Chapter Text
Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain seated until the captain turns off the seatbelt sign. We thank you again for flying with us today. The current local time is 9:22 am. Welcome to Rome.
The flight attendant’s latest announcement had jolted Christen awake. She was groggy from the half of an Ambien that was still in her system. Christen powered up her iPhone as the plane parked at the jetway. I can’t believe I just slept through that whole flight. The two vodka sodas on her layover at JFK probably didn’t help either. She gathered her things from the seatback pocket and grabbed her purse from under the seat, making sure she wasn’t leaving anything behind.
Once the passengers were finally able to deplane, Christen stood up and followed the sea of people off the plane, making her way slowly to baggage claim. She had checked her big rolling suitcase at the ticketing counter in LA, and was left with her carry-on backpack and purse. She had checked the arrival boards twice to make sure she was waiting at the correct carousel for her luggage. Twenty minutes turned into forty-five and there were only a few stray bags still clanking around carousel A7. Christen’s black luggage with the red bow nowhere to be found.
Great. Benvenuto in Italia. Christen whispered to herself. She spent the next half hour waiting in line at the lost baggage counter, trying to figure out what had happened to her suitcase.
It turns out the luggage never made it on the connecting flight in New York. So now it wasn’t in Rome with her. All of her clothes, makeup, hair products and shoes. Lost somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.
Christen sighed. She was not going to let this little derailment ruin her first impression of Rome. After getting confirmation that her luggage would be delivered by the airline as soon as it arrived in Italy, Christen found the taxi line, greeting an older gentleman.
“Ciao. The St. Regis, please.” Christen smiled at the taxi driver. Christen tossed her backpack into the backseat next to her and slid in.
“Americano?” The man asked her as he pulled out of airport arrivals.
“Sì. American.” Christen answered quickly. This was basically the extent of Italian she knew.
“St. Regis, very nice place.” He tried to make small talk regarding her hotel. Going easy on her and speaking English to the young woman.
“Sì, that is what I’ve been told.” She responded pleasantly. “I didn’t book it, my work did.”
The pair continued with small talk of good restaurants near the hotel as they drove. The man was friendly, pointing out buildings and landmarks that were of historical importance, and Christen felt better about the start of her trip already.
When they arrived at the hotel, Christen was blown away by how fancy it was. If Christen had to think of one way to describe it, it would be a Palace. There were antiques and fine art lining the walls of the grand lobby, where a large staircase led up to the second floor. Very old but incredibly beautiful chandeliers hung from the high arching ceilings. There was also a fireplace and two beautiful couches with a coffee table right next to the entryway. Christen smiled to herself at the beauty of it all.
When she got checked in, she made her way up to her room. The room was just as beautiful as the rest of the hotel, but a little more modern feeling. The single king bed was draped in a fancy white duvet with a flat screen tv on the wall and an large desk and chair in the corner of the room. The bathroom was all marble with two sinks, a separate bathtub and one of those fancy waterfall showers. Damn, I love this place, Christen thought out loud.
After quickly touring the large room, Christen kicked off her flats and collapsed onto the bed immediately. She laid there for a long moment, making a plan in her head.
Okay, so it’s 12:30 now.. I don’t have anywhere to be today. I’ll ask the front desk for stores within walking distance. This is going to be ok. My luggage will be here soon.
She took a deep breath. She knew she would need to go out and get a couple things to wear for the next day or two. All she had with her now, besides what she was wearing, was a sweater for when she got cold on the airplane and some foundation and mascara. Christen wasn’t up tight at all, but generally liked to be put together when going out in public. Especially because she was here for work.
After thinking for awhile, Christen dozed off again. The bed was extra comfortable, and Rome was a 9 hour time difference from the West Coast, making it seem like 3:30 am in her head. The long nap on the flight obviously hadn’t prevented the jet lag.
An hour later, Christen eyes opened again. The afternoon sun was shining brightly through the big windows, right into her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. She decided she would shower and freshen up before heading out. Preferring to rinse off the staleness that comes with being on an airplane.
Making her way into the bathroom, she tried to figure out what she had to work with. No shampoo or conditioner were stocked in the shower, an amenity she was used to. Christen slid her flats back on and made her way back down to the front desk to see what they could provide her with.
“Ciao, miss. Can I help you with something?” The young man asked who working the front desk of the hotel.
“Ciao. Do you happen to have any shampoo and conditioner? Or body wash?” Christen politely asked.
“Oh my. We usually do, but we ran out this morning and our delivery isn’t coming until tomorrow, around noon.” The young man offered in an apologetic tone. “I am so sorry, miss.”
“You have nothing at all?” Christen questioned a little frantically. “I don’t mean to be a pain, it’s just that my suitcase and all of my luggage got lost on the flight over, and I don’t really have anything to work with.”
“Ok miss, let me go check again. Just for you. Please give me a moment.” The man responded to Christen’s question before walking off towards the back room.
There was a younger woman standing at the counter next to her, waiting on another concierge to come back. As Christen waited, she looked around and noticed the young woman next to her. The woman had long, light brown hair that was wavy in an air-dried kind of way. Her hair had been pushed back from her face with a pair of Ray-Bans that sat on top of her head. She had a tank top on, which revealed her slim but muscular arms, that had clearly been tanned perfectly in the summer sun. She had this extra laid back vibe about her, even from one glance.
The two locked eyes quickly and smiled at each other, before Christen turned back towards the computer in front of her. She hoped the woman didn’t think she was staring.
A minute later the man came back, no shampoo or conditioner in his hands.
“I am so sorry, Miss Press. I checked and we do not have any extras. Tomorrow we will have more.”
Christen ran her hand through her hair. Why does it feel like the world is against me today?
“Okay, thank you for checking. Do you happen to have any brochures about clothing stores in the area?” She questioned the man again.
The man walked off to retrieve them for her, Christen waiting again. The woman next to her seemed to have gotten the information that she needed next to her, but was just standing and listening still. Christen looked over at her and smiled again, trying to make it feel less awkward.
“Lost luggage?” The brown haired woman questioned as the locked eyes again.
Christen turned her body towards the woman, trying to be polite. “Yea, unfortunately.”
“That is always the worst.” The woman smiled. Her smile was almost blinding, white teeth beaming brightly. Christen couldn’t help but smile back, it was that nice.
“Yea, it’s never fun.” Christen replied, feeling like she should keep making small talk.
“You’re American, I’m guessing?” The woman asked again, continuing the conversation.
“Yea, I am. You too?” Christen responded.
“Yep.” The girl said back. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the man who was helping Christen approached the counter again.
“Here you are Miss. Please let us know if we can do anything to help. We will call as soon as we get your luggage delivered.”
“Thank you.” Christen smiled, taking the brochures and turning to walk away back towards the elevator bank.
Just as the Up button dinged and the elevator door opened, the brown hair woman called out to her again.
“Hey wait up.” She came running over in a slow motion jog, beaming smile still plastered across her face.
Christen turned again to see who was approaching, returning the smile without much of a choice. “Sorry, did you need me to hold the elevator for you?” She questioned, confused.
“No.. well yes, sure.” The woman responded. “Sorry.. I mean.” She stammered out.
Christen quietly smiled as the woman stepped into the elevator behind her.
“I overheard your conversation with the guy at the desk, sounds like you need some help.” She asked with another genuine smile.
“Ohh. I mean, it’s ok, not the end of the world.” Christen tried to wave her off.
“Well I have shampoo and conditioner.” The woman offered. “Our room was stocked with it yesterday when we checked in, and I always bring my own, so I’m not using it.”
“Oh.. are you sure?” Christen asked her, a little shyly.
“Of course, I wouldn’t offer it if I wasn’t sure.” The woman smiled again. That smile, Christen found herself thinking.
The woman looked at the buttons on the elevator, selecting floor 7. She noticed Christen had selected floor 8. “You wanna hop off on my floor and I can grab it for you?”
“Yea, yea that would be great.” Christen gave her a nod of her head.
They rode in silence for a moment, before she spoke up again. “I’m Tobin, by the way.” The woman stuck her hand out to Christen.
“Christen. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Tobin smiled again, not taking her eyes off of the dark haired woman in front of her. Just then the elevator dinged, floor 7 illuminated overhead. “This is me.”
Christen followed Tobin off the elevator and down the hall, almost towards the end. Tobin got her room key out and opened the door, ducking inside quickly as Christen waited in the hallway. She came back a few seconds later, two travel sized bottles of each in her hand.
“Here ya go, this was all we had.” Tobin handed them off to Christen.
“Seriously, thank you so much.” Christen smiled. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“I’m glad I could help.” Tobin grinned. “It’s nice to meet another American here. You’re the first one I’ve met so far.”
Christen laughed. “Well, I guess you’re the first person and first American I’ve met, so yea, very cool.” She shook her head. Cool? Geez Christen.
They both looked at each other in silence for a moment and surprisingly it didn’t feel as awkward as it maybe should have.
“Thank you again.” Christen smiled for what felt like the millionth time in the last few minutes, making eye contact with Tobin before backing up slowly.
“No worries.” Tobin laughed and held her gaze. “Maybe I’ll see you around?”
“Maybe.” Christen responded, turning on her heel and heading back to the elevator. “Bye, Tobin.”
“Bye, Christen.”
She could sense that Tobin was watching her as she went. As she waited for the elevator to open again, she turned back towards where she had just come from, making eye contact with Tobin one last time. The elevator doors opened and Tobin offered a small wave to the woman down the hall.
A blush crept up Christen’s neck as she stepped inside. She had never had an encounter like this before. Christen put the back of her free hand over her warm cheeks. What the heck was that and why am I blushing?
Christen showered with the shampoo and conditioner she got from Tobin and dressed back into the outfit she wore on the plane. She double checked the map in her phone as she let her hair air dry into it’s naturally curly state before putting a little foundation and mascara on and setting out into the city.
It all felt very foreign to her in the best way. Christen had been to Italy before, but never to Rome. The city just had a magical feeling to it. As she strolled the vibrant streets, she found herself instantly in love with the aura of the Eternal City. The aroma of freshly ground coffee that was pouring out of the cafes as she walked by, the awe-inspiring art lining the streets. She just had a warm feeling that this was going to be a trip she would remember forever.
Eventually she found a small row of boutique shops, not far from the hotel, situated in the middle of a romantic sprawl of chic cafés and bars. She took her time browsing through racks and racks of mostly too-expensive clothes, before settling on a couple of vintage dresses, a floral printed top and a pair of black dress pants. She also found a cute pair of heels that would magically work with all three outfits, in case her suitcase took longer than anticipated to show up.
Afternoon turned into evening and Christen finally made her way back to the hotel. She was exhausted from walking all day but was feeling alive from the vibe of the city. She hadn’t eaten much of anything all day, she realized as her stomach growled loudly when she entered her hotel room. She was half-tempted to ignore it in favor of passing out for the rest of the night to try and get a hold on the jetlag; but she decided it would be fun to go down for dinner and a glass of wine.
The hotel had it’s own restaurant and wine cellar on the property, which Christen was intrigued with as soon as she saw pictures from her booking. She put on one of the dresses she bought earlier, a maroon sleeveless dress with a high neckline. The dress hugged her curves perfectly. It was dressy enough to make up for the lack of jewelry she currently had at her disposal and she opted to go with the black flats she had worn on the plane, instead of suffering in heels before she had to.
She made her way down to the restaurant and found a seat at the bar countertop. It was a fairly nice restaurant, with white linen clothed tables and candlelit centerpieces, but the bar option at the front of the room was slightly more laid back. A few others were dining solo at the bar, so she felt comfortable sliding up and motioning for the bartender.
Christen ordered the homemade spaghetti and meatballs and a glass of their famous house Merlot. The food was as good as she could have expected, eating a classic Italian dish in Italy. Halfway through her meal, a group of people walked into the restaurant and were led to a reserved table. The loud laughter of the group caught Christen’s attention, turning her head to see who was entering. Christen watched an older couple lead the way and about five other adults following closely behind, all laughing together at something. Just as Christen was about to turn back to her meal, her eyes caught sight of the same bright smile that she had seen in the hallway earlier.
As if on cue, Tobin turned to survey the room, almost instantly locking eyes with Christen at the bar. Tobin gave Christen her signature wide smile, which Christen returned, holding eye contact for a moment too long, before turning her head to find the path her family had taken.
Tobin’s family sat down and each ordered a glass of wine, all of them slightly dressed up. After a while, her parents got up and exited the restaurant, and a little later, the rest of the family left as well. Christen was sure that Tobin had gone with them, the room now quieter again.
“Can I have my check when you get a moment?” Christen requested to the bartender as she finished her second glass of wine. The man smiled and walked off to retrieve it. Christen was digging through her wallet as she felt someone approach.
“We meet again.” Came from just behind her right shoulder.
Christen turned in her chair slightly, watching as Tobin slid into the bar stool next to hers. She was taken aback by Tobin’s appearance, casual but dressy in that effortless way once again. Her hair was a clearly washed and blow-dried a little nicer than it had been this morning and her eyes were a dark brown hue that Christen couldn’t help but look into.
“It appears we have.” Christen smiled, feeling a little nervous all the sudden.
“I had a feeling we might.” Tobin smiled with a hint of meaning behind it, motioning for the bartender.
The man came back, dropping Christen’s check with her and turning to take Tobin’s order.
“I’ll have a glass of your Cabernet, please.” Tobin ordered, before pointing to Christen, “What about you?”
“Oh no, I’m good. I actually just closed my tab.” Christen said, holding up the black pad that was holding her receipt.
Tobin laughed lightly. “That's okay, it’s on me.. I mean, if you’ll stay for another glass?”
Christen looked between Tobin and the bartender, who was clearly a little confused. She quickly weighed the options in her head. Go upstairs and go to bed, be responsible and catch up on sleep before her first meeting on Monday; Or stay down here for one more glass of wine with this beautiful and mysterious new friend.
What the heck, Christen thought. “Ok why not, I’ll also take a glass of the Cab.”
“Good choice.” Tobin laughed, biting her lip a little and looking away from Christen for a moment.
Another moment of silence fell over them before Tobin continued the conversation.
“So, I see you changed clothes. Does that mean your luggage arrived? Tobin asked after her first sip of wine. She was eyeing Christen up and down in an innocent way, taking in her appearance.
“No, I spent the afternoon shopping.” She then took a drink of her new glass of wine. “I probably spent way more money than I should have.” Christen shrugged. “But, when in Rome.”
Tobin let out a belly laugh at Christen’s literal use of the old saying. “Wow, nice analogy.”
“Sorry I had to.” Christen laughed along with her.
“No, no. I liked it.” Tobin smiled again. “So, what’s a girl like you doing in Rome by herself?”
“Well, I’m not technically by myself. I’m actually here for work. Meetings just don’t start until Monday, so I’m doing my own thing until then.” Christen answered.
“Cool, what do you do?”
“I work for UNICEF, mostly working with placing refugee children to homes in America.” Christen answered, trying to keep her description brief but meaningful.
“Wow, that’s incredible.” Tobin answered honestly. “Are you here to bring Children back to the US?”
“Not this week, no. I’m here for meetings and then next weekend there is a Gala and fundraiser that we sponsor to raise money.” Christen continued. “I’m part of a team that organizes the annual Gala in Los Angeles every year; and this year, they invited me to Rome to be a part of this one.”
“That’s really cool, Christen.” Tobin was genuinely interested, turning her body so she was all but sitting sideways on the barstool, facing Christen.
“Yea, I love it. It’s all very humbling.” Christen fell quiet for just a moment. “But enough about me, what brings you to Rome? I am guessing you aren’t alone, judging by that table of people you were with earlier.” Christen motioned her head towards the table Tobin was sitting at when she came in.
“Nope, I’m here with my family.” Tobin answered with a shrug. “My parents wanted us all to do one last big trip together before my sister gets married.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Yea, I mean it is. Besides the fact that I’m the only single one and my sisters and brother all have their significant others with.” Tobin shrugged again. “My family is awesome though, so it’s a good time.”
“That sounds really awesome. How long are you guys here for?” Christen continued to ask.
“We are here until next Monday. We have a couple of day trips planned that will take us out of the city this week, but other than that, it’s mostly touristy stuff and sightseeing however we want.” Tobin filled Christen in on her family’s plan.
The two continued to talk for a while, basically closing the restaurant down. Christen learned that Tobin is a professional soccer player and had spent time living in France. Tobin learned that Christen had studied abroad in Spain in college. By closing time, they were the only two left in the place, besides the friendly bartender. Both starting to feel like they’d know each other longer than just a couple of hours.
Finally a yawn escaped Christen’s mouth, one that was long overdue. Tobin asked for the check, catching on that Christen was probably tired from her day of traveling.
Tobin pulled out her phone after she signed the receipt. “Ohh, it’s almost ten.” She said it an excited tone.
“That means it’s way past my bedtime.” Christen smiled, standing up from her chair. She had now had three glasses of wine and was much more tipsy than she had thought.
“How do you feel about pushing that back a little?” Tobin questioned as she also stood up.
“Pushing what back?” Christen asked in confusion.
“Your bedtime.”
“Ahh, why?” Christen yawned again.
Tobin smiled at the woman in front of her. “If you can give me another fifteen minutes, I’ll show you.”
Christen wanted to say no. She did. She was completely worn out and tired and wanted to get this dress off and crawl into bed and sleep like a baby. But something in her gut told her to give in. She couldn’t place the feeling she kept getting when talking with Tobin, but something between them was just clicking.
“Yea, I think I can handle fifteen minutes.” Christen said, running her hand over her hair.
“Perfect, follow me.” Tobin grabbed onto Christen’s hand for a moment, leading them out towards the lobby, dropping it casually after a few steps.
They passed up the lobby desk and made a left, heading out a side door that Christen hadn’t been out of yet. It led to a small garden area that was paved with brick, with a fountain in the middle of it; a few small tables on both sides. Grass and flowers lining the whole area.
Tobin passed the fountain and then stopped, standing still and looking up into the night sky. Christen was confused, or maybe drunk, but she couldn’t understand what they were doing.
“So.. stargazing?” She asked after a moment.
Tobin turned her head to look at Christen. Making eye contact again in a way that set Christen’s nerves on fire. “Just look up, and wait.” She spoke a little more softly in the quiet night.
So Christen did. Because apparently she couldn’t say no to this mysterious and interesting woman standing next to her. Not even twenty seconds later, as both of them had their heads craned towards the sky, a series of fireworks went off, not too far in the distance.
Tobin started to laugh as soon as she saw them. “Right on time.”
Christen let a smile take over her lips, unable to control the giddiness she was suddenly feeling. “Wow.” Was all that she could whisper out.
“How’d you know about this?” Christen asked after a minute of watching the fireworks pop in the distance.
“Well, it happened last night when I was out for a late night jog, so I asked the front desk what the occasion was. And they told me it happens every night at 10:10, as long as the weather is good.”
“This is amazing.” Christen said through another smile. They continued to watch for a few more minutes as the fireworks gradually started to slow.
Tobin looked over at Christen, whose face was illuminated from the fire booming in the night sky. She saw how the dark haired girl smiled so happily next to her and she was hooked. Tobin knew she wanted to get to know the beautiful woman next to her more. Almost felt like she had to. It both excited and scared her. One week is all I have.
As Tobin watched, Christen let another yawn escape her lips, this time bigger than the others back at the bar.
The night went dark again and Tobin relented. She’d have to let her sleep sometime.
“Tobin, that was really cool. What a perfect way to end my first night in Rome.” Christen smiled as she turned to face Tobin.
“I’m glad you liked it.” Tobin felt herself be mesmerized some more as they looked at each other. Christen’s vibrant green eyes were barely visible through the darkness, only illuminated by a couple dim lamps around the fountain path. “I think I better let you get to bed.” She said with another smile.
“Yea, that sounds like a good plan.” Christen felt herself almost hesitate, wanting to prolong this a little more, before she slowly started to turn back towards the lobby.
Both women waited for the elevator together and as they stepped inside, Tobin reached for the floor buttons at the same time as Christen did, knocking Christen’s phone out of her hand and onto the floor.
“Sorry.” Tobin said, bending down to pick it up. Christen made a move to pick it up as well, stumbling slightly as the elevator jerked. It may have had a little to do with the three glasses of wine she had too.
Tobin reached a hand out, gently steadying Christen’s hips to stop her from swaying. They both locked eyes again and laughed. “Sorry.” Christen returned.
Tobin retrieved the phone from the floor of the elevator and secured it back into Christen’s hand. Glancing at it like she wanted to put her number in it. Christen looked up and saw where Tobin was looking, so Tobin took a risk and went for it.
“If you want, I could give you my number? We could do something again this week, I mean, if you have time.” Tobin asked, an unusual hint of nerves in her tone.
“Yea, yea that would be cool.” Christen answered, almost a little too quickly. Christen handed her phone back to Tobin and watched her type her number in.
Tobin Heath. Christen read it as Tobin handed her phone back. Just then, the elevator stopped at floor 7, Tobin’s stop.
“Thanks for the wine.” Christen smiled, watching as Tobin slowly backed out of the elevator.
“Thanks for the company.” Tobin smiled back. “Good night, Christen.”
They held eye contact again as the doors started shutting. “Night Tobin.”