Blossom in Winter (Blossom in Winter #1)(50)

“Of course,” I nod in sarcasm, but the corners of my mouth raise up with joy. I want so much to jump on him, wrap my arms around his neck, and kiss his cheek repeatedly, but the interns or Andrew could arrive at any time. Speaking of Andrew…

“Mr. Van Dieren.”

“Andrew.” Alex rolls his eyes and shakes his hand.

“What a pleasant surprise.” Andrew’s face beams while he shakes Alex’s hand for longer than usual. “I’m sorry I didn’t know you’d be joining; otherwise I’d have—”

“It’s alright. I’m not attending the conference. I’m just meeting with some of the attendees.”

Andrew can tell he’s interrupting, as Alex seems distant, staring away.

“Very well. If you need anything, I’ll be in the conference room.”

Alex nods at him and remains silent until Andrew disappears completely from our sight. “So, are you enjoying Rome?”

My smile gets wider. Now that you are here, yes! “Rome? I haven’t even managed to step outside yet. We’ve been locked in that room forever. But the panels are interesting, plus Andrew is amazing. He’s been very supportive.” I know he doesn’t like him. I notice how Jess was right—Alex is staring intently into my eyes. I feel my cheeks flushing. I smile with a dash of embarrassment, lower my gaze, and tuck some hair behind my ear.

“Andrew? I see…” He ponders for a brief moment. “I’m going for a walk. Would you like to join?”





Rome is the kind of city the more you walk around, the more you fall in love with it, from the old historic monuments standing on every corner to the small and charming terraces, the narrow streets, and the many sculptured fountains. To me, it feels like walking in an open museum for the ancient arts. And the weather is so warm. No wonder Italians have so many gelatarie around.

I stop once more, this time to observe the Fontana del Mosè, a monumental marble and travertine fountain near the hotel.

Alex pulls out his iPhone. “Let me take a picture of you.”

I put on my sweetest smile and quickly fix my hair as he checks the best angle for the photo. Click. “Perfect. I’ll send it to Roy. He’ll be delighted.”

“Right…” I hope it’s just an excuse to keep a picture of me in his phone. “It’s so warm. We should go for ice cream.”

He reaches for my hand and holds it tight. “I know a good place nearby, but we have to jaywalk.” He might have interlocked his fingers with mine just to safely cross the street, but I couldn’t care less—my heart either. I smile feeling his touch. Even if it’s just his hand, I’ve missed it terribly.

We finally step into one of his favorite gelaterie—the 119-year-old Giolitti, a landmark in the city. I lick my lips at the colorful flavors displayed in the glass case. Everything looks so damn delicious!

“Which one do you want?” he asks.

It seems impossible to choose between so many flavors. “Hmm… I don’t know. Maybe chocolate and coffee…” He shakes his head and sighs. “And you?”

“Pistachio and almond. I’d recommend you have the same.”

“Nope. Doesn’t sound good,” I reply, giggling.

“You’ll regret it,” he warns just before ordering two cones. I don’t think so. I’m quite confident my choice is great; he’s probably just teasing.

After a brief moment, he hands me an ice cream cone with my chosen flavors. And it looks really yummy!

“Grazie. Arrivederci.”

We leave the shop and walk back to the hotel while savoring our respective ice creams.

“Petra, I must say, you made a huge mistake...”

“Why?”

“This combination is wonderful,” he praises.

I don’t believe him, but he knows I’m curious. “Alright, let me taste.” I reach out and hold his cone, but he pulls it away.

“You’re not gonna lick my ice cream. Forget about it. You should have listened to me.”

“I need to know. I won’t live happily if I’m not certain mine is better than yours.”

“Of course my ice cream is better than yours. No doubt about it.” Since we don’t have any spoons, he takes a bit with his index fingertip. “Here.”

I’m certain mine is on point, but nevertheless, I hold his finger, open my mouth, and suck off the drop of ice cream, letting my palate find the flavor. “Hmm… this is the pistachio one?”

He nods. “You have to admit, Petra. I know it’s hard, but I won.”

I giggle loudly. “Why do you always pick the best flavors?”

“I told you to get pistachio and almond. It’s the perfect combination. You never listen…”

“I thought coffee and chocolate would have been great. But now I realize it’s way too sweet, even for me.”

“Poor little Petra,” he teases. “No need to find excuses—you won’t get any more of mine.”





Unfortunately, we are now approaching the hotel’s revolving door. I can’t help but let out a sigh. Time always flies when he’s around, and worse, it never feels like enough. I know I’ve got to leave his company very soon. After all, no one can see us together. It’d raise too much gossip, too many questions and misunderstandings.