Page 82 of Tour Wars
Already, Emilia was pulling out her phone, going to YouTube, and bringing up Sofia’s channel. The first video she saw was the one Sofia had shared from Davis. It was labeled, “Why I’ll Never Tour Italy With Buon Viaggio Again—And Why You Shouldn’t Either!” The title alone made it the perfect clickbait.
When Emilia hit Play, Olivia watched over her shoulder. At first, Davis praised Emilia’s performance on the tour, reiterating the things he’d said in his original video—the one that had gotten her in trouble. But then he let loose, telling everyone what the Robertis had done to her. While he didn’t mention her by name, he made it clear she was an innocent victim who’d been let go because she’d refused to sleep with the boss’s nephew. Not only was Davis pissed at the Robertis for firing her, but he also hated that they’d accused him of trading reviews for sex. After the video ended, Emilia stared at the screen, astonished that he’d taken the time to do this for her.
Rick spoke up. “Holy shit. I just checked Buon Viaggio on Tripadvisor, and their ranking for that ten-day tour of southern Italy is way down. There’s a one-star review from a Sylvie Galloway and another from an Irene Mangold.”
Emilia rushed over to him. “Can I see?”
As she scanned the recent reviews of Buon Viaggio, an ache tore at her throat. Nine of the guests who’d left five-star reviews in September had posted new ones, downgrading the tour to one star after learning how the company had treated Emilia. She’d been vindicated.
“I…I can’t believe it,” she said.
“Believe it,” Olivia said. “TJ must have engineered this. He really came through for you.”
Tears welled up in Emilia’s eyes. “I should go talk to him. Right?”
When Rick and Olivia nodded, she ran outside. She plopped down on a bench facing the garden, not caring that it was damp with dew, and punched in TJ’s number. When he didn’t answer, she hung up without leaving a message. Her head was so muddled that she wasn’t sure what time it was in Italy. For all she knew, he could be sound asleep.
Or maybe he’s not answering. You haven’t texted him in over a month.
She stared at the phone, wondering if she should try again, when it buzzed in her hand. At the sight of TJ’s name, she answered immediately, her voice shaky with nerves. “TJ?”
“Em. Sorry I missed your call, but I didn’t want to talk with my roommates around. I had to go up on the roof.”
With all her heart, she wished she could be there with him. “I saw the video. I can’t believe you did that.”
“Most of the credit goes to Davis. He put it all together. And to Sofia for sharing it on her channel. She has so many subscribers.”
“But you lit the match. You…you…” She paused. “Shit.You got fired, didn’t you?”
He laughed, his glee evident. Like he was glad he’d gotten in trouble. “I wassofired. Giada saw the video the day it came out, and she told the Robertis. When they summoned me into their office, they thought you were the one behind it, but I made it clear you had nothing to do with it.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” He’d put his future at risk, all because of her.
“I totally did. After the way they smeared your reputation and treated you like garbage, they needed to be called on their behavior. That’s worth more than any job. They took turns yelling at me, then they fired me, andthenDr. Roberti told me I’d never work at Pompeii again.”
She cringed, imagining the scene. But despite the consequences, she was grateful TJ had fought for her. “So, what are you doing now? Did you find work somewhere else?”
“Here’s the funny thing—Iamworking at Pompeii. Cesca got me a job with Roman Pathways, giving half-day tours of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Turns out her boss hates Buon Viaggio so much that he was thrilled to employ someone who’d tried to take down the company. Did you see all the negative reviews of our tour? There’s a vicious one on Tripadvisor from Alice. I never knew she had it in her.”
Hearing TJ’s voice was like a balm to Emilia’s soul. It also hammered home just how deeply she’d missed him. “I’m glad you found something to tide you over. Are you just doing half-day tours? Or are they going to send you on any longer excursions?”
“Just the short tours. The only way I’d do one of those long-ass trips would be if we did it together. I miss you so much.”
She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her pajama top. “I miss you, too. I’m sorry I cut you off after I got here. It was just too hard and…”
“I get it. I should have quit right from the start. Even though you asked me not to, I didn’t feel right working for the Robertis. I’m sorry I waited so long to stand up for you.”
His apology was so heartfelt that she wanted to jet across the miles and hug him. “It’s all right. I don’t blame you. No one’s ever done anything like that for me.”
“You deserve it, and so much more. I know you aren’t some damsel that needs rescuing, but I wanted to get justice for you.”
She couldn’t help but smile at the way his words mirrored her earlier thoughts. “Thanks. I’m starting to realize it’s okay to accept help from people who care about me.”
“Idocare. Maybe it’s too soon to ask, but do you think we could be friends again?” He paused. “Or…maybe something more?”
She gave a deep, shuddering sigh. After everything he’d done for her, she couldn’t keep her walls up any longer. She needed to let him back in, even if it meant risking more heartache. “I’d rather have more. I never told you this before, but I…I’m in love with you. Sorry it took me so long to admit it.”
“Em.” His voice broke. “You already know how I feel, but I’ll say it again. I fell in love with you on that tour, and my feelings haven’t changed. I don’t want to lose you.”
