Page 26 of Tour Wars
The question caught Emilia off guard. Were they behaving like a couple? Maybe she’d gone overboard in trying to act like a team player.
TJ answered with a quick grin. “Nope. We’re just colleagues. Back home in the States, we’re rivals. Even though we both wrote dissertations about the collapse of the Bronze Age, we have opposing theories. Don’t get us started on that one unless you’re ready for major fireworks. But I promise we’ll be civil while leading your tour.”
A few people laughed, but no one followed up on Davis’ question. Emilia stepped down from her chair, and TJ joined her.
“That okay?” he whispered. “Did I sound enthusiastic enough? I wanted to convince them we’d be just as good as Mateo.”
While she wasn’t sure if that was possible, given that Mateo had ten years of experience, she didn’t want to add to TJ’s stress. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized he used his boastful persona to mask the anxiety simmering under the surface. “You did great. I think they were totally on board. Or they will be after tonight’s dinner, which sounds incredible.”
Davis walked over to them and addressed Emilia. “Dr. Flores? Did you get the text I sent earlier?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Mangolds approaching, but TJ went over to intercept them. She faced Davis with her friendly tour-guide smile firmly in place. “Please call me Emilia. You wanted to talk to me about the videos you’re making?”
“I don’t know if you’ve checked out my YouTube channel—Davis Destinations—but I do travel reviews. For tours, I usually post a brief video with my overall thoughts, including my rating of each aspect of the experience. I follow this up with a series of vlogs and shorter videos about the sites I enjoyed visiting. In general, I aim for an upbeat vibe, but I’m not afraid to be honest. I owe it to my subscribers.”
She’d now watched enough of his content to get a good sense of his online persona. Most of the time, he came across as low-key, friendly, and open to adventure. But when leaving a bad review, he had no qualms about speaking his mind. “It’s fine as long as you check with the guests to make sure they’re okay being filmed. If you have a problem with the tour, I only ask that you come to me or TJ first. That way, we can try to fix things before you post a negative review.”
He smirked. “Obviously, you’re referring to my scathing takedown of the Global Adventures tour I took in July?”
“Yeah. It was…rough, but I get it. When you sign up for a tour, you’re putting down serious money, so you expect a certain level of service.”
“Honestly? You and TJ showed more enthusiasm in that short welcome speech than our guide did during our entire six days in Portugal.”
With that in mind, she was determined to maintain her cheerful disposition, even if it killed her. “We’ll do our best, but we’re new to this. Do you have any suggestions?”
“Sure. Answer everyone’s questions, even if the information they need is literally right in front of them. Most people are shit at reading instructions. If they’re tired, don’t give them a guilt trip if they choose to skip an excursion and rest at the hotel.”
“Your guide did that?” Even at her grumpiest, she’d never treat anyone so rudely.
“Oh, yeah. He hated it when anyone tried to deviate from the schedule.”
Though Emilia couldn’t let down her guard too much around any of the guests, she sensed Davis could be a potential ally. “Thanks. We’ll try to be as flexible as we can.”
“Emilia.Bellissima. There you are.” At the sound of Luca’s lightly accented voice, her jaw tightened. He moved in closer and placed his hand on her shoulder, as though marking his territory. “I am so sorry I missed your welcome introduction, but I am delighted to be joining you on this tour. With you at the helm, I am certain it will be a memorable experience.”
“Thank you. Luca, this is Davis McGowan, one of our guests.”
Davis extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Luca didn’t take it. Instead, he regarded the other man with disdain. “Yes, I’ve heard your name. One of thoseinfluencers? I hope you’ll be judging us fairly.”
The light vanished from Davis’ eyes. “Of course. I wouldn’t post anything negative without a good reason.”
Luca gave a cool nod. “So you say, but I remain skeptical. Emilia, we should leave for dinner soon. I have a few questions about the tour, so I insist you join me at my table.”
His table?What made him think he was in charge of an entire table? But Emilia didn’t allow her smile to falter. “Whatever you wish. We’ll gather up the group in ten minutes.”
“Excellent. I will go remind TJ as well.” Giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, he strode over to TJ, who was deep in conversation with the Mangolds.
Emilia shuddered. Just what was Luca’s role exactly? Had he been assigned to act like her boss? Or was he the type who insisted on asserting his authority in every situation?
As if sensing her discomfort, Davis addressed her in a low voice. “Are you okay? You looked like you didnotwant him to be touching you.”
“Not really, but he’s my boss’s nephew, so I couldn’t tell him to back off. Given his connections, I have to do what he says. Not…um…sexually, or anything, but you know what I mean?” Now, she felt even more awkward.
“I do, but if you ever need backup, let me know. I’ve cock-blocked more than a few lecherous male travelers in my time.”
“Thanks. Right now, my goal is to keep him happy without compromising myself. I can’t risk antagonizing him.”
