By the time she'd collected her case and emerged out into the arrivals lounge, Keira's daydreaming mind had gone into overdrive. She'd merged the Romeo of her dream with the tour guide she was about to meet, turning him into a fully fleshed out character who would sweep her off her feet with his fiery, passionate personality. She just couldn't wait to meet him!
She stood with her case, looking around at the busy Naples airport. There were people all around holding signs and when Keira saw hers, her heart soared. The man holding it was a hunk.
Keira felt a charge of electricity race through her as she rushed over.
"Hi, I'm Keira," she said, pointing at the sign with her name on it.
The man looked at her, confused, then looked at the sign. "Oh? This?" He started to laugh. "I was just holding it for some guy while he went to the bathroom."
Just then, Keira caught sight of a man exiting the bathroom and heading in her direction. He was short, rotund, slobbish, badly dressed in a stained gray shirt and ill-fitting jeans, and what little hair he had left on his head looked like a messy bird's nest. She willed him to walk by but realized, her heart falling, that he was heading straight for them.
The hunk with the sign noticed him. Once he drew up to them, the hunk handed him the sign and hurried over to where a stunning gorgeous girl had emerged into the arrivals lounge. They proceeded to pack on the PDA. Keira grimaced.
"Young love, eh?" the guide said, scratching the strip of exposed skin that his shirt wasn't quite covering. "You Karla?"
"Keira."
He checked the sign and shrugged. "American names sound the same to me."
As he spoke a whiff of onion and coffee came off his breath, making Keira's stomach turn.
"Come on," he barked at Keira. "The car's this way."
He turned on his heel and strode off quickly, disappearing into the crowds of people and leaving Keira floundering in the middle of the airport. She grabbed her case and looked about frantically for the exit sign.
She saw it, and the back of the guide's head as he swiftly walked through it. He hadn't even turned around to check she was still with him!
With a grimace, Keira followed in the direction of the slobbish man, lugging her heavy case after her.
As she was knocked around by the jostling crowds, her excitement at the prospect of an Italian romance healing her broken heart was well and truly dashed. Instead of being whisked away by a handsome man she was going to have to endure onion breath and a rude tour guide.
So much for Romeo, she thought with a heavy heart.
