An American Girl in Italy: HarperImpulse Contemporary Romance
Aubrie Dionne
An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants… but the one thing she needs!Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself…Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum.Only, there’s one Italian attraction that Carly hadn’t quite expected to be a part of the tourist route…Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to land her an important gig, he’s a more than capable tutor.But with her promising career back in Boston, can Carly really afford to lose her heart in Italy?
An American Girl in Italy
Aubrie Dionne
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First published in Great Britain by HarperImpulse 2014
Copyright © Aubrie Dionne 2014
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Aubrie Dionne asserts the moral right
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A catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
This novel is entirely a work of fiction.
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the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is
entirely coincidental.
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Ebook Edition © May 2014
ISBN: 9780007594443
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Contents
Copyright (#ucdcf229c-8fa4-5911-a637-8748c5fcabf0)
Aubrie Dionne (#u34f22028-cdc1-5274-8e75-18a0afd5bca8)
Dedication (#u558f2990-42dc-5bcf-a291-d7189b8eed50)
Chapter One: Paying the Price (#u9c7a4879-51b3-5e6c-bf06-7e95a997b39d)
Chapter Two: Diva’s Choice (#u9f631d23-2a71-5eb2-815b-1e96a8206e77)
Chapter Three: Never-ending Songs (#u6a7f6521-7eca-5dd1-8f8a-c36b131bcee3)
Chapter Four: Wandering Eyes (#u75487225-2917-55a2-bc6a-5994817776a5)
Chapter Five: A Chance in the World (#ud5661cb1-3fe4-5a22-8b99-d11fb12ea081)
Chapter Six: Vision in Red (#u0b4fdb1d-adf6-5949-a202-a9b13e6ac72d)
Chapter Seven: Favor (#ua7dd6479-4c8b-5d37-a471-556358e77814)
Chapter Eight: Details (#u9c2e76cb-c1a6-5d82-8c54-773861ea36b8)
Chapter Nine: The Best of the Best (#u972cd4ed-3f8f-5385-b3b7-31c62a59ff90)
Chapter Ten: Life Away (#u5d1ffc8a-1b33-567d-bf94-ea88f642c2cb)
Chapter Eleven: Panic Attack (#u182fc44f-9eca-56c1-9506-514b95d7c6fe)
Chapter Twelve: Anytime (#u6854ea54-5e47-5464-8e0e-9c87990929fa)
Chapter Thirteen: Experiments (#u0283eb3a-e8bc-51d6-b65f-e6ea0089312d)
Chapter Fourteen: Baroness (#u108df28b-6cbe-513b-8da7-9042691c04a0)
Chapter Fifteen: Big Plans (#u838f73af-cebc-57ed-a22d-e90b8e238184)
Chapter Sixteen: Locked Heart (#u778cce27-2450-5f43-b21d-018cb46bb299)
Chapter Seventeen: Accent (#u98d730d4-0cb4-5198-a971-0a3ce00eb170)
Chapter Eighteen: One More (#uc2803071-0270-5fb0-9c51-6ce7e057b126)
Chapter Nineteen: A Favor to Ask (#uf34b1ca6-794e-5050-b060-6fa66e06084c)
Chapter Twenty: Duets (#u3c81f7bf-61f4-5b3b-86e3-0cbf665af4c8)
Chapter Twenty-One: One Night (#u3ccd0fe7-a47b-5ac5-b52a-b35c0abef1f2)
Chapter Twenty-Two: New Meaning (#u1e894246-0629-5c6c-933d-4e79bf6b12fe)
Chapter Twenty-Three: Final Count (#u2891a107-2bd0-5ba1-ad4d-5243d864752b)
Chapter Twenty-Four: Take Off (#uf506d71a-7944-5c2c-9e82-887ec91fd318)
About HarperImpulse (#u18bc7dc4-a656-553f-94ee-ea397f734b4a)
About the Publisher (#u652e3f16-1b3e-5ea3-b39a-91c21c1d6112)
Aubrie Dionne (#uc4c5df4a-33c5-5ce8-957a-0d97838f6f4d)
I started writing because my flute students urged me to publish the stories I made up in their lessons. My books are influenced by my undying love of Star Wars and Star Trek, and by my own musical life. When I’m not writing, I teach flute and play in orchestras.
You can follow me on Twitter @AuthorAubrie.
For the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras for taking me on an unforgettable tour of Italy in high school and inspiring the setting for this book.
Chapter One
Paying the Price (#uc4c5df4a-33c5-5ce8-957a-0d97838f6f4d)
You may now turn on all electronic devices echoed through the intercom of the Boeing 747 as music to Carly’s ears. After nine and a half hours of practicing her oboe fingerings on her pencil to the beat of Bertha Payne’s snoring, she was ready to tear through the metal hull of the plane with her fingernails.
Carly turned on her phone and waited for her e-mails to load. As much as she loved her bff, Melody Mires, their friendship had taken a back seat to Melody’s grand love affair with the conductor. Four seats up, Melody had glued her head to Wolf’s shoulder. Carly and Melody had practically owned two seats at the bar of the Neighborhood Grill, which they’d frequented every night after rehearsal. Then Wolf showed up and bam! Girls’ nights out ended for life. That left Carly with sweet, little old Bertha.
Her inbox flashed before her eyes in a horror show. Two hundred and seven e-mails. She couldn’t remember the last time her phone had been shut off for so long.
Scrolling down, she hoped she hadn’t missed anything too important. A few gig requests for last-minute summer weddings, three oboe students wishing her good luck on her Italian tour, and a whole ton of e-mails about her contemporary music group, Women Reeds. Although nothing was pressing, she’d had to pass on two concerts with other orchestras, three days of teaching, and a few wedding gigs.
Her best bet was to get through this tour and get back to the States as soon as possible so no one thought of her missing in action and started hiring her rivals.
Her finger stopped on a message from Dino Daywood, the DJ contractor who got her the swankiest gigs. Last-minute performance request at the Hyatt Harborside. Tomorrow at noon. Show up and play Pachelbel’s Canon. Twice union wages.
Dammit! Hadn’t she told him she’d be stranded in the Italian countryside for two weeks?
Wolf stood up from his seat beside Melody and cleared his throat. ‘Attention all Easthampton Civic Symphony members. Welcome to Italy.’ His thick German accent commanded their attention.
He smiled and straightened his broad shoulders, looking like a Roman gladiator. As much as Carly missed her friend, Melody really had scored big time. ‘Our tour guide will be meeting us right outside the gate. His name is Michelangelo Ricci, a native from Tuscany and—get this—his family owns a vineyard. He’s the best tour guide around and has been conducting tours since he was a young boy.’
As Carly squirmed in her seat, Wolf gestured to the orchestra’s biggest donor and the board of directors. ‘Ms. Maxhammer handpicked him after a series of rigorous interviews. Michelangelo knows his way around and will be with us every step of the way.’ Wolf waved his hand over to the front of the plane, where people had already started pulling down their bags in first class. ‘Play well and I hope you and your families enjoy the tour.’
Carly glanced at Bertha. By the time she woke up, they’d be the last ones off the plane. She needed to get to a quiet place and call Dino back. He wouldn’t be happy, but he’d be even less happy if she didn’t give him enough time to find someone else.
Carly’s neck burned with frustration. Twice union wages, and a contact with the Hyatt Harborside. She’d been dreaming of playing there ever since she saw it glisten from across the Back Bay. Enjoy your trip, my ass.
She nudged the old violinist. ‘Bertha, it’s time to wake up.’
Al chuckled from the seat behind them as he picked up his trombone. He insisted his instrument have its own ticket, whereas Carly’s oboe fitted in the overhead. ‘There’s only one way to wake her up.’
He unzipped his case and brought out his mouthpiece.
Carly shook her head. ‘You’re not going to—’
Before she could finish, Al buzzed the mouthpiece down by Bertha’s ear.
Carly winced as Bertha’s eyes flickered open. She smacked her dentures together and gazed up at Carly. ‘We’re there already?’
Al winked as he passed them down the aisle. ‘You can thank me later.’
Carly gave him a dirty look. In his dreams. Melody may have made a lucky match in the orchestra, but Carly didn’t mix business with pleasure. Her life was one hundred percent business and she endeavored to keep it that way.
It took forever to help Bertha with her violin and baggage. Only then did she have the luxury of whipping out her phone. Cringing, she dialed Dino’s number and punched in his extension.
The other orchestra members gathered around the glass windows at the front of the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. A man with curly dark hair wearing a white cotton shirt waved them over. His back was turned, so she couldn’t make out his face, but she bet it was chubby and dark with a long, oily mustache like the guy on her pasta label. Oh great, that must be the Italian guide.
‘Dirty Dancing DJs, Dino speaking.’ He sounded like he was in the other room, not four thousand miles away.
Maybe a little distance, in this case, is good.
‘Hey, Dino. It’s Carly.’
‘Hey babe, what’s happening? Did you get the good news?’
The orchestra started to leave through the double doors. Melody waved to her, but Carly waved her back. ‘That’s what I’m calling about. I’m in Italy for the next two weeks. I left you a message—’
‘Italy? Damn, girl. How am I supposed to book you over there?’
‘One of my orchestras is on tour, and I had to go to keep my full-time status. I’m sorry. I thought you got the message.’
He sighed, sounding more annoyed than sad. ‘Well, I guess I have to find someone else.’
Someone else. Those two words cut to her gut like reed sharpeners. In the gig business, if you refused, you got bumped to the bottom of the list. Dirty Dancing DJs was like the music mafia. It controlled every event center from the coast to western Massachusetts. She could already hear his fingers clicking over the keyboard for more numbers.
Someone tugged on her sleeve and she yanked her arm back. Melody has some guts coming to me now after ignoring me for the whole flight. ‘Just give me a sec,’ she hissed while covering the phone.
Dino hung up, leaving her with a dead phone stuck to her ear. Carly stomped her foot as anger threatened to get the better of her. How long would it take to rise back to the top of his precious list? ‘Asshole.’
There was that tug on her arm again, this time more insistent. Fury boiling inside her, she whirled around. ‘I told you—’
A man who looked like he’d walked off a Giorgio Armani ad glowed before her, illuminated by the Italian sun shining through the windows behind him. Midnight hair rolled in waves around his ears, slicked back from his face with just the right amount of mousse. Thick, perfectly sculpted, dark eyebrows contrasted with smooth, olive skin. Blue eyes with a ring of amber around the center mesmerized her.
‘Are you with the Easthampton Civic Symphony, signorina?’ He accented his words just like the cultured Italian men on the James Bond films she had watched growing up.
‘Yes, I was just—’ what was she doing? Carly’s voice trailed off.
‘May I introduce myself? I am Michelangelo Ricci, your tour guide.’
Their tour guide? Carly’s stomach plummeted. She’d just made a bitchy fool of herself right in front of the man she’d have to spend the next two weeks with. Great. Or what do the Italians say? Bene.
Michelangelo stared in expectation at her with his beautiful blue-amber eyes. What did he want? Some sort of pat on the back? A kiss? Stop daydreaming. Carly blinked back to reality. ‘Yes?’
‘And you are?’
‘Oh. Carly Davis.’
He extended his hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Carly.’
She took his hand in hers and squeezed. He had a strong grip with rough calluses, maybe from working outside in the vineyard? Boy, this guy was too good to be true. Which was why she should stay the hell away.
He released her hand politely, if not a little too soon for her taste. ‘Per favore, follow me. The tour bus is just beyond the doors.’
‘I know that.’ She grabbed her oboe case. Her long, floral bohemian skirt caught on her Birkenstock, and she tumbled face-forward on top of her luggage. Her over-packed bag broke her fall, but it didn’t stave off a humbling wave of embarrassment.
He reached for her arm, pulling her up. ‘Mio dio, are you all right?’
Why was she so off all of a sudden? Must have been the conversation with Dino. It couldn’t possibly be the tall, dark and gorgeous hottie, who must think she was the biggest idiot ever to land in Italy.
‘I’m fine, thank you.’ Her fingers shook as she grabbed the handle of her rolling bag. ‘Just a long flight, that’s all.’
‘I’m sure it was.’ His eyes glanced to where the bus was parked, looking very unconvinced. He reached for her oboe case, of all things. ‘May I help you?’
‘Absolutely not.’ She pulled her case back. He may be hot, but she wasn’t about to trust him with her twelve grand rosewood Lorée. Embarrassment climbed its way into her cheeks until she was pretty sure her entire face was red as a ketchup bottle. Her pale skin didn’t help. Even at her most calm, her cheeks always looked pink.
‘Va bene.’ He stiffened as though slightly offended, then stepped away from her and moved toward the double doors. ‘If you’ll come this way.’
Carly followed him to the tour bus, dragging her luggage behind her and feeling like she was unwittingly doing everything she could to tick off the one person she’d have to rely upon for the next two weeks.
Maybe it was for the best. She was dangerously attracted to him, and the last thing she needed was a distraction.
Off to a great start.
*****
Michelangelo Ricci trudged to the tour bus feeling as though he’d signed away the next two weeks of his life. Fourteen days of vivere l’inferno, or as the silly Americans would say, a living hell.
It was because of wealthy Americans he was here, scraping together a paycheck so they didn’t build luxury condos on his family’s winery. The irony of his situation cackled in his face.
What Ms. Maxhammer and the rest of the orchestra didn’t know was the only tours he had ever conducted were on his own vineyard. His family’s land had fallen to him a few years ago, and if he didn’t earn money fast, it would be history. Applying to Ms. Maxhammer’s ad was his only way out, even if he had to stretch the truth.
As if taking care of spoiled, lazy tourists wasn’t enough, the embodiment of the All-American Girl following him to the tour bus already grated on his nerves. The crazy part was that if she hadn’t been so rude, he would have thought her intriguingly attractive. Not many women in his part of the world had such white-blonde hair and pale skin, looking more like she walked out of a fairytale than an airplane. Her pale-blue eyes were gorgeous, but it was the sheer determination mixed with intense vulnerability within them that piqued his attention.
Who was she talking to and why was it so important? Usually he didn’t meddle in the affairs of others, but overhearing her desperation made him want to jump in like a knight in shining armor. All the way up until the part where she called the man an asshole. This woman could fight for herself.
So why did he feel such an inclination to help her?
Must be the big paycheck waiting for him after the tour ended. It wouldn’t solve his family’s problems, but it would buy them more time.
They reached the bus, and he turned around, wondering if he should even ask to help her with her bag again. The way she recoiled, clutching the small case to her chest made him wonder if she had trust issues. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off one of the Americans on his first day. Ms. Maxhammer had explicitly asked for the utmost courtesy.
‘Would you like some help, signorina?’ He prepared himself for the worst.
Carly narrowed her eyes, which turned to ice in the midday sun. ‘You can take this bag.’ She pointed to the large, heavy one with wheels.
‘Very well.’ He bent down and gripped the handle. His muscles bunched as he picked it up. Mio dio. What was in here — rocks?
Of course, he didn’t want her to see him strain. Gritting his teeth, he hefted the bag up the steps and onto the luggage shelf at the front of the bus. It hit the shelf, rattling all the other bags before settling.
Edda, the bus driver, who could have posed as his mother, turned around and spoke in Italian. ‘Is she the last one?’
He wiped his forehead. ‘Si.’
Carly followed him up the steps, still clutching the smaller case like a baby, with small, elegant fingers. She looked like a lost princess who had misplaced her carriage. A pang of compassion shot through his chest. The desire to scoop her up and comfort her overwhelmed him. Remember how she told that person off on the phone? You don’t want to become asshole number two.
Michelangelo scanned the seats. Every one was full, except the one next to him. Great, I’ll have to put up with her all the way to the hotel. He gestured toward the front seat. ‘Ladies first.’
She glanced around nervously, as if she’d rather sit anywhere but there. Michelangelo adjusted his collar, feeling slightly offended. He’d offered to help her with her bags twice and lifted her colossal boulder of luggage to the shelf, and this is how she treated him! Usually women enjoyed his company.
He stated the obvious, trying not to sound annoyed. ‘It is the only seat left.’
‘Oh, right.’ Carly slipped into the window seat and adjusted her flowery skirt.
Resisting the urge to glance over the way the light fabric fell around her legs, he took the seat next to her. The bus merged with traffic and turned onto Roma Fiumicino, the main highway that led into Rome. Sunswept green fields spread before them.
Remembering he was supposed to be describing the landmarks, Michelangelo brought out a crumpled note from his pocket. Holding it in the palm of his hand, where no one would see, he turned on the intercom. ‘I’d like to welcome all the members of the Easthampton Civic Symphony. Per Ms. Maxhammer’s request, I’ll be announcing important landmarks along the way.’
He checked the note. ‘To your left is Lago Traiano, an artificial lake built by Imperatore Traiano in 98—117 B.C. and used as a port in the time of Imperial Rome.’
Turning off the intercom, Michelangelo glanced longingly at the circle of pines. He’d taken the guided tour on a horse-drawn carriage with his father as a young boy. If only he was still here, he’d think of a way to save the vineyard.
He turned his attention back to Carly. Scrolling down a list of e-mails on her cell, she didn’t even look up to see the lake, which sent a dagger of pain through his gut. Stupid American, can’t even appreciate the Italian countryside. Would she stay on that thing the whole time and miss all the views?
Michelangelo sat beside her once again and tried an attempt at conversation.
‘Is this your first time in Italy?’
Carly nodded as she checked off the boxes beside the e-mails and deleted a bunch. ‘First and last.’
Wow, he’d not heard that before. No visitor he’d ever met didn’t want to come back. What was with her? Want stirred in his gut as he looked her up and down.
‘Is that so? I’ll have to change that.’ The words slipped out of his mouth as more of a challenge than a remark. Did he just hit on her? What was getting into him?
Carly dropped her phone and glanced at him with a mix of surprise and dismay, and maybe—if he didn’t imagine it—a hint of desire. She shifted a little further away, pressing her side against the window. ‘Excuse me?’
Michelangelo’s friends said he was smoother than gelato. He could work his way out of this. He shrugged. ‘Everyone falls in love with Italy. Once you’re here, you’ll always remember it.’
‘Besides music, I haven’t fallen in love with anything in my entire life.’ Carly twirled a strand of silky hair behind her ear. ‘Good luck.’
Michelangelo took that as a challenge. Whether to make her fall in love with Italy, or with him, he wasn’t sure.
Chapter Two
Diva’s Choice (#uc4c5df4a-33c5-5ce8-957a-0d97838f6f4d)
Carly hoped Michelangelo couldn’t see her heart beating like a metronome on vivace. She read the next e-mail, trying to focus and ignore how the hottie tour guide may have just hit on her.
Honestly, she must have read him completely wrongly, because they’d had about the worst introduction she could think of, and she’d watched a whole ton of romantic comedies in her day with Melody; While You Were Sleeping, Groundhog Day, Pretty Woman, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. She could go on and on—they’d even come up with their own top-fifty list.
Wait a sec. Didn’t they all have rough starts?
Michelangelo leaned over and his eyes glanced down as if reading over her shoulder.
Sighing, she shut the screen off. She’d have to wait until they reached the hotel if she wanted any form of privacy.
‘How long is this trip?’ Her tone came out more annoyed than she would have liked. All the unread e-mails, the conversation with Dino, and her embarrassing introduction to Michelangelo had raised her anxiety to momentous levels. Thank the hotel gods for mini bars.
‘It will take us about thirty minutes to reach the center of Rome, where the Villa Borghese is located.’
Great. Thirty minutes of spine-cringing awkwardness.
She turned to the window. Lush hills spread before her in blankets of emerald, accented by pointed, dark shrubs and patches of red and white wildflowers. An old farmhouse made with bleached stucco and red-orange tiled roofs claimed the side of a hill. Italy really was gorgeous.
Her phone vibrated with another new message.
Too bad she couldn’t appreciate it.
Michelangelo gestured to her phone. ‘You’re a wanted woman.’
‘Right now I am. Give it two weeks, and we’ll see if they still call.’ Carly tucked her cell in the front pocket of her purse, wishing she could control her mouth. Why was she spouting her problems to this man?
Michelangelo pouted his thick, velvety lips, a look which came across as sultry and alluring. ‘You’ve got some fickle friends.’
She forced herself to stop staring at his lips and focused on his two-tone, blue-amber eyes. ‘It’s the nature of the bizz I’m afraid.’
‘Sounds as risky as owning a vineyard.’
Oh yeah, right. Wandering through the vineyard and taste-testing great wines. Like he could really compare all the competition, the hours spent practicing, the expensive instruments, and the twenty-four-seven gig schedule? She crossed her arms and turned toward him. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The crop yield all depends on weather, pests, and the quality of the vines. One late frost, swarm of aphids, or disease can mean thousands lost. And that’s just the beginning. Even if you have a good yield, you have to protect against bacteria, make sure the tanks are all sanitized, and check the bottling line systems and drainage systems. There’s always something that needs fixing or replacing.’ For a moment he looked older than his years—which couldn’t be any more than hers.
Carly tried to lighten the mood. ‘No wandering through the vines drinking Chardonnay?’
Michelangelo laughed and looked at her as if he wished there was, just so they could do it together. ‘More like being knee-deep in grape must or crawling into the tanks to sanitize them.’
Carly batted her eyelashes. ‘How romantic.’
‘You’re telling me.’ Michelangelo grinned.
OMG did I just flirt?
It had been a few years since she’d thrown herself out there, and she blushed like a giggly schoolgirl. Geez, she had to pull herself together or she’d end up on some crazy fling. Like that would last longer than the two-week tour.
Carly turned back to the window to cool things off, and they rode in silence.
The rolling hills had morphed into beige, white and pink stucco buildings interspersed with grand stone facades in the arched and domed architecture characteristic of Rome. Carly marveled at the bustling, narrow streets. The farthest she’d traveled was Disneyland in Florida as a kid. The absence of Starbucks, McDonald’s, and any other US clothing and food chains gave the city a timeless, classic look.
I’m not in Kansas anymore.
The intercom buzzed as Michelangelo turned it on. He opened his hand, then closed it again and stuffed his palm into his pocket. Was he nervous? After all the tours he must have given, this should be old school for him.
Michelangelo took a deep breath. ‘Up ahead we’ll cross the Tiber river, which is the third-longest river in Italy. It comes from the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flows four hundred and six kilometers through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The king Tiberinus Silvius was said to have urinated in the river, which was subsequently renamed in his honor.’
Carly laughed out loud, then covered her mouth.
Michelangelo raised a dark eyebrow in question as he turned the intercom off and sat back down.
‘Men. They have to mark their territory.’
He widened his gorgeous eyes. ‘Is this how you view all men?’
Somehow, Carly felt as though he’d use her answer to judge every single thing about her character and whether she was available or not. It had to be good. And firm. It had to draw the line between them.
‘Only the ones I’ve met so far.’ Carly’s heart sped. Why the hell would she say that? It was practically an invitation. Somewhere between America and Italy she’d lost her brain filter, and her mind.
‘I see.’ Michelangelo smiled as though he had a tasty secret on his luscious lips and gazed at the road ahead. Carly tried not to notice the way the fabric of his cotton shirt lay against his smooth chest, or the strength of his jawline.
They passed over the glassy Tiber river, and into downtown Rome. Residents watered their plants on the balconies and set up their storefronts under bright awnings. Carly could see why Michelangelo claimed everyone that visited wanted to come back. The city charmed her on a grand scale while still claiming its historic roots with pride.
The bus pulled up in front of a stone building with arched windows and striped, rounded awnings that reminded her of fancy candy wrappers. A red carpet lined the path to double glass doors. Carly breathed with relief. The air between them had grown thick with tension, and she was eager to get off the bus, get a drink and read her e-mail.
Michelangelo stood and addressed the entire bus. ‘Welcome to the Villa Borghese. I’ll see to it your luggage is deposited at your room. You may go directly to the front desk and check in.’
Carly stretched her legs and stood. She’d been sitting down all day, first on the plane, then on the bus and it felt good to move around. While Michelangelo helped people with their bags and answered questions, she took the opportunity to sneak away.
‘Have a good stay, signorina.’ A hint of playfulness danced in his voice.
She whirled around. Michelangelo smiled and winked, then turned to the rest of the orchestra. Feeling as though cupid’s arrow had hit her straight through the head, Carly stepped off the bus and walked the red carpet into the Villa Borghese.
A white marble floor with lightning streaks of mica and gray spread out before her. Wooden columns, much like those in Roman architecture, structured the lobby area where two young men in crisp suits waited for her to check in. Both of them were handsome, dark Italian men, but neither compared to the one she’d just met.
Carly walked up to the main desk wondering who’d be sharing her room. A scandalous thought of Michelangelo in his boxers passed through her mind before she squelched it. No, probably more along the lines of snoring Bertha.
The man at the counter gave her a room key for three fifty-two. ‘The elevator is around the corner to your right.’ He spoke in perfect English. ‘Welcome to the Villa Borghese.’
‘Thank you. I mean, grazie.’ Carly smiled. ‘One more thing, who’s staying with me?’
He checked his computer. ‘Alaina Amaldi.’
Carly’s heart froze over. Not the diva who accused her of playing her high A two cents sharp! ‘There must be a mistake.’
He checked again, but not before giving her that I think this lady is crazy look. ‘No, signorina. There is a specific request to place you two together.’
Dammit, Melody, you had to fall in love!
‘I can assure you, I didn’t place such a request.’
The host shook his head. ‘Mi dispiace, signorina. Perhaps Signorina Amaldi did?’
Carly shook her head. It was more likely their stage would freeze over and the curvy Alaina Amaldi would fall through it than the opera star would choose to room with her.
‘Can’t you change it?’ To Michelangelo. She bit her tongue. ‘How about Bertha Payne. Who’s she staying with?’ Anyone was better than that vibrato-crazed soprano.
He typed a few keys. ‘I have her with Trudy Phillip. Per her request.’
Trudy, of course. She and Bertha were both as old as ancient Rome. They probably wanted to reminisce about the Coliseum days while they knitted doilies.
The line was lengthening behind her, and the receptionist flicked his eyes over the crowd nervously. Carly knew when she’d outstayed her welcome. ‘Very well.’ She adjusted her purse strap and followed his direction to the elevator.
This day is getting better and better.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
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