Tutti Italia: A Novel by Deena Jordan Read Free Book Online

that had been
looking at her in class, stood by her wondering if the seat was taken.  She
smiled shyly at him.
    “No, it’s not taken.  Let me just grab my purse.”  Rachel’s
face was burning in embarrassment.  She never knew what to say to boys.  It was
part of her curse for being so shy.
    “I’m really looking forward to this trip.  I’ve been told
that they serve us seven courses at the restaurant.”  Rachel’s eyes bulged.
    “Really?  Oh, wow.  I don’t think I could make it through
half as many courses.  I usually don’t eat much.”  She clamped her mouth shut. 
She sounded stupid.  Why would he care how much she ate?  Was she trying to
prove to him that she was desirable by pointing out that she wasn’t
overweight?  Her subconscious was really going to get her into trouble one of
these days.
    “I’m with you on that one, but I’ll at least try
everything.  Can’t say it wasn’t good if you don’t try it,” he joked. 

 
    Chapter 7
     
    Rachel felt flattered that his young soldier was making
an effort to talk to her.  Back home, she really kept to herself because she
was shy, and she didn’t really consider herself attractive.  It made her live
the lone wolf lifestyle, but she was used to it by now.  The soldier sat next
to her, and at first there was a shy silence between them.
    “My name is Jason.  I have to admit, I was having a
terrible time trying to learn the language yesterday.  I plan on keeping my
mouth shut the whole trip.”  Rachel laughed good-naturedly at him.
    “If you don’t try you’ll never know if you could do it or
not.  And I think that they will really appreciate the effort, instead of
perfect pronunciation.”  They continued to make small talk as the bus twisted
and turned down the road, showing them quaint little towns, sparkling lakes,
and of course, the snowcapped mountains that spanned the vast expanse behind
the base.  They took the time to appreciate it all, but a good portion of the
trip was also spent stealing glances at one another, when they thought the
other one wasn’t looking.  An outsider to the situation would say that there
was some puppy love going on between the two.  As their chaperone got to her
feet, everyone’s eyes swiveled over to her. 
    “Listen up, everybody!  We’ve arrived, and in a minute
we’ll be getting of the bus.  If you would find a partner that you will stick
close to for the rest of the day, we can make everything easier when it comes
to accountability.”  Jason looked over at Rachel shyly.
    “Do you…want to be my partner?”  Rachel blushed.  That was exactly what she wanted, but she didn’t want to sound too eager.
    “Sure.  I know you a little better now than I know anyone
else on the bus, so why not?”  She smiled at him.  It was hard for her not to
smile when she looked at him.  It was almost magnetic.  Everyone got to their
feet and made their way off of the bus.  In front of them was a quaint little
restaurant that looked more like a cottage than a place to eat.  Rachel
couldn’t help but feel her heart soar.  This might turn out a little like a
fairy tale after all.  She loved the moss growing on the roof, the garden of
flowers surrounding the building, and the stone pathway that led up to the
front door.  Rachel was a self-proclaimed, hopeless romantic.  She couldn’t
wait to see the inside.  Jason came up behind her.
    “Don’t tell me you’re trying to leave me already,” he
joked.  Rachel was mortified.  She turned to Jason with her mouth hanging open
and her eyes bulging.
    “I’m so sorry!  Sometimes I get carried away when it comes
to going new places.  I didn’t mean to leave you behind at all!”  He just
shrugged it off.
    “Don’t worry about it, I was only joking anyway.  I can’t
wait to get in there and see what kind of food they have.  I’m starving.” 
Rachel felt a little better, but she was still embarrassed.  Even if it had
been a