The Billionaire's Troublesome Triplets - Holly Rayner Page 0,2
an extra night in a hotel. And you get two whole days in Rome before your event starts? You must work for a really great organization.”
“Well, I don’t know about great,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a pharmaceutical company.”
“Oh,” she said. “What kind of pharmaceuticals do you deal in?”
He eyed her for a moment, looking as if he was making up his mind about something.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said at last. “If you’re interested, why don’t you join me for dinner tonight? I can tell you all about what my company does, and you can tell me about your adventures in Rome thus far and what you have planned for the rest of your vacation.”
“Join you for dinner?” Elise was taken aback. She had not expected this conversation to last more than a few more minutes.
Still, she had to admit she was tempted. Meeting a man and going on a date while on her Roman vacation had always been a part of the fantasy—and the man in her fantasy hadn’t even been as good-looking as this.
“It doesn’t sound as though either of us has any firm plans tonight,” Lucas pointed out. “I know I don’t have anything going on.”
“Neither do I,” Elise agreed.
“Then let me take you out,” Lucas urged. “It will be my treat. You lost a lot of money today. You shouldn’t have to pay for dinner.”
“Well,” Elise said, “all right. I’d be happy to have dinner with you.”
“Wonderful.” Lucas beamed. “Where are you staying? I can pick you up at five.”
Elise wasn’t sure she was ready to give out her address to someone she had just met. “Why don’t we meet at Gianni’s for a coffee before we go to dinner?” she suggested. “Do you know the place?”
“That’s the little coffee shop with the red door?” he asked. “Sure, I know it.”
“Great,” Elise said. “I’ll be there at five, then.”
“I look forward to it,” Lucas said, beaming at her.
They stood there for another moment, and Elise got the feeling neither of them was entirely sure of how to end the conversation. Was a handshake appropriate? That felt too formal. But she didn’t know what to do.
Lucas chuckled bashfully and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he said. “I’d better get back to my hotel. I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you,” Elise agreed. She backed away a couple of steps, then turned and hurried off down the street, clutching her purse close to her chest.
She had planned to spend the day exploring, but suddenly all she wanted was to get back to her apartment.
Via dei Capocci was a quiet, narrow street that featured a top-notch gelato shop and very little else. As soon as Elise turned onto it, she felt protected and safe once again.
She unlocked the outer door to her apartment building, hurried up the stairs, and went into the unit she had rented. She dumped her purse out on the living room couch and began to sort through her things carefully.
Her passport was still there, and it was undamaged. She ran her fingers over the cover. Tonight when she went out, she decided, she would leave it behind in the apartment. Carrying something so valuable around the city was a mistake.
She would take her bag. She needed to have her ID and credit card. But both of those things could be easily replaced if necessary. The passport would be much more difficult.
Having a plan always calmed her. She packed her things back into her bag, went into the bathroom, and started running a bath. A nice bit of self-care would be the perfect way to prepare for her date tonight.
A date! She couldn’t believe it. She had dreamed of romance in Rome, but that part of the dream had always seemed like a fantasy.
Don’t get ahead of yourself, she told herself firmly. It’s just dinner.
Yes, it was just dinner. But even if that was all it was, there was an air of romance around it.
She had been worried that the big memory she would take away from this vacation would be the experience of having her bag stolen. But now, thanks to Lucas, that had been eclipsed by something she was sure would stay with her a lot longer.
She turned off the water and, after testing the temperature, climbed into the tub. It was deeper and wider than her tub at home, giving her plenty of room to relax. She sank down into the hot water and allowed it to submerge her completely.
What a