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A shiver went up my spine.
I wasn’t much of a long-term planner. I grew up moving from army base to army base every two years, so I never had achanceto think ahead. By the time I made plans, dad would uproot us and I’d have to start all over from scratch.
But when it came to the short-term, I was a man of action. Building a shed? I could sit down and create a building plan in minutes. Road trip? Give me a map and I’d plan the perfect route.
Stuck in Italy during a pandemic? Better load up on supplies before shitreallyhit the fan.
I checked my wallet. I still had plenty of Euros. There were several markets within walking distance of the hotel, and a big grocery store two miles away. Good thing I had splurged on a hotel room with a stove. I could cook my own food if need be.
I went outside, forgetting all about the pissed off girl who had been berating me just minutes before.
3
Molly
The Day The Lockdown Began
I forgot all about the guy I had mistakenly berated when my friend Sara called me.
“What do you mean, your flight is canceled?” I asked.
“It’s not just our flight,” she replied. “It’s all flights! Everything going in and out of Rome is canceled. It’s the same for most of Italy, I think. It has to do with that new virus.”
“I thought it was isolated to that area by the Swiss border,” I replied. “My travel agent told me it wouldn’t affect my trip!”
“Why did you leave a day early?”Sara complained. “If you had been on our flight this wouldn’t have happened…”
“I don’t know.” My throat tightened. “What am I supposed to do without you? I was really looking forward to this trip.”
“I know. This sucks. We’re going to be checking in to see if our flight gets rescheduled. I have to go. I’ll let you know if anything changes. I miss you, Molls!”
“Miss you too.”
I sat on the bed and sighed. The urge to feel sorry for myself was overwhelming. It had been one bad thing after another this year. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t win. Not even on my vacation.
“Forget that,” I said out loud. “I’m here. I’m the lucky one who got to arrive before everyone else! I’m going to enjoy the city by myself.”
Even though the Colosseum was closed, I could still walk to it and admire it from the outside. Not to mention exploring the rest of the city. It was close to lunchtime now, so getting some delicious Italian food sounded like a great way to brighten my mood. I put my shoes back on and took the elevator back down to the lobby. Thankfully, the sexy guy I had yelled at was gone.
The concierge was behind the desk. I walked up to him and asked, “The man who was in the lobby earlier. Is he a guest at the hotel?”
“Mr. Russo? Yes, he has been a guest for the past week. I believe he is departing this evening.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn’t run into him again. No matterhowgorgeous he was, I dealt poorly with embarrassment. A second run-in might have literally killed me with awkwardness. Even just the thought of it made me cringe.
I shook it off and asked the concierge, “Can you recommend a good restaurant for lunch? Something within walking distance.”
He winced. “I am sorry, but you are not allowed to leave the building.”
The words were nonsense to me. “I’m not allowed towhat?”
“The mayor has instituted a stay-at-home order,” he said. “No one is allowed in public, unless they have urgent business.”
“You have got to be kidding me. Because of the virus thing?”
“I am afraid so. When we have additional information, we will let you know. The Residencia Al Gladiatore is sorry for the inconvenience.”
I looked around helplessly. “I was going to get lunch. What am I supposed to do now?”
