Chapter X.

"You're such a stubborn girl, aren't you?" Dominic commented as they sat at their table, enjoying the meals they ordered.

"After all you did for me, I guess this is the least I can do. The lunch is my treat, don't you dare to complain!" Jessica insisted... "It's just that, you know, I can't afford a restaurant like the Savini…" she added, feeling awkward.

"You're joking, right? You took me to eat pizza. Italian pizza. Italian pizza in Italy!" Dom grinned, as he cut another slice of his stuffed Pizza Capricciosa. "A delicious pizza, for the record," he added, grinning even more, as cheerful as a child. "You know how to make a guy happy," he mumbled, satisfied, as he drank his beer.

"I'm glad you like it," she smiled, relieved, as she cut her simpler Pizza Margherita.

"Anyway, the company is priceless," he smiled, holding her hand in his.

She smiled back at him, but after a few seconds she stared at him with a sort of expectation.

"Dom, although I adore it when you hold my hand, these pizzas can't be cut on their own, quite the contrary; they're kind of hard to cut!" she commented, making him laugh, so he freed her hand from his grip.

From afar, Jessica saw a teenage girl, around fifteen years old, who kept staring insistently at their table. She wasn't surprised when the girl tried to approach him, very hesitantly.

"Sorry me… but you .. you is?" she asked Dominic, with a faltering voice and in a very pathetic English.

"Yeah, it's me!" he anticipated the girl, smiling warmly at her.

A little bit clumsily, the girl placed her rucksack on the floor and drew out a pen and a diary, passing them to Dom.

"Can I… ?" she wondered, shyly.

Jessica observed the scene, very calmly.

"Sure!" he agreed, taking the diary and the pen. When he opened the diary he was glad to see there were plenty of Muse lyrics and pictures, but mostly pictures of only Dom. He was her favourite one.

Dominic tried to ask her name, willing to sign her diary in a very nice way, but the girl was too excited, confused, or maybe he had spoken way too fast for her to understand him, even though it was one of the simplest sentences in the world.

Jessica drew the girl's attention and smiled at her.

"Jessica," she said, pointing at herself, and then she pointed at the girl, waiting for her answer.

Finally, the girl understood.

"Sarah!" she chirped jubilantly.

Dominic chose one of the pictures with only him and signed it, writing a short sentence for the girl, and then he gave back the diary and pen to her with the same smile that never left him.

"Thank you!" she smiled at him, full of gratitude and then she turned to Jessica, too. "Thank you!" she repeated, smiling at her, before leaving.

"Is she the fan number 5 who approaches you, since we walked in the restaurant?" Jessica commented, once she was again alone with Dom.

"Maybe she was already number 6. After all, we are in the town centre, in a crowded pizzeria. There are tons of kids who come back from school, so it's more than normal they are here. I'm sorry," Dominic apologised with a guilty conscience.

"For what? I like observing you. You're so cute with your fans," she stated as she sipped her diet coke and gestured to the waiter that he could take away the left slices of pizza on her plate.

Dom did the same with his plate, thanking the waiter with his usual kindness.

"You were so nice to my fans. Thank you," he smiled at her.

"Why shouldn't I be nice to them? After all, they do nothing bad," she explained. "Anyway, you could try to be less showy, don't you think so?" she added.

He burst out laughing.

"I'll tell you what, Matt is the reserved guy, who always tries hard not to get recognised. Truth is that I like fame," the blond confessed.

"Surprise, surprise. After all, you're Mr. Look-at-me!" she made fun of him. "You know, if I was famous, I would probably do the same thing. It must be such a nice feeling to be recognised everywhere you go," she commented.

"Well, not everywhere. For example, in your beloved States. We are not famous there, not yet," he informed her.

"So, that's where I have to take you to eat," she suggested wittingly.

"It wouldn't be much comfortable with the travel and the jet-lag; anyway, yeah, it could be a good idea," he chuckled. "Well, we'll see when we start the tour in the States," he added.

"More than willingly, but maybe I will have already moved to London by then," she announced.

"Does it mean that you will move steadily to London? It's fantastic," he exulted. "We should make a toast with champagne, but beer and coke will be OK as well," he said, clinking his beer mug to her glass.

"Anyway, trust me, you will be famous, too," he revealed to her.

"What do you mean?" the girl narrowed her eyes.

He gestured her to sit on his lap and she obliged.

"In a couple of months, people will start recognising you and they will say: 'Hey, it's the girl who won the Muse drummer's heart!'" the blond explained as he swung with her slowly, placing his chin on her shoulder. "They could start saying that even now, after all, it's the truth," he added, moving away and staring at the floor, embarrassed.

She caressed his face, raising his chin to force him to look at her.

"Oh, Dom, you're so sweet! And' it's the same for me; you won my heart, in less than 100 hours. Aren't we rushing things?" she worried.

Dom held both oh her hands, entwining their fingers.

"We were in a rush this morning when we were running from my fans, but now there's not rush, we are proceeding at the right pace: the pace of two people who feel very good just because they are together," he smiled at her, letting her hands free.

The girl squealed, kissing him, no matter if someone could see them. After all, their table wasn't in the way of the waiters.

"Dom, are you sure you weren't a poet in a previous life?" she asked him when they parted, getting up.

He mirrored her actions and followed her at the cash desk. She made sure that he wasn't trying anything funny and managed to pay the bill, saving the receipt like it was a trophy, as he led her towards the exit.

"Jessica, you're different from all the other girls. With you I am myself, Dominic, a normal guy like any other. OK, let's say a normal guy, like any other who is disturbingly gorgeous!" he pointed out.

"A guy like any other who is scarily modest!" she rolled her eyes as they walked.

"The point is that, Jessica, before meeting you, the only girl who I went out with more than once is... my sister! If you haven't ended up in my bed yet, it's because I care about you, you mean something important to me and I realised it in less in 100 hours!" he explained to her. "But it doesn't mean that I don't want to take you to my bed, I do want it! I'd like to take you to my bed right now!" the words escaped the blonds' mouth, messing things up.

"Dominic!" she scolded him, blushing instantly as she increased her pace in order to leave him standing.

He rushed to reach her.

"No! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it. Well, not in that way, at least. Damn me, I started the speech so well... please, tell me I didn't spoil anything... you know, I'm not very expert in this kind of things..." he became agitated.

This time it was her turn to hold his hands, smiling at him.

"Believe me, you're so much better than you think," she calmed him down with a kiss. "Anyway, I take back what I said before, about you being a poet," she added, making him smile.

(In the meantime)

"Sweetie, come here!" Matt called for Gaia, before rushing towards the umpteenth shop.

They had preferred eating a sandwich as they walked, because Matt had no intention to shut himself up in a restaurant and lose the opportunity to visit the place which he was enjoying more and more. Gaia almost repented bringing him to the shops lined around the bank that were full of gadgets for tourists. She calculated wrong: after all, Matt was a tourist. A tourist who seemed to have a disturbing attraction for souvenirs.

In less than forty minutes Matt managed to buy everything: tons of guide books, one even in Italian, because he had fun trying to read those funny words, a couple of those typical pens with water inside and a little, plastic ship with seals on it, with the 'Lake of Como' inscription, a white t-shirt with a picture of the Lake printed in the middle, a reproduction of the lake inside a bell-jar with falling snow, and a worrying amount of magnets and postcards.

The excitement that Matt showed every time he saw something that drew his attention was contagious, he seemed a curios child who couldn't stay still and quiet for a moment. Gaia found that side of him extremely cute. She could easily get accustomed to it.

"What else does he want to buy?" she wondered, following him.

She saw him in front of a mirror, as he tried on one by one, some coloured caps with glittery, golden 'I Como' written in the middle.

"Which one do you think suits me the most?" Matt asked her, wearing first a blue cap, then a white one, a purple red and finally a green one.

"I don't know... they all suit you," Gaia admitted after a careful check.

It was the truth; whatever Matt wore, even the stupidest thing, it fitted him to a T, maybe because of the innate naturalness he wore it with, as if it was made only for him to wear it.

"Alright. Where's the problem? I'm going to buy them all!" he smiled, satisfied.

Gaia shook her head, amused, as she watched him going to the cash desk.

Matt reached her, holding proudly a big shopping bag, inside his normal black cap now replaced by the blue one.

"Listen, Matt. They're shops for tourists. Plural. Many of them. So, leave some stuff for the other tourists, too!" she teased him, as they left the shop. "I don't dare to imagine what you did when you saw Milan or Rome for the very first time!" she added laughing.

"Believe me, you don't want to know it," he laughed with her. "Anyway, my dear witty girl, this is for you," he added, with a soft tone, drawing out from the shopping bag a stuffed swan.

"Awww, Matt, you're so kind. Thank you," she grinned as she held the stuffed swan tightly.

"See? I can think about someone else who it's not myself!" he winked at her.

"Are you really saying that you didn't buy an identical, stuffed swan for yourself?" she looked at him in disbelief, crossing her arms.

She started knowing him pretty well.

"Of course I did, but it's not the point. I thought about you, too. Period," he justified.

"That's true. And I appreciate it. A lot," she smiled at him.

"Weally? So, you could show me your gwatitude, pwopewly..." he teased her, talking on purpose with an exaggerate French r.

"Yeah, I guess I can do that," she murmured before kissing him.

She felt him smile during their kiss, as he placed his hands on her hips to hold her tighter.

"Anyway, I knew that you would buy something related to swans. I saw how much you liked them when we went to see them close," she stated, parting from him.

"I adore them. They're such fascinating animals! And I had fun feeding them," he nodded, smiling at the memory.

"I know and my pictures prove that. See? I could blackmail you," she pretended to threaten him, taking her camera. "Nope, no blackmail. They're simply wonderful," she commented as she watched the pictures with him.

"Actually, I really need to set a photo shooting," Matt mumbled.

"Exaggerated. I'm not that good!" she chuckled.

"No, but you gave me a good idea. Sooner or later, I'll make Muse have a photo shooting here, maybe even an interview!" he decided. "Tomorrow we'll see if Bologna has some suggestive locations, too.."

"With 'we'll see' you mean 'you and your friends', don't you?" she wondered.

"Why? Are you already busy tomorrow?" he asked her.

"Nope, of course. But... since you didn't ask me, I thought that..." she mumbled.

"Oh, sweetie, it's so obvious that it was superfluous to ask you. Come here!" he murmured, holding her tightly in his arms.

"I'm a girl who loves traditions, so I expected an official invitation," she justified as she raised her gaze and lost herself in the crystalline sea of his eyes.

"So you want an official invitation, don't you. Well, you're going to have it," he announced, getting down on his knees and holding her hands with a solemn attitude.

"Oh, sweet, sweet Maiden, shall I have the honour to have thee as my appreciated guest to the show we perform tomorrow, not very far from thy lands? I guarantee that the transport shall not be a trial to thee," Matt uttered.

Gaia laughed.

"Well, Sir, there's no point in disguising the fact that thou art the strangest Gentleman I've ever met. However, I accept thy invitation, very willingly and I thank thee with my whole heart!" she played his game, taking a bow.

"How can the Gentleman be sure that the sweet Maiden is telling the twuth?" he challenged her as he got up.

Gaia didn't say a word; she simply dragged him to herself to give him an intense kiss.

"Is the Gentleman still doubtful about it?" she asked him playfully at the end.

"Uh! Nope, the sweet Maiden was very convincing!" he replied, feeling a little bit dizzy.

"Anyway, Matthew, I'm afraid there's a problem for tomorrow: I don't have the ticket," she pretended to be concerned.

"You haven't he ticket! Well, this changes everything. I'm sorry, you can't come with me," he pretended to be inflexible.

"Oh, really? It's such a pity," she pouted, as she traced the golden glitter of his blue hat and scratched his nape with the other hand. "I was sure we could bend the rules," she went on pleading him.

"Come here, my little outlaw!" Matt laughed, tickling her hips and making her giggle madly.

"So, what do you plan to do now?" he wondered.

"It's three p.m., there are still two hours and a half before the train leaves. There's time enough for me to show you a special place I'm sure you'll like, but I already tell you, there are no shops, sorry," she warned him.

After a short journey with the proper public transports, they reached a small village nearby, crossing a wood that offered a wonderful view of the lake, the hills and the mountains in the background. Matthew didn't miss a shop at all. The place was perfect to get inspiration.

Time ran out and it was time for Gaia and Matt to say goodbye.

"Are you sure that I can leave you here, all alone?" he asked her as they went to retrieve her trolley.

"Yep, don't worry. Jessica sent me a text message, saying that she's on her train and we'll be here in half an hour. I'll wait for her here," she explained. "What about you? Are you waiting for your train?" she asked him.

"No way. Enough with the normal guy for today. I'm going to play again the very spoiled rock star who can allow himself to ask the shuttle of his hotel to take him back to the hotel," he chuckled. "I've called my trustful driver before, he will be here soon," he explained.

"Gee, it seems that your friend impressed Dom a lot! To go out with him twice is like to find a four-leaf clover," Matt commented.

"Why? Does it bring good luck?" Gaia dared to ask as she looked at him, puzzled.

"Nope, I mean that it's rare!" he laughed.

"You tell me! Let me remind you that I didn't manage to go out with him even once," she said.

Instantly, Matt stopped laughing.

"What? Are you regretting that?" he asked her, a little bit insulted.

Gaia burst out laughing, as she hugged him tight.

"You, big, big jealous guy. I've already found my four-leaf clover," she whispered to him.

(After a while)

"Mum! I swear, it's the truth!" Gaia protested as she tried for the umpteenth time to convince her mother of what had happened in the last days.

Jessica observed the scene from afar. Since Gaia's mother, just like almost all her family, didn't speak a word in English, they were speaking Italian and Jessica understood nothing. She could rely only on their gestures and the few words she remembered.

"Yeah, sure. You went to the concert and at the end the singer asked you out!" the woman resumed, very sceptically.

"Nope, mum, not the singer. Dom did, the drummer." her daughter pointed out.

"Yeah, the guy who finally dated Jessica!"

Hearing Dom's name first and then her own name, Jessica realised what they were talking about and she nodded happily, pointing at herself.

"Right, mum, and that's the reason why I went out with Matt, the singer… and everything happened. I'm going to see him again tomorrow," Gaia explained.

"Gaia, honey, you don't need to tell me such majestic lies. If you want to go to another concert, just go. After all, you're studying hard, so you deserve some fun. You and Jess can go as long as you find a place for the night. I know you can take care of yourselves," her mother smiled at her, coming back to the other room.

"Gee, she doesn't want to believe me at all!" Gaia snorted.

"But she allowed me and you to go… right?" Jessica asked her.

"Yep, but…"

"Trust me, that's what really matters. I can guarantee you that from tomorrow on she will believe you," her friend reassured her.

"Why tomorrow? Hey, Jess, do you know something that I don't know?" Gaia interrogated her, suspiciously.

"Yep, I do, but I'm not going to tell you!" Jessica stuck out her tongue.

(After a while)

Around 9:30 p.m. Matt rounded up Chris and Dom at the first recording studio he managed to find nearby their hotel.

He finished playing at the piano the new song he had written and his friends approved of it enthusiastically.

"Congratulations, Matt, it's an awesome song," Chris smiled at his friend and Dom confined himself to nod with a huge grin.

"I'm glad you like it. Anyway, I guess I'll play the piano only before the final chorus. I prefer the guitar, maybe something which goes soft at the beginning and then becomes stronger and harder," Matthew explained. "Do you have any idea?"

Matt played the song again with the guitar. The first time Chris and Dom just listened to him, but the second time they tried to find a way to introduce the bass and the drum line, although they hadn't thought about it properly yet.

They went on, without ever stopping, and around 11:20 p.m. the song was complete and very satisfying. Dom and Chris wrote down the notes on the music sheet and then they played it one last time, which turned out even better than the previous ones.

"Wonderful job, guys, it's perfect this way. Tomorrow we'll let Tom know about the change in the playlist to add this song. And in the afternoon we'll work on some effects," Matthew commented, proudly.

"Gaia will be stunned when she hears this song," Dom stated, smiling at his best friend.

"Well, to begin with, now I don't even know anymore if she will be at our show tomorrow," the redhead informed him, looking thoughtful.

"Uh? What do you mean? Bells, what the hell did you do?" the blond asked him, puzzled.

(In the meantime)

It was a long day, plenty of events, so it was also a tiring day somehow.

As a matter of fact, Jessica was already sleeping and Gaia would follow her example soon, but first there was something she absolutely had to do, something she couldn't resist to.

She turned her PC on, looked at the mailbox fast and then she went on the Muse messageboard, hoping to find something.

And she was lucky. As soon as she logged in, she saw the pop up she was fond of: end_of_the_world had left a private message for her, after about 9:00 p.m..

She read something that shocked her:

'Hi, Missed, you won't ever believe what I'm about to say. Don't ask me how, but I managed to get free from all my duties and since it's a journey I think I can perform in a day, tomorrow I'll be able to reach you, in Milan. You're still there, aren't you? Finally we'll meet! Tell me you will be there, Missed, tell me that I'll manage to give a face and a voice to the girl who stole my heart. Really hopeful to meet you, yours. End. '

TBC

So, see what is our dear Matthew planning?

Hope you'll still like it.