[18+] Sophia has to ignore her steamy chemistry with British popstar Teddy Stone in order to get revenge on him for upsetting her best friend.
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Pop sensation Teddy St...
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My blog posts often relied on chance encounters rather than calculated plans. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to find in Rome, but after a brief conversation in very stilted Italian with the hotel's concierge, my day took a different route.
Misunderstanding my request for the 'real' Rome as a request for Italian practice, the concierge directed me to a café just ten minutes away. It turned out to be one of those happy coincidences, because his recommendation for where I could improve my language skills was exactly the kind of place I'd been looking for.
The café bustled with all nationalities, a cocktail of Italian and English conversations dancing through the air. Different accents, different ages, different relationships—it catered for everyone.
Even as I sat down by myself in a corner, nobody bothered me until the waitress asked for my order.
"Are you here to practise?"
"No." I smiled up at her warm expression. "Your café was recommended to me."
"Ah, cool. Well, if you do want to get involved, let me know and I'll hook you up with someone. If not, just enjoy your coffee."
Chatting with others—strangers or not—was a great way to ease loneliness or a sense of displacement in a foreign land. For me, observing the conversations and people-watching had the same effect. I felt involved without actively participating, the friendly nature of my fellow diners providing companionship.
I jotted down some points in my notepad as I sipped on my cappuccino. When the waitress passed by my table again to check up on me, I turned to a blank page.
"Any recommendations of family-run restaurants?"
She cocked her head to the side, a waterfall of ebony hair cascading over her shoulder.
"What are you looking for in particular?"
I briefly explained the purpose of my blog, and once she'd got over the flattery of her café being featured, she took my pen and wrote down the names of some local pizzerias.
"Tourists always go to the same places," she said. "Then those places rise higher up the TripAdvisor rankings, and more people visit them. It's a circle. It's understandable, but the lesser-known places are just as good—if not better. The service especially."
"This is perfect. Exactly what I'm looking for. Thank you so much."
Half an hour later, I was back in my hotel room, fingers flying across the keyboard as I rushed to express the special nature of that café before the memories faded. Engrossed in writing, I lost track of time until a brisk knock pulled me out of my own head.
I headed for the door, pausing to tidy up my face in front of the dressing table's mirror before unhooking the latch.
"Helen's driving me mad. Want to grab an early dinner?"
