Okay, this one is a bit of a long oneshot, so if I missed anything when fixing gender-based words, please let me know. My eyes were rebelling against reading all 5500+ words again, but I THINK I might have caught everything?

Setting my luggage down on the floor next to me, I glanced around the seemingly unattended counter, hoping to see someone so I could finally get a room and get some rest. Sadly, it seemed like the luck I had been having all day was dead set on continuing, the throbbing in my feet only growing more steady as I closed my eyes and rested my head on the cool surface in front of me.

It was bad enough that my flight here had been delayed, not to mention missing the shuttle I was supposed to take from the airport to the hotel, the lack of available taxi cabs had combined with the traffic from visiting tourists to make it nearly impossible to get anywhere.

Releasing a sigh, I felt lucky that I had arrived here at all, considering how bad my luck at been thus far. Heck, I was lucky my luggage had arrived with me, rather than some other country where I would never see it again!

I was just about to fall asleep on my feet when I heard someone let out a soft cough from behind me, causing me to jolt upright, wide awake and hand pressed to my chest. Seeing a middle aged man standing behind the counter looking nervously behind me, I slowly turned around and gave a nervous laugh at the well dressed man as he glanced down at his expensive looking watch before looking back up at me.

"Will you be taking long? I have a meeting to get to after I finish here." His bored tone was at odds with the words he said, but nevertheless I felt bad at having made him wait already for an unknown period of time.

"Please, go ahead of me. I don't mind waiting a little longer. I'll just go sit down for a moment." Covering a yawn, I grabbed my suitcase and wheeled it over to one of the loveseats in the waiting area, sitting down and letting my head slowly sink into the overstuffed cushions as I let my eyes close once more.

Hopefully they would wake me up after they were done, but to be honest I didn't really care much if they did or not, as long as I got to sleep somewhere indoors tonight.

--------

"Wake up. Please wake up. Your room is ready for you." A firm hand shook me by the shoulder, jolting me awake for the second time in the same night.

"Huh? But I didn't check in yet..." My tired voice was barely audible to myself and I found myself wondering if the gentleman I could blearily see before me was even able to hear me. Reaching up I began rubbing my eyes tiredly, trying to regain my focus as I peered at the middle-aged man from before.

"Ah, do not worry. It's already been handled. Please come this way." I gaped at him as he motioned towards the young bellhop that had appeared and was slowly walking to the elevator with my luggage in hand.

Struggling out of the overstuffed couch that had been so comfortable to relax in, I only had enough time to gasp out one question before having to rush towards the now opening elevator doors, the bellhop glancing towards me as he got ready to step inside.

"Who handled it?" I was almost to the elevator when I heard his reply trailing after me.

"Signor Luciano. He wanted to thank you for not holding him up on the way to his meeting."

--------

After waking up early the next morning, I stood on the balcony of the room I had been given and looked out at the sun as it rose over the horizon, my eyes still burning from lack of sleep as I sipped at the mug of hot coffee.

I had two hours to wake up, get dressed and be at the meeting with the client I had been sent to try and persuade to join in on a business venture. Of course, it would be easier if they had given me a little information about him other than "He's important" and "Don't screw this up" before sending me on my way to visit yet another country.

Just because I seemed to have a little luck dealing with people, they seemed to think it was fine to just send my anywhere and everywhere, sometimes with as little as 3 hours to get packed and to the airport before my plane took off without me. Thankfully, I did not have any pets to worry about and my apartment was close to the airport, since I had moved after the second time I had nearly missed the plane after one of their "emergency meetings" they had sent me to.

Heck, the only reason I kept this job after all the stress they put me through was simply because I loved to travel and the pay was good enough to stay a couple days extra. As long as I closed the deal, they never argued with me about letting me stay extra to enjoy my time there, knowing that if they did try to make me come back sooner that I would just find a new company to work for. Most likely one of their enemies and they were too smart to release their "sure-fire closer" to a group that would end up stealing clients from them.

Especially since most of their clients would just follow me anyhow. After all, so many of them claimed their companies luck went up when dealing with me. Me? I disagreed with that thought. People might call it luck, but I believed it was simply the hard work we all put into each dealing we had together.

And that is why I refused to be late to this meeting.

--------

I walked into the empty office, wondering where the gentleman I was supposed to be meeting was. I wasn't late, if anything I was a few minutes early, but he still should have been here. I mean, it was his office after all. Was he caught up in traffic or something? I was just about to pull out my phone and make a call to the number I had been given, when I heard voices in the hallway, the occasional cheerful laugh carrying through the partially open door.

"It was my lucky day! Fantastico! Everything went perfecto!" One man's voice carried above the others as they neared the room.

Moments later, the door swung open the rest of the way and a vaguely familiar figure was standing before me, my finger tapping against my chin as I tried to recall where I had seen him before. A fuzzy memory of last night popped up a few seconds later, my eyes opening wide as I couldn't stop myself from almost shouting.

"It's you! The guy from the hotel last night! Thank goodness! I didn't think I would see you again! I just wanted to thank you for setting up that wonderful room for me! The view from the balcony is so amazing! So really, thank you so much! Oh, but if you want, I can pay you back however much you paid for it! I don't mind because the room is totally worth however much the price is! I-" I was cut off by the sound of laughter from the men behind him, his own small chuckle making me blush at how good looking he was when he smiled like that.

"I do not want your money. But if you enjoy the room so much, stay an extra night or two in it and enjoy mio albergo. I am in a good mood today, so let us get to business so I can go out and enjoy myself afterwards." An even bigger smile appeared on his face, his perfect teeth almost shining in the light from overhead, my heart giving an unexpected skip even if I wasn't quite sure what he'd said at the end. My something, I think?

"S-sure, let's get down to business!" I tried to hide my blush as I reached into my bag and pulled out the relevant files for the meeting, praying I wouldn't look like too much of a fool by the end.

--------

After making the call to let the company know the meeting with was a success, I went to take a quick shower and change into a more casual outfit for going out sightseeing. I planned to enjoy the next few days that I would be staying here and that meant getting to enjoy the local foods by finding the places that the locals actually ate at, not just the places that were there to attract tourists.

Stepping outside the hotel, I took a deep breath of air, just catching the subtle scent of the nearby ocean that was hidden by the buildings lining the streets for several blocks before being halted by the boardwalk that followed the sand like a barrier. Just the thought of the ocean being so close put me in the mood for lunch as I turned to follow the sidewalk that would lead me closer to the deep blue ocean.

--------

Taking one last bite of the fruit salad that had followed the small pasta dish I had ordered, I leaned back in my seat and sighed, happily full of the amazingly good meal I had enjoyed. I couldn't believe my luck at having found such an amazing place, having come across this small cafe just as I was about to pass it by, the faded writing on the window only catching my eye as I was about to cross the street to finish the last few blocks to the beach.

Luckily my curiosity had led me to enter, finding a small but adorable cafe inside that served a variety of local foods in addition to some of the best coffee I have every had. Standing up from my table, empty plates having been removed by the young waiter who I guessed to be the owners son, I happily left the money and a hefty tip behind before leaving with a cheerful wave to the smiling family that ran the place and headed once more for the beach.

--------

After a long day of enjoying the beach and eating dinner in the same small diner as I'd had lunch, I finally made my way back to the hotel, smiling as I entered the air conditioned interior. Seeing a small group of well-dressed men huddled around Mr. Vargas, I paused for a moment before heading towards the elevator, ready to head up to my room and take a nice relaxing bath before reading until I was ready to fall asleep for the night.

"Ah! There you are! You're finally here!" I could hear Mr. Vargas call out to me as he saw me pass by.

Stopping in place, I sent him a curious look, turning to face him as I waited for him to continue.

"Sorry for bothering you, I just wanted to thank you again for the hard work in closing the deal earlier today. I have already had many profits come in from this deal and it has not even been a full day since it happened. Never have I had such good results from a single business endeavor." The charming smile he sent me caught me off guard before he continued smoothly. "I was wondering if I could treat you to a night out with me? Maybe a couple of drinks and a bit of fun in one of the local casinos? I promise to be on my very best behavior!"

The playful smile on his face made me curious of what his usual behavior would be, beginning to wonder if maybe he was the kind of person I usually avoided spending time with so as to avoid having my emotions played with. If not for the worry that refusal would impact the continued business dealings between him and the company, I would have said no simply to save myself the trouble, but with that concern in mind I soon found myself slowly nodding to him.

"Very well, but please allow me to shower and change first before we head out?" So much for my luxurious bath and time spent reading the novel I had been wanting to finish during this vacation.

"Perfecto! I shall await your return, mio amico." His smile seemed a bit too cheerful as he watched me walk to the elevator, eyes not leaving me even as the doors closed and blocked me from his view.

--------

I felt a bit awkward sitting next to Luciano, but he had requested that I stay close 'for my safety and his peace of mind' since I was his guest tonight. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't brush up against my side every time he reached out for a new card at the Black Jack tables or had me blow on the dice 'for luck' at the Craps table, grinning victoriously each time he got a good card or a lucky roll. Which, I had to admit, was happening rather often.

It had been fun at first, playing the various games as we moved from table to table, but I had never myself had that much luck with games of chance. Now it was nearing 1 in the morning and I told him I needed to get some rest, the look on his face changing from one of glee to one of surprise. Gathering his winnings from the table, he led us over to the exchange counter and turned the chips in for cash. Accepting the currency back from the lady on the other side of the desk, he turned and tried to hand half to me, his eyes widening at my immediate refusal of the large amount of money.

"Thanks but I don't need the money. I was only playing for fun and I didn't win at anything. My personal luck at these things is horrible, but sometimes it's just fun to take a chance and roll the dice. Besides, it's not like I actually did anything to earn a share of your money. Unless you count the past few hours of me breathing on dice for you and keeping a hand on your arm." The unexpectedly cute blush that appeared on his cheeks was almost worth the past few hours of moving from table to table, watching as he tested his luck at the different games this casino offered.

The arm thing had been the result of me confronting him about the constant brushing up against me, him actually blushing a bit as he admitted that he considered me to be good luck for him tonight, since his winnings were much higher than usual for him or so he claimed. Although I didn't believe in such things as luck, I'd still just sighed softly and agreed to keep a more... comfortable level of contact with him to satisfy his need for some harmless idea of good fortune that he had attached to me in his mind. It's not like it was new for someone to consider me lucky.

Being the gentleman that he was, Luciano proceeded to walk me back to the hotel, not leaving my side until I was once more shielded from his sight by the elevator doors closing between us. I barely managed to catch the soft words he whispered to me before the doors cut him off.

"Buonanotte , il mio fortunato."

--------

After enjoying the feeling of waking up slowly in a soft, well made bed, I soon found myself wandering the streets outside as I looked through the windows of various shops to see if anything caught my eye. I already had a few small bags in on hand, small souvenirs to share with the handful of people I considered to be real friends, mostly people I had met through work that just seemed to click on some level or another.

It was my way of showing them that they mattered to me, taking the time to find something that reminded me of them, some personality trait they had or some memory we shared from the various times we would meet up and just spend some time catching up on life. Of course, sometimes I would pick up something for myself to remind me of the fun I would have before leaving whatever place I was sent to for work, but only if I saw something that really captured the feeling of the place.

Usually I just took lots of pictures the last day or two I was there.

--------

Sitting in the diner once more, I enjoyed the small talk I was having with the owner's son, the room mostly empty of customers at this time of the day. I had already been given permission to take a few pictures of the place and was asking the boy if he knew any other places that I should check out before I left for home tomorrow.

I had to admit, the thoughtful look on his face was rather cute and if he was just a few years older, I would likely be quite happy to respond to the occasional flirtatious words he sent my way. Sadly, he was just a bit too young for me to feel comfortable doing so, even if I did see his dad send him an encouraging nod and a thumbs up earlier on.

Smiling and giving him a hug, during which I did my best to ignore the not quite subtle attempt of his to give my backside a squeeze since I figured I wasn't coming back here anyhow after this, I thanked him for the information and left as soon as I had finished paying for the meal. I figured I would try someplace new for dinner tonight, hoping to find something a bit less casual to see what one of the fancier restaurants in town might have to offer.

Until then, I would snap pictures and see what there was to find in this town, having already put my purchases back in my room before having headed to the cafe for lunch. Time to enjoy myself.

--------

This place was amazing! Sure I'd felt the need to go back to my room and change into something more formal before daring to head inside the place, but it had been more than worth it! The elegantly carved woodwork, the exquisite paintings, the soft music playing in the background, even the mouthwatering smells that carried across the room and had me eager to taste the things that were taunting my nose with their aroma, it all added together harmoniously to create a place that was pleasing to all the senses.

I happily followed the waiter as he led me to a seat near on of the windows, a view of the ocean waves caressing the beach visible through the clear glass. Everything was perfect so far and I accepted the menu offered me with a smile, a small blush tinting the waiters cheeks as he almost stumbled over his offer of wine.

Giving a soft laugh and another smile, I gently refused the offer, asking instead for a simple glass of ice water to cool my parched throat from spending too much time in the sun shopping today. Watching him hurry to the back room for a moment, I soon turned to the menu and began flipping pages, quickly realizing the one problem I had in my endeavor to attain sustenance.

I couldn't read Italian...

"Ahh, would you like me to translate the menu for you, il mio fortunato?" I almost jumped out of my seat when I heard the voice come from next to my ear, turning quickly to see Mr. Vargas step back to sit down at the next table over, an overly friendly smile on his face as he watched me. How long had he been watching me? "Ah, I am most sorry. I did not mean to startle you. I just happened to see you struggling with the menu."

The look on his face was not quite what I would call sorry, looking more pleased with himself than anything else. More worrisome than that however, was the little voice in the back of my head wondering just how this had come to pass. Sure I could believe that he would come to a restaurant like this often, since he seemed to have more than enough money if I went based on the high end clothing and expensive accessories he wore.

But for him to just happen to come here tonight? At the same time as I came here? And to find me among all the people crowding this place? I had waited in line to get in here and I know I didn't see him in that line anywhere, so how had he managed to get in here so quickly? Or was he already here when I arrived? But wouldn't he be eating already if that was the case?

It didn't help that I had felt watched all afternoon, something I had been able to pass off as simple paranoia from being in another city, another country that my own, simply being looked at for acting like the tourist I was for once with my camera out and taking pictures every so often. Now I began wondering just how much was simple paranoia and how much was me actually being followed. I could feel my heart begin racing with fear, any trace of a smile gone from my face in an instant.

"No need, I've lost my appetite. Goodbye Mr. Vargas." Getting up, I walked out of the restaurant and headed back to the hotel, any desire I'd had for food long gone.

I could almost feel his eyes following me the whole way to the distant hotel, fighting the urge to shiver every so often. Maybe I should just order room service after packing everything up so I could leave early tomorrow morning... At this point, I just wanted to be home again, where I didn't have to worry about being followed.

It really didn't help that I could still smell his cologne lingering where he had touched my hair when he'd been offering to translate, swearing he'd been trying to smell me of all things, even after taken a shower to try and get rid of the smell.

--------

Yawning tiredly, I pulled my luggage behind me as I exited the plane, hating the feeling of jet lag that always seemed to hit me after every flight. It was bad enough I had ended up unable to find all of my stuff as I packed, angry and slightly frightened at the idea of someone having somehow gotten into my room while I was out.

At least nothing really important or valuable was missing, although I had been sad to see my favorite ring gone, always taking it off when I went to bed at night since I didn't want the small gemstone to catch on the fabric and come loose. It wasn't expensive, but it had held years of memories in that one ring, since it had been a gift from a close friend. Even now I couldn't stop rubbing at the bare spot, the small pale line of where the ring had been standing out against the tan I had gotten spending two days wandering along the beach in Italy.

At least tomorrow I could sleep in, not due in for work until the day after since the last time they had made me come in the day after a flight... Well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. Some of my coworkers still flinched for a while each time I came back from one of my trips, taking a few hours to relax around me again.

Luckily for them, I usually only took a trip once every few weeks, doing most of my work either online and through the phone or with local customers that I could meet up with in the city. Although, I think I will ask my boss to avoid sending me back to Italy for a while or having me work on anything to do with Mr. Vargas.

Frowning at the thought of ever having to see Luciano Vargas again, I gave my luggage a harsh tug and continued through the airport, the people around me clearing a path as they saw the scowl on my usually pleasantly smiling face and choose to avoid crossing my path.

I couldn't help the small chill I felt every time I saw some Italian man dressed in a suit as I hurried through the airport but I refused to even consider that he would bother doing something as crazy as sending someone to watch me. I mean, that would just be insane of him to do. Nobody would go that far just for someone they'd only met for the first time a few days ago, right?

Right?

--------

Reaching out a hand, fingertips brushed against the fabric of the outfit his 'lucky one' had worn that night in the restaurant, Luciano's lips curving upwards for a moment before turning down again. Turning swiftly, he exited the room that was filled with various items he had 'collected' from them before they left, closing the hidden door and locking it securely before heading downstairs into the meeting he was holding.

"Tell me everything you know about them, where they grew up, their likes and dislikes, everything. And then pray that what you found out is enough to satisfy me until I can meet up with il mio fortunato again." With a sinister smile he picked up one of the small collection of photos laying on the table, staring at the picture of a young college student caught in the image, looking at something hidden outside the frame with a gentle smile on their face.

"You will be mine, sooner than you realize." Placing the picture of his obsession inside his jackets pocket, Luciano turned to the others in the room with a cold expression, light catching on the gem of the ring that just fit one of his fingers. "Report!"

--------

The feeling of being constantly watched was even stronger now than it had been the day after returning home. Every so often I would catch a glimpse of a seemingly familiar face from the corner of my eyes but as soon as I turned to look, they were gone and I was left staring at an empty space in the crowds. Other times it would be an almost restless feeling that I needed to move from where I was, getting up and walking away from the area but if I turned around at the right moment, sometimes I would see someone looking down at where I had been sitting with a smile. I was always too far away by then to see who it was but it left me feeling too unnerved to go back there.

I had no place left that I felt secure anymore. Even work had become a place that drove the paranoia I felt even higher, the new employee making me nervous every time I heard his Italian accent. What was worse was how my own home had become a source of stress for me, especially after finding that camera in the bedroom when I saw some light reflect off the screen while changing one morning.

I'd taking to grabbing my clothes I would wear and heading to random places to change, the nearby convenience stores and fast food joints becoming used to seeing me use their bathrooms for changing, especially after I explained what happened and how the police had just brushed it off and refused to actually do their job.

It didn't help that I had a feeling they had been paid off, watching as they had climbed into their shiny new cars with their leather interiors.

--------

"You're what?" My boss couldn't look more panicked as I took everything out of my desk and put it into a box.

"I'm moving. And no, I am not going to tell you where I am going or leave you a way to contact me. You're lucky I'm telling you anything, rather than simply vanishing without a word." Grabbing the last item from the bottom drawer of my desk, I froze for a moment when I saw the new hire watching me from the corner of his eyes. "I.. I need to go... Now..."

Picking up my box I rushed to the elevator, a chill running down my spine as I saw the new hire on their phone, texting someone while they glanced between me and their phone. As I watched, they lifted the device and smiled at me, the flash of their phone's camera going off just before the elevator doors shut. Each floor I passed on the way down had me feeling that much more frightened that something bad was going to happen when I got to the bottom.

Finding the main lobby empty when I got out of the elevator somehow made everything even more terrifying.

--------

I couldn't stop my hands from shaking as I sat in the back seat of the taxi, watching the streets pass by like I expected to see Luciano appear at any moment. Every red light was time I spent trying to keep my heart from exploding in my chest as I almost waited for the door to be flung open and him to reach in and pull me out of the car.

I almost couldn't believe it when the driver finally pulled up in front of the airport, barely an hour left to check in and get to the right bay to catch my flight, a process that usually took at least half an hour to an hour due to all the safety procedures set up to keep terrorists off the flights. Sadly, it didn't seem to keep Luciano's men out of the country and away from me.

Finally making my way to the front of the line I had nervously waited in, I showed the lady working the desk my ticket, explaining my nervousness as wanting to get away from a guy who 'didn't know how to take no for an answer' and going to stay with a friend in another country for a while. It wasn't exactly a lie, since I had a friend who had offered to let me stay at his house until I found a place of my own.

Hopefully I would be able to hide in the crowds of tourists and Luciano wouldn't expect me to escape someplace so close to him instead of running as far away as I can.

--------

Stepping out of the airport, I let out a sigh of relief into the warm summer air, surrounded by tourists and citizens alike as I moved with the crowd. I was determined not to let myself be found, even if somehow Luciano did manage to find what country I had gone to. Surely I would be safe if I could keep from standing out too much, wearing the most average outfit I could find for this trip as I did my best to blend in.

Pulling my luggage behind me once more, I hurried towards the tall brunette male that send a worried smile at me as he opened the trunk, lifting my suitcase inside as he motioned for me to get into the car quickly.

--------

"So how did you manage to get a stalker after you?" He asked softly, setting his empty teacup down after having spent the past 15 minutes quietly staring at me and taking small sips.

"I wish I knew so I could make sure never to do it again..." I didn't even bother to lift my head, my cheek resting against my arms as I slouched over the dining table.

Another few minutes of silence passed before I felt his hand begin rubbing circles on my back. Looking up finally, I met his gentle brown eyes and gave him a grateful smile.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. I'm here for you and I'm not going to let some crazy guy hurt you." Somehow, all my worries washed away at his words, a warmth filling me as I smiled up at my friend.

For the first time since I'd left Italy, I felt protected. I felt safe.

--------

"No... No, no, no! NO!" My screams filled the air as I collapsed to the floor, the smell of blood mixing with the cleaning supplies I'd used to mop that same floor just a few hours before. A single beam of light filtering down from the overhead window reflected off a pair of polished leather shoes before Luciano stepped aside to avoid the growing pool of blood.

"Now, now. This is your own fault, you know. None of this would have happened if you had not tried to run away from me and into the arms of another man. After all, you should have known I would do anything to have you." Leaning down, he pulled me away from the body of my friend and into his arms. "After all, who would pass up a chance at having their own personal source of luck at their side? Right, my Lucky One?"

I didn't even have the energy left to struggle, tears trailing down my cheek as I felt him run his fingers through my hair. Holding me against his side, he began leading me to the door, softly humming for a moment before he began to quietly whisper the words of an old song into my ear.

"I've got the whole world, in my hand."