Tour Wars, page 13
“Em?” he asked. “Are you okay?”
After grabbing her water bottle from the nightstand, she sat beside him and spoke in a shaky voice. “Not really. You were right about Luca.”
Fuck. His hands clenched into fists, his adrenaline kicking into high gear. “What did that sleazy prick do? I don’t care if he’s a Roberti, I’m taking him down.”
Her mouth quirked up in a smile. “Don’t even think about it. First of all, he’d probably kick your ass. Second, you’d be booted off the tour, and I’m not doing this without you.”
“It doesn’t matter. If he hurt you, he’s gonna pay.” Big words, considering TJ had never beaten up anyone before. In middle school, he’d been the one hiding from the bullies.
“Stop it. A knight in shining armor is the last thing I need right now.”
“Sorry, but I don’t like people hurting my friends.”
“He didn’t hurt me. In fact, he barely touched me. Well, no more than usual.” She rubbed her hands along her bare arms. “But he did proposition me. He asked me to come up to his room so we could fulfill our secret desires.”
“That slimeball.” Not that TJ was surprised. For the past two days, he’d suspected the bastard was waiting for the right moment to pounce. “What did you do?”
“I said no, of course.” She pointed to the binder, which she’d set to one side of the bed. “Lucky for me, you forgot to take this tome to the Vatican. I was studying it in the courtyard when he hit on me. All I had to do was show him the page with the rules.”
TJ released a long breath, allowing the tension to ease from his body. “Thank fuck I left it behind. It’s the perfect excuse.”
“Even so, Luca insisted the rules didn’t apply to him since he’s the Robertis’ nephew. He also hinted he was more likely to recommend Buon Viaggio to his father if he enjoyed himself on this tour.”
“Was that a threat? Like, was he implying he’d bad-mouth the company if you didn’t go up to his room? That’s sexual harassment.” TJ was fully aware his voice had risen, but he couldn’t help himself. Luca wasn’t just an entitled prick; his behavior was completely unethical.
“It’s all good. I held him off by convincing him I’m an uptight American prude.”
Now it was TJ’s turn to smile. “Which is nothing like the Emilia Flores I know.”
She gave a short laugh. “Right? Good thing he doesn’t know me as well as you do. He bought into it, but only after he warned me not to break the rules with anyone else here.”
What a dick. “Like who? Most of the single guys on the tour are over sixty. They wouldn’t be anyone’s choice for a steamy hookup.”
“I think he meant Davis. He really hates him.” She looked down, twisting her fingers in the tasseled fringe at the edge of the bedcover. “I should be grateful I got off so easily. It’s not like he threatened to fire me or anything, but he just…”
“Made you uneasy?” With a tentative hand, TJ reached over and touched her shoulder. Lightly. “I’m sorry. That’s awful.”
In all honesty, the outcome was better than he would have expected. Luca hadn’t hurt her, and she’d been able to escape his attentions unscathed. But beneath his touch, she was trembling. While he didn’t want to downplay Luca’s behavior, her reaction hinted at a deeper issue. “Em? Did something else happen? Before this? If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you. If not, that’s okay, too. No pressure.”
When she turned to face him, her eyes had misted over with tears. “I know you think I’m a badass, but…”
“You’re a total badass. You’ve traveled all over the world, you spent three summers digging in the jungles of Mexico, and you don’t hesitate to put assholes in their place. Anything you tell me isn’t going to change that.”
She grabbed a pillow and set it on her lap, curling her arms around it. After a ragged breath, she spoke softly. “Two years ago, I was on a project in Sardinia, and I got involved with the dig director—an American archaeologist named Vincent Barnes. Not a professor, but still my boss. Right from the start, he was very clear about what he wanted. He didn’t just flirt with me; he also filled my head with compliments. He told me he’d never met a grad student so focused and driven. He said my theories were worthy of publication. He even called me brilliant.” She gave a dismissive snort. “Like an idiot, I ate it up with a fucking spoon.”
“Cut yourself some slack. Being a grad student means getting your ego pummeled on a daily basis. A little praise goes a long way.”
“Maybe, but I always thought I had a good bullshit detector. By the third week of the project, he’d won me over, but I refused to go to bed with him. I told him it wasn’t my thing.”
“But you’ve hooked up on other digs, right?” When she frowned, he held up his hands, worried he’d overstepped. “Sorry, not judging or anything. But when we were at Troy, there was that night at the bar when you and Dusty swapped stories about your…um…shenanigans.”
“I forgot about that. We were so drunk.”
“If anything, I was kind of jealous. I’ve never had much luck on any of my digs.” He rubbed the back of his neck, remembering the times he’d been shot down. “It probably didn’t help that I bragged constantly about what a hard-core archaeologist I was.”
A tiny smile crossed her lips. “Yeah, that might not have been the best approach. But to your point, I fooled around a lot when I was an undergrad. The usual stuff that happens in the field. But never with a professor or a supervisor. Once I started grad school, I was more careful. I didn’t want to make a mistake I’d regret later.” She uncapped her water bottle and took a drink. “With Vince, we flirted a lot, but I had no intention of taking things any further. I liked that we were playing by my rules. Until one night…”
When she paused, TJ’s stomach clenched up. If this creep had assaulted her, he might have to track down the bastard and make him pay.
She continued. “Everyone else was out drinking, but he’d asked me to stay behind to help him in the lab. Even though we were supposed to be working, he brought in a bottle of wine for us to share. Just when I’d relaxed enough to let down my guard, he hit me up with a heartfelt confession—how he was falling for me, how he’d never felt this way about anyone before, and how it was killing him that I wouldn’t give him a chance. None of the guys I’d ever been with had made me feel like that. Like I was something special.”
Her admission just about broke TJ’s heart. Damn those other guys for not treating her like the amazing woman she was. “Em…you are special. Take it from me. I mean, yes, you can be a little prickly sometimes, but I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Thanks. But anyway…I broke my own code. Went to bed with him. Fell for all his lies. I started sneaking around to be with him, letting him take control, and losing all my self-respect in the process.”
Based on what he knew of Emilia, TJ couldn’t imagine her being that submissive. Then again, love—or lust—could seriously mess with anyone’s head. He’d been there himself, with a woman he’d dated in grad school. A woman who’d gotten him so tied up in knots that he would have done anything to please her. Until she dumped him for someone else.
“The worst part was that he claimed he was in love with me, and I bought into it.” Emilia rubbed her hands over her face. “I sound like a clueless freshman, but he totally played me.”
TJ’s heart ached for her. “It’s okay. We all do stupid things when we’re in love.”
“I don’t even think it was love. Because love shouldn’t be that unbalanced. He kept insisting he wanted us to be together, but after the dig ended, he totally ghosted me. I thought it was my fault, that I was acting too needy. When I got the courage to track him down, do you know what he told me? I wasn’t anything special, just another one of his fuckbuddies. Not only that, but he was engaged to be married. Our fling was just a diversion to get him through the summer. It meant nothing to him.”
Tears trailed down her cheeks. TJ wanted to console her, but the best he could do was pass her the box of tissues on the nightstand.
She grabbed one and dabbed her eyes. “I know I’m better off without him, but at the time, I was crushed. I hated that I’d been used. That he’d fucked with my head by convincing me I was special and then turned around and treated me like garbage.”
“I’m so sorry.” Hardly adequate for what she was sharing, but he didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s okay. This thing with Luca? It’s not like I was attracted to him, but he gave off a similar energy. Vince was used to getting what he wanted, and Luca’s the same way.” She blew her nose, then crumpled the tissue and tossed it onto the floor. “Like I said, you were right about him all along.”
For once in TJ’s life, he would have preferred to be wrong. “Would a hug help? Or would you rather not have anyone touching you right now?”
“I’d like a hug.” She leaned over and allowed him to take her in his arms.
He held her tightly, hoping his embrace would ease her anguish. Outside her window, birds trilled softly, and voices drifted in from the courtyard, but he stayed silent, giving her time to recover. When she pulled away, he passed her another tissue, and she wiped off the last trace of tears.
“Thanks for listening,” she said. “Sorry to dump all that on you.”
“That’s what friends are for.” As he said it, he worried he’d assumed too much. In the past, they’d always referred to themselves as enemies. Competitors. Rivals. But now, those terms seemed like a way to mask their true feelings. “Just to clarify—we are friends, right?”
This time, she gave him a real smile—the kind that illuminated her whole face. “I still think your Bronze Age theories are shit. You’re too braggy. And you talk too much. But yeah, we’re friends.”
As relieved as he was that she’d admitted it, a part of him wished for more. Not that he’d dare bring it up now. After what she’d been through, she needed a real friend, not another jerk trying to get her into bed. “Do you want to make a game plan for dealing with Luca? You shouldn’t be alone with him.”
“I think I’ll be all right. He might turn off the charm now that I’ve rejected him.”
TJ’s stomach growled, reminding him he’d eaten a light lunch to save room for pizza. “Any chance I can tempt you into checking out that pizzeria Cesca suggested? I’ve been dreaming about it all afternoon.”
She picked up the pillow and pressed it against her chest. “I don’t know if I want to go out tonight. I feel kinda crappy.”
“You sure?” He pulled out his phone. On the bus ride back to their hotel, he’d drooled over the mouthwatering photos displayed on the pizzeria’s website. “Take a look. You can order by the slice, which means you can try more than one kind. Here’s one with crispy potatoes, herbs, and parsley. Or one with sun-dried tomatoes, pancetta, and arugula. This one has zucchini flowers, black olives, and—your favorite—salted anchovies. You’re the only person I know who likes anchovies.”
“Don’t knock my anchovies.” She scraped a hand through her hair. “I need to pull myself together. If you’re really hungry, you don’t have to wait.”
Like he’d leave without her? “I don’t mind. The hungrier I am, the more pizza I get to try. Don’t forget we can charge it to the Buon Viaggio credit card, which means there’s no limit to the amount of pizza we can order.” He eased off the bed. “Text me when you’re ready, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Okay. And TJ?”
“What?”
“Thanks.” She regarded him tenderly. “For everything.”
“Anytime, Em.”
He meant it. For the rest of this tour, he’d be there for her, no matter what.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
As the Buon Viaggio bus pulled up to the entrance of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, Emilia stood and joined Nico at the front. She found it hard to believe they were already on the fifth day of the tour, which meant it was almost half over. Since today was a weekday, she’d hoped Pompeii would be less crowded, but lines of people had already formed, waiting for the site to open.
She turned to Nico, who was trying to wedge the bus into an open spot. “Don’t worry about parking. You can idle here until everyone gets off.”
Nico nodded. “This place is always packed—spring, summer, fall. One of these days, I’ve got to check it out.”
“You’ve never visited? Nico! It’s an archaeological gem.”
“So I’ve heard.” He offered her a warm smile. “Someday, I promise, but only if you and TJ show me around.”
“It’s a deal, but you’ll have to squeeze it in before we leave in December.”
A car horn blared behind them, but Nico paid it no attention. “What time do you want me to pick up the group? You’re walking to lunch, right?”
Emilia peeked at the itinerary on her phone. “Yep. We’re eating at Stuzzico, which is close by. You want to join us? Lunch is at one, and after that, we’ll head over to the ruins at Herculaneum for the second half of today’s excursion.”
“I’d like that,” he said. “I’ll meet you there.”
TJ was seated a few rows back, talking to Davis. When the bus stopped, he stood and caught Emilia’s eye. “Em, do you want me to divide the group into two? Might be easier to do the tour that way.”
“Sounds good. Can you get them organized? I’m gonna go on ahead.”
When he gave her a thumbs-up, she got off the bus and almost bumped into Giada. The older woman stood at the curb, arms crossed.
“About time,” she snapped. “You were supposed to arrive at a quarter to nine.”
Emilia stared at her in confusion. “Sorry, but I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“You think because you’re leading a fancy ten-day tour that you can survive without Giada?”
Quite honestly, yes.
But she wouldn’t say it. Even if Giada wasn’t a part of this tour, Emilia couldn’t risk pissing her off. “I think we’ve got things under control, but thanks for checking on us.” Behind her, the guests were slowly disembarking. They gathered in an unwieldy clump, waiting for TJ to give them directions.
Giada peered at them. “Where’s Luca?”
“He’s not taking part in today’s tour. I already showed him around Pompeii when he was here in August. Remember?” His absence meant Emilia could breathe a little easier. Ever since that uncomfortable scene in the courtyard two days ago, he’d changed his tone around her. Instead of doling out compliments, he was quick to chastise her if she made the slightest mistake.
“You’re keeping Luca happy, I hope?” Giada said. “Being extra, extra nice to him?”
Emilia repressed a shudder. “I’m treating him like any other guest, which should be more than enough.”
Giada blew out a peeved breath. “He’s not just ‘any other guest.’ His father is very important.”
I don’t care if his dad’s the fucking president of Italy, I’m not sleeping with Luca Roberti. End of story. Rather than spend another second talking about him, she pivoted. “Any word from Angelo? TJ and I have been sending him daily updates, but he hasn’t responded.”
“You think he has time to read all his emails?” Giada said. “I’m sure it’s fine. You haven’t encountered any difficulties, have you?”
Other than Luca? No. “It’s all good. I think the guests are enjoying themselves.”
“Don’t think—make sure of it! We want five-star reviews from every single one of them.” She turned to TJ, who was attempting to herd the group into formation. “What are you waiting for? Your guests need to be right at the gates when Pompeii opens. You only have four minutes to get there.”
With that, she turned and stalked off, no doubt in search of another poor guide to harass.
TJ addressed their group in a loud voice. “Okay, everyone. Like I told you earlier, Emilia and I will be leading your tour of Pompeii as a team. We decided to separate you into two groups because some of the areas we’ll be visiting are a tight fit. As you got off the bus, I gave each of you a card. If you got a blue one, you’re with me. A red card means you’re with Emilia. But don’t worry—we’ll never stray too far from each other. When we reach the end of the tour, we have a special surprise for you.”
A surprise? Was TJ intending to take them somewhere that wasn’t on the itinerary? If so, they might have to speed through a few of their regular stops. They needed to be done just before one if they wanted to keep their lunch reservation.
Emilia took a bright red flag out of her backpack. “All right, folks, let’s get going. It’s very crowded here, so if you lose sight of us, TJ and I each have a flag to guide the way.”
She led everyone past the line at the entrance and through the priority gate used by tour groups. Though only a week had passed since she’d left Pompeii, she was returning to the site with an entirely different perspective. Today, she wouldn’t be a guide-for-hire, leading a random bunch of strangers around the ancient city. This was her group, and she wanted them to have the best experience possible.
Part of the fun of guiding tourists through Pompeii was watching their reactions. The site was exceptionally well-preserved, having been suspended in time since 79 AD, when the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius had buried it in volcanic ash and pumice stone. As with the tours she’d given all summer, she paused to describe various points of interest, like the Temple of Apollo, the Forum, and some of the best-known Roman homes and villas, like the House of the Faun and the Villa of the Mysteries. Along the way, she showed them the remains of bakeries, public baths, and thermopolia, or snack bars, where Pompeii’s citizens would have stopped after work to grab a bite to eat. Naturally, the tour included a visit to the brothel with its racy wall paintings.
This time, when Emilia glanced at the sensuous images, her thoughts didn’t drift to Paulo as they had in August. Instead, a different set of fantasies took hold—ones involving a nerdy, slightly boastful, overly enthusiastic archaeologist who’d gone from being a rival to a friend.
