The Scent of Rome Page 5

  “Flavio, darling. You’re looking devilishly handsome tonight.” Nadine kissed her client on the cheek when she reached the table, fashionably late, then turned to Matteo and Rob before greeting Rome who looked beyond stunning in a bright blue off-the shoulder cocktail dress. The color brought out her eyes in the most incredible way, their shimmering blue illuminated by the candles on their table. Resisting the urge to take her hand and kiss it, she still let her eyes linger on her for a little longer than necessary, letting her know she appreciated her beauty. There was nothing wrong with a little flirting, but now that it looked like Rome would be getting the funding for her app and staying in the city for longer, which meant they might see more of each other, she would have to let go of her pursuit after tonight. Anything past flirtation wasn’t an option anymore and she liked Rome way too much to give her up for a meaningless night. “Rome, it’s so nice to see you again,” she said at last, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. She lingered for a moment, inhaling deeply, taking in the scent that she loved more than anything. Human scent was really hard to describe as it was made up of DNA rather than separate components, and so she tried to take it all in so she could analyze it later. “I love your dress.” Sitting down next to Flavio, she noticed a hint of apprehension in Rome’s expression.

  “Thank you. I love yours too.” Rome smiled at her and gave her a quick wink, which put Nadine at ease again. It was only natural that Rome would be a little anxious tonight; it was the biggest deal of her life after all.

  Before dropping her back off at her hotel in the late afternoon, Nadine had asked her to keep their meet-up private as she didn’t want Flavio to think they were some kind of tag-team. Spending private time with her client’s new business partner would not only look bad on her, but it could even get her fired. Of course, the oblivious Flavio was beaming as he talked to Rome, wildly gesturing with one hand while the other was steadily resting on Nadine’s thigh. He was well aware that touching wasn’t part of the deal unless she initiated it, but she let it slide just for now, not wanting to ruin Rome’s big night. Carefully making sure no one saw what she was doing, she took his hand and placed it back onto his own lap.

  The look that crossed his face for a split second told her that he was mildly irritated by her dismissal, but she gave him a sweet smile and that seemed to mellow him.

  It was crazy how easy it was to manipulate men when showing off a bit of cleavage. The black dress the agency had sent her was low-cut, both at the front and the back, but not too revealing, and she’d managed to wash and blow-dry her hair in the little time she had left once she was back at her apartment. She’d had a great day and had completely lost track of time as she and Rome wandered through different neighborhoods in the north of the city together. She knew she looked more than presentable though, at least when it came to her client, who clearly had a soft spot for her.

  Her eyes darted back to Rome and she watched her smile forcefully when Matteo whispered something in her ear. There was a tiny flinch in her eyes that came as fast as it went. Very few people would have noticed, but Nadine knew her intuition was usually right, and something came over her then. A hunch, a feeling…

  Just to be on the safe side, she gave a nod to her friend Angelo, who was sitting a little farther down, at one of the drinking tables. Technically, they weren’t friends, but she considered him a confidant. For fifty Euros a night, he’d discreetly hang around for the first half hour of her date, blending in somewhere in the background. Angelo worked for a couple of her colleagues too, and she really liked how he never tried to chat her up. It was always strictly business and cash with him. The subtle look that passed between them then was a sign for him to do what he was hired to do and leave right after.

  “So, what are we celebrating?” she asked innocently, running a hand over Flavio’s forearm. As she touched him, she felt his hairs rise and tried not to think of him being aroused. “Do we have a deal?”

  “We do.” Flavio leaned in to kiss her on the cheek and in that moment, she gave in, just a little, and smiled.

  “Excellent. It’s time for champagne then, isn’t it, gentlemen?”

  “It’s always time for champagne when there are beautiful women involved.” Matteo put his arm on the back of Rome’s chair, upon which Rome cautiously moved away from him. It was subtle, but Nadine made a mental note to keep a close eye on Matteo during the evening.

  “How about we discuss the details first?” Rome proposed. “Leave the fun for last?” She smiled at both men, then opened her menu.

  “Very well, details first, but why don’t I order for you?” Matteo said, taking the menu from her. To Nadine’s amusement, Rome pulled it back.

  “If you’d like me to run one of the biggest and most promising projects you’ve ever funded, I’m sure you’ll trust me to make a decision about what to have for dinner.” Her tone was playful, but it was clear she wanted to put him in his place.

  “As you wish.” Matteo seemed to like her feistiness as he grinned and shamelessly looked her up and down again.

  Nadine balled her hands into fists under the table, refraining herself from punching him. He hadn’t been like this last night, and she was disappointed in herself for failing to see through him. She didn’t like the idea of Rome working with him one bit, now. Even though he was unlikely to interfere in the developmental process and her day-to-day duties, she was pretty sure he’d manage to make up excuses to have her to himself every now and then.

  Trying to shake off that disturbing thought, she turned the conversation to Rome’s app, asking questions that she by now already knew the answers to. Flavio and Matteo weren’t overly engaged, which confirmed her growing suspicion that both she and Rome were purely here for entertainment purposes. She understood that was the case with her of course, but with Rome, it felt like an insult to the woman’s intelligence and it made her furious. Suppressing a need to roll her eyes at one of Matteo’s tasteless jokes after their appetizers, she dabbed her mouth and stood up.

  “Excuse me, I need to powder my nose. Rome?”

  Rome nodded and stood up too. “I’ll come with you.” She followed Nadine inside, through the lavishly decorated restaurant and into the bar at the back, so they would have some privacy. Neither of them actually needed the bathroom, so Nadine leaned against one of the barstools as she tilted her head and looked Rome over.

  “What’s bothering you tonight? Is it Matteo?” she asked with a frown. “You look stunning by the way.”

  Rome gave her a small smile. “Thank you…” She hesitated. “Matteo sent me a dress to wear for tonight. I felt incredibly insulted and a little worried because he seems to have this idea in his head that I’ll give him something in return for that contract. I want nothing to do with him of course, so I sent it back. He made a snarky remark about it when I arrived and it was just him and me, but I made it clear that I don’t appreciate such behavior.”

  “Jesus, the audacity…” Nadine closed the distance between them and put her hands on Rome’s shoulders. “You did the right thing, for sure.” She brushed a lock of hair away from Rome’s face, then lifted her chin to look at her. “He thinks he can use his power to get to you, and you can’t let that happen, no matter what. I know men like him; he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.” She tried to calm her voice, not wanting her rage to upset Rome even more. “You have to be careful with him.”

  Rome nodded, and Nadine felt helpless at seeing the worry in her gaze. “I really need their funding, but I have a bad feeling about him. I don’t know what to do.”

  Nadine took a firmer hold of her. “Listen to me. Don’t sign anything until you’ve thought this through. Your contract is still with your lawyer, right?” She continued when Rome nodded again. “Good. We’ll meet tomorrow and we’ll talk about it in the morning when we’re fresh. The fact that he doesn’t know the difference between business and pleasure doesn’t have to stand in the way of your dream but it’s important to be prepared,
because if you go through with this, you’re going to have to deal with him in the foreseeable future.”

  “I know.” Nadine could tell that Rome was fighting to pull herself together as she looked up at her. “Why are you being so nice to me? So sweet?”

  Nadine gave her a smile. It was a good question. She wouldn’t normally be so invested in her client’s business partners, but Rome was different. She’d been drawn to her from the minute they’d met and now, all she wanted to do was protect her. It was strange, she realized, as she rubbed her temple, a little confused herself. “Because I really like you,” she finally said. “And because I want this to work out for you. You deserve it.” Her eyes darted toward a small mole on Rome’s neck and she felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her right there. And I clearly want other things too. Deciding this was not the moment to have such thoughts, and even feeling slightly ashamed for most likely having similar fantasies to Matteo, she took a step to the side and let go of Rome.

  “I’m so grateful to have you here,” Rome said then, locking her eyes with Nadine’s. “I need you to know that. It’s nice to have someone by my side during the biggest deal of my life. I don’t know what I would have done if I was alone in this. You probably have better things to do than babysit me, but I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”

  “Hey, I like spending time with you so there’s no babysitting involved here. If I don’t want to do something, I won’t; it’s as simple as that.” Nadine bit her lip, pondering over the next steps. “Let’s go back in there and pretend that we’re having fun. Don’t let him touch you and make it very clear that you have no interest in him romantically. I’ll pick you up at eight again tomorrow and we’ll figure out what to do.”

  “Don’t you have work?” Rome asked.

  “No. It’s Sunday and anyway, I’m in charge of my own schedule.” Nadine’s eyes softened as she squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be okay.”

  9

  Rome rushed to get ready, frantically searching for something appropriate to wear in her small suitcase. She wanted to look good, and although she hated to admit it, she knew Nadine was the reason for that. Her fascinating new friend had gone through great lengths to help her and she was incredibly grateful and excited to spend more time with her.

  The gnawing feeling that had settled in the pit of her stomach ever since Matteo sent over the dress had subsided. It was a new day—a beautiful sunny day—and she could hardly wait to see Nadine again. Her dream of getting her app out there to users all over the world would come true, and nothing could stop her now, especially not some creep who was trying to get into her pants, even though that very same creep was one of the financers. She hadn’t signed yet and reminded herself to keep her cool, because the situation was still fragile, and she wasn’t going to mess up the opportunity of a lifetime.

  She settled on a pair of jeans and her cutest top, then reconsidered and changed back into a white, cotton dress, remembering Nadine’s comment about her legs. She felt a flash of excitement at the familiar beep and ran over to the window to wave at her. For a moment, she found herself staring down at Nadine, taking her in. She was graceful, even on a scooter, wearing denim shorts and a white T-shirt, and she blended in seamlessly with the elegant locals who, just like her, didn’t seem to go through much effort at all to look stylish.

  “Good morning.” Rome could kick herself for the sheepish grin that settled over her features when she crossed the road, but she couldn’t help it. Nadine made her smile.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” Nadine said as she got on the back and put on her helmet. “You know the drill. Hold on tight.”

  “You know all the best coffee places.” Rome sank back in her chair, feeling happy and comfortable in the shade of a large parasol on a beautiful square in the old center.

  “It’s not hard. Everyone does good coffee in Rome, it’s a crime to serve anything less than excellent.” Nadine stretched her legs out and took a sip of her cappuccino. “It’s a little touristy here but I thought you might want to see some of the famous sites, so we can go for a walk later if you’re up for it?”

  “I’m up for it. I just don’t want to take up so much of your time. I’m sure you’ve got a life and…”

  “And I’ll live my life the way I want to,” Nadine interrupted her. “Right now, I want to have coffee and spend time with a gorgeous woman. Even though she claims she’s straight,” she added with a chuckle.

  Rome laughed and averted her gaze. Apparently, she was a sucker for a compliment, especially when it came from Nadine. “Well thank you. I appreciate it.”

  Nadine smiled and shamelessly looked her over before locking her eyes with Rome’s again. “So… Matteo. Do you think he’s going to be a problem?”

  “I hope not. I think I’ve been clear with him.” Rome shrugged. “I felt better about the situation this morning; he must know I’m not interested now.”

  “I’m pretty sure he sent it with the intention of making you feel like you owed him in return for the funding, so whatever he does or says, just remember that you don’t owe him anything,” Nadine said.

  “I know. But once I’ve signed, I’ve signed, and that’s that. I won’t have to be so polite with him anymore.”

  “Yeah… Just make sure you’re never alone with him.” Nadine bit her lip, contemplating how much to share. What she did—hiring Angelo to effectively act as her bodyguard during her dates—was in principle illegal and if her agency found out she had someone shadow her and take pictures of her clients, she’d be out of a job. “You know Matteo is married, right?”

  “Yes, he mentioned his wife over dinner.” Rome huffed. “Although you wouldn’t think so from the way he behaves.”

  “No, but still. He’s married on paper. I have no doubt he fools around behind his wife’s back all the time, but he’s careful because a divorce would be very expensive for him.” Nadine paused. “This needs to stay between us, but I always have someone looking out for me, hovering discreetly in the background, when I’m on a date. And he takes pictures when I ask him to.”

  “Right…” Rome narrowed her eyes, a worried frown appearing between her brows. “Why? So that you can use them for blackmail purposes?”

  Nadine pursed her lips as she tilted her head from side to side. “Technically, yes. But I’d never blackmail them unless I had no other choice. I’ve only done it once, when one of my clients found out where I lived and started stalking me.” She shrugged. “It was in Paris, a long time ago, and it helped me get rid of him, so I don’t regret it. I never asked for money or anything, I just wanted him to back off.”

  “But Matteo didn’t really do anything last night.”

  “Maybe not. But I have some pictures of him whispering in your ear and they look pretty intimate. I also have pictures of Flavio kissing me on my cheek, so if needs must, we could use it as ammunition.” Nadine held up a hand. “But as I said, these pictures should never be used unless there’s an emergency situation.”

  Rome was silent for a moment, then straightened her back and shook her head. “It’s never going to come to the point where I’m so desperate that I’d even consider blackmail. I’m confident Matteo will behave, and even if he doesn’t there are other ways to deal with him. I appreciate your help, but I can take care of myself.”

  “I know you can.” Nadine sighed when Rome finished her espresso and put some money on the table, letting her know the conversation was over. “I apologize, I shouldn’t have brought it up. Just forget I ever told you this, okay?”

  “Okay.” Rome told herself to get over it. Although the idea of blackmail was disturbing to her, in Nadine’s world, she imagined the pictures gave her a sense of safety and security.

  “Good.” Nadine gave her a big smile, and her carefree expression was back as if they’d never had a serious talk. “Now, would you like to go and see some pretty places with me?”

  “Absolutely.” Rome burst out in lau
ghter when Nadine stood up and held out her hand. “But I’m not going to hold hands with you. My God, don’t you ever give up?” By now, she was over the shock of Nadine’s constant flirtations, but this was a whole new level. She couldn’t deny that she felt flattered though, and in some weird way, she liked it.

  “Are you sure? My hand feels really nice.”

  “I’m sure it does.”

  “Your loss.” Nadine winked playfully and tucked her hands in the back pockets of her shorts. “Don’t panic if you get lost in the crowds, though. It’s very busy where we’re going.”

  “I’m a big girl; I’m sure I can find my way home.” Rome shot a quick glance at Nadine’s long, toned legs and her perky ass in the short denim shorts and for a split second, she wondered what it would feel like to touch her. She’d never had thoughts like that; not with a woman, but as they walked side by side, she couldn’t seem to rid herself of the seed Nadine had planted in her mind the first time she’d flirted with her.

  They wandered through narrow streets with cute shops and busy restaurants, crossed squares with Baroque fountains, overflowing terraces and passed beautiful buildings and churches, one more opulent than the other. It was heaving with tourists, and just like Nadine had predicted, Rome did indeed have trouble staying close to her in the crowds. One small street felt like a funnel, and when she got on her tiptoes and saw the sea of people pushing their way through, she changed her mind and grabbed Nadine’s hand before she disappeared in the crowd. Nadine took a tight hold and shot her a smug smile over her shoulder. It was the look of victory, and it made Rome laugh despite the butterflies that suddenly started flapping around in her stomach at the feel of her warm skin. She didn’t realize they were butterflies at first, as she’d never felt anything like this before, but there was no other explanation for the crazy flutter and her accelerating heartbeat. She couldn’t help but wonder if Nadine had taken her to the busiest street in Rome on purpose, but when they turned the corner onto a small piazza, she was faced with an incredible fountain, so grand and beautiful that she stopped in her stride to take it in while people bashed against her from all sides.