The Scent of Rome (Paperback)

Pages : 430
ISBN : 9781916265356
Weight : 408g
Dimensions : 203 x 24 x 127 mm

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- #MeToo
- Sapphic romance
- Sexual awakening
- Entrepreneurial women
- Rome

Nadine Costa was waiting at the bar of the St. Regis in Rome. Her red silk dress, black stiletto heels, long dark hair and elegant physique made her the center of attention and she knew it. People’s eyes were always drawn to her, wherever she went, especially when dressed the way she was tonight. She scanned the opulent space as she inhaled the scent of luxury. It was hard to define the ingredients that made up the hotel’s signature scent, but she picked up on a hint of rosewood and leather, no doubt carefully selected to leave a lasting impression on its guests.
It wasn’t the first time she’d been here, but the grandeur of the hotel always impressed her. The marble floor of the meticulously renovated palazzo sparkled like it had just been polished, reflecting the light of the crystal chandeliers in the ceiling. Even though this wasn’t Nadine’s scene, she looked like she belonged here as she waited for the man who would be her date for tonight while sipping a glass of champagne. She was early as always because she liked getting acquainted with her stage, as she thought of it, taking her time to prepare for her performance.
It was pretty simple, but the rules were strict. All meetings happened in public places, no exceptions. Touching was not allowed, unless it was a hand on her back while leading her to a table or opening a door, or maybe a peck on the cheek to convince others of their affection. Possible topics of conversation had been sent through prior to their meeting, so she could make herself familiar with the material. She also had a file with information on the man she was meeting, including a basic script on how they’d ‘met’. His name was Flavio Russo, a Rome-based investor and tonight, she was playing the role of a wealthy American on holiday in Rome, who had recently met Flavio in a café. After dinner, during which she would charm the hell out of his business partners, her agency would send a limo to pick them up, as she never got into private cars. The driver would drop off her client first before she went back to her own apartment in Trastevere.
Her privacy was strictly protected by the high-end escort company she worked for, and sleeping with the clients was against the agency’s policy within their contracts. They often asked her out on a real date by the time the night was over, but it was purely a job to her and she had no interest in dating.
Nadine wasn’t afraid of anyone finding out what she did for a living. Her mother was back home in New York, and she didn’t have any close friends in Rome. What she did was innocent in her opinion; making the men and women who booked her look good for others. Sometimes it was fun, sometimes it was boring, but it was always strictly business.
“I love your dress.”
Nadine turned upon hearing the distinct American accent and smiled at the woman standing next to her at the bar. “Thank you. You look pretty great yourself.”
The woman frowned for a moment, clearly not expecting her to be American too. “Thank you back I guess,” she finally said. “I never know how to dress for meetings, it’s not my strong point.”
Nadine studied the petite woman, taking in her blonde bob, striking blue eyes, black knee-length pencil skirt and black top. She was carrying a simple leather envelope file and a small black purse hung from a silver chain over her shoulder. Her legs looked great in the high heels, but Nadine noted that just like her purse, they were designer replicas, which told her the woman was pretending to be wealthier than she actually was. “I’ll have to disagree on that.” She winked. “What are you drinking?”
“I was going to join you and order a glass of champagne.”
“Then please allow me.” Nadine gestured to the bartender to order another drink. “I’ll put it on my date’s tab.”
“No, that’s not necessary, I…”
“Please.” Nadine smiled as she handed her the glass. “I’m Nadine.”
“Rome. It’s nice to meet you.”
Nadine laughed. “Rome? Are you kidding me?” She studied the woman’s delicate features for a hint of humor, but she seemed serious.
“No, I’m not joking.” Rome laughed too. “I’ve never had that reaction to my name before but now that I’m here, suddenly everyone seems to think it’s funny. There’s no connection; my parents just thought it sounded exotic, and it’s actually my first time in Rome. I only arrived this afternoon.”
“Then you’re in for a treat. How long are you staying in town, Rome?” Nadine repeated her name because she liked the sound of it. It was unusual but cute and bold, full-bodied like a good Bordeaux.
“Depends. If my meeting goes well, a couple of days to round up the contracts, then for a considerable stretch of time after I’ve gone back home to Portland to pack my things. If it doesn’t go well, I’ll be flying back tomorrow.”
“Let’s hope this evening is a success, then. It would be a waste of the long-haul flight if you don’t get to see anything.” Nadine took a sip of her champagne, careful not to smudge her red lipstick. “What is it that you do?”
“I’m an app developer.” Rome shot her a goofy grin. “It’s very nerdy; I won’t bore you with the details but I’m here to meet a potential investor. I arrived early so I could take on some liquid courage and mentally prepare for my pitch.”
“Then I shouldn’t be distracting you.”
“No, it’s fine. It’s nice talking to you; it settles my nerves a little.” Rome tilted her head, then looked Nadine up and down. “Where’s your date?”
“He’ll be here soon. I came early too.”
“Oh. First date?”
Nadine thought about her answer for a moment, then decided to be honest. “All my dates are a first. It’s a paid date,” she said, lowering her voice, then clarified: “I’m an escort.” Rome’s wide-eyed reaction amused her. The response was to be expected but it wasn’t like they would ever see each other again and Nadine felt no need to defend what she did to make ends meet.
“So… he’s taking you out to dinner and then you go home with him?”
“Gross, no. I don’t sleep with them, it’s only dinner.” Nadine grimaced. “Wealthy men tend to like a younger woman on their arm to impress their business partners. I occasionally sleep with my female clients though, but only if I really want to and when I initiate it.” She winked. “Free of charge of course as that’s purely for my own pleasure. I have needs too, and it’s not exactly easy to maintain a relationship when you’re in this business.”
Rome seemed even more stunned now as a blush appeared on her cheeks. “Oh… So you only sleep with women? Because you’re…”
“Because I’m gay, yes.” Nadine locked her eyes with Rome and saw a hint of nervousness in them. “What about you? Men or women? Or both?”
“Men,” Rome answered almost immediately.
“Husband? Boyfriend?” Nadine was surprised to feel a little flicker of disappointment at Rome’s reply. Not that she expected anything to happen between them, but she liked flirting with women, and it was clear that she was not going to get anywhere with this one. A beautiful stranger who might only be in Rome for one night would have been perfect, because it had been a while since she’d had some action between the sheets.
“No, I’m single. Too busy with my nerdy stuff to meet people, and anyway, I’m not that bothered.” Rome hesitated for a moment. “Can I ask you something? Just out of curiosity…”
“Anything.”
“How much do you get paid to have dinner with your clients?”
“You mean how much does it cost to spend time in my company?” Nadine chuckled. “I don’t normally disclose that but as you have the best name I’ve ever heard and the best ass I’ve ever laid my eyes on, from what I can see in that skirt…” Inching closer, she decided to flirt with her anyway. She wasn’t doing anything wrong and besides, she liked how Rome blushed when she looked at her. Nadine was good at reading people and there was definitely something there, straight or not. “I’m seventeen-hundred Euros a night. Out of the seventeen hundred, I get twelve hundred and my agency takes five hundred. The duration of the date is flexible but as a general rule, I like to be home by midnight. That’s harder in Rome, though. People tend to stay up later than in New York and Paris, where I did this before.”
“Jesus.” Rome frowned as she processed the information. Or maybe she was processing the comment about her ass, Nadine wasn’t sure. Either way, she looked flustered. “So, you get twelve-hundred Euros just to have dinner with someone? Nice, fancy dinners in the best places in town?”
“I wouldn’t call them the best places. My personal tastes are a little more authentic than this, but yes, that’s the deal.”
“And your agency takes five-hundred? That seems like daylight robbery to me.”
“It’s not unreasonable.” Nadine shrugged and smiled. “They do a background check on the clients and make sure it’s safe for me to go out with them. They also protect my privacy and prepare an information pack, so I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. They’ve been good so far, so I’m not complaining.”
“Well, it doesn’t sound so daunting now that you’ve explained it.” Rome leaned against the bar and sighed. “Maybe I should look into it. Then I wouldn’t have to drag my presentation around the world while maxing out my credit cards.” She finished her champagne and shook her head. “But I couldn’t, I’d feel dirty.” As soon as she realized what she’d said, Rome slammed a hand in front of her mouth. “Oh God, I didn’t mean it like that.” Regret was written all over her face and it was endearing how her gaze kept shifting to the ceiling, trying to think of something to pull her out of the hole she’d dug for herself. Nadine didn’t mind the comment so much; she was used to it, and her line of work wasn’t for everyone. “I didn’t mean to insult you, I…” Rome’s clumsy stammering stopped when a big, bald man in a sharp, black suit came walking up to them, eyeing Nadine.
Nadine realized she’d lost track of time and turned to him with her most charming smile. Damn it. I never make mistakes. He looked extremely wealthy in his Brioni suit and patent leather shoes. A gold Rolex peeked from underneath his right sleeve, and his wedding band was still on his ring finger; it was something men often forgot. Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.
“Nadine, there you are. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” He eyed her up and down, then pointed to her dress. “You look beautiful as always.”
“Flavio.” Nadine kissed him on both cheeks and patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I got distracted talking to this lovely lady here.” She turned to Rome. “Flavio, this is Rome. Rome, this is Flavio.” She noticed Rome looked even more uncomfortable now as they shook hands.
“Flavio Russo, the CEO of Nero,” Rome said. “It’s great to finally meet you in person. I’m Rome Foster.”
Flavio’s gaze nervously shifted from Rome to Nadine and back and Nadine cursed herself as it clicked. An investor… of course. How could she have been so stupid? She was clearly not thinking straight, too immersed in flirting with the captivating woman who was apparently going to be at her table for the rest of the night.
“Rome was just telling me all about her app,” Nadine lied, trying to put him at ease. She knew it was vital for him that their secret was safe, yet she’d just told Rome about their arrangement. “It sounds like a great opportunity.” She gave Flavio another smile and knew that she had him then, as his shoulders relaxed and he smiled back, checking out her cleavage.
“Yes, we’re looking forward to hearing all about it.” Flavio put a hand on Nadine’s back and led them to their table, where another two men were waiting.
Nadine took a deep breath and braced herself for the evening ahead, then introduced herself and sat down next to Flavio.