“We need to stop it from spreading,” I said, trying to think of a plan. “I can’t let anyone from my company see this.”

“We can’t delete it because we didn’t post it,” Allegra said. “Mom, it’s not that bad. You’re human. The whole thing will probably die down by tomorrow.”

Mom jumped in. “It shows the world you may fall down, but you get right back up.”

I stared at her in astonishment. “Are you crazy? It shows me falling down and getting carried by a guy! I didn’t get up!”

“It was the intended meaning. You would have gotten up. Enzo just happened to be there.”

I wanted to scream but didn’t want to add to the madness. “How did you find the video?” I asked my daughter.

“Bonnie sent it to me and asked if it was you, but it’s also listed in the main search engine.”

Which meant it was being shared and commented on and people were finding my fall amusing. I was going to vomit. “I have to go.”

“Wait—we need to go to dinner soon,” Mom said. “Don’t let this ruin our evening. I’m sure no one important even knows it’s you.”

On cue, my phone buzzed. The text was from Kate.

Holy shit, Fran, did you fall down the Spanish Steps? Are you okay? Who’s that hot guy?

A whimper escaped my lips. “Trust me, everyone knows. I have to make some calls to the office. Allegra, don’t answer anyone who asks about the video. Pretend it’s not me.”

Her jaw dropped. “Mom, Bonnie knows it’s you.”

“Plead the Fifth. Nothing is real on the internet; we’ll say it was faked. I’ll check on you later.” Ignoring my mother’s protests, I skipped the elevator and headed up the staircase, my brain clicking through possible options to control the mess I was in.

I didn’t come up with many.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Allegra

When we stepped onto the grounds of Pompeii, I was struck by a few things. First, it was dusty. I felt as if I was enveloped immediately, a cloud of it blowing into my ears and nose and eyes. Also, everything was brown—a thousand shades of earth surrounded me until even the sky seemed dully tinted. The foreboding outline of Mount Vesuvius shimmered in the distance almost like a mirage, and there was an eerie sort of silence as we made our way through the excavations.

I’d been looking forward to Pompeii, but my bad mood threatened to ruin it. Mom had never gotten to dinner. She’d dumped Nonni and me for the whole night, then come up with a bunch of excuses that she’d been busy “stopping” the video from ruining her career. Like that was even a possibility.

And she called me dramatic?