Free Tutti Italia: A Novel by Deena Jordan Page B

going.”
    “Ok, I’m on my way down.  I’m ready to go.”  Rachel hung up
the phone, and looked around her room one last time to make sure that she
hadn’t left anything behind that she needed.  She took a deep breath, and
grabbed her purse on the way out.  She made her way down the stairs of the
dorm, and over to the parking lot.  There was the same car that she’d ridden in
on her way back from the airport, so she made a beeline right for it.  She
greeted her friend as she climbed in the car.
    “Hey, did you have a good weekend?”
    “Yeah, it was alright.  I went to the gym, but mostly I
just stayed in my room.  I still don’t know anyone around here, so I just stuck
to myself.” 
    “I’m sorry.  Don’t worry, you’ll get to know people the
longer you’re here.”
    “I wanted to ask you something.  Would you be willing to
take me to the bank so I could set up an account?”
    “Sure, we’ll go during lunch.”

 
    Chapter 11
     
    Elena was turning out to be a friend, Rachel thought. 
If she was willing to take her places that must mean that she liked Rachel,
right?  And if you liked someone, you would want to be friends, right?  That was
her thinking as she watched the small town fly by outside her window.  She was
trying to memorize the way so she could walk it if she needed to.  The other
parts of the base were maybe a ten minute drive, but since Rachel didn’t have a
car, walking was her only option.  They arrived at the gate, and Rachel dug in
her purse to find her driver’s license.  Her school ID would be made today, so
she would be able to come and go as she pleased without having to have an
escort with her all the time.  She gave it to Elena to hand to the guard, and
her jaw dropped as the guard bent over to take them.  It was Jason.  So much
for thinking that she was never going to see him again.  A brilliant red blush
crept up the back of her neck and to her cheeks.  What was he going to do? 
Would he recognize her?  Would he pretend like they didn’t know each other? 
She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself, but as he looked at the
license, his face changed, and he bent down further than he had been before to
get a good look at the passenger side of the car.  She gave a half smile and a
little wave.  He was going to pretend he didn’t know her.  She knew it. 
    “Well, good morning, Rachel.  I didn’t think I’d see you again.”  He handed the ID’s back to Elena, since traffic was starting to back
up behind them. 
    “Likewise.”  She didn’t know what to say. 
    “If you get a chance, come by and see me sometime.  I’ll be
here until six tonight.”  Was that an invitation?  Would he really want her to
hang around with him at his job?  She nodded to him, and Elena drove off.
    “So, who was that?  Don’t tell me you have a boyfriend
already?”  Elena was winking at Rachel, and it made her blush harder. 
    “No!  He’s not my boyfriend.  I just met him on the Right
Start trips and we started talking.  I haven’t seen or heard from him since we
got back from the trip Friday night.”  Rachel felt like she was in the
spotlight at the police station and she just started rambling on.  Elena
laughed.
    “Well, to me it sounds like he wants to see you again. 
Maybe you just disappeared too fast for him to get your number.”  Rachel
thought back to Friday night.  It wasn’t that.  He’d had some friends of his
that stopped him, and she’d slipped away unnoticed.  It was something that
happened often.  Rachel did her best to stay under the radar, and to be
unnoticeable.  It was something that she was rather good at, actually.  “So…are
you going to go see him on lunch break?”  Elena’s face was lit up like she’d
found a new outfit she loved or something. 
    “I don’t know.  I need to get to the bank and open up an
account, and I’m not even sure where it is or what time it opens or anything.” 
Rachel