I decide that my best course of action is to walk casually down the street?okay, alleyway?and bump into David. That way I might overhear what those two men are talking about. And I will just look utterly surprised to see David there.
But as I start walking nonchalantly toward David, I trip over a cobblestone. David looks up, startled. I wave and carry on walking toward him, but before I can get to him the two men disappear down a side alley.
?David! Are you all right? I saw those guys taking money from you. What the hell are you doing here??
David looks slightly stunned.
?Who were those men, and what are you doing here?? I repeat. I?ve never seen David look so flummoxed.
?What? Oh, um, they were clients, of sorts . . .? David looks around him as if to get his bearings.
?Georgie,? he continues slowly, ?I . . . I didn?t really expect to see you here.? He looks utterly confused.
?But why would you be here?? I persist. ?You?re meant to be in Geneva. For a minute I thought you might be following me, but that?s impossible . . .?
?Following you,? says David slowly. ?Yes, I suppose you may as well know. I . . . I was going to go to Geneva, but . . . then I found out you were going to Rome, and I just had to come and find you. Have a proper Roman Holiday.?
I stare at him accusingly. ?David, do not bloody lie to me, okay? You really expect me to believe that you were prepared to cancel a business trip just so you could follow me here? And anyway, how did you find out? And who were those men??
But instead of answering, David leans down and kisses me.
?It?s so good to see you here,? he says softly, then straightens up and narrows his eyes at me. ?But tell me something,? David continues. ?Why exactly are you in Rome??
He?s got me there. If he knew I was coming here, he might know that I?m supposedly here with Mike. Of course, then again, he might not.
?Because I wanted some romance in my life,? I say defensively. ?Because I thought, obviously mistakenly, that you?d never take me.?
?Oh my darling.? David gives me a hug. ?I?m so sorry. I can?t believe you came here all by yourself. But I?m here now, aren?t I??
?But why? How did you find out I was here? And why didn?t you just suggest we go out together??
?I thought it would be more romantic this way. And I wanted to find out what you were up to . . .? David grins at me and raises one eyebrow.
So you don?t know about Mike, I think with relief. And now I?ve got someone to have lunch with!
?That?s all very well,? I say, pretending to still be cross, ?but I still want to know who those men were.?
?I just thought, while I was here, I would look up a couple of old business acquaintances,? says David. He seems a lot calmer now. I suppose he wasn?t expecting me to stumble across him like that.
?You said they were clients.?
?One day a business acquaintance, the next a client,? grins David.
?And you were giving them money.?
?Their money. Money my firm had been looking after for them.?
I stare at him. I?m not convinced, but I can?t think of a good enough reason why David would be making it up. The thing is, David just doesn?t lie. I mean, whenever he tries, he always fails miserably, like the time he tried to convince me that he?d forgotten all about Valentine?s Day when actually he had organized a surprise late-night picnic in Hyde Park. Unlike Mike who actually did forget Valentine?s Day.
At the thought of Mike, I feel the blood rushing from my face. What if we bump into him? I mean, Mike could be around the next corner, couldn?t he, and then David would know why I came here and it would just be too awful.
And Mike, well, he would be furious, too. He brings me to Rome for a romantic weekend and I go off with David instead. I mean, it?s not exactly good form, is it? I can just imagine what my mother would have to say about this. She would think it incredibly unethical, unreasonable, and downright rude. And she?d have a very good point.
?Are you okay, darling??
?Yes, yes of course,? I manage to say. ?Just . . . well, I?m a bit hungry actually.? I smile wanly at him.
David looks at his watch and scratches the back of his neck like he does when he?s worried about something. But then he grins again and puts his arm round me protectively.
?In that case, I think we should get you some food, don?t you??
Right answer. Very good response. Putting Mike firmly out of my mind, I follow David back up the alleyway and into a cafe.
Once I?m sitting down, I begin to relax. To be honest, it?s probably the most relaxed I?ve been since I got to Rome. I mean, I was looking forward to walking around with Mike and going to cool record label parties and stuff, but with David here I feel much less on edge. Like I don?t have to prove anything to anyone and don?t have to worry about saying the right thing. And he?s even buying me breakfast. How nice is that?
Every so often a few little questions start to creep into my mind about how David knew I?d be here, and what would have happened if I hadn?t bumped into him like that. Would he have come to the hotel? Would he have seen me and Mike together? But I do my best to suppress them and after a while they seem to disappear altogether.
When the waiter comes over I order a cappuccino.
