The Vacation

Chapter Eight

I stumbled into the apartment building pretty late in the night, but when I made it up to flat 3B, I noticed that my dad still wasn't home. I went into my bedroom and tried to lie down. I couldn't sleep. So that's how I got here, sitting on a cold hardwood floor in a flat in London unpacking, organizing, and reorganizing all my clothes at 3:00 in the AM.

I awoke to a soft knock on my bedroom door and sleepily called "Come in." I rubbed my eyes and looked around me. Where am I? Why am I sitting on the floor in a pile of clothes? Oh, yeah. I was in England. In my bedroom. But who was knocking? It didn't sound like my father's telltale banging and screaming...

"Buongiorno! Are you ready for the day? Wake up, wake up!" Ugh he was so happy. All the damn time. Was there anything I could hold against this boy?

"Hey, Alessio. What're you doing here? Especially since its early. And it's Monday. Don't you have school or something? Where's my dad?" I said in a groggy voice. It's never too early to interrogate strangers, Jessie. Nice going.

I started moving around my room, fully noticing for the first time that it looked like someone took a giant wood chipper to all my bags. I was looking for clothes to wear for the day, something cute and flirty but also something that doesn't say tourist or desperate or trying too hard.

Alessio pulled some pink Bobs from the floor with one hand and grabbed a navy and floral print skater dress from on my bed with the other hand. "Here, these will work for what we're doing today. Hurry up and change, I'll be in the kitchen waiting for you, miele. I'll explain then. We're kind of in a hurry."

That wasn't an odd interaction at all.

Okay, I sigh, this outfit is actually kind of cute. I put it on and then apply mascara and sparkly lip gloss because who leaves the house without wearing it, right? I figured Alessio wanted me to get moving, so I just brushed out my hair, leaving it falling down my back.

I get to the kitchen and the first thing I see is Alessio cooking breakfast. Oh wow it smells amazing!

"Thanks. I've been cooking for about four years now. And at Uni, I started with a culinary degree in my future."

Crap. Did I say that out loud?

He laughed softly, but it wasn't a mean laugh. More like...a friendly chuckle. "Yes, you did. Sleep well, Jess?"

"Yes, thanks. What're you doing here? Don't you have to go to school?" I wanted answers, now that I was fully awake.

He chuckled again. "Yeah, okay, now I'll answer all your questions. One, I'm here because you needed a healthy breakfast for this long day ahead of us. Two, your dad asked me to come because he got holed up at the office again. Three, no, I don't have school. The boarding school I went to ends at the 10th grade, or sophomore year for you, American. I started at Uni when I graduated there, because my uncle wanted me to get a degree, but it just didn't work out. I don't go to school right now, but I do have a part time job. Now, do you like omelettes?"

Did I? Did the sun rise this morning? "Yeah. I like them. I didn't even know we had groceries though."

"Jess, look. I know you don't really like me."

"That's not--"

"Now don't interrupt. Let me finish. I know you don't like me because of your body language yesterday in the car after I picked you up from the airport. But your dad asked me to help you get settled here since he can't, so you'll just have to suck up and deal with it. We're taking a bike tour through downtown that's why I made you a hearty, protein full breakfast. Your dad said to tell you he was sorry, and that he was getting your international phones today after he finished up with my uncle. Finished eating, miele? Good, let's move then."

We both got into Alessio's Corsa, him holding the car door open for me. He said we had a bit of a drive ahead of us, since we were in the business district and we needed to get downtown, so I suggested we play a game.

"Okay so this game...I just made it up right now. We have to tell each other an embarrassing fact about ourselves, and if they ask for details then you have to give it. Or you lose."

"We need some sort of incentive so that the other person wants to give details." He said with a wicked smile. Or at least, what qualifies as wicked to a gentleman.

"Okay. What should the incentive be? The loser has to kiss you? The loser takes off and article of clothing?"

Alessio looked at me like I was crazy. "You play those types of games in America? How about the winner gets a handful of Jelly Babies? Since I just bought a new bag this morning."

"Okay, that works. I've never had one before but I'm a risk taker. You first," I encouraged.

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