Paolo tosses five Euros into the hat by the musician's feet before turning to me, one hand on my waist and the other still holding my hand tightly.
“Let’s dance,” he says, smiling wide as the song begins.
I instinctively shake my head and attempt to pull away, but Paolo’s grip on me is strong.
“I don’t know how to dance,” I whisper, as panic courses through me when a crowd begins to form around us.
The musician switches from a lively song to one with a slower, romantic pace instead.
“Then I will teach you,” Paolo says, pulling me closer. “You said you want to do things outside of your comfort zone, right? Let me show you.”
I give him a tight smile and nod, letting him guide me along while a group of tourists and locals stand nearby watching us. But Paolo finds a way to melt my nerves—like spinning me an extra two times, or a random dip here and there that gets the crowd excited.
Dancing with him is...fun.
I haven’t experienced fun in a very long time. I used to think surfing was fun, but at some point it changed for me. I guess when you turn your hobby into actual work, it loses all of its excitement.
When the song ends, we wave goodbye to everyone as we leave and continue our walk to my hotel. Paolo stands closer now, our arms and hands rubbing along each other every few steps.
“Why did you join the academy?” I ask.
“I studied art all my life,” he says, smiling down at me. “It is my first love.”
“That’s beautiful,” I say quietly.
He nods. “But lately I haven’t created anything I love,” he looks at me curiously now, his eyes scanning my face. “I have been missing inspiration.”
“So you’re hoping to find it again here?”
“Si,” he replies, looking away now. “I would travel the whole world to try and find it again if I had to.”
I smile, knowingly, because Paolo sounds just as lost as I am.
When we finally reach my hotel, I stop in front of the lobby doors and face him.
“This is my hotel,” I say as he scales the building with his eyes. “Thank you for walking me here.”
When he looks back down at me, I don’t know if he plans to kiss me or hug me, but he surprises me by doing neither.
“I’d like to see you again,” he slides his hands into his pants pockets, “tomorrow.”
“She’s busy.”
I stiffen as Paolo looks over my head, and I don’t even have to turn around to know who it is, my blood already boiling. I ignore Gabriel and clear my throat, catching Paolo’s attention again.
“Sure,” I say in the sweetest voice I can manage in my angry state. “Let’s meet at the museum around noon?”
Paolo nods, giving me a small smile before narrowing his eyes behind me.
“It’s alright,” I say when I realize he doesn’t plan to leave me alone with Gabriel. “I know him.”
His suspicious glare turns curious as his eyes bounce between Gabriel and me. Before I can figure out what he’s about to do, he takes my hand in his and kisses the back of it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Lea.”
I’m speechless, my already red face deepening several shades, but not from anger this time. I smile and wave as he begins walking away, and once he’s finally out of eyesight, I turn around.
Gabriel is leaning against the wall of my hotel entrance, wearing his deliciously expensive, all black, custom fit suit.
