AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The first day of the music festival was a success and Anika supposed she should be gratified by that. She tried to be, pulling out all stops to show that she was having a good time. She was objective in her comments and had written notes that she was going to use.
The press had come out in their numbers and the artists had performed to their best ability. But the nightmares combined with the text message she had received from Tyrone had left her shaken and stunned. He had broken up with her over a tersely written text message. 'It's not working out. We should call it quits.' That was it.
She had tried calling him but the phone went straight to voicemail. He had dumped her. Never mind that she had been thinking about dumping him. The bastard never even had the nerve to call and do it properly or wait until she returned.
Well good riddance to him. She no longer had to pander to his massive and fragile ego and she should be happy. But the combination of circumstances and being in a foreign country was having a diverse effect on her.
She felt weepy and angry and could not get it out of her mind. Another rejection, she thought. She was sick of it. Sick to her stomach of never finding the right person. Someone to love her for herself.
She was not insecure, she knew how she looked, but right now she felt a little needy and would not mind holding a pity party where she could drink herself into oblivion and cry into her pillows.
What she needed was a good crying jag to get it out of her system. But first comes the drinking and not in the hotel where the others were. She was off duty and entitled to a little private time.
She just wanted to be alone for a little bit and she knew just the place. She had done a little touring earlier this afternoon and happened on the hole-in-the-wall place with a smoky interior. She had enough grasp of the language to make her purchases.
Sliding into a booth, she placed the order and sat there nursing the drink. She was on her second glass when he came in.
"Of all the pubs in the city," he drawled, noticing her as soon as he entered the room. "Are you lost?"
"No," she told him shortly. "I came here to be alone."
His amused green eyes flickered over the crowd. "You should have stayed in your suite," he spoke rapid Italian when the serving staff came forward and sat across from her.
"I came here to be alone from the people I know," she pointed out.
"That's funny. So did I." His emerald green eyes studied her face. "Problems?"
"Like I would tell you."
"I suppose not," he murmured his thanks as his drink was brought to him.
"Aren't you afraid of being mobbed?" she demanded.
"Italians are not as dazzled by celebrities as Americans are." He sipped his drink and eyed her over the glass. "Thank goodness."
"I thought celebrities thrived on being adored."
He grimaced. "Somehow, that must have missed me in the rule book. We have never really spoken before."
"That's because you are an entitled prick who usually stares right through me and you are usually fighting with your dad."
He shrugged, expression becoming hooded. "There is that." his eyes wandered around the room and he wondered if it was a coincidence that they had both ended up at the same pub. He had had another argument and had decided to walk out to blow off some steam. He had walked in here and seen her as soon as he came in. She stood out. Among the several women loitering, flirting, or drinking at the bar, she stood out.
"Another drink?"
"I should get going."
"We should drink away our collective miseries." He gave her an appraising look. "I am not going to ask you what has put that sadness on your beautiful face—"
"And I would never tell you."
"Fair enough." He nodded with a smile. "But we should say to hell with everything and get wasted."
"I don't get wasted."
"There is a first time for everything." He lifted a hand and the server materialized. She half listened as he spoke in rapid Italian, some of the words sailing over her head. "Now then, what shall we talk about?"
"Nothing," she said firmly. "Let's just drink."
