A Leap of Faith (9 page)

I knew exactly what he had in mind and it certainly would beat the in-flight entertainment the airline had planned.  Hmmmmm it would certainly ease the tension I was feeling. My mile high fantasy was interrupted as I watched Tyler shoot
me flirty glances from the doorway.

“Someone you know?” Alex questioned curiously.

“Oh, I’m on his list,” I mused.

Alex’s brow furrowed. “What list?”

“His freebie list. He and his girlfriend have a list of people they can have sex with and neither gets upset. You’re his girlfriend’s freebie. I’m not entirely sure if he was expecting me to be flattered by it or suggest a partner swap.” It sounded almost ludicrous saying out loud.

“Interesting concept. Of course his taste is impeccable. I imagine you would be on a lot of those lists. Tell me, do you have a list?” Alex asked, his head cocked to the side.

“Well, not anymore but the couple of times I was in relationships I did.” I smiled, recalling the earlier “free pass” I’d agreed to with a previous boyfriend.

“And?” Alex raised an eyebrow, wanting me to continue.

“It was awhile ago Alex,” I laughed, “It’s no longer admissible.” 

“So tell me then.” Alex became increasingly intrigued.

“It was you,” I smirked, after hesitating for a few moments. I wondered if I should feel awkward about owning up to the fact I had been lusting after Alex for years when really I was just amused by the whole situation.

Alex threw his head back in a full, throaty laugh. “Me? Really? That is outstanding! I fully approve.”

“I probably shouldn’t have told you. I can already see your head swelling.” I playfully swatted his chest.

“Oh baby, it’s not my head that’s swelling, I can assure you
,” Alex whispered in my ear.

His admission made me laugh uncontrollably, drawing the attention of the band and Marcy.

“What’s so funny?” asked Troy as he downed the drink the bartender had placed in front of Dan.

“DUDE! That was my Bourbon and Coke!” Dan sneered at Troy.

“Last time you drank on Xanax you ended up naked convinced you were invisible. We are still black listed on British Airways. I’m taking one for the team” Troy chortled as Jason nodded in agreement.

“You’re black listed on British Airways?” I stared at James in disbelief before turning to Dan, “Wait... You thought you were invisible?”

James shrugged looking at the men around him and then smiled, “Welcome to a Power Station tour, Lexi. Buckle up, cause it’s a bumpy ride.”

The flight to Rome had been uneventful, given the circumstances. The 9 hour transatlantic flight was a welcome change from the 20 plus hours I would have had to travel from Melbourne. I put Marcy out of my mind, despite the fact she was only seated two rows behind us. Granted, a lot of that time was spent struggling to quell Jason’s desire to draw a moustache on Dan who slept the entire flight.  James sat with this laptop, working on new material while Troy was flirting with the flight attendants. Alex and I were too busy to indulge in our mile high fantasy but there was always the return flight.

We touched down at Rome Fiumicino Airport just after noon the following day due the time difference and were warmly greeted by ground crew who directed us through to Immigration and Customs.

“Buongoirno, welcome to Roma!” We were met just after Customs by a large, burly looking man who despite his pleasantries seemed very unimpressed.

“You are the band, Si?” his English was difficult to distinguish through his strong Italian accent.

“Ciao.” I greeted.

This wasn’t my first trip to Rome and I had taken high school Italian so knew my way around a small amount of dialogue. I also knew that his disposition would probably improve if I could converse with him in his native tongue.

“Si, che siamo noi.” (yes, that is us)

Alex and James stared at me with their eyes wide open.

“Parli Italiano?” (You speak Italian?) He smiled.

“Un poco, ho imparato parole sporchi principalmente.” (A little, I learned mainly swear words.) I responded.

The burly man erupted into laughter, his colleagues turned to see what the fuss was about.

“Brava!” (Good Girl) He clapped as he shifted back into English.

“You are a funny girl, you sure you aren’t one of us?”

“Thank you but no I’m Australian. I love Rome though and am happy to be back.” I honestly was glad to be back, Rome had some rather fond memories for me.

“Well please come this way. There are people in front. They try to get to band but we have security there to stop. You have all bags?” His tone had warmed and he genuinely seemed pleased to help us as he directed us to the doors.

“What was that?” Alex looked at me puzzled, “You speak Italian?”

“A little.” I gave Alex a sideways glance.

“What did you say that was amusing?” James elbowed me gently in the side.

“I told him that despite finding him attractive, I didn’t want to sleep with him.” A smile teased the corners of my mouth.

James shook his head as he burst into laughter. Alex, Jason, Dan and Troy, not understanding the joke, looked on confused.

“Huh? Did we miss something?” Jason rubbed his forehead.

“Old joke. The day I met Lexi in the hospital after Mike’s accident, she told me that even though I had a nice ass she didn’t want to sleep with me.”  James filled the others in.

James retold the story of our first encounter in the ICU waiting room and my unwillingness to accept his shirt. How much had changed since then.

“You are a constant surprise to me,” whispered Alex, his lips kissing my ear. His kiss stirred up other feelings and I wanted desperately to be alone with him.

“Ok. You go here.” The burly man directed us through the doors.

“Grazie
.” I took a moment to offer him my hand to thank him.

“The pleasure was mine, Bella.” He took my hand and kissed it.

~~~~~~

Lights flashed and the noise was deafening as the band entered the public arrivals area. Fans tried to break away from the security barriers as they waved signs declaring their love and adoration for the band.

Marcy’s people had decided to let Power Station exit first, knowing the bulk of the people were here for them. (I honestly doubted any one from the screaming horde was here for a B grade soap actress, especially one as talentless as her, but hey maybe it was just me.)

DarNell, Bear and two new additions to the security team, Brad and Jake, had joined us on the flight and had surrounded us to help clear a path through the crowd to the waiting cars.

“Make a hole,” shouted Jake, a recent honourably discharged Navy Seal who took his job very seriously, as he pushed through the throng of people.

Fans pushed and pulled, desperate to get closer. Some were crying as they made the slightest contact with their idols who were hurried past and almost hurtled into the car.

“Sorry Ma’am.” apologized Jake grabbing my ass in an over zealous effort to help me into the car.

It was intense. While the band enjoyed huge success in America, they were still able to walk around the streets relatively safely. Of course they were constantly being photographed and fans approached them regularly for their autograph, but for the most part they could still enjoy their lives. Here they would be lucky to make it out the front door without being attacked. The hysteria was overwhelming. 

We were split into two groups with DarNell and Jake joining Alex, James and myself in one car, while Bear and Brad rode with Troy, Jason and Dan.

The drivers carefully pulled away, beeping their horns to clear the traffic of bodies in front of them.

“This is crazy!” I turned to Alex and James who had relaxed into their seats.

“Yeah, European fans are pretty energetic,” shrugged James. “We always get an intense reception.”

“Don’t worry Ma’am, there is no need for concern. You’re safe with us,” Jake interjected.

DarNell who was sitting beside him smirked, in anticipation of my reaction. He knew that I despised being handled and more importantly that I hated being called Ma’am.

“Jake, you’re new so I’ll give you some leeway. I am sure you are extremely capable of your job or Chris would not have hired you, however, if you call me Ma’am one more time, navy seal or not I’m going to guarantee you, you will never father any children. We clear?”

“Yes Ma.... I mean Yes Sir....I mean...” Jake stuttered awkwardly.

“Lexi is a perfectly acceptable response, Solider.” DarNell offered.

“I wasn’t a solider Sir, I was a Navy Seal. Therefore I was a Sailor
.” Jake clarified, clearly offended at DarNell’s faux pas.

“My apologies, Sailor.” DarNell shook his head as he returned his attention to the passing landscape.

“You like making men squirm, don’t you? The kid has served countless tours behind enemy lines and it’s you who gets him pissing down his leg.” Alex’s low amused voice filled my ear.

“Just doing my part for his personal development. It’s kind of like basic training for the real world.” I whispered back.

I settled into Alex’s arms as we rode the rest of trip in silence. I watched as the historical sites of the city came into view. The Colosseum, catching the afternoon sun was breathtaking.

Our hotel, St Regis Grand Rome, was situated in the heart of the city. It was a luxurious and elegant landmark hotel, which had undergone multi-million dollar renovations in the late 90s.

The cars entered through a side street, which took us to the back entrance. As expected, there were people waiting here as well, though they seemed less fevered than those from the airport.

We filed out of the cars and into the hotel, its opulent decor engulfing my senses as we wandered down the hall and into the main lobby.  Influenced by Empire, Regency and Louis XV styles, it had earned its reputation for being one of the finest hotels in Rome.

“Lexi!” shrieked a voice from across the lobby.

“Is there anyone you don’t know?” sneered Dan, still groggy from the after effects of the Xanax.

We looked over to the direction of the voice to see a petite, well endowed, brunette walking toward us.

“WOW what a knockout! I call her,” blurted Troy, barely able to pull his eyes away from her curves as she strutted over in her obscenely high heels.

“Lexi!” she threw her arms around my neck and gave me a full open mouthed kiss.

“I think I just came,” gasped Dan, his eyes popping out of his head.

“Stefania. It’s been a long time,” I greeted as I pulled her arms from my neck.

“Too Long!” Stefania bellowed. “I’ve missed you!” she circled her small delicate hands around my waist.

I heard a groan from behind me, though I wasn’t sure who it was.

“Lexi, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend.” Alex smiled playfully. Yes I’m sure he, like the rest of them was enjoying Stefania’s little display.

“Stefania, this is Power Station.” I pointed to each of the members individually and introduced them by name, as Stefania nodded enthusiastically. “Guys, this is Stefania. She is an old friend.”

“Pleased to meet you all! I’ve heard your records!” Stefania’s voice rose an octave.

“Come, let me show you to your rooms! We have you in our finest suites.” Stefania gestured to the bellboy who had loaded all our bags onto large birdcage trolleys.

“You work here?” I followed as she stepped out in front of me directing us to the elevator.

“Riccardo bought the hotel a few years ago. He was bored working for his father. I help from time to time.” Stefania gave me a knowing smile.

My voice dropped to a whisper. “Riccardo is here?” I looked around.

“Yes, he is in his office. He called me when he saw your name on the reservation. Please you must have dinner with us this evening, all of you.” She beamed, barely able to contain her excitement.

Riccardo Cassius was son to one of the richest men in Europe. His family lineage could be traced back to ancient Roman times and over the years they had amassed a rich empire of real estate and stock holdings. Riccardo’s father was at the helm of one of the largest shipping conglomerates in the world.  Riccardo was driven, de
termined and exceptionally good-looking.

“Of course. We will see you tonight.” I answered
quickly, without bothering to check if these plans suited the rest of the guys. I was both excited and slightly nervous about seeing Riccardo again.

“Fantastic!” Stefania exclaimed. “We will see you at 8! Marco and Dino will see you to your suites.”

She kissed me again on the mouth before disappearing down the hall, leaving us with the porters as the elevators ascended.

“OH MY GOD! DID YOU FUCK HER?!” Dan bellowed, scaring Marco or was it Dino half to death.

“Keep it down Dan. I told you, she is a friend. Who I have or haven’t fucked is not your concern.” I was not prepared to explain my past to least of all people Dan.

“You totally fucked her! Holy Shit! WOW! That is so fucking hot!” Dan continued, before accosting Alex.

“You are one lucky son of a bitch you know that? Your girlfriend is a fucking 10 and she is into girls. Lexi, dump this loser and marry me!” Dan teased.

“Dan, while Lexi may take your offer under advisement she is currently still my girlfriend so stop acting like a dick and be more respectful.” Alex snapped.

Alex seemed angry but I wasn’t sure if it was directed and me or Dan. I could see the tension in his jaw as he clenched it tightly. His eyes darkened as he stared Dan down.  There was an uncomfortable silence in the elevator as we rode to our floor.

The doors finally opened at their destination and we spilled into the hallway. Marco and Dino directed us to our suites. Alex followed me silently, as we got to the room we had been allocated.

I opened the door and our bags were unloaded into the living area.  Alex flipped open his wallet, giving them a generous tip before they closed the door behind them.

“You’re mad?” I hissed. “Why the fuck are you mad?” I didn’t understand how it was ok for him to be friendly with his ex-girlfriend but I wasn’t allowed to run into an old friend from the past.

“I’m not mad,” Alex responded coolly.

“The hell you aren’t!” I snapped. “Go on ask me! Did I fuck her?”

“Your past is your business, you don’t owe me an explanation.” Alex reached into the bar fridge and opened a bottle of water, taking a long slow drink.

“I never said I owe you an explanation!” I seethed, a mix of emotions washing through my body.

“Well then there is nothing to discuss.”  Alex walked out of the living area and into the bathroom.

I stormed in after him, flinging the door open to find him undressing.

“Something you need?” His eyes met mine, there was no trace of anger in his voice but I sensed some darkness still in his tone.

“Ask me.” I prompted.

“Lexi, if you want to tell me, you’ll tell me. I’ve never known you to hold your tongue.” Alex twisted his strong, muscular back to me and turned on the water.

I wanted to tell him, I wanted to share that part of me that I hadn’t shared before. Why was it so hard for me just to tell him what I was feeling? This relationship business seemed like such hard work, no wonder I’d avoided it for so long.

He didn’t seem to notice me leaving, either that or he didn’t care as I slipped out of the bathroom and left him alone to shower. I needed some fresh air and some perspective.