by Zoe Ann Wood
But as she suspected, Daniel was nowhere to be seen. She quietly ordered coffee and pastries, promising herself she’d go back to her healthy diet the moment she returned home. Then she sat on the terrace with her laptop, nibbling on the crunchy sfogliatelle and sipping a creamy cappuccino while the city slowly woke around her.
The massive Colosseum sat sullenly in the distance, even though the morning sun lit up its crumbling façade. Ava was glad to have visited it, but she hoped she and Daniel would return to Rome someday to tour all the sights they’d miss this time. The Vatican, the Spanish steps, maybe even the Catacombs. There were so many amazing spots left to discover.
A sound behind alerted her to Daniel’s presence. He stood just inside the balcony door, gazing at her. Ava smiled, and for a moment, he returned it, but then his expression changed. A frown replaced his soft look.
“Morning,” she greeted him, wondering what was going on.
“Hey,” he said.
He didn’t move forward to kiss her, so she didn’t get up either—she’d follow his lead in this. There were shadows under his eyes, and he hadn’t shaved, yet he was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, clearly ready to go out.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
Daniel snorted. “Hardly. But I’m awake enough to see that castle.”
She beamed at him. “I’ve checked—it doesn’t open until nine, so we have time to grab coffee from that café I told you about.”
“That’s great.” Daniel tapped the window frame with his knuckles. “You ready to leave?”
“You’re not getting breakfast here?” she asked. She’d hoped they’d get a slow start to the day, enjoy a more substantial breakfast together, then stroll across the old city center to the Tiber river.
But he shook his head. “I’ll grab a sandwich from one of those shops we saw.”
He turned and walked to the door, and though he gave no outward sign of impatience, she sensed the restless energy in him. Maybe he missed his morning run. She wasn’t much of a runner herself, and certainly wouldn’t be jogging in her sandals, but maybe a brisk walk would cheer him up.
Ava grabbed her purse and sunglasses, remembering sunscreen in the last moment. Even though they’d be keeping to the shadowy streets, there would be plenty of opportunity for the sun to burn her.
Then they were off, walking past the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, plunging into the maze of streets. Daniel was silent, his hands in his pockets, staring ahead. Ava tried to initiate a conversation several times, but he only gave monosyllabic answers, so she gave up for the moment. It hurt, seeing him this distant, but she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he’d had a bad night and was simply dealing with that. She’d wait until after he’d had coffee, and then she’d confront him. If they were going to have a relationship, he couldn’t shut her out.
She snapped several photos while they walked, then put the phone away and simply enjoyed the vibe of the city that wasn’t at its usual capacity yet. The first tourists were already trooping around, but vendors were still opening their shops, exchanging calls in rapid Italian, unloading their wares from waiting, beat-up cars.
Then they arrived at the Pantheon; she’d led them there even though she could have picked a slightly shorter route to the café. But she’d wanted Daniel to see the place that had charmed her. He looked up at her nudge, and she saw the transformation on his face when he glimpsed the massive stone structure. They stepped inside the cool interior, and Ava saw it with new eyes after the movie they’d watched the previous day. The scent of history was awe-inspiring, and she vowed to take more vacation time to explore other historic cities. What was the point in making that much money if she didn’t enjoy it? She might even take Cara, Taylor, and their boys. Her sister had never even been to Europe.
Daniel’s hand brushed hers, and he smiled down at her, his first real smile of the morning. It lit up his hazel eyes, and Ava suddenly knew everything would be all right.
She led him out into the sun again, veering left, following the scent of freshly roasted coffee. The small shop was full of locals, elderly ladies chatting and laughing in one corner, a businessman knocking back his espresso in one big gulp, hustling out the door a moment later. She and Daniel found a spot at the counter; she hopped onto an empty stool while he leaned on the bar next to her.
Ava waved at the waitress she remembered from last time, and the lady brought them coffee, taking in Daniel and giving Ava a wink. Then she brought Ava the cocoa shaker. “A little chocolate is good even if you’re not sad,” she remarked, bustling off again to serve a pair of British girls in crumpled summer dresses.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked, sighing. She would return to Rome simply to visit this place.
Daniel sipped his coffee—a fragrant macchiato—and nodded. “Mm. Thanks for bringing me here.”
She looked up at him, her chest bursting with happiness. Was that what love should feel like? She’d been pining over him for so long, she’d resigned herself to only feeling the stabbing twists that seeing him brought every day. But now she glanced down at herself to see if light was leaking from her pores; she felt radiant and smiled broadly at him.
Then she stretched forward and up to press her lips to his.
Daniel moved away.
The motion was almost imperceptible; he was still standing in exactly the same position, his elbow on the counter, his feet planted on the floor. But instead of closing in, lowering his head to return the kiss, he jerked ever so slightly back, his lips pressed together.
Heat rose up Ava’s neck, flushing her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.
“Oh,” she managed to say. “Um.”
Daniel cleared his throat. “Ava.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have…” She stopped herself, then frowned. Something wasn’t right. She looked up at him again, meeting his gaze, taking in his tortured expression. “Actually, I’m not sorry. What’s going on? After last night, I thought…”
He glanced away, staring somewhere over her shoulder. “I spoke to Laney last night.”
This took Ava a moment to comprehend. “Laney? As in Laney Strauss from HR?”
A nod. “She…recommended we wait—” He broke off, sighing. “She wants us to sign some paperwork before we…you know.”
Ice flooded her veins. “No, I don’t know.”
He clicked his tongue as though impatient at her refusal to help him out. “Before we get more involved. Before we make this public.” He gestured between them.
It took immense effort to find her voice. “But it seems like you’ve already made it public. Without asking me.” The happiness bubble she’d floated in five minutes ago burst with an almost audible pop, and her mood took a dive, crashing on the cold, hard floor.
“Laney found out. I didn’t tell her anything, but you know how she is.”
Ava scoffed. “Well, you could have denied it.”
Daniel’s expression turned incredulous. “Why would I deny it? It’s true, isn’t it?”
Tugging on her braid, Ava cast a nervous look around the café. They hadn’t attracted attention yet, but they were speaking English, so their conversation was far from private.
“Do you know what this will seem like?” She lowered her voice but couldn’t keep the hurt from it. “Everyone will think I’m sleeping with you to get ahead in the company.”
He jerked back as though she’d slapped him. But honestly, how did he not think of this? She hadn’t formulated a plan for how they’d tell their colleagues, but she’d figured they’d keep it quiet for a while until they were sure it was serious enough.
“That’s not— If anyone says that, they’re idiots.” Daniel’s dark eyebrows creased in a frown.
“But they’ll still say it,” she murmured, crushed. “You know it’s true. Even worse, they’ll assume I’m after your money.”
“Why do you care what other people think?” he shot back.
>
Ava gaped at him. “Are you serious? If this ends, you’ll come through spotless, and I’ll be the woman who slept with the boss.”
“We haven’t slept together.”
Ava flinched, hunching her shoulders. No, they hadn’t. She wasn’t sure whether to be crushed or glad about that just now.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said, his voice softening. “That was really nasty of me. But, Ava…” He broke off, raking his fingers through his hair. “Laney just wanted to make sure this was serious.”
She glanced up at him, fighting tears. Rationally, she knew her reaction was too strong, but after last night, she’d allowed herself to hope for the first time. “Serious? Daniel, of course it’s serious. Do you really think I’d be willing to throw away my career if what I felt for you wasn’t serious?” Digging through her purse, she pulled out the envelope bearing his name. She’d carried it with her—first because she’d been hoping to find a good moment to talk to him about her resignation, and then because she’d been too happy and preoccupied to take it out. Now she slapped it on the counter in front of him. “This is my resignation letter,” she said.
His eyes widened, and he stared at the envelope as if it might bite him. “What?”
“I was going to give it to you sometime on this trip,” she said, weariness threatening to overwhelm her. “I’d decided I couldn’t keep working for you.”
“But why?” Daniel picked up the envelope, tearing the end off, and scanned the letter. “You— You’re serious?”
Ava knew she couldn’t make up some lie. So she gave him the truth, even though it tore at her insides. Even though it shamed her to admit how long she’d spent torturing herself. “I’ve been in love with you for years. I thought it would pass, but no matter how hard I tried, seeing you every day hasn’t been easy. And then I thought…” Her voice broke, and she glanced away, willing herself not to cry.
“Ava,” Daniel began, extending his hand toward her.
She shook her head, leaning away from him. If he touched her then, she wasn’t sure she could say everything that needed to be said.
“Yesterday, I thought my dreams came true, Daniel. This morning, after a really, really long time, I woke up happy.” A sob escaped her, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
The waitress materialized in front of them, frowning at Daniel. “You made her cry. You don’t get chocolate,” she muttered, taking the cocoa shaker from the counter. Then she turned to Ava. “Are you all right?”
Ava nodded, painfully aware there were strangers witnessing their quarrel. She pulled her shoulders back, unwilling to break down.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel asked, his voice hoarse. He was staring at the letter; it trembled slightly in his hand. “Why didn’t you say you were unhappy?”
“What good would it have done? I would have turned our effective work relationship into an awkward mess.” She shrugged. “But since we arrived here, I’ve begun to hope I might not need that letter after all. That maybe we could…be together and work together.”
“We can, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. We’ll keep on working together like always.”
Daniel’s earnest expression nearly convinced her.
“But on your terms, right? With contracts signed and HR informed. So the company is secure.” Of course he put the company first. It was his masterpiece, a billion-dollar empire he’d created through his own genius.
And he needed her there to help, to coordinate projects and charm investors, to prepare his reports the way he liked them and train interns to never use disposable coffee cups and plastic bottles, because that was his vision for his company.
She loved working for him. His belief in an equal-opportunities technological company was pretty radical, even in the twenty-first century. But could she continue in the same position if it meant regulating her most significant relationship with HR forms?
“I need some time to think,” she said, sliding from her stool. She traced her fingertips under her eyes, checking whether her mascara had smudged, then chanced another glance at Daniel.
He seemed wrecked. Almost as heartsick as her—and for the briefest instance, she had an overwhelming urge to throw her arms around him, hold on tight and comfort him. But then she’d conform to his rules, letting him set the tone of their relationship from day one. Then she’d never really know whether he kept her around for her business skills or because he loved her.
“Don’t go,” he murmured, placing the letter on the counter and stepping toward her. “Ava, just—”
She shook her head, taking one step back and then another. He didn’t follow her; instead, he sat heavily on her vacated barstool and dropped his head in his hands. What a mess they’d created. It wasn’t what she’d imagined that morning. But she couldn’t make a rational decision that might affect her entire life when facing the man she cared so deeply about. He likely needed to think as well, decide what to do about her plan to resign and how to deal with the HR department.
Ava sighed, tearing her gaze away from him. They’d meet again at the hotel in a couple of hours and talk it through. Maybe they’d find a solution that wouldn’t seem like a terrible compromise. At the door of the little café, Ava paused, taking one last look at Daniel, and left, losing herself in the ever-growing crush of tourists.
Eight
Daniel
He stayed at the café for another hour, ordering an espresso and a croissant; he didn’t think he should make life-altering decisions on an empty stomach.
Ava’s resignation letter rested on the table he’d snagged after the group of old ladies had left. Her wording was precise as always—he’d read so many of her reports and missives, he’d recognize it anywhere.
The fact was that he’d messed up. Talking to Laney had left him with a bitter aftertaste, and he’d doubted Ava’s commitment to their fledgling relationship. But he should have known Ava wouldn’t have kissed him if she wasn’t serious about it.
At first, he’d debated going after her, even tracking her through their app, but she’d said she needed time alone. He needed to respect her wishes.
Her expression when she’d confessed to being in love with him… Daniel’s stomach roiled at the memory. He should have stopped her from leaving, begged her not to go, but the resignation letter had been one giant sucker-punch. She’d been so unhappy that she’d meant to give up the job she so clearly loved? He couldn’t believe he’d been so oblivious to her feelings. What else had he missed?
There was one thing he was certain of in this whole mess: he needed to be with her. Hearing her confession crystallized his own feelings until they shone bright as day. He loved her, and he’d made a mistake keeping that to himself. He could have saved her so much pain. Sure, she could have done the same, but he understood. She hadn’t wanted to jeopardize her job and destroy their work environment.
Now, however, he needed to make sure she understood just how serious he was about her. There was no way he was letting her think her way out of this—he’d waited for her for years without ever believing he had a chance.
In the end, he emailed Laney and his lawyers.
Call me the moment you see this. I need a conference call with all of you—as soon as you can coordinate. I know it’s Saturday but I’ll make it up to you all.
He had a plan, but it was crazy, and he’d need his team’s full cooperation to carry it out.
It was still nighttime in the US, so he had a couple of hours to execute the second part of his plan—he just hoped Rome would provide him with the item he was searching for.
He tipped the waitress generously and folded Ava’s resignation letter. Looking up, he realized the older woman was still standing next to him.
“Good luck.” She winked at him and left him grinning at her retreating back.
He’d need a pinch of luck for sure, but above all, he’d work hard to convince Ava to give him a chance.
Nine
Ava
She visited the Castel Sant’Angelo, a massive stone fortress on the bank of the Tiber river. The bridge leading to it was lined with statues of angels, and Ava peered up at each one, wondering what sculptor created these masterpieces that had stood here for centuries.
The castle was a lot less scary in daylight than it had been in the movie, and she was disappointed to find no secret society symbols within. But she stood on the roof, leaning on the ramparts, and gazed at the city sprawled beneath her, feeling some of her earlier tension dissipate.
It was hard to remain angry in the face of such beauty.
Ava sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. The sun was gaining in strength, heating her face and shoulders. She wasn’t angry at Daniel—she’d panicked at the thought of the world knowing that she was in love. She was hurt that he’d discussed their relationship with Laney, yes, but mostly annoyed at herself.
He hadn’t said he loved her, and yet Ava knew Daniel wasn’t a man to toy with her. They were friends and colleagues; he’d never do anything to hurt her intentionally. And it made sense that he wanted to protect his company—she wanted to protect it, too. If she was completely honest with herself, resigning would have made her miserable, and she’d likely never find another position as challenging and fulfilling as the one she held now.
They would need to figure out so many things. How to behave at the office. What to do with their apartments. Where to go for the holidays. But these were all normal relationship things—every couple met with difficulties, theirs were just slightly more complicated because of their work situation.
If Daniel agreed, she was all in. Jumping into a new relationship headfirst wasn’t her usual style, but she’d known Daniel for years. They knew each other, and this felt right.
