising to her feet. “We’d better go.” They had their usual weekly management meeting with Nico.

  “You’re taking this too well,” Ines said, reaching for Gina’s arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine,” insisted Gina. “It happened, and it’s done with.” She started to open the door, then stopped, and turned around. “But I failed the test at the end.”

  “What test?”

  “The one they give you at the end of the course.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” replied Ines, as if that wasn’t a big deal compared to splitting up with someone.

  “I’d rather you didn’t mention it to Demetrio.”

  Ines made a face indicating that Demetrio would be the last person she’d ever tell. “I avoid talking to that man at all times,” she said. “Your secret is safe with me.” They walked along towards the meeting room.

  “My husband can’t come to the launch party, either. He’s got a deadline to meet at work, and he’ll be working the entire weekend.”

  “Then you and I will make sure we have a great time.” Gina opened the door to the meeting room and they sat down. A few moments’ later, Demetrio arrived.

  “You’re back?” He sounded disappointed.

  “I’m back.” Her patience for people who annoyed her had run its course. “You almost sound happy to see me.”

  “Is it so obvious?” His tone was just as sardonic.

  “Nico’s running late,” Ines commented graciously, breaking up the sarcasm with her usual tact and diplomacy.

  “How was the test?” Demetrio placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. All she could see was his large look-at-me watch.

  “Easy.”

  “Here he comes,” announced Ines. The door opened a little and they could hear Nico speaking to someone.

  “It is easy,” agreed Demetrio. “But those training center tests aren’t the real thing, not like the tests you get in college. What did you get?”

  “95%.”

  If he was impressed by her answer, he didn’t show it. “That’s not too bad, for someone like you.”

  “What do you mean, someone like me?” She blinked rapidly, trying to think how to best handle this obnoxious troll. To run away from an answer, or to hesitate would give the game away. She wished the lie hadn’t spurted from her lips so easily.

  “I don’t mean anything by it,” Demetrio said, straightening up. “Just that you’ve not had to deal with exams and real pressure like that.” It was a subtle dig at her lack of education. That’s what he meant.

  “Ciao.” Nico walked in and acknowledged them all. “Welcome back, Gina.”

  She smiled at Nico, even though her hands were clenched. He’d saved that boy from getting a mouthful from her.

  “Let’s get started.” Nico cleared his throat. “It’s been a busy month and its going to get even more hectic in the coming weeks. The Cazale Ravenna is about to open as you are all aware. Ava and I hope you can all make it to the party.” Gina shifted in her seat. Was it her imagination or had Nico looked at her when he had said that? “I have a lot going on, so I’d like to keep this morning’s meeting as short as possible. We’ll go around the table. I’ll start.”

  She sat through the meeting listening to everyone. Her contribution was short given that she hadn’t been here last week. At the end, after they had all spoken, Nico turned to her. “The Cazale Roma is about to undergo an external audit. We get these things sprung on us from time-to-time. There’s a lot of paperwork and fiddly work involved. We always aim for the highest accreditations and Matteo is already panicking. He’s had a lot of staff changes lately, and with that hotel being one of our busiest, I’d feel better if you could go and help them prepare for it.”

  “Me?” Gina asked.

  “If it’s not a problem,” said Nico. “I have no time to devote to this, and as usual, everything’s happened at the same time. My priority is the new hotel.”

  “I could do it,” volunteered Demetrio. “I’ll be there later this week.”

  “Do what?” she asked, turning to him in surprise. He knew nothing about preparing a site for a hotel audit, and his audacity infuriated her.

  “Whatever you were going to do. It seems a shame to drag you there as well, given that it’s so busy here.”

  Nico cut in. “It’s a hotel audit, not an IT project.” His terse tone made her smile. She recognized it well. It was a tone that came with a caution and Demetrio obviously knew no better. She had a feeling he was also silently annoyed by Demetrio’s belief that he could do everyone else’s jobs.

  “How were you going to help?” Nico asked.

  “I’m going to Rome to do the software upgrade. I could take a look at things.”

  “You’re not a hotel manager.”

  Demetrio colored. “I realize. Yes, of course.” He backtracked. “I was trying to help. Gina’s leaving soon anyway, and we’ll have to get used to making do without her.”

  “I’m still here for now,” she said, giving him a hard stare.

  Silence prickled in the air until Nico said. “You need to focus your attention on the upgrades, Demetrio. Nothing else.”

  She tried not to smile too much.

  “It was just a suggestion.” Demetrio’s voice petered away.

  Nico addressed Gina again. “Think about it, and let me know by the end of business today. It’s not too late for me to
get a third-party in to assist our colleagues in Rome.”

  Her heart danced at the idea of returning to Rome.

  “How long for?” she asked.

  “A week. I would appreciate it.”

  She could see from his face that Nico was run ragged. The past few months had been tough, and this new hotel meant a lot to him, especially given all the problems he’d experienced. Of course she would help.

  “I can go, Nico.” But first she could have to confess to him about her test. As they all got up to leave, she followed Nico to his office and asked for his time.

  “Sit down, Gina,” he said, sitting back in his chair. “Did you enjoy the course?” She was dismayed to find that he had chosen to dwell on that. She was hoping to kill some time talking about the new hotel and finding out how Ava and Elisabetta were. At some time during the day she would pop her head into Ava’s office and say ‘hi’.

  “I did.”

  “It’s good to have you back, even if it’s only for this week.”

  “I didn’t do well on the test.”

  “You didn’t?” Nico’s voice was soft but she detected a slight tone of surprise.

  “I messed up the questions. I got flustered.” She waited to see what he made of that.

  “That’s not like you. Is something troubling you?”

  “No,” she said, looking down at her skirt. “It must have just been an off day.”

  “Pffft,” said Nico, dismissing it with a wave of his hand and opening his leather bound notebook. “We all have off days. You can always retake it, if you want. I think they still allow that. Since you’re going to Rome anyway, why don’t you do it then?”

  The last thing she wanted to do was to go back to Fordana so soon. She couldn’t bear the thought of meeting with Christian again. “I’ll consider it,” she said. “Actually, Nico,” she smoothed down her skirt. “I was thinking of cancelling the next course. I’m scheduled to attend one at the end of April.”

  “Why do you want to cancel?”

  She couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth. “I don’t think it’s fair, me leaving and still attending courses.

  “Until you actually leave, Gina, you are still a part of this hotel group. I admit, I’ve been slack in finding a replacement for you. It hasn’t been that long since you dropped the bombshell on me, but I will start looking once the pressure of the new hotel is over. Until you come and tell me that you’ve been given a job, and that everything is final, and that you’re really going, I’m afraid you’re going to have to continue as if you’ve got a bright future here with us.”

  Chapter 25

  Rachele had turned up at his place on Friday night on her way home from the airport, and had thrown a hissy fit when he hadn’t answered the door.

  How could he have when he hadn’t been at home? He’d had a sneaking suspicion that she would do this, and so he had changed his plans and gone to the gym. Boy, was she mad as hell. She’d texted him some vicious messages as a result.

  He smirked at the vision of her with a bottle of red wine feeling horny as hell. As of yet, he had managed to successfully avoid her.

  A new class and a new week and even though he was already half-way through it, it was still impossible to get Gina out of his mind.

  Fortunately, today’s interview with Nesta had gone well. Although he’d finished half an hour ago, he was still pumped. It had gone as well as he’d expected, even though he found himself uncharacteristically nervous as he entered the room. It turned out that he didn’t need to be nervous at all. Things went smoothly. If it came down to it, staying at Fordana and getting some experience on the sales team for a while would do.

  Nesta liked him. Christian knew that already. He had always made sure he kept the people at the top happy. He made sure he approached them at all the major events, bought a round of drinks, laughed and pimped his way into their inner circle temporarily.

  He expected good news, and soon.

  Now that the interview was over with, and there wasn’t anything else to occupy his mind, he naturally found himself thinking of Gina again. Irritation burrowed deep into his skin. Something was unfinished. Women didn’t share his bed and then never get in touch with him again. In his experience they usually begged for another hookup—but Gina?

  Nothing.

  He had the number of the Casa Adriana on his cell phone, and he’d already called her once, a few days ago, on the pretext of asking whether she wanted to redo her test. She’d been in a meeting and he hadn’t left a message.

  It wasn’t the usual protocol in any case. Course instructors weren’t the ones who made follow-up calls. There were administrative people to take care of that stuff. As for himself, he didn’t personally care whether students retook a test or not. It didn’t benefit him financially or in any other way.

  But calling Gina, and on that pretext had been a way of getting in touch with her without raising a lot of suspicion.

  Feeling restless and itching to make contact because she’d given him nothing when she had left, he called her. And this time, much to his surprise, she answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey,” he said, trying to gauge her reaction.

  A pause followed, long enough to be awkward. “Christian?”

  “Hi, Gina. You’re a difficult woman to get hold of.”

  “I am?”

  “I called you a few times this week.” Okay, maybe this was a white lie, but he wanted to let her know he’d tried.

  “It’s only Wednesday.”

  “Like I said. I couldn’t get a hold of you. How are you?”

  “Great. Couldn’t be better.”

  “You’re not missing me?” Humor never hurt.

  She gave a short laugh, one that didn’t sound friendly.

  “Should I?”

  “I’d hope you did.”

  More silence.

  “You left without saying much.”

  She made a low noise in her throat, as if she were considering his words, but she didn’t actually speak any words.

  “Is there a reason for your call?”

  She was cold and snooty and it didn’t make sense. He had Rachele busting his balls because she wanted to get her hands on them, and he had Gina, with whom he’d barely spent an hour, and she didn’t want anything more to do with him.

  Damn it if that didn’t make her more desirable to him.

  “I wanted to know what I’d done.”

  “You—you haven’t done anything.”

  “Have I upset you?”

  He could sense her hesitation, the micro-second delay before she answered, “No.”

  “We spend one night together and you leave without a word?”

  “What did you expect? It was only ever going to be that one time.”

  He sensed a coldness in her. It was something he wasn’t used to and knew that this wasn’t going anywhere because she wasn’t going to let it. “I called to ask if you wanted to retake the test again.”

  “Doesn’t your company have other people to take care of that?”

  “They do. But I wanted to tell you that you missed the pass mark by two marks. It was just bad luck and even though these tests aren’t a big deal in the outside world, I know the test meant a lot to you, Gina. That’s the only reason I’m suggesting it.”

  “I haven’t had time to think about it.”

  “What does your boss think?”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “I thought he might want you to retake it.”

  “Why? Are you working on a commission basis?”

  Her answer shocked him. A hiss of anger caught at his throat. “That’s what you think of me?” Did she think he was calling to make money from her?

  “I owe you the money,” she gasped, as if she’d made a monumental mistake. “I completely forgot. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not a big deal, Gina. You can give it to me next time you come down.”

  “I’m not sure I�
��m coming down.”

  “But you’ve got another course booked in,” he reminded her.

  “I’m trying to get out of it.”

  “Don’t do that on account of me. You and I falling into bed wasn’t what I had in mind in case you’re blaming me for what happened.”

  She lowered her voice. “Can you stop bringing that up? I’d rather forget about it.”

  A coldness slammed into the pit of his stomach. She’d rather forget about it? It or him? It didn’t surprise him, her wanting to push the spontaneous sex to the back of her mind. He understood. She didn’t do that. But wanting to forget him? It hurt. Like a knife slicing into his skin.

  “Can I put the money into your account?”

  “There’s no rush.”

  “There is for me. I’d feel better paying you back now. Can you give me your bank details? I’ll pay the money directly into your account.”

  He recited his account number and bank details, thanked her, and hung up. There was no getting past that iron wall she had erected. If someone had told him last week that Gina was no pushover, he wouldn’t have believed them. He knew better now.

  Chapter 26

  She was back in Rome. With Demetrio. For a week. It was her idea of hell.

  The Cazale Roma was much busier than the Casa Adriana and she was always busy at the Casa Adriana. At the hotel in Rome, she didn’t have time to take a breath. But she thrived on rushing around and getting things done and since Nico had asked her to help Matteo prepare and pass a successful audit, she wanted to do her utmost best.

  Being so pre-occupied meant her mind was focused on the work and she spent less time getting irritated by Demetrio’s presence. It also meant she didn’t waste much mental energy thinking about Christian, or the fact that the Fordana offices weren’t too far from her.

  As she went about her duties, she watched Demetrio with the other employees. Even in his interactions with them he had a certain air of pompousness about him, as if being from the Casa Adriana, being part of the Cazale management team, imbued him with privilege that elevated him to a higher level above them.