"I'm not telling you. You’re getting out” I point to the door.
“I told you I want to go home and I can’t do that with you in the same taxi. How do I know you’re not
some kind of insane stalker?” I spit out.

“Do I look like a stalker to you” His eyes dance with laughter.

“The Insane ones never do.”
I glance out the window and look back at him.
He shoots me a jaw breaking smile.

Ugh.

“You only just got out of a taxi... Look, I’m seriously not in the mood! So if you can just hop on out I’d be
ever so grateful to you.”
I shoo at him getting annoyed.

He sighs deeply. “I don’t feel the urge to be out and about all of a sudden. I’d rather make sure you are
home safe and sound”
Luca leans forward and taps the driver on the shoulder getting his full attention.
“Just drive please, I will give you an address once I have one for you.”

I sit there and laugh when the driver doesn’t move a muscle.
“You really don’t expect him to drive around without any security for payment do you?  How many
times do you think he’s heard people say that and not cough up the fare?”

Luca looks back at me weighing his options, reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his wallet then takes
out a fifty dollar note, and hands it to the driver.

“Here’s a fifty, I’ll pay you more as we go if needed. Now. Please. Drive!”
The driver takes the fifty, leans forward and presses the button to start the metre. He starts the engine
and pulls out into the traffic.

“You have got to be kidding me! You seriously can’t be that naïve and expect the driver to just drive
around with no intended destination in mind? That’s just insane.” He casually shrugs like its normal.

“Si, I’m willing to pay whatever the price is as long as I know you are home safely Vanessa. You’re drunk,
vulnerable and quite impulsive from what I can see. All the things that make you an easy target for a
predator.” He looks at me disapprovingly.

This I had to laugh at.

“Ha! You have me all sussed out do you? We've been in each other’s company for what…. Twenty
minutes?”

He obviously found what I said amusing with a smug look on his face.
“I’m sure we can come to some arrangement to change that.”
He places a hand on my exposed thigh and his lips twitch into a smile.

I pick his hand up with the tips of my fingers like removing something nasty that’s landed on my leg and
place it roughly on his thigh.

“Ugh, you seriously are going the wrong way about it. Your good looks and charms may work for other
women, but they don’t work on me.” I stare daggers at him.

He leans closer towards me and whispers low and seductively in my ear.

“Is that a challenge Cara Mia?” He blows lightly on my exposed neck.

“Fine! Upper town on Prince Street please driver number 34 and this clown here” I point my thumb
towards Luca “Will tip you twenty percent of the total fare. Isn’t that right Luca? I mean…… it’s the least
you can do for wasting the last ten minutes of our lives which I could have used for some extra beauty
sleep” I sigh dramatically.

“Trust me Vanessa, beauty sleep is the last thing you need right now.” He snorts.

“Although we can always come to some arrangement where you’ll join me for dinner and we can get
better acquainted with each other”

“Do I look like a cheap rumble in the…”

“Basta!- Stop!” He holds a hand up and speaks with more firmness.

“Vanessa, that wasn’t what I was getting at and I think you know that. What will it take for you to have
dinner with me to...” His brows furrow.

The guys hot for sure and he certainly doesn’t beat around the bush. I suppose he wouldn’t have to with
his face and accent. He’d be a naughty distraction and that’s a distraction I could do without. As if right
on queue the taxi slows down and comes to a stop. I reach for the door handle and open the door
slightly.

“Thanks for the ride. But I’m going to have to decline your offer for dinner. Bottom line is……. I’m.. just..
not. that into you”

I step out of the taxi welcoming the cool breeze as it washes over my face.
I hadn’t realised how hot the taxi had gotten or if I’d become fever point hot due to the little space
between the Hot Italian God and myself. I fan my face with my hand and start walking towards the steps
to the front of the house. With sleep heavy on my mind. Only I knew that wasn’t going to happen
anytime soon when I hear his heavy footsteps behind me.  I stop mid stride and take the painful heels
off. It’s true what they say ‘Beauty is pain’ and right now my feet were in pain with the company of a
niggling headache approaching. If the damn shoes were mine and didn’t cost so much I’d be throwing
them at the pavement right now in a tantrum. But they weren’t and they did cost what I'd consider to
be a small fortune. Digging my phone out of my bag I check the time and let out a small groan.  Its hit
just after 2am. So some decent sleep isn’t going to happen. I turn around and face him.

“Look it’s after 2am and all I want to do is get some sleep! I have a class full of children I need to teach in
a few hours time. Whatever it is you want or you’re about to say just don’t. Don’t waste your breath...
please, just.. Please leave me alone and go”

I’m drained, I’m exhausted and I really cant be fucked.
Tonight just isn’t my night.

“I just want to make sure that you get to your door safely.” He stands there looking up towards the
house.

“And I want to try and change your mind about joining me for a dinner.”
He looks back at me and smiles.

How can he still try to charm the pants off me after I’ve been nothing but rude to him? The guy
obviously can’t take no for an answer.

A sucker for pain!

Turning back towards the house I start walking up the stairs with more determination.
“That’s very gentlemanly of you Luca, can I call you Luca or do you prefer Mr Venturi? Anyway... The
point is I’m still not going to agree to having dinner with you. The timings off and I’m not sure that
dating a man who’s got to be more than Eight years older than me is a wise choice.” I ramble.

“Si, You may call me Luca. Plus, I’m only Twenty Eight years old and I don’t recall mentioning anything
about dating. I don’t date due to having a tight schedule. Having a girlfriend just wouldn’t work for me”
He smiles as I look up at him and feel my cheeks slowly turn crimson red.

“Your Twenty Eight? I’m Twenty Five.” I mumble to myself.
I thought he was at least in his Thirties.

He lightly snatches my phone out of my hand and starts tapping on the screen.
“Hey.” I try to snatch the phone back. “That’s private property.”

I make another poor attempt to grab my phone, but he steps to the side and I miss. He reaches into the
front pocket of his jeans and pulls out his phone and starts tapping on the screen.

“I’m adding my number to your contacts likewise with mine.” Looking at me with a raised brow.

“Now I can try to convince you in having dinner with me some more.” His voice low and soft.

“Wouldn’t hold your breath Luca, Like I said. I’m not interested.”
Putting the key into the keyhole I turn the handle pushing the door open and step inside. I turn to face
him standing on the other side of the threshold.

“We will see Cara Mia”

He winks at me before he turns and starts descending down the front stairs and heads towards the
waiting taxi. I watch as he steps into the taxi and it pulls out onto the main road merging with the free
flowing traffic.