Page 149 of Play of Love
Chapter 3
Evie
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"Grams, why don't we go check into the hotel, grab something to eat and then I can go have a look around."
I was surprised at Gage's suggestion. I thought he would be the first to suggest that they go home.
"I'll go find out what I can," he added. Surprising me further.
Lucy looked up at him and nodded with appreciation despite the despair in her eyes.
I helped Lucy get back into the car, and with that we made their way to the Massimo Palancia. I couldn't help take note of how truly stunning the hotel was and felt guilty for the excitement I felt as I got out of the car and beheld the sight.
The opulent exterior and interiors recreated a nineteenth-century feel, with marble columns, staircases, and chandeliers. Star Jasmine climbed along the walls creating archways inside and out, complimenting the frescoes and gilded frames on the walls and the floral patterns of pink and pearl-grey on the ceilings.
The beauty was just one of the best things. The very best thing about the Massimo Palencia was that it was just a breath away from the Vatican Museum, with the Sistine Chapel and all the other attractions.
I didn't know how I was even going to begin to try to contain the exhilaration I experienced knowing all those attractions were within my sight.
My room was another spectacular surprise. I'd say it was fit for royalty and couldn't believe that Gage had booked all of this, selecting the rooms he thought we'd like. He'd said so on the plane. The Gage I was used to would have been more likely to have booked my in a chicken coop or a pig sty, but this was definitely a shocker. My room was a thing of beauty and led onto an adjoining balcony that connected with Lucy's room, furnished with dahlia.
When we set our bags down they made our way over to the pizzeria across the street where they ate. The aroma of delicious food engulfed us on arrival and never left throughout the whole time we were there. I smelled garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, and other wonderful herbs along with the sweet scent of ripe tomatoes.
While Gage had a massive calzone and I indulged on a perfectly sized Diavolo pizza on that brilliant Italian Romana base, Lucy barely touched her food. The grief wore heavily on her face, and she had that drained look again. She seemed to have only managed a nibble here and there of her garlic bread.
I wished things could have gone better for her, and right now I wasn't sure how we were going to proceed.
"Are you two going to be okay while I go check out some stuff?" Gage asked.
"What will you do?" I asked him, very curious to see what he had in mind.
"Just look around, maybe go to the library or information center to see what details I can get."
Lucy watched him with hopeful eyes as he explained. Those were all good ideas.
"Cool," I agreed.
"Will you be okay here? I could be gone for a while."
"We'll be fine," I assured him. "We'll hang out here for a bit. Then we'll go back to the hotel."
"Okay, I'll meet you back there." He got up to go. "I'll find out what I can, Grams." He promised Lucy, making his way around to her to give her a kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you," Lucy told him
"Gage," I stopped him before he moved to go. "My room, um. Thanks. It's nice. I love it." I thought I should say thanks, even though I was on my guard. It couldn't hurt. Also, because he'd insisted on not taking any money from me. The room alone had to have cost an extortionate amount.
"Thought you might." He replied and winked at me before he left them.
I watched him leave, and when I looked back to Lucy I found her already staring at me. A soft expression lifted her face, temporarily diluting the drained outlook she previously had.
"He's changed a lot hasn't he?" Lucy commented.
I offered a kind smile. There were a lot of things I could say about Gage, but not to Lucy's face. She had a pretty good idea of what Gage had been like in the past, so there was no need to go into details. He definitely had seemed changed, and since I liked my room, I'd agree.
"I guess."
