Chapter 41
Early the next morning I thought I heard a faint knocking sound and someone saying my name, but I dismissed it as being my imagination and groggily pulled up the blanket to my cheek. It was quiet and dark and warm in the hotel room, and I was relaxed and comfortable lying on my side in the hotel bed. I started immediately to drift back to sleep after having been woken up, until I felt a gentle hand tenderly touch my head and slowly stroke back my hair.
"Tamzin?" came Ignazio's soft murmur, immediately relaxing me again, "Wake up, my dear."
"Hey," I whispered without opening my eyes, comfortably feeling him slowly caressing my hair. "What are you doing in here?"
He leaned over me and gently touched his lips to my cheek.
"I'm sorry about coming in your room like this. The door was still unlocked, and I just thought it might be nicer than yelling for you from the hallway."
"No, sure, it's fine." I wanted to go back to sleep, but I opened my eyes and blinked up at him in the light from the crack in the door. He was dressed already, crouching beside the bed in his jeans and brown leather coat, even though it was still dark outside the window. "What are you telling me?" I asked groggily.
"It's time to get up."
"What? Why?" I swiftly propped myself up on my arm, squinting groggily at him.
"We have to leave in a little while."
I stared at him for a moment, thinking, and then sighed and shook my head in exasperation as I lay back down and closed my eyes.
"No, Ignazio, we don't leave for Boston until tomorrow morning! Pay attention! I'm going back to sleep."
"Change of plans. We're leaving today."
"What?"
I opened my eyes again, and then kicked back the covers and pushed myself up to sit on the mattress.
"Why?"
"Get up and get ready to go. Our flight leaves at 8:30, so we've got be there at around seven at the latest. I got you up early so you'll have enough time to get ready."
I turned and looked at the clock beside the bed, and yawned at the bright 5:30 on the screen.
"Why didn't Michele tell me? I'm going to talk to him."
"Wait!" I climbed out of the bed, and Ignazio stopped me from leaving the room. "You can't. He's busy. Just pack, and we'll go when you're ready."
"Why didn't he tell me about this?"
"Get dressed and get ready to leave, okay?"
"Ignazio!"
"Tamzin, do you love me?" he asked suddenly.
"What? Of course I do! What's going on!?"
"I just wanted to hear you say it."
He stepped close to me and gave me a long, tender kiss, and then stepped back and went to the door. "I'm going to get my things. You get ready and pack up to go."
"There better be a good reason for this! Ignazio, wait!"
He left, and I stared at the door in bewilderment and groggy agitation. I turned around and went to get dressed, my mind racing with confusion.
After I had dressed and packed all my things, Ignazio and I sat together in the living room to eat leftovers from the restaurant we went to the night before. I didn't feel much like eating, though, and I set the box on the coffee table and demanded I know what was going on.
"Why are we leaving early? When can I talk to Michele? Why did no one tell me about this? We're not in trouble, are we!?"
"No, Tamzin! Relax! Everything's okay. We're just leaving a little early, alright?"
"Why?"
"Because we've got to get where we're going sooner."
"But the Boston concert still isn't for a few days!"
"Eat breakfast, or you'll be hungry in the airport."
"Ignazio! I want to know what's going on!"
"You will! Eat!"
I glared at him, but reluctantly pulled the leftover box toward me and began to eat.
Soon Ignazio said it was time to go, and we gathered our things together and went out into the hallway.
"Where are the others?" I asked as we got into the elevator.
"Not here."
"Brilliant," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "And where are they? Have they left already?"
"No, Tamzin. Now come on."
The doors opened and he stepped out of the elevator, and I followed him, stormily glaring at his back.
We got into a cab by ourselves and Ignazio told the man the airport to drive to. It was getting light outside now, and cold. I pulled my red coat more tightly around me and looked up at Ignazio.
"Are we meeting them at the airport?"
He didn't answer me, gazing out the window with a forlorn look on his face, and for a moment I faltered in my questioning.
"Ignazio?" I reached out and touched him arm, and he turned his face toward me. "Are you okay?"
He put an arm around me and hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek, but the somber look on his face hushed me until we reached the airport.
As we went through security and Ignazio insisted on checking both of our bags, my mind was racing and I was looking almost frantically around for a glimpse of Piero, Gianluca, Barbara, Michele, or even one of the band members. I didn't see them anywhere, and as Ignazio and I walked through the airport to the coffee shop I started questioning him again, getting frustrated when he wouldn't answer.
"Ignazio! Where are the others!?" I demanded, and stopped walking, fearfully clutching my carry-on camera bag. He stopped and turned around, coming close to me and gently taking my arm.
"Come on, Tamzin, let's go."
"No! I asked you a question!" I pulled out of his grasp and crossed my arms, slinging the heavy camera bag over my shoulder.
"Just trust me!" he said pleadingly, his face looking scared that I wouldn't go with him.
"I do!" I insisted, dropping my arms to my sides as I looked up at him. "But I need some explanation, Ignazio!"
He looked forlornly at me for a moment, and then stepped forward and hugged me tightly. Surprised, I hugged him gingerly back, and then he pulled away and looked pleadingly at me.
"Just trust me."
He held out a hand, and I reluctantly took it, and he led me to the coffee shop, where we sat down and waited until we could board the plane. I sat quietly across from him, thinking, and then I looked over at him and saw him looking back.
"Ignazio…We're not going to Boston, are we?"
He stared quietly at me for a second, and then slowly shook his head.
"No."
"Are we…running away?"
"No! No, Tamzin, of course not! We're not running away."
"So the others know we're going?"
"Yes."
"Are we-"
"Hush, Tamzin."
"Don't hush me!" I cried, jumping up. "You're freaking me out! You're taking me God-knows-where to do God-knows-what and you won't give me any explanation and you're not answering any of my questions!"
Ignazio stood up too, trying desperately to quiet me as I began to attract the attention of people around us. "Ooh, I could punch you!" I said angrily, and Ignazio looked away from me, suddenly distracted.
"Come, on, they just called us," he said as some of the people around us started getting up, "We need to go now."
"Oh geez, I missed it!"
"If you hadn't been fussing me you would have heard. Come on, now."
"No!"
"Please, Tamzin! Please! You'll find out soon, I promise!"
"I want to know now!"
"Just trust me!"
"You know I don't like surprises!"
"I know, I know! Just trust me!"
He took my hand tightly in his and started to pull me along, and I glared at him but followed along behind him, so angry and nervous that I could cry in frustration.
I walked with him and then froze when I saw the destination written on the gate.
"Chicago, IL-Washington D.C."
"Washington D.C.," I said softly, and he squeezed my hand.
"Yes. Come on."
As we boarded the plane, my mind was racing as I tried to figure out what he was doing.
Soon we were sitting side by side, and he turned his head to me, his face suddenly sorrowful.
"I love you, Tamzin," he said softly.
"I love you too, Ignazio. Are you okay?"
"Here," he said, putting an arm around me and inviting me to lean against him. "We had to get up so early. Take a nap with me."
I stared at him for a moment more, and then moved closer and lay my head on his shoulder, intertwining my hand with his.
As I lay against him, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to ignore the impossible idea, the sneaking suspicion that entered my mind and filled me with both excitement and terror. I thought I had figured out what he was doing, and why he had concealed the destination until I absolutely had to know where we were going.