Kristian raised his glass and they clinked. “To having a chilled-out time,” Kristian said.
“To making sure we’ve got enough energy to pull some hot girls!” Ryan replied.
They laughed together, then drank some more of their beer before turning their attention back to the choice of food. A minute or so later, Ryan closed his menu, waited for his friend to do the same, then gestured for the waitress to take their order.
They watched as she walked away, her short skirt swishing from side to side with the movement of her hips. When she was out of sight, they looked back at each other, approving expressions on their faces. “I would,” they said together, then collapsed into laughter once more.
After they’d finished their meal and paid, they hopped on the Metro back toward the hostel.
“I’m heading straight into the queue for the shower,” Ryan said as they headed into the building.
“Yeah, me too. It’s been a long, hot day.”
They fell into a companionable silence as they grabbed stuff from their lockers and shuffled toward the bathrooms to wait for showers to become available. As it happened, they seemed to have hit a quiet time and didn’t have to wait long for cubicles to free up.
“See you over the road in a bit?” Ryan asked.
“Yep, see you there.”
Ryan stepped into his cubicle, locked the door and stripped. Shoving his dirty clothes into the bag he’d brought with him and retrieving clean ones, he grabbed his wash bag, stepped into the shower and turned on the water. The blissfully hot water pounded down on him and he stood there for several long minutes, much longer than was necessary, just relaxing under the spray.
He remembered that he was probably holding up the queue, so he washed and rinsed quickly, then hopped out of the shower and dried himself off. Spraying on deodorant then cologne, he got dressed, picked up all his stuff and got out of the shower. He dumped what he didn’t need in his locker and headed to the bar over the road, where he and Kristian had arranged to meet. He expected they’d bump into Shanna and Taryn at some point, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. It seemed all four of them were happy with the casual arrangement they had, and he for one was more than willing to carry it on until they parted ways. After all, what straight young man wouldn’t want to fool around with two smokin’ hot American chicks?
He spotted Kristian almost immediately, sitting with a brunette he didn’t recognize. He walked over until he was a few paces away and tried to get his friend’s attention without the woman seeing. He didn’t want to cock-block Kristian by joining them at the table if he wasn’t welcome. The other man saw him and smiled, beckoning him over, so Ryan went and sat down.
“Hi.”
“Hey, mate. This is Aria. Aria, this is Ryan, the friend I’m traveling with.”
She held out an immaculately manicured hand and Ryan shook it. “Lovely to meet you, Aria.”
She inclined her head and he immediately wondered what the hell she was doing with Kristian. She came across as incredibly posh, very well-off if her clothes and grooming were anything to go by, and probably about ten years older than them. A horrible thought suddenly went through his mind. God, was she a prostitute? His friend could be pretty naïve at times and he might not have realized what was happening when a stunning woman talked to him. He probably thought it was his lucky day. He decided on an easy way to find out.
“So, Aria, where are you from, and what do you do for a living?” He gave his brightest and most genuine smile, hoping to charm an answer out of her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kristian frown at him. Poor guy probably thought he was trying to muscle in on his woman.
Aria replied, in heavily accented English, “I’m from here, from Rome. And I am an advertising executive for a large company that deals with designer brands.”
Ryan had to stop himself from raising his eyebrows. That would explain her glamorous outfit and expensive-looking hairstyle, then. She had a damn good job. If she was telling the truth.
“Really? That sounds very interesting, though I must admit I don’t really understand what that means. Can you tell me a little more?”
A crease appeared between the beauty’s eyebrows, and Ryan knew he had to tread carefully. He was in danger of pissing off both her and his best friend. So he listened attentively as she explained, watching her body language to see if she was displaying any “tells” that might indicate she was lying. He found none, and the way she had to pause a little and think about her answers told him that she didn’t have a story she could roll off the tip of her tongue without thinking. Equally, she wasn’t taking so long to reply that she might be making it up as she went along.
Satisfied that the hottie was who she said she was, he waited until she was done talking. “That’s excellent, Aria, really good. Thanks so much for explaining it to me. Can I get you another drink?” He pointed to her almost empty wineglass.
She gave a single nod.
“Any preference?”
She gave him the name of an expensive-sounding white wine. Typical. She earned a fortune—why the hell had he offered to buy her a drink? Damn his polite upbringing. He fixed a smile on his face, slid off the stool and walked around the table. “Give me a hand, mate?”
Kristian narrowed his eyes, then turned to Aria and smiled. “Won’t be a sec.”
They headed toward the bar together. Once they were there, waiting to be served, Ryan spoke before his friend could. “Before you thump me, let me explain.”
His friend raised an eyebrow, which indicated he should go on.
“I took one look at your gorgeous girl over there and thought she was an escort or something. She’s obviously loaded and older than you, so I just thought I’d prod her a bit and see if I could suss her out. Clearly I was wrong. She’s an advertising executive and that’s the end of it.” By the time he’d finished speaking, his friend’s face had gone through a series of expressions, from confused to angry to relieved and finally understanding.
“Well, uh, okay. Thank you, I guess, for looking out for me. But don’t worry, I know an escort when I see one.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Our student budget definitely doesn’t stretch to high-class call girls! Okay, I’ll buy the two of you a drink, then bugger off somewhere else. I don’t want to cramp your style.”
“You sure? I don’t mind if you hang around for a bit. She might even want to be shared.”
“Nah, you can have her all to yourself. I don’t want to risk you losing out. You deserve some fun with her.” The barman arrived and Ryan ordered Aria and Kristian’s drinks, handed over the relevant amount in euros, stuck his change in his pocket, then clapped his friend on the back before turning and leaving the bar. He saw Aria watching him as he passed and he gave her a wave and a grin before stepping out into the night.
Bollocks, what the hell was he supposed to do now? He was more than happy to get out of Kristian’s way so he could have some fun with the sexy cougar, but that meant Ryan had to find somewhere else to be.
He stood, breathing in the night air as he pondered. Then a bolt of inspiration struck him and he pulled his phone from his pocket and composed a message to Shanna.
Hey, where are you? You and Taryn free for a drink? R x
He knew she’d assume that he and Kristian were together but it didn’t matter. If one or both of them were free to meet up, he’d explain where his friend was and that would be the end of it.
His phone bleeped almost instantly.
We’re just coming out of the hostel now. Yes, free for a drink. Where? S x
Instead of replying, he crossed the road and waited outside the front door of their hostel. Just as Shanna’s message had said, they were exiting the building.
“Hi.”
The two girls shrieked, and Ryan hoped like hell there were no police around. They’d think he was an attacker or something. “Hey,” he held his hands up placatingly, “it’s just me. Sorry, I didn’t mean to s
care you. I thought it was a waste of time replying as by the time I hit send you’d be out here.”
Shanna gave him a light slap on his arm but she was smiling. “It’s all right. You just startled me, is all. Where’s Kristian? And why aren’t you in there?” She pointed to the bar he’d just left.
“The answer to both of those questions is pretty much the same. Kris showered faster than me and was in there when I arrived, but he was with a girl, so I’ve made myself scarce and I’m gonna go somewhere else to drink. I don’t want to cock-block him.”
The girls nodded with not a flicker of jealousy or irritation. He moved between them and lifted his elbows, indicating that they should link arms with him. They took his lead. “Where to, then, ladies?”
Chapter Five
Ryan groaned as he woke up. He hadn’t even opened his eyes yet, and he knew the room would be spinning when he did. He, Shanna and Taryn had found another bar just around the corner from their hostel and had put a considerable amount of money into its till and drunk rather a lot. As a result, he was horrendously hungover. The most ironic part was that if he hadn’t been crashing in a mixed dorm, he’d have taken the girls back to his room much earlier and they’d have spent the time having some sexy fun instead of continuing to drink. Maybe the four of them should have sprung for a hotel instead of the much cheaper mixed-sex dorm.
He and the girls had stumbled in some time after two, stifling giggles as they worked their way between the other beds to their own. Ryan vaguely remembered wanting to screw the girls anyway—his inebriation making him into a blatant exhibitionist, it seemed—but luckily Shanna had retained enough presence of mind to remind him where he was and that if they weren’t exactly being quiet now, how much noise would they make if they started having sex?
He’d reluctantly agreed and flopped down onto his bed still fully clothed. Kristian’s bed had been empty, which he’d taken as a good sign.
Slowly opening his eyes, he glanced over to see that his friend still wasn’t there. Definitely a good sign. He was gratified to see that Shanna and Taryn were still asleep. He might feel shitty, but at least they weren’t up and out and being all perky and energetic and making him look like a lightweight.
After lying in silence for a few moments until he got used to the dizzy feeling, Ryan got up and headed to the bathroom. There was a queue, so he pulled his phone from his pocket, noting with surprise that it was 8:30 a.m.—way later than he’d previously thought—and sent his friend a text.
Morning, Casanova. Just going for a shower then heading over the road for breakfast. Will I be seeing you today or you spending the day with your sexy cougar?
Ryan had showered, changed and put his stuff back in his locker before his phone bleeped a reply.
As soon as I work out where the hell I am, I’ll be there. Aria went to work and left me here. Wherever here is.
Ryan sniggered. Poor Kris. He’d clearly had a good night, and now he was paying for it.
You can’t be that far away if she was drinking in the bar over the road. You sure you’re not in the flat above it? Did you walk to hers or get on the Metro or in a taxi?
We walked, his friend replied, so yeah, I’ll just get dressed and head outside and try and get my bearings. And no, I’m not in the flat above the bar! See you there soon. Hopefully.
Ryan shoved his phone back in his bag and headed out of the hostel and over to the bar-restaurant. He was quite glad he was alone for now. He wasn’t really in the mood for socializing. He didn’t feel tired, just off his game and more than a little grumpy. He ordered the biggest, greasiest breakfast the place did and ate it while he sipped a cup of coffee.
He was just mopping up the juices on his plate with a slice of bread when a disheveled-looking Kristian sat down next to him. The two men shared a grin. “All right, mate?” Ryan asked.
Kristian nodded. “Yeah, just about. I don’t know whether that was the best or the scariest night of my life. She’s a cougar in more ways than one. It was like shagging a wildcat, claws and all.”
Ryan was glad he’d already swallowed his mouthful of coffee. “Ha! Who’d have thought the posh bird liked rough sex? Ah well, I’m glad you had a good time, mate. Now are you coming out with me today or having your chilled-out day?”
“What do you think?” He looked exhausted and more than a little shell-shocked.
Downing the rest of his coffee, Ryan pulled his wallet from his bag and put a note on the table. “That’ll cover mine and a bit of yours too. See you later, Casanova.” He slapped his friend on the back, laughing when he winced.
Kristian groaned. “Yeah.”
Heading out into the sunshine, Ryan reached into his bag and slipped his sunglasses onto his face, very glad of the protection they afforded against the bright light, shielding his poor, hungover eyes. After checking his guidebook for how to get there, he headed for the Metro station and the Colosseum.
Several hours later, Ryan felt much better. The heat had ramped up, forcing him to drink plenty of water, and as a result he’d beaten his hangover. Which was lucky, really, considering the crowds that were waiting to get into the Roman Forum. He’d been early getting to the Colosseum, so it hadn’t been too bad, but now people were out in their droves. It wouldn’t have been very good at all if he’d thumped someone for getting into his personal space. He was sure it was worth the wait, though. The arena had been amazing and he was sure this would be too.
He eventually gained admittance and deliberately headed in the opposite direction most people did. Maybe he was doing it all wrong, but he wanted to explore the place in his own way, in his own time. He’d barely gone a dozen meters before he had his camera in his hand and was snapping photos. The jumble of ruins and views across to the Colosseum were definitely picture-worthy. Temples, columns, arches, gardens and history were in rich abundance here, and he was confused about why it was overshadowed so extremely by the huge structure over the road. They were intriguing in different ways, and after walking farther into the complex, he quickly realized he could easily spend the rest of the day here and probably another day besides. The area was enormous. It was definitely not an hour’s visit. He was suddenly very glad he’d grabbed a snack from a street vendor before heading over here.
The Roman Forum was so vast that the crowds at the entrance quickly dissipated and it didn’t feel at all crowded. So he looked at everything he wanted to, took as many pictures as he wanted, all without feeling rushed or as though he were annoying other people. It was wonderful. Despite that, he was glad when he passed through an archway signed Vigna Barberini and realized it was a garden of sorts. It wasn’t full of flowers or anything—it was more an open, grassy space with the occasional tree, a couple of benches and ruins on either side. Walking farther up the path, he realized it also had amazing views over the Colosseum. It was the ideal place to pause awhile and chill out.
Spotting a rare area of shade, he headed quickly to a corner made by two walls, checked the ground for lizards or other creatures to avoid squashing them, and sat down on the grass. It was surprisingly peaceful and he could easily forget he was in the middle of a tourist attraction, over the road from another. And a very busy road, at that, full of mad Italian motorists.
He retrieved his drink from his bag and sat sipping it and watching people wander past. He was so relaxed that he didn’t notice anyone approaching him until they were right next to him.
“Ciao. Hello,” said a feminine voice.
He turned to look who’d spoken to him and his interest was immediately piqued. The girl who stood there looked to be around his age, and was very pretty. Her dark hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, presumably to keep it off her neck. Her eyes, also dark, glinted with mischief, and her body had curves he’d happily get lost in for a very long time. They were scarcely covered by a tight, low-cut vest top and a shortish flouncy skirt.
“Hi,” he said, smiling. “Can I help you?”
“No,” she said, grin
ning back. “Is it okay if I sit with you?” Her speech was slow, measured, as though she was thinking what to say. Which she probably was, given that English clearly wasn’t her first language.
“Yes, of course.” He indicated the grass beside him and she slipped off her backpack and settled there immediately. Unzipping the holdall, she pulled out a paper bag containing a bunch of grapes.
“Would you like some?” she said, still smiling.
“Thank you.” Ryan took a small handful. “What’s your name?”
“Emelia. Yours?”
“Ryan. Good to meet you.”
She inclined her head. “You are visiting Rome?”
“Yes. I’m, uh,” he wondered how to explain his gap year, as the phrase seemed to be lost on non-Brits, “taking some time off before going to University.”
“I am too!” she said excitedly, her expressive eyes full of glee. “I am from a small town outside of Naples, so am visiting here before traveling.”
“That’s exactly what I’ve done. I live in the middle of England and I visited London before going on to Paris, then here.”
Their mutual expeditions gave them plenty to talk about and they continued chatting and munching on the grapes for some time, before Emelia suddenly put them down on the grass and shuffled closer to Ryan.
“I am looking for some fun, too, Ryan. Are you?” There was no mistaking her emphasis on the word fun, and Ryan couldn’t help but wonder if he’d fallen asleep in the sun and started dreaming. Was it really possible that she was coming on to him? In the short space of time since he’d left home, he’d had more sex than he’d had previous to the trip. Maybe. So that wasn’t true, but it certainly felt like it, probably because it had been with several different women, as opposed to a long-term girlfriend.
Emelia’s gorgeous face morphed into a look of concern, so he figured he’d better answer her, dream or no dream. “Are you talking about sex?” He hadn’t intended to be so blunt but the words were out before he could stop them.