7. What Could Possibly Happen?
7
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN?
KYLIE
“So, you and Seth, huh?”
These are the first words I hear as soon as I wake up on our second day in Rome. Tara is looking at me from the bathroom door, already showered and dressed, while I blink at her sleepily from my bed.
“Uh…” I have no idea if Seth is cool with people knowing about us, and I’m also still trying to wake up.
I’m usually the morning person. How on earth is she constantly waking up before me on this trip?
“I heard the two of you in the hall last night. Sounded like one hell of a goodnight kiss.”
The memory of Seth pressing me up against the door for a very, very intense goodnight kiss flashes through my mind. I pull the blanket up over my head for a minute before peeking back out and find Tara grinning at me while she sits on the edge of the bed.
I push the blanket back. “Uh, fine. Yes, we may have started kissing last night.”
Although Tara is clapping her hands and smiling, the smile doesn’t quite make it to her eyes. I’ve seen this look on her face a few times in recent years whenever I’ve hooked up with someone. I know that she’s found it hard seeing me with guys while she has remained mostly single since high school. I just wish she had more confidence in herself and was willing to put herself out there.
“Lincoln mentioned he was pretty sure Seth was into you. Apparently, Seth isn’t so great about going after what he wants and needs a push every now and again. It’s why he pushed it last night.”
“Oh yeah, we definitely got that. Neither of you were exactly subtle with your little engineered date last night.” I sit up and look at her with an arched eyebrow.
She shrugs. “I don’t think either of us were going for subtle. I wasn’t sure how you’d be about it though, cause I know you’d said you weren’t interested in a holiday fling. But I really like Seth. I think he’s good for you.”
It’s my turn to shrug now. “We’ve just kissed a few times. I am still planning to keep my vow of celibacy, though. I mean, he’s hot, and I enjoy spending time with him, but it can’t really go anywhere after this trip.”
Tara cocks her head a little while she regards me closely. “Oh, you really like him.”
“Shut up.” I can feel myself turn red.
She laughs. “You really, really like him.”
“Ugh!” I fling myself back onto the pillow and pull the blanket over my head again, attempting to block out the sound of my best friend laughing.
She reaches over and pulls the blanket away from my face. “I think you should just enjoy your time with him and see what happens.”
I shake my head. “What could happen? Aside from me letting myself fall for him and then we never see each other again after the trip ends?”
Tara smiles softly. “No one is saying you have to marry him, Kylie. But he seems like a really nice guy. Lincoln says he’s had a rough time of it the past few months, which sounds like someone else I know.” She gives me a pointed look, and I roll my eyes. “I think you two could be good for each other. Have a little fun and then decide what you both want to do at the end of the trip.”
I consider what she’s saying, tossing it around in my mind while I get ready for another day of sightseeing. Seth and I had only seen a few places last night, spending most of our time talking and kissing rather than actively searching for any of the landmarks that Rome is well known for. He’d mentioned that Rome was his most anticipated stop of the trip, so I decide to make sure he gets to see as many places as possible and not distract him too much with my lips.
But I forget all about that as soon as I see him and Lincoln waiting for us in the hotel lobby. He’s dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, but the man would look good in anything - or nothing - and my libido does all sorts of stupid things to my insides as soon as I lay eyes on him. He runs his eyes over me, starting from my white sneaker-clad feet and drifting up to take in my little yellow sundress, the same one I’d worn the night before. I have put even more effort into my appearance this morning, taking extra care with my makeup and leaving my hair out. It has the desired effect when he finally meets my gaze and my insides melt on the spot from the heat behind it.
Without thinking, as soon as I reach him, I rise onto my tiptoes and press a kiss to his lips. He freezes for a fraction of a second before wrapping his arms around me, kissing me back, his lips parting to deepen the kiss while I run my fingers through his hair.
“Uh, morning, Kylie.” Lincoln lets out a little cough while Tara giggles from behind me.
“Morning, Lincoln,” I reply, my lips still pressed to Seth’s.
“Offftt, saying another man’s name while your lips are pressed to his. That’s harsh, Kylie. ”
Seth pulls back slightly and smirks at his friend. “I’m fine. I’m confident enough in my manhood not to be concerned about the fact that she said hi to you while wrapped around me.” He gives me a wink, and I laugh, loving seeing this more confident version of Seth.
He reaches down and takes my hand in his, lacing our fingers together once again.
“So, where are we going?” Tara asks.
Lincoln raises an eyebrow at Seth. “This is your wheelhouse, brother. Where do you want to go?”
“Well, we saw the Trevi Fountain briefly last night before Kylie decided to pour a drink on someone’s head, and then the Spanish Steps. Didn’t really get to any other places, so maybe the Colosseum to start with?”
“I’m sorry, Kylie did what now?” Tara asks, her eyebrows raised high.
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that. I ran into Dick last night. Felt the need to pour Coke on his head,” I say with a shrug and a grin.
Tara shakes her head. “Only you would think to do something like that. But I would have paid good money to see it. Are you going to tell Bri?”
“Probably not. She’s happy now with Jake, and there wouldn’t be any point. But it felt really good.”
The guys listen to us chat about my vigilante moment with Brianna’s dickhead ex while we head outside and begin making our way through the city towards the Colosseum. I find it difficult to concentrate with Seth running his thumb over the back of my hand lightly, our fingers still entwined.
We spend the rest of the day like this, and it just feels effortless with Seth. While he’s still fairly quiet, he seems to have come out of his shell further, and he’s more relaxed. Perhaps it’s because he’s been looking forward to this part of the trip, but a small part of me is hoping it’s because of me .
I step out of the shower, relieved to have had a chance to wash all the sweat off after the day walking around in the heat. Even though I’m used to Australian summers, the heat in Rome is stifling, and our Canadian friends had begun to struggle by the time five o’clock rolled around. The tour had left both nights in Rome open for us to do our own thing for dinner, and Seth had shyly asked if he could take me out tonight after we’d both cleaned up.
Tara holds up a short black dress that I haven’t had a chance to wear yet. “You should wear this one. You looked so hot in it at Morgan’s hens party.”
The dress sits at my mid-thighs and clings to every one of my curves, revealing most of my cleavage.
“I’m not sure this is the right setting for that dress. I was thinking of wearing just my jeans and a singlet. I’ll save that dress for clubbing in Berlin. Seth will probably have gotten over me by then, so I’ll need it to hook in a hot German guy.”
I’d meant it to be a joke, but there is more than a little truth behind it. While yes, I’ve dated a lot, it’s rarely gone past four or five dates. I’m a lot to take, I know that. When I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago, it helped me accept I would never be the quiet, demure, lady-like girl, like Bri and Tara, but now and then, I get struck with moments of self-doubt that anyone will ever be able to put up with me long term.
Tara pauses and purses her lips while raising an eyebrow. “I hate it when you say stuff like that.”
“It’s true. I’m a lot to take, I know that,” I say.
She shakes her head. “No, you aren’t a lot to take. The guys you have dated before were just fuck boys who wouldn’t know how to put a woman first if their lives depended on it.”
“And you think Seth is different?” I ask quietly.
Tara regards me closely for a moment before answering. “I think he’s good for you. And I think you’re good for him. ”
I start getting dressed, digging out my favourite pink singlet top from what’s left of my clean clothes.
“What are you going to do tonight?” I ask Tara, who has moved to lie down on her bed with a book.
“I am going to have a much needed quiet night in. Lincoln was making noise about finding a club, but I’m leaving him to do that with some of the other girls.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind me going out?” I ask, torn between wanting to spend time with Seth and worrying about abandoning my best friend.
“Of course not. You know I need to have breaks from people every now and then, or I turn into a pumpkin. Go, have fun. Live my holiday romance fantasy. Just make sure you fill me in on all the details.”
We both look towards the door when we hear a knock, and I feel like my feet are glued to the floor. Butterflies suddenly appear in my stomach, and I turn to stare at Tara, my eyes wide. Last night had been great, but I hadn’t been thinking of it as a date, not expecting to be kissed. And today, we’d had constant supervision. But now this all feels real, and I’m terrified.
Tara shakes her head and gets off her bed, crossing the room to open the door. Seth stands on the other side, looking hot as hell in jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He’s also wearing his cap backwards again, and I am ready to melt into a puddle right there in the middle of our hotel room. Every time I see him, he gets hotter, something I truly hadn’t thought possible.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes roaming over me for a moment.
When his gaze meets mine, the heat from earlier returns, and I’m relieved to see that I seem to have the same effect on him that he has on me.
“Hi.” I give him a small smile.
Tara sighs. “Okay, love birds, it’s not like you haven’t just spent all day together.” She rolls her eyes.
Seth blushes a little. It’s freaking adorable .
“Yeah, yeah.” I poke my tongue out at her and grab my handbag off the bed. “Have a good night, T.”
“You too.” She blows me a kiss when I pass by and then closes the door behind me, leaving Seth and me alone in the hallway.
He slides his hands into his pockets, shuffling his feet a little, and I smile.
“Shall we go?” I ask, feeling the need to fill the awkward silence.
He clears his throat, his confidence from earlier today seeming to have disappeared a little. “Yeah. I made a reservation for us. We’ll need to cab it there, though.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding.
He turns to walk towards the elevator, and I hesitate for a moment, wondering why things suddenly feel so weird. After a few steps, he turns to look back at me. He raises an eyebrow, then slowly reaches out a hand. I move to take it, and once he links our fingers together again, it’s like I can breathe finally. He pulls me in closer and presses a soft, chaste kiss to my forehead. I’ve never had someone kiss me like that before, as though I was something precious and loved, and I melt into his arms for a moment, savouring the feel of his hard body against mine.
“Hi,” he says, like we didn’t just greet each other moments ago.
“Hi,” I whisper, loving the feel of his hand rubbing up and down my back.
I step back after a few more heartbeats and allow him to lead me towards the elevator, the apprehension I felt earlier giving way to excitement at getting to spend the evening with his undivided attention.