New Rome

41. The Bunker

Julia lay reclined by the pool, draped in a fluffy dressing-gown with the Mirthpike logo twinkling in bright lights all around her. Mirthpike Spa in the Rurals was the most elite retreat outside of the capital. Julia had taken the precaution of using a fake name at the reception desk and Marcellus had come with her, posing as her husband to attract less attention. It was risky for both of them. Julia was breaking the terms of her exile and Marcellus was helping her. But she was being careful.

She was keeping out of public eye. She'd even had fun with wigs and glasses – playing around with different disguises. She sipped at an Amenian style cocktail, her lips pouting downwards. It was nice – the change of scenery and faces. But she was still just as lonely as she'd felt before. Perhaps as lonely as she'd always felt.

The sound of someone approaching made her turn her head and her eyebrows rose in surprise. The man walking her way was an employee of the spa. He wore the spa's uniform but he pulled it off like no one else could have. Julia's mouth went dry. The long white skirt was low on his hips, deliciously low. And his tunic fitted snugly – cinching tight around his narrow torso. His arms were on full display and they were chiselled perfection.

"Marcia?" He asked, addressing her with her fake name. She nodded. He smiled and Julia's heart skipped a beat. He must have been made by angels. His hair was long and curly, with braids on one side and he had a tribal tattoo around his neck.

"Greetings, my name is Toto. It is my honour to be you masseuse."

A massage from this heartthrob? Julia was in heaven. She made to get up and he outstretched a hand, offering to help her up. Julia placed her daintier hand in his and her heart raced with excitment.

**

Gnaeus groaned and flopped her head down against the table.

"Never was a task so impossible!" She despaired. It was the first week back of the new term but already the work load was intense. Every teacher they had, kept harping on that this was the first year of their SPQR's – the most important exams of their lives.

Arly sat across from her friend. Arly had moved beyond despair and on to complete resignation. She didn't have the faintest clue what the paper in front of her was about. She knew that it was maths, and something relating to the hive activity of bees – or perhaps the distance of stars – but at the very least, definitely maths related. So, why was the question a paragraph long? Maths questions didn't usually require so much punctuation.

Gnaeus sensed the change in the library. The room's attention had snapped up, eager to catch the eye of the school's champion. Looking up from her textbook, Gnaeus saw Kaze making his way over to them. Girls were giggling together, smiling at him – each hoping to bask in his popular glow. It was the Kaze-effect, Gnaeus noted, production in the library had just dropped to zero.

He strolled in, with a low-cut shirt -cheekily allowing a glimpse of his smooth chest - a confident swagger and a lazy grin. He had the air of royalty. You wanted to follow him. You wanted to be noticed by him. But the effect was wasted, because the intended victim hadn't seen him yet and was frowning at her maths homework.

"Greetings, Gnaeus."

"Greetings."

Kaze took the seat next to Arly and waited for her to notice.