Roman Holiday

Ciao Roma

Rome, she mused as she soaked in the bath later that night, glass of wine in hand and soothing music coming from her phone. Eternal City, home of La Dolce Vita. Her most favourite city in the world. She'd been there more times than she could count now but it never seemed jaded, always vibrant and exciting in way like no other. A place to lose yourself and find yourself all in one. 

Three days later, she stood on her hotel balcony, the sun setting over the ruins of the city and hoping she would soon feel more peace than she had in very long time.  Within hours she had felt at home, within days she knew she would never want to leave again.  A place to settle?  Maybe in time, she thought.  A place to feel settled?  Definitely, she thought.

Also a place to fall in love she'd once thought. 

This last thought made her cry. She would never allow herself to fall in love again. It just wasn't worth the pain.  Turning away she sighed and went back into her room to get changed to go for dinner.  There was only one place to go, it wasn't fancy, it wasn't big but it was, as far as she was concerned, the heart of the city.  

Twenty minutes later, as she put the wine glass down, she sighed a bit more contentedly. It had been another long day and not the way she had originally planned. Nothing about this trip had ended up being as she originally planned. This was supposed to have been a celebration of her newfound freedom. Her life after Graeme. Her chance to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Rome on her own terms again. The Colosseum, the Forum and oh yes! The pizza.

Now, as she sipped the warming red, it had become almost purgatory. Lots seen, nothing shared. She'd persuaded herself she was happy to come alone but in truth, she'd had no one else to come with her. Thanks to her rejection of  that lowlife that had passed for a boyfriend, no friend to mourn her loss with, now no loyal parent to remind her of other fish in the sea. No one even to carry the extra tissues that she'd become adept at secreting about her for emergency tear wiping. Trips alone were not a good idea she decided.

The little trattoria next door to her hotel, however, was.

It was homely and comforting. Mamma Rosa doing the cooking and Papa Guiseppe doing the waitering. She'd been here many times before - before him and then with him. Now she was here alone again but, Mamma and Papa hadn't asked. Maybe they could tell he wouldn't last? Who knew, she certainly didn't. Now back in the heart of 'her' city, this had been her third comforting night in a row. According to Giuseppe she "was family" and family were always welcomed with open arms and a warm hug. He'd seen her tears and hugged her tightly but said nothing. Nothing needed to be said. Now, waiting for her to choose her meal, he smiled over at her like a protective father. The one she should have had.

There would be a dessert – there was ALWAYS a dessert, usually involving Limoncello and cream. First though, she would have to decide pizza or pasta? She was just sipping her wine and looking at the menu for the umpteenth time when a voice at her side broke into her thoughts.

"I'm really very sorry to disturb you, but I wonder if you could recommend anything?" Jess looked round at the sound of the cultured English voice and instantly choked on her wine. Looking back at her, smiling apologetically was none other than actor, and her most favourite human being on the planet, Tom Hiddleston. She inhaled her wine sharply, making her cough and splutter, eyes wide and panicking.  She was aware of him starting to look worried and standing from his neighbouring table to come to her aid. He gently took her glass from her and set it on the table, rubbing her back.

"In through your nose love, out through your mouth" he repeated a couple of times, passing her a replacement napkin to cough into when hers fell to the floor. Slowly, she calmed and after a moment, she managed to regain some semblance of dignity. Wiping away her tears of shock and distress, she gasped out "Everything is great but the carbonara is... to die for?" she paused, then they both laughed at the irony of her statement.

"I'm so sorry" Tom crouched beside her as she began to breathe more normally.  Well, as normally as she could under the circumstances, one hand on her arm, the other holding her back gently, his long fingers still moved against her. With a genuinely contrite smile he said again "I honestly didn't mean to give you a fright. You just seemed to know the proprietor and the place so well, I thought I'd be cheeky and tap into your knowledge." He shrugged a little and she smiled, barely able to contain her fan-girl excitement. "I'm Tom by the way – Tom Hiddleston" he removed the hand from her arm and held it out, when she reached for it, he turned hers and grazed her knuckles with his lips. 

She almost fainted on the spot but managed to hang on and half whisper, half squeak "Yes, yes you are" and then winced at her own fangirling, "Sorry, I'm an idiot - Jess – Jess Munroe. Pleased to meet you Tom."

"The pleasure is definitely mine" he said gallantly ignoring her fangirl breakdown and smiled his megawatt smile. "Erm, please don't think I'm forward, but if you're alone and since I'm alone, why don't we dine together? If you'd like to that is? I promise not to try and kill you again, not tonight anyway " he winked cheekily but she could also tell he seemed genuinely, idiotically, to think there was a chance she would say no!

As he changed tables, coming to sit opposite her, Papa brought them another bottle of the house red with a smile and a wink. "Bello no?!" He whispered in her ear as he lit the candle that now magically appeared between them.   

"So, what would you like to eat my friends?" Guiseppe asked with a twinkle in his eye.  He could see, even if she couldn't, the way Tom was looking at her.  It made the old man smile inside. His little Scottish daughter seemed so sad this trip, now perhaps Roma would work it's magic on her?  This man, he knew he was someone famous by her reaction, would perhaps be the way to make her smile again. 

"I think my charming companion's recommendation is Carbonara so I'll have that please?" Tom said with a smile, then turned to Jess "And you darling?  What do you fancy?" he winked and she blushed scarlet.  He knew exactly what he was doing but somehow it just came across as cutely cheeky.

"Make that two please Papa" she smiled up at him and for the first time in the trip she forgot to be sad. Guiseppe nodded and walked away to the kitchen calling loudly to his wife.  She came out, took one look at the pair of them sitting at the table and smiled broadly.  They disappeared into the small kitchen as Jess wanted to disappear under the table with embarrassment.

"My turn to be sorry Tom, they're just very... well..." she was lost how to explain it to him without making a mountain out of a very embarrassing molehill.

"Darling, it's absolutely fine I promise.  If I had someone like you to look after I would be exactly the same" he took her hand across the table.  "You seem, please forgive me if I'm overstepping, but you seem in need of a little TLC.  When I was watching before " he winced at the admission and she raised an eyebrow "yeah - that even sounded creepy to me "

"Mhmm" she nodded, taking a sip of wine

"Well what I really meant was when I first noticed you, and realised you were actually alone, you seemed sad.  That to me was even sadder.  A beautiful woman like you, in a city like this all alone?" he put his own glass to his lips and looked at her steadily as he drank.  She held his gaze for a moment, then looked down at the table with a sigh.

"Yes, I am alone and yes, I could lie and say I'm enjoying it but I can't and I'm not.  It's a crap story, not for now, but rest assured Tom, now that you've half killed me I feel much better !" she looked up and winked at him, not really knowing where this was going or indeed much caring.  It was fun and she was in dire need of fun.

Tom laughed loudly "ehehehe - I must try to kill you at least once a day from now on then!" he smiled and waited for her to realise the implication of the statement.  Before either could say anything further, the food arrived.  Tom sniffed appreciatively as the pasta steamed gently in front of them.

"I held back on the garlic "Guiseppe said with a theatrical wink to Tom as he retreated and the two men laughed together for a moment.  Tom turned to her and picked up his glass again, looking her with a soft expression and a gentle smile. His eyes sparkled in the candlelight and she felt herself caught up in a 'moment' she could never have imagined. 

Raising his glass, "Ciao Roma, Ciao Bella" he said in a quiet but impeccable accent.

As she clinked her glass with his and sipped the wine, she wasn't entirely sure if it was Rome or her that had warranted the 'Bella' . She wasn't entirely sure her bruised heart would cope with finding out...