Page 84 of Tour Wars
“Hey, there,” he murmured.
“Hey, yourself. It’ssogood to see you.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t make it.” He released her slowly, not wanting to break contact even for a minute.
She brushed a damp strand of hair from her face. “Sorry I’m late, but there were four accidents on the road, not to mention all the people who acted like they’d never driven in snow before. Idiots, all of them.”
That sounded like the Emilia he knew and loved. “I’m just glad you’re here, and…” He took a minute to admire her alluring ensemble. “I have to say it—you look stunning in that dress.”
That earned him one of her familiar eye rolls. “It’s a bit much. I feel like a sexy Christmas tree. And the heels? Definitely not what I should have worn during the first big snowfall of the season. But my cousins were visiting, and one of them insisted I borrow the dress and the shoes. They told me I couldn’t show up for a romantic reunion wearing jeans and boots.”
To be honest, he would have been happy no matter what she was wearing. “I appreciate it. You know how much I love seeing you in heels.”
She sat down and tossed her coat onto the chair beside her. “Tell meallabout it, Dr. Mayer. All your dirty little fantasies.”
Laughing, he took his seat across from her. “Before we get carried away, let’s get you some wine.”
“And bread. And an appetizer. I’m starving.”
* * *
Emilia couldn’t believeshe and TJ were finally together, flirting, sharing a bottle of Cabernet, and munching on fried goat cheese and bruschetta. After weeks of phone calls and videos, he looked so much hotter in person, wearing an olive-green button-down that made his brown eyes pop. His tawny brown hair was neatly trimmed but still curled, ever so slightly, at the back of his neck. She wanted to kiss that sensitive area and make him groan in response.
Down, girl. Don’t get all worked up when you can’t do anything about it.
Since they were both staying with their families for the holidays, sex was out of the question. Her father was such a light sleeper that she’d never be able to sneak TJ into her childhood bedroom. Even though her dad wouldn’t judge her for it, she’d still feel awkward as hell. She didn’t want to end up in TJ’s bedroom, either, not if it meant running the gauntlet of his entire family. They’d just have to plan a getaway in January.
Not that Emilia had any clue what TJ intended to do after the holidays. Over the last two weeks, he’d been surprisingly tight-lipped about his job search, so much so that she was afraid to ask how it was going. For now, she was just glad he was on the same continent.
After their server cleared the appetizers away, TJ took her hand. “I have some news. I’ve been dying to tell you, but I wanted to do it in person. I got a job in Southern California.” He gave her a smug grin. “You’re looking at the newest assistant curator of antiquities at the Getty Villa in Malibu.”
Relief flooded over her, so palpable she could barely speak. She’d been to the Getty Villa a few times with Olivia, who liked visiting it on the weekends. It was a gorgeous museum, built to resemble an ancient Roman villa, and it housed the Getty’s collection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities.
“You absolute stud,” she said. “That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I’m so pumped. I reached out to everyone—and I do meaneveryone—that I could think of with ties to colleges and museums on the West Coast. Then Dusty and Stuart told me about an opening at the Getty Villa. Since Stuart’s dad is the director of the antiquities department there, he knew about the posting before it was made public. I didn’t mention it earlier because I thought it was too much of a long shot.”
Thank you, Stuart. Emilia’s friends had done such a terrific job of supporting her that she was grateful they’d been able to help TJ, too. “I’m so glad you applied.”
He squeezed her hand. “I was amazed when I got it, but then I was afraid that maybe you’d applied, too. I hope I didn’t deprive you of the opportunity. I want you to be happy.”
Her heart soared. This wasn’t the same TJ she’d known in January, back when he’d been her fiercest competitor. This was a guy who’d put his career at risk just to avenge her.
“Iamhappy,” she said. “Not just because you’re finally here, but because I like what I’m doing. I’m also taking advantage of Stuart’s connections to the Getty but in a totally different way. I applied for a post-doc at the Getty Conservation Institute, starting next September. Full funding for two years and a chance to work on some incredible projects.”
He beamed at her. “That’s fantastic. I hope you get it.”
“Me, too.” For once in her life, she was surprisingly optimistic about her chances.
“Before I forget, I have one more bit of news,” he said. “It’s from Cesca, but I convinced her I should be the one to tell you.”
“What is it?” From the gleeful expression on his face, it had to be good.
“Just before I left Italy, she told me the tour company she works for—Roman Pathways—is planning to acquire all of Buon Viaggio’s assets. Their buses, their equipment, their mailing list—everything.”
“Really? I thought Angelo wanted to expand the company, not sell it off.”
“He did, until things went to shit.” TJ chuckled. “First, there was Davis’ viral video, then all those bad reviews poured in. Then, in November, two American women left a couple of scathing reviews after taking the company’s weeklong tour through Tuscany.”
