I stand in shock outside the entryway to the hotel we splurged on that looks nothing at all like its photos. I gaze up, taking in the peeling exterior paint and the rusting balcony railings. This was supposed to be the luxury hotel that would be so in-your-face romantic that it would serve as the backdrop for Wes to finally profess his love. But that vision is disintegrating right before my eyes, quite literally, as a chunk of paint falls and bounces off my shoulder before shattering against the ground.
CHAPTER 4
I have lost my lastshred of positivity. Not only does it appear as though my new SIM card is junk, but the five-star hotel I booked is generously much more of a two-star. Everything is older and grayer and smaller and dingier than advertised. I should have known that a true five-star hotel wouldn’t only be 130 euro a night during peak holiday season on the Amalfi Coast. If something looks too good to be true, it almost always is.
I can’t contain my disappointment. “This is not acceptable. This isn’t at all what I had in mind.” There is no bellman waiting to greet us with a tray of Aperol spritzes, no fancy gold luggage cart out front, no lush red carpet. Just an uneven brick walkway with moss growing in the cracks that I have to lug my suitcase over to reach the worn welcome mat. A zipper pops, jolted from the movement, and out tumble those lime-green cheeky Tangas again.
“I actually think it’s kind of charming.” Mari points to the crown molding over the door and the colorful fish tiles around the entryway as I scoop my belongings off thefloor. “We’re on vacation together, in Italy. I don’t need anything fancy.”
“I agree. Let’s check in.” Anya leads us through the front doors.
I lose it even more when I glimpse the pool through the sliding glass doors. It’s not the Olympic-size infinity pool the photos made it seem, but a tiny plunge pool smaller than some hot tubs I’ve seen. “What the—?” I blurt before I can stop myself. Fantasies of late-night rendezvous with Wes are destroyed in one fell swoop.
The lobby is small and cramped. There are stains on the ceiling and a few of the glossy floor tiles are cracked. Adding to the growing number of eyesores, there’s even a guy on a ladder in the corner, painting. He turns toward the entranceway, grinning at the sight of us. “Buongiorno!”
“Buongiorno!” Anya and Mari say back in unison.
The guy gets down off the ladder and wipes the paint from his hands onto his coveralls. Close up, he’s much younger than I thought, with a mess of dark brown hair tinted golden. A medallion pendant dangles over his T-shirt, glinting under the light. His skin is deep brown, a true Mediterranean tan, one that can only be earned from a lifetime in the Italian sun. “Americans?” he asks, but I have a hunch he already knows the answer.
“How can you tell?” Mari wants to know.
He winks, all smooth and mischievous. “Can’t give away all the secrets.” He puts his hand to his chest anddoes a mini bow, dipping slightly, and introduces himself. “Nico. Checking in?”
“Yes!” Mari says. “It’s been a long, long day, and we are so happy to be here.”
“Well, we are happy to have you.” Nico hops over the green marble counter and starts tapping on a computer. “It looks like we have you here for a three-week stay…”
“I’m sorry. I have a question,” I interrupt, pushing Anya and Mari to the side. “On the website, it says this is a five-star hotel?” I pull out my phone to show him the proof.
“Yes.” He raises his eyebrows. “It’s five stars for service. Never gotten anything less.” He takes my phone and zooms in. “See?”
I scoff. Sure enough, there it was. Five stars for service. This was trickery on the most offensive level. I have tried so hard, all day, to make the best of things because this hotel was supposed to make everything worth the effort. But now it feels like all my summer plans are crumbling like the paint outside. “This place is falling apart! The pool is smaller than my bathtub!”
“I apologize. We are doing some renovations, but it shouldn’t interfere with your stay. As for the pool—it does the same thing as a larger one, I promise.” Nico’s eyes sparkle as they study me.
“It definitely does not,” I mutter, avoiding his eye contact.
“You’re being a brat, Sora,” Anya hisses.
“Is she always like this?” Nico’s dimples are out,looking at me all amused, like my tantrum is simply for his entertainment. It only annoys me more.
“Yes,” Anya and Mari say in unison.
“Listen. You are in great hands. I promise—you will not be unhappy. Go for a walk, get some rest, and let that one wake up on the other side of the bed, as you say. Sometime this week I can show you all some hidden gems you’ll never read about online. You’ll have an experience no other tourist will have this summer.” Nico takes out a small map and folds it up, sliding it across the counter. “In the meantime, you can use this.”
“That actually sounds amazing,” Anya says, now fully perked up. “We would totally be down for that.”
“I would love to find places off the beaten path!” Mari agrees.
“I thought we were going to lie out on the beach and relax?” I ask. I donotappreciate the hijacking of our plans, especially by this strange guy. “We appreciate the offer, but we should be good.”
Nico shrugs, unbothered. “Well, let me know. I’ll be here.”
“She doesn’t speak for us, just so you know.” Anya shoots me daggers.
“Ah, it’s fine,” Nico chuckles. “I know her type. All bite, no bark.”
“What does that mean?” I narrow my eyes. But Nico’s already gone into the back room to get our keys. What is this? They’re already ganging up on me?
