Side Effects

Chapter 16

The following morning, we woke up feeling refreshed. We had plans today, though we had the following two days to ourselves to sightsee if we like. Honestly, even today was going to be a fun day, as we were going shopping for a dress for Alaya to wear to the upcoming charity ball, as well as a few more work outfits that she could wear on the upcoming stops.

But first, we needed food for energy!

"Do you want to eat here in the hotel, or go out and about for some breakfast?" I asked Alaya while we dried off from our shower.

"You know what I'm going to say, so why ask?" she asked with her hands on her hips. She was deliciously naked, so the effect was to just get me excited.

"Because I was half expecting you to be breakfast!" I pointed out.

She broke into giggles, then stepped over to me and gave me a warm kiss. "I want to see Rome. Show me this city, and then tonight I'm going to ride you to exhaustion."

"You're going to break me by the end of this trip!"

"Oh, my poor baby." She gave me a little peck on the lips. "You know I'd never break you, I need to keep you ready for more."

We both dressed in comfortable jeans and tee shirts and headed out to the city, hand in hand. I knew there were several cafés near the hotel, but I led us a little further away, towards the clothiers that I'd planned to visit when we were done. It wasn't hard to find another little café there that would suit our needs, and we happily ordered a variety of Italian pastries and some coffee.

It was a nice meal. Completely different than the street food in Bangkok, though we were still sitting on the street at a little table, and yet the atmosphere was perfect. Enjoying the morning sun, eating delicious food and pastry while people watching got us into a great mood. Not that we were down before, but we were ready to take on the world now.

"So, where to?" Alaya asked once we were done.

I nodded towards the next street. "We're going shopping. There are several boutiques here that sell hand made suits and dresses. I need a new suit for the charity gala we're attending in three days, and you need a dress. I want you to shine at that gala and make everyone drool."

"The only one I care about making drool, is you." She nudged me with her elbow. "But I won't say no to a fancy dress!"

That wasn't going to be hard. I'd gotten suits here several times, and my measurements were already on file. But Alaya had obviously never been, so getting her measured to see what was available was the first thing on the agenda. I had little doubt that we'd find something spectacular though.

It was like a tiny high end fashion district, and I brought her into the first boutique that had several eye catching dresses in the window. The colors were striking, and I couldn't wait to see what they'd be able to do to outfit someone of Alaya's stature. She should be able to strut in whatever they made and look like a million dollars!

As soon as we walked in, the middle aged woman behind the counter hurried to our side, speaking rapid Italian.

"I'm sorry, do you speak English? My Italian is poor," I quickly apologized.

"Oh, of course! American?" she asked politely in a thick accent. "My name is Mina, and I would be happy to help you."

"Yes. My girlfriend is attending a gala with me in three days, so we're hoping to find something for her to wear that won't require too many alterations," I explained.

She looked Alaya over, who stood there looking a little nervous.

"You're a gorgeous woman, and your skin tone is exquisite," the woman stated as she put on a pair of spectacles and made a circle around my lovely girl. "I have several dresses that I think would show off her look and compliment her body and coloring. What is your budget?"