On the following day—the third day, Sunday—Leslie explored the residential area accompanied by Mimo. She spent her ti looking around the place as awe overwheld her heart.
Narrow cobblestone streets, pastel-colored rustic buildings, vibrantly blooming flowers at the wrought-iron balcony and lively chatters of the local chard Leslie. She found several hidden gems during her little adventure.
When night arrived, Leslie was alone at the private villa. Calix told her beforehand that he couldn’t return early like yesterday. Mr. Nucci invited him to a small gathering with his close friends.
As usual, he asked whether she wanted to tag along or not. Yet, her answer was the sa.
"Treat to another delicious dinner once you get back."
Calix smiled in helplessness before leaving with his entourage. He rode a car today instead of riding a helicopter as yesterday.
Before nine, Calix stepped into the villa. Leslie simply smiled and asked how was his day. He also threw the sa question at him. They continued chatting over dinner.
On the fourth day—Monday—Leslie once again wandered the district she visited on the second day. But, she didn’t stay outside until late afternoon.
At slightly over one, Leslie returned to the villa. She watched the drama playing on TV – Calix started telling Mrs. Rossi to just keep the show going. Once she was bored, she spent her ti by the river.
That night, once again Calix attended a social function. He returned before the clock hit ten o’clock. As usual, they shared about their day over dinner.
"Starting tomorrow, I won’t be busy at night," said Calix as he accompanied Leslie eating in the kitchen, "I’m invited to a banquet on Wednesday tho, but it’s not for work."
"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Nucci’s wedding anniversary, right?" asked Leslie after swallowing her food, "You ntioned it before."
"Yeah, that one," Calix sipped the mineral water. Smiling, his eyes expressed his exhaustion, "You have seen the neighborhood during the day, right? Let’s visit touristy areas at night."
"I can’t wait," Leslie chuckled. She started imagining touring the Eternal City tomorrow night, "I wonder what will I see. The photos I saw on the Internet all look dreamy."
"You’ll find out tomorrow," Calix smiled aningfully, "We won’t go anywhere on the last night. I’ve planned sothing for us here."
Intrigued by Calix’s words, Leslie couldn’t hold back from asking, "What is it? Do you want to cook for a feast or what?"
"Just wait for it," Calix shrugged, mirth swirling in his gleeful eyes. He said confidently, "For sure, you’ll praise ."
Leslie let out a chuckle, amused by Calix’s boasting. Ignoring him, she took a bite of the baked pasta. Calix only had a glass of mineral water because he was still full from dinner.
On Tuesday morning, Calix went to work as usual. Once again Mr. Morino and Mr. Bernadi fetched him up with a helicopter.
Unable to get used to it yet, Leslie watched the sleek tal fading away from the sky before she snapped out of it.
"I guess I’ll just take a stroll in the market," murmured Leslie to herself, thinking how should she spend the day, "Then watch TV."
Calix promised Leslie to return at seven. He said he would bring her to a restaurant first before touring the city. Despite anticipating the night to co, Leslie still prepared herself for any possible changes happening.
"I wanna visit Trevi Fountain," Leslie recalled the historically-rich fountain built in the eighteenth century, "I think there’s a night tour at the Colosseum too."
Visiting the fountain at night was a good idea but, was she brave enough to do so at the Colosseum?
What if she caught glimpses of the gladiator ghosts battling in the arena? Or, hearing their shouts?
Shuddering, Leslie quickly tossed the thought to the back of her mind. She forced herself to focus on the beauty of the Eternal City instead of imagining stumbled upon the Roman soldier and gladiator ghosts.
The passage of ti continued flowing.
Leslie didn’t spend much ti walking around the market that morning. After watching TV for hours, she went for a stroll in the small forest again. Then, she returned to the villa as the sun slowly descended toward the horizon.
"Which one should I wear?" Leslie stared at the dresses she brought for the trip. Everything was hanging in the walk-wardrobe, "Hurm... maybe this one?"
Leslie chose the long-sleeved retro-style dress in the color purple and white. She rembered the ti she tried it before.
The hem gracefully fluttered around her calves while the fabric felt soft under her touch.
"Yes, I’ll just wear this one," Leslie smiled in helplessness, thinking about how much she hoped tonight’s outing would go smoothly, "It’s a pity I won’t be visible in photos tho."
This was a rare chance for Leslie to tour the Eternal City but, unfortunately, she couldn’t keep the monts alive through photos. All the cara lens would capture were the scenic views instead of her.
"It’s okay. Perhaps, I’ll get to co here again later," Leslie quickly cheered herself up, "Even better if it’s with Poppy."
While talking to herself, Leslie’s ears caught the faint sound of a car’s engine.
"Is that Calix? But, didn’t he go with a helicopter this morning?"
Leslie rushed to the windows, seeing the sa car that had co to pick Calix a few tis before. The sleek black car drove toward the porch of the villa.
Leaving the room, Leslie headed downstairs. The clock pointed to six-fifteen. Calix returned forty minutes early from the promised ti.
While Leslie walking toward the main entrance, she saw Calix heading inside. Their eyes collided with each other.
"Are you that excited for our night tour?" Calix’s lips had a hint of a smirk, enjoying teasing Leslie from the first mont he returned.
"Of course!" Leslie burst out laughing, expressing her anticipation, "CEO Xu, you should take a rest before we go out. Aren’t you responsible for the tour?"
Chuckling, Calix shrugged. He was amused to see how excited Leslie was.
Well, tonight’s tour should be enjoyable but, he hoped she would love his surprise on the last night the most.
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