Chasing The Rogue - Chapter Five
Chapter Five: That’s Amore
Onboard the train Logan and Marie met a young man who introduced himself as Bobby Drake. He told them he was on the road with nothing more than his backpack and few Euros. As she’d been raised in an upper-class household and led a fairly regimented lifestyle - even more so since her father had been elected President - Marie had never actually met people who were free spirits like Bobby and Logan.
Bobby reached into his bag and handed her a sticker of a smiley face. “I’ve been posting these in random places and giving them to others to do the same thing,” he explained. “So whenever you see one, you’ll think of the person who gave it to you - and hopefully smile.”
“Ah, that’s so sweet,” she said as she accepted the sticker from him, and then to Logan she asked in affirmation, “Isn’t that sweet?”
“It is,” he agreed. Then with faux enthusiasm he added, “I think I just got a cavity, that was so sweet.”
Marie mouthed, “Be nice.” - which earned her a nonchalant shrug from him.
Bobby didn’t seem too offended, so she let it go. When Logan left to get himself a beer from the bar, the younger man slid into his vacated seat. He then proceeded to enthrall Marie with stories about his adventures throughout Europe.
A little while later Logan returned with a beer and in an off-handed way that didn’t sound panicked at all, announced, “We got on the wrong train.”
“WHAT?”
“You mean you didn’t wanna go to Venice?” Bobby asked.
“No!”
Logan just shrugged.
A couple of hours later, the train rolled into the city on the water and Bobby bid them goodbye. It was only a few minutes after he’d disappeared into the crowd that Marie discovered he’d lifted her wallet. Not only was all her cash gone, but even if she’d wanted to risk using it, she didn’t have her credit card either. But at least she no longer had to pretend she was broke. Logan couldn’t contain his laughter as she raged about her new friend who’d turned out to be a common thief.
“Keep laughing, but now we have no money,” she reminded him.
“I have a few shekels,” he told her as he fished around in his jeans pocket and pulled out a handful of coins.
Marie inspected the small pile and declared, “Awesome. We can split a cup of coffee.”
“Ingrate.”
“Come on, Logan, be serious. What are we going to do?”
“I could pimp you out,” he offered. “You’ve gotta be worth enough to get us a room for the night.”
“Oh ha ha … you’re so funny,” she replied and then added, “I’d suggest you do it, but I doubt you could even earn enough for a one-star flea pit.”
“Ooh … harsh!” he said in mock indignation.
Just then a gondola glided up next to them. “Romantic ride for you and your lovely lady?” the gondolier inquired.
“Sorry, we have no money,” Marie informed him.
“We just got robbed,” Logan said - and then wistfully added, “And on our honeymoon, too.”
Marie threw him a puzzled look.
“Mama mia,” the man replied - and then taking pity on the young couple, he told them, “No charge.”
“Come on, honey,” Logan said as he steered Marie into the narrow boat.
While floating down the Grand Canal, Logan spun an elaborate tale about them being newlyweds that had eloped and were now on a backpacking honeymoon around Europe when they were cruelly robbed. Marie added to the story when she fearfully wondered where they were going to spend the night - until they could get someone to wire them some additional funds in the morning. Their woeful act worked because the man offered to let them stay at his place.
Lorenzo’s wife Sophia was delighted to play hostess for the young couple and served a sumptuous dinner of fettuccini alfredo with pieces of roasted chicken, Caesar salad and of course, wine.
During the small feast, Sophia asked Logan and Marie questions that both of them managed to handle quite deftly. When she brought out the dessert - homemade gelato - Lorenzo rewarded her with a kiss, which garnered a small sigh from Marie.
“Go ahead - don’t be shy,” he told Logan. “Kiss your wife.”
Logan leaned over and gave Marie a chaste kiss on the cheek, which didn’t satisfy their host.
“Buon Dio!” Lorenzo exclaimed. “Like you mean it.”
Marie cast her eyes down; unsure of how Logan was going to react to the challenge that had been presented. He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face up, then leaned toward her and gently pressed his lips against hers. The pads of his fingers moved up to caress her cheek as his other hand pulled her head even closer to him - creating a tighter bond of their mouths. Marie put her hands on his chest and ran her fingertips over the pectoral muscles she’d been admiring since the moment in the park when he’d taken off his jacket to reveal the clinging white t-shirt beneath.
“Molto meglio,” Sophia responded in delight and gave her husband a knowing wink.
When Logan and Marie finally broke the kiss, they both reached for their wine glasses and drained them quickly. By the time they were ensconced in the cozy little guest room, Marie was quite tipsy.
Logan offered to sleep on the chair in the corner and let her have the bed.
As she was stripping off, he politely turned away - which, after their heated kiss, puzzled her.
“Okay to turn around?” he asked.
“Uh huh,” she replied.
When he rotated back to face her, a very nude Marie greeted him.
“Whoa!” he said as he quickly averted his gaze. Then with his eyes still cast down at the floor, he reached for a blanket that was on the chair and tossed it in her general direction. “Cover yourself, for God’s sake.”
Now she was even more confused. Despite the intensity of the kiss, maybe he wasn’t straight after all. But even if he was gay, he shouldn’t have had such an overly dramatic reaction to a naked woman.
Wrapping herself in the blanket, in a voice that betrayed how hurt she was, she quietly said, “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Logan raised his eyes, paused for a moment and carefully measured his response. “I think you’re absolutely gorgeous. And I’ll probably be kicking myself in the morning for not jumping you when I had the chance … but I’m trying to be a gentleman - and you’re not making it easy.”
That seemed to appease Marie and she smiled.
“We okay?” he asked cautiously as he rummaged around in his bag and pulled out another white t-shirt that he handed to her.
She just nodded in response, accepted the shirt and then gestured for him to turn around again so that she could put it on. Then she walked over the bed and scooted under the covers. As he dropped down into the chair, she said, “We can share the bed … and I promise - no funny business.”
Logan swallowed hard and hesitated momentarily before accepting the gesture. As he lay down on his side of the bed, he jokingly warned, “You’d better behavior yourself because I don’t want to have to explain to Lorenzo and Sophia why a supposedly married man is crying rape.”
Marie just gave him a sharp kick and turned out the light.