Dreaming of Italy: A stunning and heartwarming holiday romance Page 9

  ‘Wow, what a place. It’s amazing and, by the look of it, there isn’t another house for miles. It’s exactly the sort of thing we need. But is it likely to be available? It is nearly high season, after all.’

  She heard the other two murmuring appreciatively as they checked out the photo. Mark’s answer, when it came, caused considerable surprise.

  ‘It’s available.’ He produced a little smile. ‘This is my grandfather’s old house, near Gubbio. That’s where I’ve been living for the past year. He always said he wanted me to transform it into a hotel after his death. Even though I don’t… didn’t know the first thing about hotels, that’s what I’ve been doing over the last few months. The builders finished a few weeks ago. I’ve engaged a really good manager and a brilliant chef, and we’ve been taking bookings from the first of July. That’s only a couple of weeks away now and most of the staff are already in place so I’m pretty sure it should be possible to open it up this weekend for you guys.’

  Marina, ever practical, started asking him about rooms, facilities and location. As he explained all of this, Emma had a sudden thought. This could really work!

  ‘Listen, guys, there’s something else. In Dreaming of Italy, the female lead, Emily, gets very sick partway through the movie. She contracts a bad fever and they take refuge for a week in a Tuscan villa while she gets over it. Mark’s place looks gorgeous and it doesn’t matter a jot to the movie whether Emily’s bed rest is in Tuscany or Umbria. Not only would this solve the problem of Ethan and Laney, but it would also tick off another important location for us. Mark, if we were to come and film for a few days at your place this autumn, would that be all right?’ She placed a hand on his arm and did her best to ignore the tingle this caused. ‘I realise this is a huge ask, especially as you’re just getting the hotel off the ground.’

  He grinned, capturing her hand and giving a light squeeze of reassurance. ‘All right? For somebody new to the whole hotel business, even I can see how amazing it would be for us to appear in a blockbuster movie. Of course we’d be delighted.’

  Emma was well pleased – and not just with the touch of his hand on hers. Hopefully this would mean they could kill two birds with one stone, although she wasn’t looking forward to having to act as go-between in the megastar showdown to come this weekend. Meanwhile, Mark was thinking along strictly practical lines.

  ‘I’ll call Claudio, the manager, and ask him to set it up. Marina, can you ask Gianluca to send over copies of the non-disclosure agreement for our staff to sign, please? So, just checking, this means we should be arriving there this Friday night, leaving on Monday morning?’ Emma smiled and nodded. Then the smile was wiped off her face by what he said next. ‘That’s really good. That means I get to see Carmen again sooner than I thought. I’ve been missing her these past few days.’

  ‘Come on, guys, we’ve got a train to catch.’

  Marina’s voice prevented Emma from dwelling any further on the implications of what she had just heard. She handed a twenty euro note to a passing waitress and stood up, wondering if Carmen was of Spanish extraction and, more importantly, whether she was Mark’s girlfriend, fiancée or wife. Not that it mattered. It should have been pretty obvious that a good-looking, intelligent guy like Mark would already be taken. Besides, she had her career to consider. There would never have been a future for her with a man who lived six thousand miles away. She sighed to herself as she collected her change and the obligatory receipt and followed the others down to the station.

  Chapter 9

  When Ethan appeared through the anonymous side exit of Pisa airport – the one reserved for special passengers arriving in their own aircraft – Emma almost didn’t recognise him at first. In fact, it was only the sight of his minder/bodyguard/PA, Sinclair, that gave away the identity of the long-haired tramp in the crumpled Metallica T-shirt and torn jeans beside him: the sexiest man in the world. Clearly, Ethan was doing his best to remain incognito. His efforts at concealment would however have been more effective if Sinclair hadn’t been wearing his usual dark suit and shades and looking like something out of The Godfather.

  The two together made a seriously odd couple but, so far, none of the people wandering about with bags and trolleys appeared to have noticed anything untoward, so Emma hurried across and escorted the two of them into the waiting car. Marina was at the wheel; they had left Rich and Mark at the charming little hotel Marina’s boss had found for them in the hills above the historic old city of Lucca, less than half an hour from Pisa. It was another very hot day and the two men were no doubt sunning themselves at the hotel pool by now.

  Sinclair slid into the front seat and Emma found herself alongside Ethan in the back.

  ‘Welcome to Italy, Ethan.’

  In response he leant towards her and gave her a hug, kissing her warmly on the cheek. She kissed him back and caught Marina’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. The expression on her face was not dissimilar to the way her family’s old spaniel used to look every time he smelt sausages grilling. Emma almost erupted in a fit of giggles.

  ‘Hi, English. It’s great to see you again.’ He took a good long look at her. ‘And you’re looking good, really good.’

  ‘That’s more than I can say for you, Ethan. You look as if you’ve just crawled out of a ditch.’

  He grinned. ‘This is my “low-down bum” outfit. Works every time. People don’t look at me too closely for fear that I might spit at them or punch them.’ He glanced out of the window at the suburban sprawl through which they were driving. ‘So, where’s this tower, then?’

  Marina glanced back over her shoulder and answered. ‘Ten minutes or so and we should be in the city centre. I’ll drop you guys right beside the Campo dei Miracoli. Just call me when you want picking up again.’

  Emma translated the name for Ethan’s benefit. ‘The Field of Miracles is where the Leaning Tower is located. I suggest we just stroll about there, rather than try to climb the tower. I was checking it out on Google last night and it all looks very claustrophobic. The staircase is really narrow and I fear it would be all too easy for somebody to recognise you and then if that happened, God forbid, there could be a riot.’ She gave him a wink. ‘If too many women jump on you, the tower might even topple over.’

  Ethan nodded in agreement. ‘Good thought. To be honest, I’m not that fond of heights anyway. Yeah, let’s just look at it from the ground.’

  Marina dropped them off near the grassy piazza with its iconic tower and the equally stunning cathedral and baptistery. All around were stalls selling souvenirs and fast food and the place was heaving with visitors. Emma and Ethan, with Sinclair a few paces behind them, joined the hundreds upon hundreds of tourists milling about there and this just confirmed what she had feared. As far as the movie was concerned, the Leaning Tower was best avoided. Trying to get permission to film here and to restrict access to tourists for as much as a whole day would be almost impossible. For very practical reasons, JM had been right. Big-name places weren’t what they needed.

  They were there for about half an hour, and Emma took advantage of being alone with Ethan to talk to him about his concerns with regard to relations with his co-star-to-be. She relayed the message she had received from Dexter.

  ‘Apparently Laney’s been in a foul mood for the past couple of weeks. The word is that she’s split up from that French guy she was dating – you know, the tennis star?’

  ‘Tall black guy. Yeah, I know the one you mean.’ He glanced across at her. ‘So that’s finished, has it?’

  ‘Yes, and it would appear she was pretty fond of him so that would explain why she was so sniffy with you. It wasn’t you, Ethan. It was just because she was pissed off with life. She’ll snap out of it, you’ll see.’

  ‘I hope you’re right. Shooting a romance with somebody who isn’t into romance is going to be hard, hard work.’

  ‘It’ll be fine. You’ll see. Just work some of that Ethan magic…’ She gave him a playful nudge and was
pleased to see him smile in response.

  After circling the tower – which really did lean alarmingly – they headed for the cathedral. This was a magnificent structure built of the same white marble as the tower, and Emma was fascinated. Beside her, she got the impression that even Ethan – who wasn’t known for his interest in architecture – appeared to enjoy it. There was just one tricky moment right at the end of their visit. As she and Ethan were standing just outside the main exit, looking at the intricate carvings around the doors, with Sinclair lurking a few paces away, they heard the unmistakable sound of American voices. Emma glanced round to find a whole coach load of American tourists descending upon them. Even with his disguise, there was a very real risk of Ethan being recognised. Making a split-second decision, she reached up with her arms and threw them around his neck, turning his face towards hers and pulling him down towards her. As she did so, she hissed out a command.

  ‘Keep your head down and don’t look up.’

  She tugged his shoulders towards her until his cheek was resting against hers and wrapped one hand across the side of his face in mock passion to add extra camouflage. They stayed like this until the wave of tourists had disappeared into the cathedral, and then she relaxed. As he straightened up again, he gave her a peck on the cheek and a wink.

  ‘Quick thinking, English. By the way, did anybody ever tell you, you smell really good?’

  She grinned, caught him by the arm and marched him away from the doors towards the open grassy field surrounding the monuments. Once safely away from possible eavesdroppers, she pulled out her phone and called Marina.

  ‘Time to go, Marina, please. We’ve just had a close call.’

  ‘I found a parking space just along the road and I was coming over to the cathedral to meet you. I saw what just happened.’ There was a cheeky note in Marina’s voice, but she didn’t comment further. ‘Anyway, two minutes and I’ll pick you up from where I dropped you off.’

  In the car on the way back to the hotel, Ethan removed the wig, ran his hands through his hair and relaxed. ‘Great, well, that’s two things ticked off my bucket list – I’ve seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa and I’ve ended up in the arms of the most desirable woman in Hollywood.’

  Emma could feel her cheeks burning. ‘Ever considered getting your eyes tested?’ She took a deep breath and steered the conversation back to practical matters. ‘So have you got the message about the weekend? We’re all meeting up in a lovely remote hotel in Umbria the day after tomorrow where you’ll have the opportunity to make friends with Laney and Erasmus Delgado.’

  He nodded. ‘Yeah, got it. I know Razzy Delgado already. I’ve been in a couple of his movies. He’s a bit eccentric, but he’s a great director. Here’s hoping Laney decides she likes me after all.’

  ‘When you say eccentric…?’ Emma had never worked with the famous director, but she had heard a few stories and wasn’t sure what to believe. ‘How eccentric are we talking?’

  ‘Very. Where do I start? He eats everything with a spoon. Doesn’t trust forks. Seriously, you should see him with steak. He drinks half a pint of black coffee for breakfast out of an old tooth mug that’s rumoured never to have been washed. He carries the mug around with him hooked to his belt wherever he goes. They say he meditates for ten minutes before and after every bowel movement. He never wears green. I forget the rest, but you’ll love him. He’s a hoot.’

  Emma rolled her eyes. It looked like it was going to be a surreal weekend.

  Meanwhile, Ethan leant forward and tapped Sinclair on his powerful shoulder. ‘When we come back from Naples, what airport are we flying into on Friday, Sinc?’

  ‘Perugia airport. Flight plans have been filed for the late afternoon.’ Sinclair swivelled round so he was looking at Emma. ‘I’ll find out the exact ETA and let you know.’

  ‘Great, thanks, Sinclair. I believe Laney and Erasmus are arriving on Saturday morning. Anyway, Marina’ll come and pick you guys up on Friday afternoon.’ She exchanged glances with Marina in the mirror. ‘You wouldn’t mind picking Ethan up again on Friday, would you?’ As she saw Marina’s eyes and smile widen, she reflected that it was without doubt a rhetorical question.

  Back at the hotel, Ethan disappeared up to his room and Emma was about to go out and look for Mark and Rich to tell them that their illustrious guest had arrived when it occurred to her that today was the third day of filming of Sweet Memories back in Hollywood and she hadn’t spoken to Elliot since Monday. Yesterday she hadn’t even thought about the new film. Was her Italian ‘holiday’ taking the edge off her Hollywood executive persona? And if so, was that a good thing? She looked down at the phone in her hand and mulled it over for a few moments before deciding to leave well alone. He hadn’t called, so that meant everything was fine. It was his responsibility now, not hers. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She returned the phone to her pocket and went down to the pool.

  As she had expected, Mark and Rich were by the very secluded pool, but once again, Mark had eschewed the water and was lying in the shade, still wearing a T-shirt. Rich on the other hand had obviously just come out of the water as he was still dripping when he addressed her.

  ‘Tell Ethan to come down for a swim. The water temperature’s perfect. And why don’t you have a swim as well, boss?’

  Emma glanced at the water and thought about how inviting it looked. She had been planning on going back to her room to spend an hour on the internet checking out the locations Marina had earmarked for tomorrow, but she could do with a little break after the crowds and hustle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

  ‘I think I’ll do just that, Rich.’

  Back home in LA she would never have dreamt of skipping work for the sake of a swim but this wasn’t LA. All right, she wasn’t on ‘holiday’, but she knew there was no real reason why she couldn’t have a dip in the pool and do her work later on.

  Mark looked up from his book. ‘Did the great man arrive safely?’

  ‘Yes, and we’ve done the whole Leaning Tower thing with him.’ Then, out of what the rational part of her brain clearly identified as sheer mischief, she chose to elaborate. ‘A whole bunch of American tourists turned up at one point and I had to take him in my arms and kiss him until they passed.’ She gave them both a grin. ‘I love my job.’

  By the time she had changed into a bikini, wrapped herself in a towel dressing gown from the back of the bathroom door, and made her way back out to the pool again, she found Ethan and Marina already there. He was fooling about with Richard, trying to push him into the water while Marina, now wearing an even smaller bikini, stood by and watched the show wide-eyed. There was no doubt about it. Ethan had an amazing body, although Emma knew more than most the extent of the relentless hours of hard work and discipline that went into keeping him looking so good. For a moment or two, Emma also allowed herself the treat of seeing two good-looking men grappling hand-to-hand. Then, as they both finally toppled sideways into the water, she slipped off her robe and turned to set it down on a sunbed next to the other good-looking man around here. As she did so, she distinctly caught Mark’s eyes on her body and she gave him her biggest smile.

  ‘Not coming in, Mark?’

  Was he blushing? Surely not. When he replied, however, he sounded quite relaxed, so maybe her eyes had been deceiving her.

  ‘No, thanks, I’m happy as I am. Enjoy your swim.’

  She toyed with the idea of diving in, but the memory of her embarrassment some years previously when she had done just that at a friend’s house, only to resurface without the top half of her bikini, persuaded her to be more cautious. While she rather liked the thought of having Mark’s eyes on her, that might be too much, too soon. Instead, she walked carefully down the tiled steps at the shallow end and slowly sank down until the water covered her shoulders. Only then did she lie back and let her feet float to the surface, her eyes trained on the cloudless blue of the sky above and the tops of three majestic palm trees that leant over the pool. I
t felt wonderful and she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so relaxed. The last holiday she had taken had been almost two years ago and that had been a mad rush back to the UK to see her parents, coupled with two days in London meeting people for work. It had rained all week and she had returned to LA feeling little fresher than when she had left. Now, a happy smile on her face, she floated and swam about in the water for a good long while before climbing back out again.

  By now Marina had joined the two men at the far end of the pool and Emma had no doubt she would be enjoying herself immensely. After all, how many girls could say they’d been swimming with a Hollywood A-lister? And, for that matter, with the man who might become the next king of Hollywood?

  Emma went over to a shower in the corner and washed the pool water off her body and rinsed her hair. Then, returning to the sunbed where she had left her robe, she dabbed herself reasonably dry before stretching out on top of it and lying back. The sun was pleasantly warm on her body, the air filled with the heady perfume of the lavender and broom plants that surrounded the pool, and she was very aware that she was lying, half-naked, alongside a man whose very presence gave her goosebumps. It felt really good and she found herself smiling, although she had to remind herself that he was already taken.

  ‘So, are you happy with the way things are working out so far?’

  She rolled her head towards the sound of Mark’s voice. ‘So far, so good, thanks. We’ve found some great locations, Rich is sounding good, Marina’s a treasure, and I’ve got my very own history expert at my side. What more could a girl want?’

  His eyes flicked towards where Ethan was still swimming. ‘Maybe a Hollywood megastar at your other side?’

  His voice was so studiously neutral it screamed curiosity, and she had a little smile to herself. Maybe he was interested after all. Mind you, she reminded herself, she had better restrict herself to just flirting with him. He already had a wife or girlfriend waiting for him back in Umbria, so maybe enough was enough now. The last thing she wanted to do was to annoy him or to cause any kind of friction within the group. He had been a mine of useful information so far and she knew his knowledge would be even more helpful from tomorrow when they hit the real historical heart of Tuscany. There was no way she wanted him to feel left out or miffed in any way. She rolled onto her side and propped herself on one elbow as she replied, but only after taking a quick look down the pool to be sure the others were still well out of earshot.