FALLON
I'm walking out of the plane, wearing my sunglasses and the biggest smile so confidently.
The flight was a piece of cake, revealing the fact that from now on, I officially adore flying. Until now, I only liked it.
After a successful landing and clearing the security checkpoint, I call the number Hope has left me. Already saved within my phone's contacts, it says Luca. The exclusive chauffeur of my private limo, the only person who knows about me doubling for the rich girl beside us two.
"Hello, this is Hope Douglas..., my plane just landed," I sing out cheerfully, feeling so excited about my unique doppelganger vacation. It will be fun. Yes, my name changed to Hope for the next seven days, and I can't afford to forget that tiny yet significant detail, but everything else will be just perfect. It has to be.
"This is Luca, and it's nice to hear you, Hope. I'm already on my way to the airport. You can shop a bit while waiting. I'll call you when I arrive. See you soon!" The voice I hear from the other side sounds smooth and tender.
Luckily, a man is fluent in English because I know only a few, pretty basic, Italian words, and even those I didn't know any, until barely four days ago.
Wandering through the Fiumicino airport, I lost almost forty minutes while window shopping already, reluctant about spending too much money. I repeat like a parrot to myself that I need the money.
But I can't resist buying a big Toblerone with crunchy almonds. I will finish it before tomorrow comes, for sure. And so I eat half of it right before that second call from Luca chimes into my phone. He is here, waiting at the arrivals, and so we meet there.
"Welcome to Rome, Miss Hope! Where do you want to go first?" Luca is in his late thirties, handsome dark-haired Italian, two inches shorter than me in my usual heels, happily married, and a father of two young boys, Luciano and Matteo. And to make things more pleasant for me, very open, friendly, and talkative.
"Thank you, Luca! So nice to meet you. Let's go to the villa first. I want to put my things down, take a shower, and eat something. Do I have tickets booked for something for today?" Armed with Grazie, Prego, Buon Giorno, Si, No, and a lot of money in my pocket and on my debit card, I greet him, so ready to get to know the Eternal City the best I can.
And I'm still starving, dying to try some of that famous Italian cuisine. First food, then art!
Art, art, I'm going to see so much of the world heritage while here..., my reasoning vibrates excitedly within my mind and soul.
"You have the Vatican museum private tour scheduled this late evening. The Dome of St Peter's Basilica you should climb before it. I suggest you stroll the streets until then. So, you have free time till 6 pm." It is only a few minutes past noon as Hope arranged the early flight for me. It was so considerate of her, taking care I see most of Rome.
Wow, I'm going to see the Sistine Chapel, the Pieta, St Peter's Baldachin by Bernini, Rafael's rooms, Laocoon's Group statue, and many, many more. The Ancient Rome, oh God, I'm standing among its ruins!
"Wow, nice!" I chirp with my hummingbird voice, and the man smirks at me over the rearview mirror.
"And we are going out tonight. My wife is visiting her parents in Milan with our kids for a week, and I got an order to show you the nightlife of the city, Miss Hope!" Luca tells me as he drives me to the villa, counting clubs he plans we visit in the next few days. The awareness of having a companion when going out sits nicely with me, extinguishing my nervousness of having to be alone at night in an unknown city.
I can't stop looking outside of the car windows, turning my head from left to right, scanning the city opening and unveiling itself in front of my curious, greedy eyes.
"Look up there! You'll see these trees only in Rome," Luca points his finger up to the top of one of the seven hills of Rome.
The iconic stone pine trees of Rome are something you notice right away. They stand tall, everywhere throughout the city, with treetops spreading wide under the blue sky, resembling green fluffy clouds. Looking like nature's best parasols, they provide a shield from the heat and sun, at the same time taking your breath away.
Luca seems to be a loud guy, gesturing a lot while cursing Roman traffic in Italian. Yeah, the traffic is something else you have to see, too. Never before, I've seen the public bus, blocked by a car, flashing all four blinkers while the driver pops inside of some building to run an errand.
We are sitting in the car, watching the scene. No one can pass by it as the arrogant bastard stopped all the damn traffic for good full five minutes.
"Grande figlio di puttana!" Luca yells while laughing bitterly, calling the driver one huge son of the bitch. And all men and women have opened their car windows and doors, cursing out loud and waving their hands through the air. I never witnessed anything like this in London.
In Rome, it happened in my first hour.
The villa sits in the Prati neighborhood, the most expensive part of Rome, between the Vatican city and the river Tiber. I have some twenty minutes by foot to reach the Trevi Fountain, or Pantheon, crossing one of the bridges over the river. I am in the exact center of the city. Well, damn!
And villa, well, the villa is a villa in every sense of it.
Huge, old, fitted with the most expensive furniture pieces, surrounded by the most beautiful Mediterranean garden I've ever seen. The first I ever saw, more precisely.
All those scents reaching my nose from the plants, trees, and flowers planted there leave me speechless and mesmerized.
Too soon, I discovered that the best moments last the shortest. The days in Rome flew away quickly, flipping one by one in front of my eyes like elusive dreams.
I had the time of my life in the Eternal City, enjoying art, its landmarks, cuisine, and its vibrant nightlife. I saw many museums, ancient Roman ruins, and monuments that resisted and withstood time, bars, and nightclubs, enriching my brain and heart, relaxing and charging myself for my hard-working life for years to come.
But I still held tight onto my v-card, not taking Hope's advice.
I wish I could stay here forever, but I know my time is up.
It is the last night of my stay in Rome, and I'm about to attend that rich guy's birthday party. My flight back home is tomorrow, scheduled for 11.30 am.
Julius's gift waits nicely wrapped on the nightstand by my king-sized bed. Not mine, but Hope's.
Luca told me she bought the ring for the man since he is the collector of that type of jewelry.
I am standing in front of the full-body mirror, dressed up in the gorgeous red Alberta Ferretti evening gown that Hope Douglas chose for me, staring at myself, unrecognizable in the reflection. I never imagined wearing the original designer dress, and not only that I am, but it is also from the newest collection.
And I googled its prize, costing Hope more than the generous pocket money I earned for traveling to Rome.
"You look stunning!" Luca says, observing me while standing behind me, leaning against the oak frame of my bedroom's door.
The silky floor-length dress is ruffled and sleeveless, the tiered design that dances around my body, with plunging V-neck and high waist accentuating my soft curves. The dress fits my 5' 7" height well, making me feel like a princess. Dangle silver-white pearl earrings adorn my ears, and I hold a small silver clutch bag in my hand. I wear silver, not-so-high heels, going for comfort since the edges of the red silk gown conceal and hide them under their numerous ruffles.
"Thank you, Luca! I feel spectacular. I rarely attend parties, nevertheless rich and luxurious ones." I answer with a giggle, not taking my eyes off my mirrored reflection. Luca is smiling, too.
"Have fun! I'm sorry it won't last long, though," he tells me, and I am sure there is a hint of sadness in his voice. We bonded during my stay here. How wouldn't we, spending so much time together as, after all, Luca has been my driver, my drinking and dancing buddy, and my city sightseeing guide.
I grew fond of the man, taking he liked me too.
"So, where is this party? Do I have to find Julius and give him his birthday present right away, or should I do it later during the night?" I grow more nervous with each passing mile as Luca drives me, noticing we have left the center and entered Roman outskirts.
"Tivoli. There should be a place for guests to leave their gifts." He acts calm and unusually for him, keeps it quiet, not even smiling like he always does, which only adds to my agitated state. And he doesn't say anything more about Tivoli, which is so unlike the man.
But I know what Tivoli is, a place thirty minutes by car, northeast of Rome, home to the two grand villas, ancient Roman Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este from the Renaissance.
"Are you ok, Luca?" I ask him, genuinely worried for him. Maybe he doesn't feel well, I'm guessing.
"Yeah," he sighs and says nothing more until reaching the place of Julius's birthday party.
I only know it is the guy's 28th birthday and that he is a blonde, tall guy. And handsome, just like his many friends are, especially his best friend Sean, I remember Hope informing me before the journey. Judging by names, they are not Italians.
"Oh, this place is gorgeous!" I state when Luca stops the car next to the modern villa with a pool, fountain, and impressive driveway in front of it. We must have arrived early, I suppose, seeing only two more cars in the parking area, with most parking lots still waiting unoccupied.
"Wait, Miss Hope! I'll open the door for you." I listen to my driver, and I wait, wanting to fully taste the experience of this glamorous party, probably my first and last for a long time. It feels good to be treated like a queen once.
When Luca finally opens the backseat door for me, I walk out of the limo, thanking him with a light courteous bow while tugging at the skirt of my dress like a fucking Cinderella, going to the ball.
I beam at him, but his face remains stone-cold, lacking his usual warm smile.
At that moment, still shocked by Luca's cold facial expression, I hear two pairs of menacing footsteps approaching fast behind my back, reverberating from the cobblestone pathway. At the sound of it, I turn around, feeling Luca's hand gripping tight at my elbow, probably to protect me. I see two men approaching before I glance at Luca again.
There is no sign of any protection on his face as he nods to the men. Just the opposite.
What is wrong with him?
"I'm so sorry, Fallon," I hear him say, but I still don't get it, wondering what he is sorry about and why he calls me Fallon.
That took a dark turn quickly! It looks like Luca knew who she was all along, and the "dream vacation" might have been a setup.