Pompeii fire, p.3
Pompeii Fire, page 3
“You will need to lie down, principessa. We have to go through that tiny gap and you cannot sit up.”
“No, Dom. Just no. I’m claustrophobic; I can’t. I didn’t know the opening would be this small; please, we have to go back.”
“You will be safe, I promise. I will not let any harm come to you. Slide down next to me and put your head on my shoulder.”
Stephanie did as he asked, burying her face in his neck. His skin smelled of warm sun and limes; Stephanie breathed in as she closed her eyes and settled against him. Dom held her gently in his arms as the guide grabbed the chain and pulled hard against it to slide the boat through the narrow opening.
“You can sit up now,” Dom said. “It’s safe.”
Stephanie could hardly believe her eyes. Their guide had rowed them in, explaining that this had been part of Tiberius’ complex intended to be a special dining room. The sunlight shining on the limestone at the bottom of the lake gave the water a rare shade of blue which, in turn, gave the grotto its name.
“The color is amazing,” Stephanie whispered to Dom.
“Not nearly as amazing as your beautiful blue eyes, principessa.” He put his fingers gently under her chin, and tilted her face toward his; the kiss that followed was both gentle and intoxicating.
Stephanie smiled, her pupils dilated in the semi-darkness of the cave. “I would very much like to do that again.”
Dom was happy to oblige. The skipper of the boat sang “O Sole Mio” and rowed them around a few times. Stephanie finally gathered her wits and took some photographs before the boat joined a queue of others waiting to go back out to the bay.
When it was time to leave the grotto, Dom once again took Stephanie in his arms and held her while the boat came back through that tiny opening.
Once they were back on land, the two made their way back to the shoemaker’s shop where they started the day. The man who had measured Stephanie’s feet handed her two slim boxes; she opened the first to find a pair of slim sandals encrusted with blue crystal gems. The second contained a pair made from cork, a local specialty.
“They’ll always remind me of my visit to the grotto,” she smiled. “Thank you. Both of you. Mille grazie.”
The shoemaker put the boxes in a bag. As they left the shop, Dom took Stephanie’s hand.
“I promised you a tartufo before we go home. Come with me.”
He led her into an ice cream shop and placed an order. Soon, the two of them were sharing chocolate gelato stuffed with cherries and encrusted with chocolate chips, dipping separate spoons into one treat as though they had been dating forever. They chatted and laughed; Stephanie didn’t want the day to end.
“I would like to take you also to the Emerald Grotto while you are here; I promise, it is much easier. You reach the boat launch from an elevator. The boats are bigger and you don’t have to lie down. But you should see the underwater nativity,” Dom said. “Or perhaps we can go to Baia, where you can see an entire underwater villa. Promise you’ll say yes.”
“I would be delighted.”
“Then we must seal the arrangement with a kiss.”
Their lips met gently this time, with a tenderness that made Stephanie shiver. She could not deny her attraction to the handsome man across from her.
Soon, they were back at the docks and boarding the return ferry. The ride back to Sorrento passed in something of a fog for both of them; they spoke little, but sat close together on the ferry. Dom slipped his arm around Stephanie’s shoulders; no words were needed.
🌋
When they returned to the hotel, Stephanie invited Damiano up for a glass of wine. “There’s a small bottle in the mini-fridge; just enough for two.”
“That sounds perfect.”
They took the elevator up and went into her room. They put their packages on the desk and were quiet for a moment, each gathering their thoughts. For the second time that day, Dom took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.
“I want you to stay,” Stephanie murmured. He could feel her heart beat against his chest.
“I would like that very much, principessa. But I think tonight we are both too tired to make love.”
“What makes you say that?” She sat down on the bed, and he knelt in front of her.
“Because a woman like you deserves to be seduced. To have her shoes removed gently.” He unbuckled one of her sandals and slid it off. “To have her feet rubbed and perhaps even kissed. Ovid tells us lovemaking should never be rushed.”
He unbuckled her other sandal and sat it next to its mate on the floor, and leaned forward to kiss her again. He unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it over the chair behind him. Then, he gently rubbed each of her feet while she leaned back on the bed.
“That feels so good.”
Soon, they were lying next to one another on the bed, entangled as they kissed. The heat of his bare skin through her blouse enflamed Stephanie in a way she never would have expected; his sculpted smoothness invited her caress.
Dom shivered as her lips trailed down his throat to his shoulder and then to his chest. Her tongue caressed first one of his nipples and then the other and he groaned with pleasure.
“I want you.” Stephanie’s voice was a seductive purr.
“And I want you, principessa ... but I am willing to wait. Nap now; we will have dinner later and then decide what to do next. There is all the time in the world before we go any further.” He kissed her again.
Stephanie snuggled into his arms and was soon asleep with her head on his shoulder. Dom stared at the ceiling and wondered when he had become so bold.
This is not like me at all. And yet, time with her is so short that I don’t want to wait.
🌋
When Stephanie awoke, covered in a spare blanket from the armoire, Dom was gone. He’d left a note on the dresser:
When I return, we will pour the wine. I will bring dinner.
Stephanie slipped her feet into the beautiful shoes from Capri. She fixed her hair and make-up, and had barely picked up her book when the room phone rang.
“I’m on my way, principessa. I hope you like pizza.”
Indeed, the pizza Dom brought with him was a delicious and unexpected treat of housemade sausage with broccoli.
“It’s from a restaurant down the street that has been in this village for more than one hundred years. It’s one of my favorites. I hope you don’t mind that we eat it American style, with our hands.”
Stephanie’s response was to take a slice from the box and bite off the end, closing her eyes in delight as the sweet and sour flavors blended on her tongue.
“If I lived in your village, I would gain so much weight. Everything I’ve eaten is wonderful.”
“If you will excuse my boldness, you would be beautiful in my eyes no matter what, principessa.” He opened the mini-fridge and pulled out a split of white wine, which he then poured into two glasses. “To making new acquaintances.”
“To new acquaintances. And delicious pizza.” Stephanie’s laughter was contagious.
Chapter 5
Day 5
Stephanie’s head was spinning as Damiano led her to yet a different train platform. They’d started on the little Circumvesuviano, from the station by her hotel. Then, they’d walked to a different train station, one with series of shops that got Stephanie’s attention, and caught a subway. Now they were transferring one more time.
“I promise you, principessa; you will love this museum. It is worth all the trouble.”
When they finally emerged from the train station, they walked up the block to the Naples Archaeological Museum.
“This was the palace of the Bourbon kings,” Damiano explained. “They had treasures from Pompeii and Herculaneum brought here for their own pleasure. Archaeology in the eighteenth century was not about learning from the past; it was really more about tomb raiding and showing off the fancy things you found. Smaller artifacts were just ignored or thrown away.”
Stephanie could hardly believe her eyes as they went through gallery after gallery of mosaics, frescoes, and other artwork that had literally been cut from the walls of houses in the two towns.
The statues were amazing, but the jewels were the highlight for Stephanie; she snapped numerous photos for her story, and dictated notes into her phone. Damiano was reminded of his days doing research at Berkeley; he’d never considered the kind of details a travel writer might be concerned with.
No wonder she has so many admirers of her work. They must feel as though they are right there with her.
After a quick lunch of pizza rustico in a nearby shop, Stephanie and Damiano got back on the series of trains that would return them to Pompeii.
“What did you like best today, principessa?”
“Besides your company?” Stephanie pondered for a moment. “I particularly liked the jewelry, but I think my favorite object would have to be the Farnese cup. I’ve never seen cameo like that before in my life. And to think of how ancient it is; the artisan had a true gift.”
Dom contemplated her answer; nearly everyone else he’d taken to the museum had marveled at the huge statues, like the Farnese bull, or the Alexander mosaic. Stephanie’s choice, and her emphasis on the unknown maker’s talent, warmed his heart. He slipped an arm around her shoulders, drew her close, and feathered a kiss across her forehead.
He later wondered whether that was the moment he started to fall in love with the American journalist.
“May I ask you something, Dom?”
“I have no secrets. Go ahead.”
“I know it’s none of my business, but why did you come back here after you finished your doctorate at Berkeley? There must have been dozens of choices for you.”
Dom looked off into the distance for a moment. “There is something magical about my little village, principessa. Maybe it’s because my nonna lived there when I was a boy; I spent summers with her, visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins as well. It was an escape for a scrawny, bookish boy.
“There were no bigger boys to bully me for not excelling at football, or for preferring to read old myths to super hero comic books.
“As I grew older, it got worse. I only really felt at home in Pompei. I would pretend to myself that I was a gladiator, so that I would know what to say to women. No, it’s true. I’ve never been a bold person, even when I wanted to be. Honestly, once I had that diploma, all I could think of was coming home, and finding a teaching position that would allow me to be stay here forever.”
Stephanie studied the handsome, muscular man seated across from her.
You never know what insecurities live inside another person.
“I see how you’re looking at me, principessa. It doesn’t matter how often I go to the gymnasium, or the swimming pool. I can see the changes in my body, and I see that women notice me now. But what has never changed, what will never change, is that inside me still lives that scared little boy who fears he will never be understood.”
After a moment, she spoke. “I envy you, Dom. I’ve never had that feeling of being centered in just one place. I lived all over the West Coast before settling in San Francisco, and now I have a job that will take me all over the world.
“But here is the thing; I also have reasons to believe that no one will ever really understand me. Now isn’t the time to talk about them. But they are there. Perhaps we are not so different after all.”
They got off the train to walk to the Circumvesuviana track, and Stephanie found her attention drawn once again to the clothing stores.
“Can we take a few minutes to look, Dom?”
“If we miss the train, another will be along; it is not the last one of the day for a while. Of course we can look.”
Stephanie had noticed how differently the local folk dressed from what she was used to at home. She wanted to take a bit of that home with her, but didn’t know what she was looking for.
Then, she saw it: a creamy brown v-neck pullover that looked as soft as a cloud. The material lived up to that promise; this was a sweater that could be dressed up or down. Stephanie knew she had to have it.
“I could wear this with jeans or a pencil skirt,” she said to Dom. “It’s beautiful.”
“Then you should get it.”
No further encouragement was needed, and Dom insisted on carrying the shopping bag for her.
Chapter 6
Day 7
On the day that Stephanie wanted to visit Herculaneum, Damiano was not available to accompany her.
“My nonna prefers her doctor in Naples, and she has an appointment. I will call a colleague and have her meet you.”
He wrote out the information on which train stop to take, and suggested she get a taxi to the site. “It is a lot of walking, even though it is smaller than Pompeii. Most of it is uphill; you will want to save your energy for the site itself.”
So it was that Stephanie connected with Daniela for a private tour. They walked all over the former resort town, with Daniela pointing out the various sites. The biggest difference between the two sites was the amount of woodwork preserved at Herculaneum; the pyroclastic flow that killed the inhabitants, including many whose skeletal remains were found in former boathouses, had carbonized the wood rather than burning it. Balconies and even a sliding screen were still preserved.
There were two establishments nearby that Daniela described as thermopolia, the “fast food” stands of the day. Stephanie had seen similar facilities at Pompeii during her visit, but had only guidebooks to help her know what he was seeing. Having Daniela with her made all the difference.
“No one knows who owned them, really,” Daniela was saying.
“Drusus Gaius,” Stephanie whispered, wondering how she might have known such a thing.
“Perhaps someone of that name, certainly.”
“I must have read it in a guidebook.” It was the only explanation that made sense.
They concluded their visit with a walk through the Villa of the Deer, and then the two parted company. Daniela refused the gratuity Stephanie offered. “Damià and I are old friends, and he paid me well for my time. It was my honor to meet you and to share this beautiful place with you.”
Stephanie decided to walk back through Herculaneum to the Circumvesuviana station. It was slightly uphill, but she had been so astonished by the city sitting right on the edge of the archaeological site that she wanted to see a little more.
Along the way, she stopped at a greengrocer and bought some of the red-fleshed oranges that he offered by way of a sample. They would be perfect for breakfast in the morning.
Chapter 7
Day 8
“There are so many things I didn’t get to see during my first visit to Pompeii and, frankly, without a guide I feel like I missed out.”
Stephanie and Dom were in his cousin’s restaurant again, sharing an ice cream Napoleon after dinner.
“I can take you the day after tomorrow, if you would like,” Dom replied. “Let me know the places you would like to see the most and I will do my best to make sure you get there.”
Stephanie handed him her guide map, a few buildings marked.
“Yes,” Dom said. “We can do this easily.”
Chapter 8
Day 10
Pompeii Archaeological Park
Later
The sun beat mercilessly on the open space where Stephanie lay, the black and tan dog panting at her side.
When Damiano returned to the quadriporticus, he had a medic from the archaeology team in tow, along with several fit, young university students. They’d brought a stretcher and enough people to carry Stephanie safely to the gate where they would meet the ambulance. The dog stood up, lowered his head, and bared his teeth; he didn’t want to let them near Stephanie. It took one of the students talking softly to the dog and luring him off to the side for them to move the young woman to the stretcher. The dog padded along behind the group, watching as the medics transferred Stephanie to a gurney in the back of their little vehicle and drove off with sirens blaring after telling Damiano which hospital they would use.
The dog then followed Damiano through the site and out the amphitheater gate; they parted company at the Via Bartolo Lungo. The dog went in search of food while Damiano made his way to the lobby of the Hotel Palma to talk with his student.
“Signorina Giusti, I need your help. Signorina Marlowe has fallen ill and been taken to the hospital in Naples. I need to get some things for her.”
The receptionist put down her book and grabbed the appropriate key from the array in front of her. They took the elevator together, and Damiano wasted no time finding a nightshirt printed with cartoon characters, toothbrush and other items that Stephanie might need if she had to stay in the hospital for a while. He put them in the roll-aboard bag he found under the desk. Catching sight of a paperback novel on the nightstand, he put that in as well. He only hoped she’d need it, that whatever had happened was nothing serious.
The young woman also gave Dom a copy of Stephanie’s emergency contact information.
After a quick “grazie,” he walked the short way home, tossed the bag into the passenger seat of his car, and made his way to Naples with the phone on speaker so that he could talk to Raylene. He cursed every one of the twenty-nine kilometers that took him just to the edge of town, and then every driver between him and the university hospital where Stephanie was taken. He had no idea what had come over her, but he knew he needed to be there for the American woman who had captured his attention, and perhaps even his heart.
“Signorina Boudreaux, I am sorry to ring in the middle of the night like this. However, Signorina Marlowe is on her way to the hospital and I wanted to let you know.”
As he drove, Damiano listened to Raylene pour out things he’d never known about Stephanie, like the bout of agoraphobia that overcame her during the second lockdown. She had been frightened of coming to Pompei, but agreed for the sake of her career. There were days when she’d been so upset that even going to the grocery store was too much.
