ONE ITALIAN LOVE

- Chapter 4 -

Sitting on the bed in the Emergency Room of the Gemelli University Hospital, fuming to her wit's end, Bianca tried her best to remain calm. And she knew she was failing miserably. Two things irritated her more than the fact that the loathsome Massimo Toscana drove her car to the Hospital. One, the Hospital was located in the opposite direction to her home - and apparently Massimo's bed and breakfast accommodations. And two, which was considerably more irritating, her new acquaintance seemed to have charmed her best friend the moment he walked into the Hospital.

Bianca shook her head at the way her best friend drooled over Massimo. To think that the headstrong Dottore Elisabella Marino lost touch with reality at the sight of the man Bianca considered to be her mortal enemy boggled Bianca's mind. Worse yet, Elisabella was more preoccupied with Signore Toscana's presence than her best friend's aching ankle.

"So, You're saying You flew to Italy for two weeks?" Elisabella inquired bluntly as Massimo sat in a chair beside Bianca's bed.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Two weeks in Italy sounds like such a wonderful idea," Elisabella replied in a dreamy tone of voice.

"You live here," Bianca chimed in, rolling her eyes.

"I know, right?!?" Elisabella giggled with acknowledgement. "Any plans for Your stay here?"

"Well, I did plan on leaving the airport and heading straight to Lido di Cincinnato, but I guess Your friend had other plans," Massimo replied innocently, intrigued by Elisabella's heightened level of excitement in her eyes.

"He's staying with You?!?" Elisabella wiggled her eyebrows at Bianca.

"No," Bianca and Massimo replied in unison.

"Riveting," Elisabella raised her eyebrow at their response.

"No, it's not," they replied in unison again.

"He's staying in a bed and breakfast in Lido di Cincinnato," Bianca advised her best friend.

"How do You know that?" Elisabella chirped out, then directed her gaze at Massimo. "How does she know that?"

"If I was a cautious man I would have said that I needed to make Your friend aware of it in order for her to drive me to the bed and breakfast," he replied with an amused smirk. "But, since I rarely err on the side of caution outside my work, let's just say she assumed I snooped around the internet to find out information about her, and then her clumsiness caused her to fall at my feet."

"I did no such thing!" Bianca fired back through her teeth, not altogether certain if she was referring to her fall or to her inner conscience because Massimo mentioned the part about the internet search.

"Sure, You did," Elisabella chuckled, waving a hand at her. "You're here for a reason, Bianca Mia. Twisted ankles don't happen by themselves."

"Exactly, Bianca Mia," Massimo leaned back in his chair as if to prove his point.

"Don't call me that," Bianca murmured in a brooding voice.

"Isn't that Your name?" Massimo shot her a curious gaze. "Or would You rather have me call You Clumsy?"

"Savage," Elisabella smiled from ear to ear, nodding with approval.

"She called me that," Massimo pointed at Bianca.

"You know each other less than a day and picked nicknames already? Now that's cute," Elisabella clasped her hands together.

"No, we did not," Bianca puffed out air. "And no, it's definitely not cute."