Page 29 of Tour Wars
“No. It was TJ. He said everyone got back okay.” She was tempted to respond to his message but sensed Luca wanted her full attention. She flipped her phone back over and asked him about his recent trip to Sardinia. Having spent two seasons digging there, she knew the island well. If they shared travel stories, maybe he’d ease up on the personal comments.
As their conversation continued, his touches were so frequent that she was tempted to call him out. If they’d been in the States, she would have. But she didn’t know if his behavior was a by-product of his upbringing or if he was just plain creepy. While she didn’t appreciate it, she hesitated to confront him outright. Not only was he Angelo’s nephew, but he was also on this tour to observe and report back to the Robertis. If she crossed him, Angelo might retaliate by bumping her off the tour guide circuit at Pompeii, and she needed the extra money.
When she let out an involuntary yawn, Luca ran his hand along her forearm. “I’m sorry to have tired you out, bellissima. I have one more thing to discuss with you before we head back.”
Here it comes.She girded herself, waiting for him to proposition her. No matter how much power he wielded, the answer would be no.
“I hate for our conversation to take a less pleasant turn, but I need to speak honestly,” he said. “I’m not pleased Davis McGowan is on this tour.”
“Huh?” His statement was so unexpected that she couldn’t form a response.
Luca’s hand tightened around his glass. “People like him are despicable. Influencers. Social media hacks. They’re not real travelers, just parasites obsessed with building up a following. And how do they do it? By filling the internet with negativity. Spewing hatred so they can get more likes. It’s loathsome.”
Emilia drew back, unnerved by the hostility in his voice. “I don’t think he’s that bad.”
“Have you seen the video he did about his tour with Global Adventures? Complete trash.”
“I’ll admit he could have been more diplomatic, but he was being honest. From what he told me, their guide did a poor job. Negative reviews can be malicious, but they also help other travelers make decisions, and the positive ones can have a huge impact on small businesses.”
“I have yet to see that happen.”
While she didn’t want to offend him, she couldn’t bring herself to agree with him, either. “My friend, Olivia, has a younger sister—Sofia—who’s a foodie influencer. She’s traveled all over the world, but she got her start by spotlighting small restaurants in San Diego, where she’s from. Her videos were so popular they put a few of those places on the map. Before starting this tour, TJ and I asked her advice for places to eat in Matera and Bari since we’d never been there before.”
Luca frowned. “Perhaps this Sofia is the exception to the rule, but I doubt Davis is as ethical. I want you to be careful around him. No doubt he’s hoping to earn your trust, only to destroy it if he decides to post a negative review. Donotlet him get to you. Do you understand?”
His eyes drilled into hers, his anger simmering beneath the surface. More than anything, she wanted to put an end to this conversation. “Yes, I’ll be careful. Thanks for the warning.”
“Good. Let’s get you back to your hotel room, shall we? Thank you for allowing me this brief time alone with you. I hope we can do it again soon.”
Not if I can help it.For now, she’d placated him. Maybe that would be enough for the next few days. She couldn’t handle much more than that.
By the time she returned to her room, she could barely keep her eyes open. Not only had the food and wine made her drowsy, but the sheer effort of conversing with Luca had exhausted her. She kicked off her sandals and lay on her bed. When her phone buzzed, she remembered TJ’s earlier text. As she picked it up, a wave of fatigue crashed over her, making the words blur on the screen. She set the phone beside her and closed her eyes. She just needed a minute to recover, and then she’d text him back.
But two minutes later, she was out cold for the night.
CHAPTERTWELVE
When TJ’s alarm went off at 6:15 a.m., he could barely open his eyes. He’d stayed up long after midnight, desperate to know how Emilia’s evening had gone. If she’d given him a sign that she was all right, he might have been able to tame his anxious thoughts. But she hadn’t responded to his messages. The first time he’d texted her, her silence hadn’t worried him. He’d assumed she wasn’t checking her phone in the restaurant. Or that she’d been hesitant to text him in Luca’s presence.
After an hour, he’d tried again with no response. The same with his third message, sent an hour later. That was when he’d grown worried. Emilia might be a strong, independent woman who could fend for herself, but she wasn’t on an even playing field. Telling Luca to fuck off wasn’t an option, not without risking her job.
There could be another reason why Emilia hadn’t answered. A reason TJ didn’t want to consider, even as the negative voices in his head harped at him. What if she hadn’t replied because she was having fun with Luca? In theory, that wouldn’t be a bad thing, since she needed to stay on his good side. But the thought of her kissing that slick bastard made TJ heat up with a slow-burning anger.
This isn’t about protecting her. You’re jealous.
No, he wasn’t. He’d offered to co-lead the tour with her so that she wouldn’t have to deal with Luca on her own. So what if he had a bit of a “knight in shining armor” complex around women? Someone had to protect them from the wolves.
With a groan, he forced himself to sit up. At the sight of a text notification on his phone, he scrambled for his glasses, only to drop them on the floor. He groped around for them and put them on hastily. To his immense frustration, the message wasn’t from Emilia. Their bus driver had sent them both a text, reminding them that he’d be at the hotel by eight thirty.
TJ jumped into the shower, got dressed, and headed down to breakfast. To reach the buffet, he went out the back entrance and crossed the hotel’s inner courtyard. In the midst of a city filled with noise, traffic, and tourists, it served as a peaceful oasis, replete with shade trees, flowering bushes, and wrought iron patio tables. Birds trilled in the trees, and the faint scent of jasmine lingered in the air. Off to one side, a marble fountain burbled softly. If he could squeeze in an hour of downtime today, he’d sit out here and read.
The buffet was set up in a separate building on the other side of the courtyard, inside a large, open room surrounded by full-length windows. To TJ’s delight, the breakfast spread was lavish. One whole table was devoted to sweet offerings like cornetti, jam tarts, four different kinds of cake, and fresh bread with pots of honey, jam, and marmalade. Another held cold cuts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and bowls of fresh fruit. But the best feature of all was the pair of high-end coffee makers that occupied a third table.
A couple of servers bustled around the buffet, setting up the food, but no one was in the dining area other than Emilia. She sat at a table in the corner, flipping through the binder as she sipped her coffee.
He loaded up his plate and sat down across from her. Like him, she was wearing the ugly red company polo shirt. Her hair was back in a braid, but a few stray wisps had escaped, softening her appearance.
She glanced up with a faint smile. “Morning, TJ. Isn’t this a great spread? I was tempted to steal some cake for later.”
