I spend the rest of the short bus ride playing peek-a-boo with the big brother while Aurei texts.When the bus stops, the family exits.At the bottom step, the little boy, Big Bro, still clinging to his mama's skirt, turns to look at me one last time.I give him a tinkling wave as the doors close, and I'm rewarded with a beautiful smile.
Aurei rolls his eyes and mouths."Whew!I'm glad that's over."
The bus lurches forward, and I bump him playfully, then pooch my lips in a pretend pout."I thought you liked my singing."
He laughs now."I do like your singing.It was the baby's singing that I'm glad ended.You have a voice like an Angel."He tips his head and looks up to the left."Reminds me of someone.I can't think of who right now, but it will come to me."
"That's a Christina Aguilera song."
"Yes, but although you sing it beautifully, your voice sounds like someone else's.It'll come to me."
"I know I've told you before that your voice is as smooth as butter."
He chuckles."I'm hoping you have a butter fetish now."
I giggle."But....It's really more like rich, velvety chocolate and I def have a chocolate fetish."
"A fun fetish to explore.I like chocolate too.Especially tips of berries dipped in them.Mmm.A delicious delight."
He looks at his phone again, and I think about the chocolate eyes of the little Italian boy, then the chocolate eyes of Antonio.I look at Aurei.He glances at me, and I muse softly."I wonder if your kids will have green eyes or brown eyes."
He raises his eyebrows and mouths."What did you say?"
"Do you want kids one day?"
"If you do."He answers immediately without thinking about it, then starts texting again.
My first thought is:Me?Kids?Wait a minute!Then I realize how sweet what he just said was.He didn't think twice before he spoke.He assumed if he had kids, I would be his Baby Mama.I shake my head.Of course, we would have kids together.We are forever now.But then I frown.I've never really thought about having kids before.Do I even want kids?
Aurei says as the bus arrives, "This is us.Come on.Let's go!"
On the way to the metro stop, he tells me more about his visits to Rome when he was a teenager, but once we enter the station, the crowd is large and loud.We silently wait our turn to board, and when the train arrives, we maneuver with the others for position.Taking small steps as we jostle, Aurei has my hand cinched so tight it is hurting.As we go through the doors, the car is packed to bursting.I take one misstep, and I get caught up in the wave of motion as people push to get in.There is literally no room, and suddenly I feel small and vulnerable, not petite and feisty.Panic begins to fill me with fear when I realize I've lost Aurei's hand, and I'm wedged so tight in the pack of people, I can't turn to see him.I start to pant.Fuck!This is bad!Then I feel a strong hand grab a handful of my hair and halt my forward progress.
People push past, not concerned that I'm paralyzed by my head being pulled back, a prisoner of a death grip.I stare up at the ceiling, blinking back tears of pain and fear as the image of a big cat clutching its kitten comes to my mind's eye.Slowly the people around me are forced away, and there is breathing room, then I hear him.My hero tells me."I got you, my Sexy Kitten Thang."I feel his strong arm slide around my waist, and he pulls me tight.His body feels like heaven against me.His grip changes, and he turns my face to his.I look up into those pools of peaceful paradise.His eyes are crinkled at the corners."I'm never letting you go.Don't you worry.Brutus may move mountains, but I'll move heaven and hell for you."
I slide my arms around his waist and hold on tight.Thank Zeus!You are an alpha male!I lay my face on his chest and hear his heart beating.Fuck!That was a close call.I shudder.
We ride the rest of the way to the Colosseum, holding each other.When we depart the tram, Aurei wraps his hand in my hair, and I lead the way out of the doors.Exiting is much easier but still very intense.The aggressive people jostling for a position are the one's boarding, and they stand fidgeting like racehorses waiting to jump through the gate and push each other to enter the bottleneck.
When we have cleared the danger zone, Aurei releases my hair and grabs my hand.As he leads the way out, he takes his phone out of his pocket and looks at it.
"Hello!"I tell him."If my tour guy wants a serious tip afterward, then he needs to be in the game.No business texting!"He chuckles but doesn't put his phone back.He does stop looking at it, though, as he leads us out into the bright daylight.
As soon as the sunshine hits our faces, I start to jump up and down again.Then I stop dead in my tracks."Wow!Fucking, Wow!"
The giant skeleton looms larger than life, and I stand staring with my mouth hanging open!I can't take my eyes off it."It's...it's simply ...awesome!"
"Yes.She is."
"The Majesty!"
"She is quite impressive."
"That's an understatement!Wow!Spectacular!"
"Yes.She is spectacular."
"The size of her!"
