The Westin Excelsior was situated on one of Rome’s most famous avenues, the Via Veneto, immortalized by Fellini’s classic “La Dolce Vita.” By the time she made her way through the lobby and up the elevators to her room and hopped into the shower it was past midnight. And she was too tired, she thought, to be pissed or angry with Eric for his behavior. It was obvious that Eric Clayton had lost his mind today. As the hot water sprayed over her, she couldn’t help but recall the day’s events and the crazy circumstances that had brought them both to Rome. It was hardly the ideal situation, in fact, far from it. But she had to go with the flow. Complaining or acting displeased wasn’t going to change anything. It would be petty and futile. After all, she was a professional, and despite every attempt by Eric to turn it personal, she’d contained herself throughout their meeting. It had run late, longer than she’d anticipated, but thank god it had finally ended.
