We left the Colosseum and trailed behind Gabriella as she led the way to the Roman Forum, across a wide and very busy street. She spoke rapid-fire Italian to the man at the gates, handed over a piece of paper, and counted us in as she shooed us past her. “Sbrigati,” she said repeatedly—hurry. She was little, but she was mighty. We hurried.
The Roman Forum was just as impressive as our previous stop. So much of it was intact, and even when only a skeleton of a structure remained, or a partial one, it was easy enough to see what it had been. On the last part of the tour, we walked along a cobbled street rutted by the wheels of chariots. Chariots! Gabriella explained that the width between them became the standard gauge for train tracks. I wasn’t sure how true it was, but it was a fun factoid.
As we followed Gabriella, stopping at various places of interest, I let my mind wander to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. It was the shortest Shakespearean play, but by no means the simplest, thematically speaking. I’d studied it at uni and had taught it several times, and I’d grown to love it. The political manoeuvrings were so human. I could see it in my mind’s eye, playing out on the historical landscape around me. I couldn’t believe I was right there.
Oh, I was falling in love with Roma.
At the end of the tour, Gabriella led us out the exit to where Georgina and Tom were waiting for us with the coach. When she wrapped up her tour and bade us, “Arrivederci,” I had an overwhelming urge to hug her. I didn’t though. She didn’t seem the hugging type with her pantyhose, red lipstick and tight bun. She shooed us onto the coach and she and Georgina exchanged a few words and an envelope.
Colosseum
Roman Forum
On the coach, I realised I still hadn’t talked to Georgina about ditching us in Florence. She’d been MIA that morning, only stepping onto the coach a minute before nine, and there hadn’t been time when we got to Rome. I leant into the aisle and whispered to Dani, who was two seats up. “Hey, Dan?”
She turned around. “Yeah?”
“Did Georgina say anything to you about last night?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. She said she didn’t get the text until they were nearly back at the campsite.”
“But you texted her at, what, twelve-fifteen?”
“I know.” She shrugged.
“Well, that’s total bollocks. How—”
I stopped talking and looked down the aisle past Dani, who turned around to see what I was looking at. Georgina had stepped onto the coach. Dani spun back to me. “Talk later,” she said.
I nodded and sat back in my seat. “She’s lying,” I said quietly to Jae.
“Dani? Oh, you mean Georgina?”
“Mm-hmm. She said she didn’t get Dani’s text ’til it was too late.”
“Yeah, Dani told me that this morning.”
“Seriously, though? That’s bollocks!” I hissed.
“Hey,” she held her hands up. “I’m on your side. I was stranded too, you know.”
“Sorry.”
“So, how about this? Instead of grinding your teeth over Georgina—seriously, you need to stop that—” I hadn’t realised I was and stopped. “Think about Jean-Luc. T-minus thirty minutes.” She waggled her eyebrows and me and I quickly forgot all about Georg-bloody-ina, my stomach playing host to a kaleidoscope of butterflies.
While Tom drove the coach through peak-hour traffic, I pulled out a lipstick and a mirror from Jae’s silver handbag and slicked Mango Madness across my lips. As I rubbed them together, Jae told me I looked great. “Thanks.” I took a deep breath and had to stop myself from biting my lip and ruining the lipstick.
I watched the streets of Rome out the window, suddenly remembering that Mum still hadn’t sent the letter. I pulled out my phone and checked my email. Nothing. That’s a long round of golf, Mum.
Tom stopped the coach next to the Tiber across from Castel Sant’Angelo. “Okay, everyone,” said Georgina. “You’ve got free time to explore, and we’re meeting for dinner at seven-thirty at Ristoranti Prati. If you don’t have the address yet, see me before you head off. And if you’re not coming to the group dinner, then this is the pick-up point for 10:00pm.” I dropped a pin on my Google map. “That’s ten sharp. We don’t want a repeat of last night.”
Jae and I turned to each other and locked eyes. “Oh, she’s a …” Jae shook her head, leaving the thought unfinished. My mind filled in the end of it with “total cow”.
“Told you,” I replied smugly. Jaelee replied with an actual growl.
I stood and smoothed Jae’s dress down my thighs and draped my jacket over my arm, then slung the handbag strap over my shoulder. Jaelee joined me in the aisle, shuffling along behind me, and when we got off the coach, Dani and Lou were waiting for us.
Lou wrapped me up in a big hug. “Have a great time!”
“I will.”
Dani gave me a much less effusive back-patting hug. “Say hi from us.” Uh, sure, Dani. Jae hugged me next, which surprised me a little. She wasn’t usually the huggy-kissy type.
“Just remember, no expectations,” she whispered.
“Right.” I stood back and looked at my three friends, noting the pride on their faces. It was like they were seeing me off to the prom or something. “See you all later!” I said cheerily.
Then I turned and walked away—in completely the wrong direction.
Chapter 10
I had a destination and Google Maps. How on earth had I managed to get lost?
I was supposed to meet Jean-Luc at the bar at 5pm, and I thought I was following Google’s very specific instructions to arrive at the address exactly on time, ignoring that her British accent was murdering the Italian street names.
Except it wasn’t a bar. It was a trattoria, and it was completely devoid of Jean-Lucs.
At 5:08pm I texted him.
So sorry. I’m lost! I thought I had the right place, but you’re not here.
Standing underneath the trattoria’s awning, I chewed my lip while I waited for a response. The signora behind the counter eyed me suspiciously, and I moved away from the entrance as my phone beeped.
Pas de problème chérie. Meet me at Piazza Navona near the fountain of the four rivers. I will see you soon. J-L x
Now I needed to find Piazza Navona. What if it was on the other side of the city, or it was enormous and I couldn’t find the fountain with four rivers? I was whipping myself into quite a tizzy, but I hated being late and I hated being lost in a city I didn’t know. Traveller, traveller, traveller.
I pulled up the map on my phone again and tapped out “Piazza Navona”. Phew. I was practically on top of it, about a three-minute walk away. I oriented myself and headed off, my phone leading the way. Her English instructions were far too loud and raised a few eyebrows as people passed, but I didn’t care. I needed to get to that damned fountain—pronto!
I emerged into the piazza to discover two things: it was bloody huge—bollocks—and there were only three fountains—thank God.
I scanned the people around each fountain, and my breath caught as I saw him leaning against the giant fountain in the middle of the piazza—I didn’t notice, or care, if it had four rivers.