Page 42 of Retrograde
Her phone buzzed in her room, and she rushed to answer it. Until she saw the name on the screen. She had been in a Brett Anderson bubble for so long, she was supposed to be having some time in the real world.
‘Lucie, you up?’ Davide hammered on the door ofher apartment. It was ten in the morning already; she’d treated herself to a lie-in after a late night with her newfound, temporary friends. Although she was pretty sure she’d drunkenly promised them VIP race tickets so she was bound to hear from some of them again.
She headed into the hall and opened the door to a beautiful smirk on his beautiful face, and one glance up and down her body, his gaze lingering on her bare legs, ignited a spark. Fuck it, this trip was for her. Why shouldn’t she be reckless for once?
His hands were in her hair in an instant as his lips crashed down on hers. She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he gripped on to her thighs, holding her up. They hadn’t even made it through the front door, and she was ready to rip his clothes off. As her hands roamed his body she could feel every ridge and curve of his.
‘Lucie.’ He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, his fingers stroking her skin. He was dangerously close to her inner thigh, and she found herself adjusting so he got the hint. This was what she wanted. ‘What about the racing driver?’
And there it was. That reality she had been craving. A reality where she realised therewasno escaping the Brett Anderson bubble.
‘I’m sorry.’ She slipped out of his grasp, suddenly feeling vulnerable.
‘You have nothing to be sorry for. I only came to ask if you wanted to go exploring again, after breakfast of course. I know it’s your last day.’
‘Yes, I’d love to! Um, want to wait inside while I get ready? Won’t be long.’
‘Take all the time you need.’ He smiled and she almost laughed. She may only need twenty minutes to be physically ready, but she needed a hell of a lot more time to process her thoughts.
‘You’ve never been to the Colosseum?’ Davide stared at her in disbelief while they queued to see one of the most iconic pieces of history on planet earth up close. Somehow, this was a new experience for Lucie.
‘My sisters always preferred shopping.’
‘Well, I’m glad you didn’t ask me to do that with you.’
‘I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to see this. You know, I aced history back in high school?’ She rubbed her hands together, ready to wow him with her knowledge of the Romans. All things he already knew, no doubt.
‘I thought you had a creative brain, judging by your job.’
‘What can I say? I’m a woman of many talents.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ he smirked.
She felt that funny feeling wash over her again as they shuffled closer to the entrance. That strange sensation of being attracted to a man other than Brett. She was still battling her head and her heart, only now, her heart was equally as confused. She wondered if she should just go home and pretend this trip hadn’t happened, that she hadn’t almost slept with Davide, but she knew it was serving a purpose. It was waking her up. What to? She wasn’t sure. But it would become clear sooner or later.
‘This isn’t what I expected.’ Lucie scrunched her nose up in annoyance as she was shoved into again. ‘Lizzie McGuireset my expectations too high.’
‘Would you like me to start singing?’ Davide grinned. ‘Hey now, hey now…’ He sang quietly so nobody else could hear.
‘It’s okay,’ she laughed, hoping he wouldn’t continue.
He glanced at her, a twinkle in his eye, before projecting his voice above the chatter of tourists. ‘This is what dreams are made of!’
‘Davide!’ She slapped her hand over his mouth, mortified as multiple tour groups looked at them in confusion. A few girls in their twenties carried on singing the rest of the song to themselves, the only people around them who seemed to understand the reference.
‘Am I embarrassing you?’
‘Just a smidge.’
‘I’m sorry,’ he shrugged. ‘Don’t you think it’s so cool that we’re standing here right now? Where actual gladiators were. There’s so much history in these walls.’
‘Or lack of walls,’ she noted. ‘It’s amazing that it’s still standing.’
‘I bet you’ve seen some amazing things thanks to your job, no? All those racetracks, just as a starting point. But you must have been all over the place.’
‘I’m super lucky, yeah. I don’t think I’ve stayed in one place longer than two weeks since I joined the IEC.’
‘Still, it’s always good to have somewhere you can call home.’
