Ben was beginning to suspect Aurora enjoyed winding Rose up as much as he did. She hadn’t given the spiky Love Doctor a nickname yet. Was she too difficult to read or was Marco’s aunt waiting for something, another spooky sign perhaps?
‘I’m afraid the car company can’t get anyone here until the morning either,’ Ben told them, scratching his fingertips along his scalp, which felt gritty and hot after the long walk from the car. He needed a shower, preferably a cold one, or better, a long, hot soapy bath. Maybe Rose would offer to scrub his back? He glanced at her.Maybe not.
‘Where are we going to sleep?’ Rose asked, looking dismayed, her face paling despite the fact that her cheeks were endearingly pink from the recent exercise.
‘We asked about rooms, but there aren’t any available. The receptionist says we can’t sleep here – although if you ask, she’ll probably offer to share her room with you.’ Rose took a moment to turn and glare at the woman with an intensity that might have scorched snow if there had been any. ‘And there isn’t another hotel for miles. What are we going to do?’
‘Aldo says not to worry, all will be taken care of.’ Aurora, looking relaxed, wriggled her middle and index fingers mysteriously.
Rose pulled a disbelieving face, just as the phone rang at the reception desk and the woman answered and began to speak in rapid Italian. Ben couldn’t make out all the words, but Aurora started to nod and smile.
She’d always claimed she could commune with spirits, and until this moment Ben had taken her words with a pinch of salt. Marco had never questioned his aunt’s talents, but Ben had always thought that was more about family loyalty than anything else. But after today, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps Aurora did have a gift, after all. Then again, if she did, why hadn’t she warned him about his ex?
He watched the receptionist smile at him as she put down the phone, and he wondered briefly if she was indeed going to offer to share her bedroom with him. Then he saw her tap something into the computer before shimmying out from behind the desk, just as a waiter emerged from another doorway.
He carried a large white plate filled with bruschetta, mozzarella balls, olives, cheeses and various breads. Ben inhaled the mouth-watering aroma and his stomach grumbled. The man placed the plate on the coffee table without comment before ceremoniously whipping out smaller plates, napkins and cutlery. Aurora immediately grabbed a dish and dug in. ‘Do you have wine?’ she asked cheerfully, and the waiter nodded without smiling, then disappeared.
‘We have two twin rooms available last minute. They are connected by a shared bathroom – we normally reserve the rooms for families, but we will make an exception for you,’ the receptionist told Ben, completely ignoring Aurora and Rose.
‘Why is the accommodation only available now?’ Ben asked, curious as to why they hadn’t been vacant earlier.
‘What is the saying you English use?’ Aurora queried as she swallowed three olives in quick succession. ‘Something about looking at a gift horse and a mouse?’
‘Mouth,’ Rose corrected as she added a couple of tiny pieces of food to her plate. ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.’
‘Why would you ever want to do that?’ Aurora barked as she fed a piece of chorizo to Coco who gobbled it with gusto, somehow avoiding the older woman’s fingers.
Ben heard Rose sigh.
The receptionist echoed her. ‘The people who had reserved the rooms just called to say their plane was diverted and they can’t get transport here tonight.’ She smiled shyly at Ben. ‘This is a lucky break for you, no?’
‘Perhaps they were sent to Nice too,’ Rose muttered darkly. ‘I suppose we should be grateful we made it as far as here. Even if my suitcases got lost and the car’s as useless as a chocolate teapot.’ She looked around, her expression anything but thankful.
‘Chocolate teapot? But it would melt,cara—’ Aurora glanced up, her forehead squeezing in confusion.
‘Do you want the rooms or not?’ The receptionist complained, directing her question to Rose.
‘Sì,’ Aurora said quickly, nodding vigorously. ‘We will take them both.’ The woman smiled and winked at Ben, then she headed towards the counter.
‘Who’s going to sleep where?’ Rose asked roughly, glaring at Ben with distrust.
‘Of course, you will share with me,’ Aurora soothed. ‘But I apologise,cara– I talk in my sleep. To Aldo and other…’ She wafted a hand. ‘Friends. I can’t help myself.’ She mimed zipping her mouth up before unzipping it again and shaking her head.
Rose shrugged. ‘That’s okay. I think I could sleep through anything at the moment,’ she said wearily. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m just a bit worried.’ She glanced down at her dress looking startled, as if she was surprised by what she was wearing. ‘I have nothing to wear to bed. I can wash my trousers again ready for tomorrow.’ She eyed the linen trousers which she’d laid over one of the orange chairs and grimaced. After being trampled on the ground by Coco, Ben suspected they needed CPR to revive them rather than a quick rinse in the sink.
‘I have a nightdress,’ Aurora said, eyeing Rose speculatively. ‘It’s very sexy, and I’ve always loved orange silk.’
‘I have a T-shirt you can borrow,’ Ben chimed in, guessing the no-nonsense Love Doctor would prefer to wear something less glamorous, and trying not to picture her in seductive nightwear.
‘You’ve already loaned me enough of your clothes,’ Rose said politely to Aurora. ‘Thank you, I’ll take the T-shirt,’ she told him.
‘Buono. I have a new dress for you to wear tomorrow, though. I insist.’ Aurora grinned when Rose paled. She turned to Ben, ‘Bello, you take Coco to your room.’ She pointed to the dog. ‘Pulcino,mi raccomando.I’ve got my eye on you.’
‘Just make sure she doesn’t try to eat you while you sleep,’ Rose whispered.
‘She’d do that?’ Ben gaped, watching the dog bolt down the rest of her food enthusiastically, suddenly worried. It was only when he caught the hitch of Rose’s mouth that he realised she’d been teasing him. It came as a surprise; he hadn’t seen a hint of humour from her until now. He liked it – which was not a good sign.
‘We should go to bed,’ Aurora said, swallowing another piece of bruschetta before rising.
