Victoria felt a sudden urgency to see her new room, something exciting and electric. At the twinge of pain in her hip and knees, she decided to skip the stairs and take the lift. That old boxing injury always came back to haunt her in times of stress. Another reminder of her poor instincts.
She stepped onto the fourth floor, clicked her key in the lock, and with a swoosh the door burst open on an elegant penthouse apartment, radiating Italian style and charm. In all the years she had visited the hotel, she had no idea this haven existed. She hadn’t even asked what else was available—she wouldn’t have been able to afford this, anyway.
“God does love me,” she sighed, as her feet sank into the plush, crimson carpet. Gold molding traced the edges of the ceilings, while a luxurious gold-framed mirror reflected the setting sun, casting a glowing red hue on the ivory walls and drapes.
“I’m home!” Victoria called out with a little twirl, pretending this was her apartment and she was returning home to her cat.
“You!” Victoria stopped dead and squealed in utter shock.
“You!” he echoed, completely surprised.
“You?!”
“Yes, it is me,” he laughed.
“‘It is I,’” she corrected him automatically, ignoring the smirk on his face. “But why?” She sank onto the couch, unable to hide her disappointment.
“Hmm…maybe because it’s my room.”
“Your room? You’re not a woman!”
“Thank you for noticing.”
Not this man, or any man, not for a long, long time. But particularly the American slob who had paid for her taxi.
“You’re supposed to be a woman, Giovanni said…” Victoria realized that Giovanni could have missed the pronoun.
“Well.” He sat down on the other side of the couch. “I’m not a woman. My name’s Blade.” Of course it is, Victoria snorted mentally. “Blade King. Giovanni checked out my credentials, and after satisfying himself that I wasn’t a convict on the run, and further threatening me with dire consequences if anything happened to you, he said he would let you share my room.”
“Let me…I can’t…” She shook her head.
“Suit yourself. He did mention a damsel in distress that had appealed to his heart and—”
“I am not a damsel in distress, and I never have been. I can take care of myself—it’s just, you know, this situation…”
He seemed not to have heard a word. “It isn’t really just one room, see. It’s a two-room en suite apartment. Take a look around and decide.” She felt him watch her struggle with a decision. She must maintain control over the situation at all costs. But she also knew that she wasn’t going to find a better place anywhere else.
You’re the most considerate person anyone meets on any given day, Victoria reminded herself, her internal dialogue heating up. There is no way you are coming up ungrateful or petty right now. Be cool.
“Okay, thanks,” she replied, shaking her shoulders back and standing up with a bright smile. “It will only be for a night or two. I’m sure to find a flight out sometime—”
“Sounds good. Your stuff’s in the bigger bedroom. I have to go out for a while. Here’s my card and number, you can text me if you need anything. I’m bringing back dinner and can have Riccardo fix it for two.”
He left abruptly. Left her standing in the middle of the most beautiful apartment she had ever seen. It would be paradise to spend even a night here. She rushed to the window and could see the last light of a weary sun bathing the Tower in pink and gold and calm.
Compelled, she dashed into her bedroom. A four-poster bed centered the room, with a glamorously rustic wooden dressing table and chair. A cozy corner desk overlooking a serene courtyard was perfect motivation for a writer. And she needed to finish her travelogue about Pisa, now dangerously overdue.
Her phone chimed, as if on cue.
“Now! NEED IT NOW!” Jenny, her friend/slave driver blog administrator was texting. “Your sponsors will PULL THE PLUG!!!”
“On it!” Victoria messaged back.
Shirin Snyder is a blogger, editor, writer, social media strategist, and dedicated traveler. An army brat, born and raised in India, Shirin fell in love with books at age 3 when she discovered Grimm’s Fairy Tales and has never stopped reading. Shirin earned her Honours Degree in political science from Jesus and Mary College, University of New Delhi, India, with minors in English Literature, Philosophy, and History, reading hundreds of romantic comedy novels in the process (instead of studying, which she found vastly boring). She is the founder of theology blog TheologyMix.com. She is married to John I. Snyder, a pastor, church planter, and bestselling Amazon author.
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Good read, can’t wait for what’s next!