Monday morning Rachel was so tired she could barely drag herself out of bed. She just wanted to get the day over with, then go home and go straight to bed. She was supposed to have a lesson plan for each day of the week, but when she went in to her room, she gave Sky control of the class, and she sat in the back, pretending that she was doing Sky a favor by letting her practice running a class. Sky was ecstatic. She did a lot with the class, and Rachel just sat in the back and watched, trying to keep herself awake. When the day was over, the two of them cleaned up the room, and Rachel drove herself home amongst a cacophony of yawns. When she got home, she just took off her clothes and crawled into bed. The blackness took her until her alarm went off the next morning.
She reached for her phone to shut off the alarm, and realized that her phone had gone off last night, and she’d slept right through it. She looked at the number and didn’t recognize it. She opened the text message, and she couldn’t help herself…her heart leapt and she smiled. It said that whoever had texted her wanted to see her again and was wondering if they could pick her up for dinner tonight. She felt like she was worth something, then she took a step back and realized that she had no idea who this person was, if the text had even been meant for her or if it had been a mistyped number, and if it was someone that she even knew and wanted to see. She sent a message back wondering who it was, then jumped out of bed and commenced to getting ready for work. As she was brushing her teeth, her phone went off again and she almost tripped over her feet to get it. When she opened the message, she almost swallowed her toothbrush in excitement. It was Erik. She hastily saved the number to her phone and wrote him a message back, telling him that she would absolutely love to go to dinner with him. Then she added a line about whether she had to restrain Anna in order to earn the dinner, and a smiley face to show that she was joking. He sent her back a smiley face as well, and told her that it was absolutely no strings attached, and she didn’t have to do anything to earn it.
Rachel was floating on air all day, and when the day was over, she could feel her stomach fluttering with a million butterflies. He’d told her to be ready at six, and she was. She was nervous. She’d actually assumed he’d meant what he said right off the bat instead of second guessing his intentions.
Chapter 21
There was a text on her phone, letting her know that he was here. She had no idea what kind of car he had or anything, but when she got closer, she could hear the radio in one of the cars blaring, and when she found which one it was, she saw him sitting in the driver’s seat. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to just get in or if he wanted to say something to her first. He didn’t move, however, so she just grabbed the handle and climbed in.
“Hey. Thanks for picking me up.” Rachel thought it might be safe to start a conversation.
“Yeah, not a problem. Have you ever been to the Western House?” He seemed to be a little nervous, and that was understandable. She felt the same way.
“No, I haven’t been there before. What kind of restaurant is it?” She was sticking to small talk.
“It’s a steak house, but they have other food, too.” Well, that was one question exhausted apparently. Rachel was wracking her brain for more small talk when Erik pulled up in the parking lot of a restaurant. It looked like most American restaurants that she’d gone to back home. He led her to the front door, and held it open for her. That made her smile because no one had done that for her in a long time, except her father. They met the hostess, who promptly seated them, and brought them menus. Since Rachel had never been there, it took her a little longer to look but she finally decided on what she wanted. Once they’d given their order to the waitress, they fell silent for a few minutes.
“Well, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. And I’m surprised that your text wasn’t for me to help you control Anna.” Rachel was teasing, of course, but it seemed like he was going to treat that one as a little bit more serious.
“There is no way that I would invite her to go to any more places with me. The only reason that she was on that trip to begin with was because Ryan was trying to get in her pants.” Well, at least he was being honest. It was a little crude, but it was better than lying.
“I’m guessing that he could find easier prey?” Erik laughed.
“He’s not looking for prey, he wanted a girlfriend. It just happens that he was barking up the wrong tree with that one. She’s one of those religious, wait till marriage type of girls.” Rachel had one friend back in the States that was like that, and she took slight offense to the way Erik was talking about another girl like her so offhandedly.
“So, does that mean he won’t try? Does he want someone easier?” Erik laughed without humor, and explained.
“No, he doesn’t want someone easier, he just realized that she was too much to handle. She acts like a child and a spoiled rotten one, too. I wouldn’t put up with someone like that, and I’m proud of him for not doing it either. He deserves someone better, someone that’s mature enough to handle life.” Erik was right. That was the kind of person that she was looking for, too. She liked to consider that she was like that, but she would wait until someone confirmed it before she bragged about it.
“Well, after seeing her for just one day, I have to say that I agree with him. He should go for someone else. I don’t know very many people here, but I can keep an eye out for him if it’ll help.” She smiled at him.
“You do that. Let me know if you find someone. If you find two, let me know right away.” She raised her eyebrow at him.
“He would date two women at once? That’s not very fair, now is it?” Erik shook his head.
“No, Ryan wouldn’t do that, but the second woman would be for me.” Rachel’s heart sank. She’d thought that maybe she could be with him. Then she snapped herself out of it. Why would she want to be with someone after what the last guy had done to her?
“Yeah, sure, not a problem. I’ll let you know if I find anything.” She turned her attention back to the food on her plate. It had lost some of its flavor somehow…
The rest of the dinner was full of small talk and jokes, and Rachel couldn’t wait to get home. She’d been so excited to spend time with him, and now it seemed like he didn’t even care. She’d gotten taken advantage of again. She paid for her dinner, and he brought her home. She went straight upstairs, showered all of her makeup and perfume off, then put her pajamas on and picked up her crafts. She’d spent maybe an hour on it, before her phone buzzed. She picked it up curiously, not knowing who would want to talk to her. The only people that had her number she wasn’t talking to, or it could have been Erik. He had her number and she wasn’t exactly giving him the silent treatment, but she was very disappointed in how things were going for the two of them. She picked up her phone and flipped it open. It was Erik. He was asking her if she would like to go white water river rafting next weekend with him and Ryan. She was at a loss. Did he maybe think that today was a date and that it had turned out well? Because nothing could be farther from the truth. On the one hand, she didn’t want to be around him and Erik was making that difficult by talking to her and asking her to hang out with him and his friend. On the other hand, she wanted to be with him and open him up. He had walls up too, and she could see the barbed wire across the top only too well.
It was a tough decision for her, and while she was thinking, another text came from him. He told her that they had an extra ticket, and that it was supposed to have been for Anna, but neither one of them wanted her to go. Apparently, she was turning out to be one of the boys. They wanted her along instead of turning in the ticket for a refund? Or maybe, they couldn’t turn it in for a refund. Maybe that was why they were asking her to go with them. Fine. They wanted to use her? She could use them, too. She wanted to go river rafting, and if they already had a ticket, then she might as well go. She wrote back telling him that she would be happy to go. Then she put the phone on silent and went back to crafting. She could get the details from them lat
er. She wanted nothing to do with them for the moment.
She sewed late into the night, being too agitated to go to sleep. When she finally couldn’t see the symbols on the pattern anymore, she put it away and went to sleep. She was a little sluggish the next morning, but she was able to make it through the day just fine. Her kids were happy, and they seemed to be having as much fun as usual. She went through today’s lesson plan of reading stories and playing a few rounds of Duck, Duck, Goose. When the day was over, Rachel drove herself to the restaurant that Elena had taken her to. They had excellent food, and even though the last memory of it wasn’t a fond one, it was still her favorite place to eat, and she had a craving for their lemon basted chicken. She saw the same waiter when she got there that had seated her and Elena the last time. He smiled at her and brought her to a table.
“You are alone, tonight?” he asked.
“Yes. But it’s ok. I like to be alone.” He nodded, understanding, then asked what she would like. Rachel ordered, then sat back and enjoyed the heat from the fireplace at her back. Her food came, and she ate it happily. When everything was cleared, and she was ready to get up and pay her check at the front, when the waiter came over and brought her a shot. She wasn’t used to having gifts given to her, but she smiled at him and thanked him. He smiled back and went to take care of another table. She took the shot, thinking that a little liquid courage wouldn’t hurt her. It was Friday and she was allowed. She got up and paid her check, then drove home slowly. She was tired, and the alcohol wasn’t helping her any. She hadn’t bothered to look at her phone since half way through yesterday when she’d turned it on silent. Once she was back in her room, she checked to see if there had been any activity. There was a phone call that she’d missed from Erik, and then a lengthy text message explaining that he had tried to call her with no success, and that he would see her Saturday morning at seven, and that she should bring her swimsuit with her and a change of clothes. She packed what he’d told her to, and then went about her business. She decided to take a quick shower, then put on a movie. She fell asleep half way through it, without setting her alarm.
Rachel woke up early the next day, and realized that it was still dark out. That meant she was awake, way too early. She checked her phone. It was only five. She realized that the alarm wasn’t set, so she set it for six thirty and went back to sleep. When her alarm ripped her out of her dreams again, she had to remember why the alarm was set. Then it hit her. River rafting. She got dressed, making sure that she had her swim suit on under her clothes. She drove herself over to the Outdoor Recreation office, not wanting to wait for them or be in a tightly enclosed space with him. She still had a major crush on him, and she didn’t need him to know about it if he had her trolling for women for him.
When she got there, she saw a lot of people in various states of wakefulness. She was glad that she was one of the ones on the more awake side of the spectrum. Erik’s car pulled up, and he and Ryan clamored out of the doors. She hid a smirk. They looked hung over. They must have been out drinking last night. She was debating if she should be mean and flaunt her wakefulness in front of them. After a short period of time to think about it, she thought that she should.
“Good morning, boys! Thank you so much for inviting me. I’m very excited about this. Did you bring your cameras?” They both had a little trouble focusing on her. She quickly went towards the building so she could get a good seat for the safety briefing that they were holding before they loaded up in the vans to go. She flipped her hair as she left, and she missed the look of jealously on their faces that they weren’t able to be as upbeat as she was. After the briefing, everyone piled into the two vans, and she saw that Erik and Ryan went to sleep almost immediately. It would be a few hours before they reached the river, because they were going to Slovania. Rachel was excited when she heard that news, because that was one more country that she hadn’t been in yet that she could cross off of her list. She decided to take a little nap, too.
Chapter 22
When the van came to a stop, Rachel thought that she was in an enchanted forest. What she could see from her window was pine trees, and a river with a large waterfall. The smell of the fresh earth mixed with the spray of water coming from the waterfall. She got out of the van and stood in awe. She heard her name being called behind her, and when she turned around, her heart sank. There was the city. The concrete and the smog. This wasn’t an enchanted forest after all. Just the little part that humans hadn’t destroyed. She joined the group. Their guide was getting everything taken care of financially, and the members of the small group were taking turns using the bathroom before they left. Rachel got in line at the women’s restroom. It moved slowly, and it allowed her to hear the announcement that he made.
“Welcome everyone. When you’re finished with the restroom, make sure that you come back here and find the right size life vest and helmet. Then we’ll have a safety briefing, before splitting up into groups and carrying the rafts down to the river. So make sure that you have one that fits comfortably before we leave.” That made sense. She hurried into the bathroom and then went into the storage area in the back to get her vest and helmet. She didn’t think that they made her look attractive in any way. She went outside for the safety brief, and stood next to Erik and Ryan. Even though she knew she would be in the same raft with them, she was still hurt about the date that wasn’t a date the other night. She shook it off like it was nothing to her. The briefing wasn’t very long, and soon they were hoisting their rafts on to their shoulders and heading down to the river. Rachel felt a little awkward in her wet suit, but it was a necessity. Once they made it down to the start of their trip, the guide had them get into their rafts, and he showed them how to do the maneuvering that would be required on the river. Twenty minutes of that, and the raft was in the water.
At first, the river just pulled them along, and there were no obstacles in sight. Their guide had them go from one side of the river to the other, practicing what was to come. The river became a little choppier, and rocks started to appear in their path. That was when the fun really began. They bobbed and wove through the water, and they could see the other two rafts behind them, having less success than they were. The guides were in competition apparently, because they called out to each other in their own language. There was a frightened shout behind them, and as one, everyone in their raft turned around to see what had happened. The raft behind them had hit a rock pretty hard, and one of the girls had fallen out. It was comical at first, but then Rachel thought about how it would feel to fall out of the raft in front of all of those people, and she stopped laughing. The whole trip took about three hours, and by the time they came to the end, it was a very hot day. Once the raft was pulled out, they were given the option of going swimming. No one chose to go except Rachel. Even though it was October and the weather was a little chilly, she loved swimming so much that she would go anywhere. She jumped in, and splashed around until the other two rafts made it. From there, they all had lunch at the pavilion. Apparently, it had been driven down there for them while they were battling the river. The rest of the day was going to be dedicated to a nature walk, and Rachel couldn’t wait for that. She changed her clothes out for her dry ones, and then put the wet ones in her bag, back into the van that had followed them down here. So far, she hadn’t had to talk to the boys too much, and during the hike, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to either. It was the perfect kind of activity.
The hike took them through all kinds of woodlands, and through some World War Two bunkers. They were a tight fit, but everyone managed to squeeze through them for a little history lesson. They made it to the beautiful waterfall that Rachel had seen earlier, and that made her day. She went over everything again in her mind’s eye on the drive back to Italy. After all, she wanted to be able to remember every detail for when she wrote it in her diary. She looked at the seat behind her. Erik and Ryan were both passed out. Rachel smiled to herself. She’d thought the brisk workout
was rather refreshing. The boys apparently didn’t share her sentiments. She watched city after city zip by in the gathering darkness. Laying her head on the window, Rachel could feel her eyelids flutter. Within minutes, she was asleep, too. Not from exhaustion, but from the serenity of the soft glow from the cities, and the peace of night. When she woke up, it was later, and they were back on base. She got out of the van, seeing that both the boys were still asleep, and found her car. She drove herself back to her dorm and went straight upstairs to bed. She would shower in the morning.
On Sunday, Rachel woke up feeling like she’d been put through the wringer last night. She cracked her neck, and stretched herself out to the fullest extent that she could. Everything was tight. Not sore, exactly, but tight. The shower helped her loosen up her muscles, but it wasn’t enough. She decided that she would go for a walk. Leaving her dorm, she went towards the mini mall. There was supposed to be a flea market in the empty hanger behind the mini mall, today, and she couldn’t wait to go. If it was as big as the poster said, walking up and down the aisles would be a good way to get herself loosened up. There were so many things that she wanted to look at. It took her almost two hours to get through everything, but towards the end, she found a surprise. The wine place that she had visited on her trip her first week here, had come to the flea market and set up a stand. She immediately went over to them and bought herself six more bottles of the wine that she’d bought that day as well. With her arms full, she went back home and stored the crate under her desk. There was nothing else that she wanted to do today, so she popped a movie into her laptop and commenced with sewing. Her phone went off, and she ignored it. If it was important, they would leave a message. A few minute later, her phone pinged letting her know that she did indeed have a voicemail. Sighing to herself, she picked up her phone and dialed the number to get her voicemail.
Tutti Italia: A Novel Page 12
