Page 80 of Tour Wars
“So, now Em’s working in California?” Cesca asked. “Is that where she’s from?”
“She’s from Wisconsin,” TJ said. “But we have a good friend who works in salvage archaeology in Southern California, and he offered her a job. She seems to be doing okay—not that she’s told me herself. My friends have been sending me updates. I think I fucked up by not taking a bigger stand when she was fired.”
Cesca popped an olive into her mouth. “There wasn’t much you could do. It was your word against Luca’s, and he’s family. Em told me Luca’s dad is a bigwig who’s thinking of investing in Buon Viaggio. I’m guessing Angelo and Maurizio needed to keep Luca happy, and firing Emilia was an easy way to do it. But it totally sucks.”
Davis signaled the waiter over and ordered another Aperol spritz. “What a bunch of assholes. Now I wish I’d never left those glowing reviews. Even if you and Em gave a great tour, the company didn’t deserve my videos.”
TJ took a deep breath, then launched into his pitch. “About that? Last night, I came up with a plan to torpedo the company, but I’ll need your help. It’s a huge favor, so you can say no if you’re not okay with it.”
“I never mind stirring up shit,” Davis said. “You’ve watched that review I left for Global Adventures. More people liked that video than any of my other ones.”
“This would be even more scathing,” TJ said. “I was hoping you’d be willing to create a new video about the tour. One where you spilledallthe tea. You’d tell everyone how the Robertis falsely accused Emilia and then fired her, all because of Luca.”
Cesca pounded the table. “Fuck, yes! Davis, you’ve gotta do it.”
To TJ’s relief, Davis grinned. “I’d be up for it. The title could be…‘Why I’m Never Touring with Buon Viaggio Again’ or something like that. Total clickbait. TJ, you need to write down everything you just told me and email it to me.” He paused as though thinking it through. “In my video, I won’t mention Em’s name or reveal you two were together, but I’ll focus on the injustice she suffered. And I’ll explain to my subscribers how my own name was smeared by this company. How those lowlifes accused me of demanding sex in exchange for a five-star review. This is gonna be epic.”
TJ eased out a grateful breath. Davis wasn’t just on board; he was excited about it. “Thanks. As a follow-up, I was thinking I’d contact everyone else who was on the tour.”
Cesca rubbed her hands together. “Ooh, this sounds diabolical. Do you have a way to get in touch with them?”
“Yeah. Two days ago, Angelo asked me if I’d email all of them to offer them a twenty-percent discount if they booked another tour within the next twelve months. Instead, I could tell them what happened to Emilia. Most of them left great reviews, but they could always submit new ones. Right?”
“Right.” Davis grabbed the last piece of salami from the platter. “A lot of them liked Em. If they knew what the Robertis did to her, they might speak up.”
“It’s a great idea,” Cesca said. “A bunch of shitty one-star reviews could have a big impact, especially if they left them on an aggregator like Tripadvisor or Viator.”
TJ nodded. He’d send out the emails tomorrow before he lost his nerve. He had no idea if any of the guests would respond or if they’d be annoyed at him for making such a huge request, but it was worth a try.
“Um…TJ?” Cesca said. “Just a warning—if you go through with this and the Robertis trace it to you, then you’ll probably get fired.”
Davis let out a snort. “No, you’lldefinitelyget fired.”
TJ downed the rest of his Campari and set his cocktail glass on the table. Was he making an enormous mistake by letting revenge fuel his actions?
No.Not when he’d been mired in regret for weeks. Working for a pair of assholes. Wallowing in shame, fully aware he’d been too weak to take a stand. Even the prospect of staying another six months didn’t energize him. These weren’t the people he wanted to work for.
“It’s okay,” he said. “If I’m going to be fired, I’ll go out in a blaze of glory.” If Emilia were here, she’d tease him about sounding boastful, but she’d say it with a smile. Like she admired him for making the effort.
“This isn’t just about getting revenge, is it?” Cesca said. “You’re in love with Em.”
While TJ was embarrassed his feelings were so transparent, he didn’t want to lie. “Yeah. I’m all in, but I don’t think she feels the same way. Before she left Ercolano, I told her how I felt, and she said she couldn’t deal with it.”
“Because she’d just gotten fired,” Cesca replied. “That wasn’t about you.”
“You need to try again,” Davis added. “Hitting her with a big romantic confession when she was at her lowest wasn’t the smartest move.”
TJ knew that now. But what stung was the way she’d cut him off after she arrived in California, which meant he hadn’t gotten another chance. Even so, he was going to fight for her. “I’m not sure if she’ll take me back, but I still want justice for her. Whatever it costs me.”
“Dude, you’re doing the right thing,” Davis said. “But you might want to figure out your next move, especially after you go back to the States. No chance in hell you’ll be getting a recommendation from Dr. Roberti.”
True. After the way Emilia had begged him not to quit, he didn’t want her to get upset that he’d blown up his future. But was he really blowing it up? Pompeii wasn’t the only gig on his resume. He’d worked on projects all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East and had held research assistantships for three Harvard professors.
“I think I’ll be okay,” he said. “I’ll just have to dig deep and reach out to all my contacts. Everyone I’ve ever dug with, every professor who’s ever recommended me, anyone who could give me a boost. And hell, I might even mention Pompeii. If they want to know more, I’ll tell them I left because my employer was a sexist asshole.”
Just thinking about it eased a little of the heartache that had plagued him over the past five weeks. A sure sign he was making the right call.
“Okay, then,” Davis said. “Once you send me the details, I’ll get started on the video. I just wish…”
