The Scent of Rome by Lise Gold

Author:Lise Gold
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Lise Gold Books
Published: 2020-05-28T04:00:00+00:00

30

“Mom!” Nadine’s face lit up when she picked up her phone.

“Nadine, honey. How are you?”

“I’m okay.” Nadine put on her faux cheerful tone; the one she always used when her mother called. Not that she wasn’t feeling cheerful, but it was just one of those things she did without thinking. Just like the way some people talked to their kids, or their pets, her voice seemed to go up a notch when she spoke to her mother. Aware of it, she rolled her eyes at herself in the mirror, releasing the curling iron from her hair as she wedged the phone between her chin and her shoulder. “Just got home from work,” she lied.

“Good day at the store?”

“Yeah, fairly busy.” Nadine never elaborated unless her mother specifically asked, as she didn’t like lying to her. “How are you?”

“Oh, you know, this and that. I went to my morning yoga class, and I thought I’d give you a call before I go to work. Xander and I are seeing a play tonight on Broadway, but I can’t remember what it’s called. It’s some small production he’s been involved with.”

“That sounds fun. Everything good with you and Xander?”

“Yes, we’re great. He’s getting close to his retirement date now, but you know Xander; he doesn’t want to hear about it.” Her mother cleared her throat. “What about you, honey? Are you seeing someone?”

“No.” Nadine wasn’t sure why her mother kept asking her the same question, since she always got the same answer. “But…” She quickly swallowed her words, shocked by the ‘but’ that had slipped from her tongue. She was so used to lying to her mother that telling the truth seemed unthinkable.

“But what?”

Nadine switched off the curling iron, put it to the side and sat down on her bed. “I met someone.” She pursed her lips, carefully considering her words. “I don’t know where it’s heading, but I really like her.”

“Sweetie…” Her mother fell silent, clearly surprised. “That’s wonderful.”

“Well, as I said, it’s still very early days, but I care about her a lot.” She smiled. “Whatever happens, I know we’ll always be friends. We just click in the most amazing way, even though we couldn’t be more different.”

“Tell me about her. Where did you meet?” her mother asked eagerly.

“Her name is Rome, and we met in a hotel bar. She’s American, and she’s here to roll out an app she’s developed. She’s incredibly smart and driven and beautiful.”

“Rome, that’s a nice name and very appropriate considering where you are.”

“Yeah.” Nadine suppressed a swooning sigh. “I’m taking her to the flea market on Sunday to find some stuff for her new apartment.”

“That’s sweet. I’m so happy for you, and the way you talk about her is so unlike you.” Her mother sounded emotional. “I was starting to think you’d be by yourself forever.”

“Yeah… I don’t really know what I’m doing as I don’t have much experience with relationships, and I’m scared that I’ll hurt her,” Nadine admitted. It felt liberating to finally be open and honest with her mother.

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