The Sweet Life

by Sharon Struth

  “I’d like help executing a few items on my list. If you can help me accomplish all the things I want to do, then you don’t have to worry about me getting hurt.”

  “You could still get hurt.”

  She shook her head. “Nah. You’re a wonderful guide. You won’t let me.”

  A wave of sorrow flashed inside his eyes, but he recovered fast. “What’s on this legendary list?”

  She reached over to the nightstand for her book and opened to the first page. “Paragliding outside of Pisa. Hot air balloons. Exploring caves.” She glanced up. He watched her with furrowed brows so she continued. “Riding scooters—which I can now cross off. Plus, hiking in Cinque Terre. Oh, and the Palio, I want to catch those trials you talked about...” She caught him smiling. A truly genuine smile. “What?”

  “You are pretty damn excited to do this stuff, huh?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  “But if I let you and Claudia finds out, she’ll have me on two counts. We’re not supposed to spend time with the passengers outside of the tour.”

  “But, you’re keeping me from harm—thereby saving the overall game. In other words, what Claudia doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

  He considered her words, looking like a man who’d been beaten and knew it. “Anything else on there?”

  She glanced down. The only one she hadn’t read was a fling. “Nope.”

  “Okay, Miss Weber. You’ve got yourself a deal. But only after a day of rest on that foot.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Those are my conditions.” His eyes grew hard, making it clear he was a man not willing to budge. “Take it or leave it.”

  “Okay. A day of rest.” She extended her hand. “Deal.”

  He took her hand in his larger one and held it there. Warmth coursed through her body, the gesture simple but the heat of his softened eyes wielding an intense power.

  His hand slipped away, and she immediately missed his touch. Warning bells clanged inside her skull, a reminder about her real mission in Italy.

  Mamie debated for all of a split second then turned her back on all caution. She could do this! The trick was not allowing herself to become sidetracked by curiosity over a man she barely knew.

  Chapter 7

  Julian sat on a lawn area not far from where Beppe parked the bus. Marcello’s voice carried in the air as he spoke loudly in broken English to the group about his vineyard’s history while guiding them down a gravel path to the fields.

  On the way here, Julian announced to the others what had happened to Mamie. Everyone showed concern, especially Sandra. It never ceased to amaze him how fast strangers could bond.

  He picked a blade of grass and twirled it in his fingertips while replaying his conversation with Mamie. Although being her personal guide seemed like a great idea in the room, now uneasiness tugged at his gut. To fulfill his end of the bargain, he’d face physical feats that the old Julian would’ve embraced in a heartbeat. Not the hot air balloon ride, but the others wouldn’t have made him flinch. Now, though, all the items served as a reminder of paralysis that cost him his job.

  His parents embodied the word risk-takers. People who believed life was a game of chance. Once, the show’s producer suggested a hot air balloon ride for their show. Julian said no. Bravery, a facade he wore as Eddie, did have boundaries. The idea of stepping into one of those things was his kryptonite, easily stealing his courage. Courage he’d possessed before watching a man die...

  Shit! Where had his courage gone? Somewhere along the line, every morsel of his bravado disappeared. He tore the grass blade into tiny pieces and let them fall to the ground. Now a simple agreement with a pretty lady who wanted to do some ordinary, mild thrill-seeking activities caused him worry. Utterly ridiculous, yet, what if he panicked in front of her?

  Agony tore at his gut, proving one thing; he definitely wasn’t ready to return to the show. If he couldn’t stomach the idea of taking part in a novice sport like paragliding, he might never again face the more challenging stunts done on the program.

  Footsteps on the gravel driveway made him look up. Beppe returned from the restroom, shaking his head as he looked in the tour group’s direction. “Marcello, he sure loves showing the tourists his fat truffle hunters.”

  The group had stopped halfway down the path near two enormous pigs wandering in a field.

  Julian smiled. “He’s proud of his pigs. Did you know they believe pigs were used as far back as the Roman Empire to find truffles?”

  Beppe raised a brow. “I did not. See, I always say you got your father’s Irish looks and your mother’s Italian heart for this reason. Nobody else would care about that.” Beppe pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and took a deep drag. “Now I test you. Why are pigs so good at finding truffles?”

  “They went to Truffle Hunting University?”

  Beppe laughed. “Not even close. The male pig’s natural sex hormones are similar to the truffle scent.”

  “Now I can say I’ve heard it all. You should share that with the others on the way back to the hotel.”

  “You are the guide. Be my guest.” Beppe shoved one hand in the pocket of his khaki pants, his cigarette dangling from the other. “I’m going to walk around. My legs are stiff. Want to come?”

  “Go on. Maybe I’ll catch up in a bit.”

  Julian probably should’ve walked with his friend, but he wanted to be alone. Beppe strolled toward the rows of grapes running along the hillside, but Julian kept watching the industrious pigs while still thinking about what Beppe just shared. Aromas that attract. He smiled. Swine weren’t the only ones drawn to scents.

  While Julian sat close to Mamie on her bed earlier, the way she smoothed the citrus-scented lotion on her graceful arms made him want to reach out and help. Aw, hell. If she’d asked, he would’ve massaged her sore foot and even skipped the afternoon tour to keep her company. All in the name of learning what made her tick.

  Damned if she didn’t leave him far too eager to learn about her background. There was no doubt she hid something deep. It registered quite clearly on her face.

  For some strange reason, he’d easily offered her a piece of his past without much thought today. Being around her took an edge off him, encouraged him to think about something besides himself. She carried a quiet sensibility, tempered by a quick sense of humor and an oddly forced sense of adventure. And bravado quieter then the type he once possessed.

  Most of all, there was something he liked better about himself when he was around her. She mystified him. Exactly what past relationships lacked. Relationships he never took any further, other than one impulsive proposal.

  What had Mamie said? Maybe he took chances for the wrong reasons? What the hell did she mean?

  Risk taking came naturally to him. But when had risk become so...routine? He wasn’t like that as a child and yet a flip switched one day, causing his boldness to happen without thought. But when?

  Think. Think. Think.

  He stepped back in time and stopped at an obvious moment. Ah, yes. Right after his parents’ accident.

  At first, their loss owned him, choking him so tightly he wished he died with them. He’d never felt more alone in the world than in the days that followed, paralyzed with unimaginable fear. Every single time he shut his eyes, the death of his parents came to life. The parents he loved and admired, gone in a blink. A single, horrifying blink.

  Lesson learned. Love could disappear in an instant. He’d gone through the motions of living with his aunt in Michigan. But only when he began to hang out with kids who rode dirt bikes had something inside him turned on again. He gravitated to the confident, adventurous group of teens. Every afternoon he joined them at a quarry to practice dangerous stunts. Julian acquired a strange comfort in living dangerously.

  The thought numbed him even after all these years, but
it also struck him how logic back then told him he couldn’t possibly face anything more terrifying than what he’d already seen. Both love, life, and death had become surreal concepts, making it easy to pursue danger.

  A pair of magpies landed nearby, their odd chirp pulling Julian back to the vineyard setting. His chest ached. Convoluted and detached thinking had guided him in life and love. All because his heart got stuck in a moment of loss. And life, well, he lived it on the edge with no regard for his own safety because doing so was easier than caring.

  At least it was, until he witnessed Carlos slam into a bridge. The moment had ripped the seal secured around his heart.

  The loud engine of a tour bus pulling into the lot’s far side tore him from the powerful insights. He stood up and tried to shake off the discomfort inside of him by walking down the path to find Beppe.

  So he’d been living life the wrong way.

  And somehow an overeager tourist, with a wish list that seemed to mean everything in the world to her, loosened feelings that had pinned him down for ages. For that reason alone, doing everything she wanted might be a smart move. But he wasn’t ready to go paragliding or sail off in a hot air balloon. Or pretty much any of the things she had listed.

  So how would he balance the goal of ensuring her quest for adventure with his own insecurities?

  He considered the itinerary ahead, the places they’d visit and how it related to her list. Not even close to the types of things desired by the adventurous Mamie. Yet, the places they would go were beautiful, with a type of thrill she wasn’t thinking about.

  His parents had shown him that, always pointing out how beauty could be found in the simple observation of life.

  Their words returned to him this past year while working with the tour company. He enjoyed what he saw on the tours he guided. What if he tried to show Mamie there was more than one way to pursue excitement?

  The day after tomorrow they’d visit Lucca, one of his favorite towns in Tuscany. If he could just get her away from the group for a few hours....

  He picked up his phone and dialed.

  At the third ring, Fabrizio picked up. “Pronto.”

  “Ciao, buddy. It’s Julian.”

  “Hey, Jules! How are you?”

  “Good, good. This is last minute, but are you interested in doing a tour of Lucca two days from now?”

  “Happens to be my day off at the store. Same price as always?”

  Julian thought for a minute. “I’ll up it since this is a last-minute call.”

  “Then you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  Julian hung up. The more he thought about his plans, the more excitement brewed inside of him. He’d show Mamie how the beauty of Tuscany could come in many forms.

  * * * *

  Knock, knock, knock.

  Mamie tightened her bathrobe and opened the door. Sandra stood on the other side. Her silver pageboy hair looked freshly styled and she wore white slacks with a striped red and blue shirt. Very patriotic.

  “Oh good. You’re up.” Sandra smiled. “I didn’t want to knock on your door when we got back last night.” She held up a small brown bag. “I bought you something at the farm in Chianti.”

  “Thank you. You’re so sweet. Come on in.” Mamie moved aside as Sandra entered. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I wanted to.” Sandra glanced in the direction of a room service tray on the table not far from Mamie’s bed. “Oh, you’ve had breakfast?”

  “Yeah, I’m supposed to take it easy today. Doctor’s orders. How was Chianti?”

  “Beautiful. You know, Julian said there’s another vineyard near the villa where we’ll be staying next. Maybe you can visit one then.” She handed Mamie the bag. “We missed you.”

  “I missed you guys, too.” Warmth settled inside her heart over Sandra’s sweet gesture. She considered herself lucky to have found such nice people on this trip.

  “Well, open the bag,” Sandra said, her tone excited.

  Mamie pulled out a tissue-wrapped item and opened it to find a rooster corkscrew. “It’s so cute! Thank you.” She hugged Sandra. “I’ll think of you every time I use it.”

  “We learned that the rooster is a symbol of Tuscany. I’d tell you more but these days I can’t remember a damn thing. But I’m sure Julian knows. He seems to know everything.”

  He sure knew Mamie could have an accident on a scooter, but she hadn’t listened.

  “I’d better go. Bernie’s waiting for me to come down for breakfast. So I guess you’ll miss the trip to Volterra today?”

  “Julian would probably drag me off the bus if I tried to step on.”

  Sandra frowned and started toward the door. She reached for the knob, but paused before opening it. “On our bus ride to the vineyard, I could tell he was worried about you.”

  “Me?”

  Sandra furrowed her brows. “Yes, dear. He told all of us on the bus how you got hurt and...well, I could just tell.” She opened the door. “Rest up. I’ll stop by when we return and tell you about the sights.”

  “I’d like that.”

  Mamie shut the door. She walked over to the bed and sat with her back to the headboard, lifted her notebook off the duvet cover. Last night, she’d jotted down more notes about the tour. Today would be a perfect time to get proper spellings on where they’d been in San Gimignano.

  Several minutes into it, while revisiting the city on the Internet, her mind wandered to the cute store where she’d met Paolo. When he’d left in a hurry from the hotel lobby, he promised to call her later. At the time, she didn’t think much of it. Now, sitting here alone, she wondered if he meant what he’d said.

  She picked up her cell phone from the nightstand. No missed calls during her shower. Of course! At this early hour, he most likely slept after a late night at the restaurant. Maybe he’d call later.

  She tried to get back to her work, but restlessness possessed her. How could she sit here all day while Tuscany waited right outside her window?

  Rising from the bed, she walked to the window. The morning sun cast a spotlight on the countryside, each little pocket of buildings with terra-cotta roofs coming to life. People busied themselves outside their homes, some leaving in their cars, others watering flowers or tending to their gardens.

  She wanted to be out in the world, hearing Italian voices, enjoying the delicious food. Lunch at Paolo’s place left her taste buds begging for more of the simple, fresh ingredients. Having been served each dish by a good-looking man with a side plate of his charm didn’t hurt.

  Paolo might be nothing more than a vacation fling, but his attention awakened a desire in her for more than Tuscan food. The intent way he stared into her eyes when she talked made her feel as special as the food he hand delivered. His responses were always so alluring. Or was it the accent? No, the words he spoke made her feel alive.

  So would it be bad to call him instead of waiting for his call? This was a new millennium, where woman didn’t have to sit in the passenger seat and wait passively for things to happen in matters of romance. She lifted her cell phone and flipped through her call log for his number. As she did, an idea surfaced, unlike anything homebound Mamie would normally do. Yet the idea left her energized.

  She’d surprise Paolo with a visit. Even use the visit there to shop in a few of those cute clothing stores she’d had to pass by due to time. Why envy Tina’s style when she could improve on her own?

  The plans started to falter right away. How could she get there? Without a car, her options were limited. Trains, according to the travel sites online, were the best way to go anywhere in Italy, but that would involve walking once she got to her destination. But there had to be cabs or private cars around for hire.

  She went to the hotel phone on her nightstand and dialed zero.

  “Pronto.”

  “Buon
giorno. This is Mamie Weber. I wanted to get to San Gimignano this morning but don’t want to take a train. What are my options?”

  The front desk clerk provided prices for both cabs and private cars, but said a private car would wait until she wanted to come home. She asked him to check availability. Fifteen minutes later, he called saying they’d found one. The steep hourly rate didn’t deter her. This trip had been free so a little of her own cash on this extravagance didn’t matter.

  Mamie did her makeup and put on the only dress she’d brought along, a plain fuchsia sundress. A satisfied feeling settled over her. She’d just planned her own little adventure. So safe even Julian couldn’t complain about it. She considered the agreement they’d shook on yesterday afternoon. Julian had promised her adventure.

  Why, though?

  She sensed he needed something, but whatever his secrets, he kept them closely guarded. Maybe while they were together, she’d figure him out. Today, though, was about a different kind of quest.

  As she slipped on pearl drop earrings and flipped her hair into a bun, she admired herself in the mirror. For the first time in ages, she thought she looked pretty. Her skin glowed and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake the genuine smile.

  An hour later, she approached the walled city of San Gimignono in the back seat of a Mercedes sedan. After an hour of shopping for some new outfits, she gave the driver the restaurant address and he started the car. Her stomach knotted into a nervous mess. Would Paolo be happy to see her?

  As the driver pulled to a corner not far from the restaurant, she said, “Can you stay nearby? I’m surprising someone and I want to make sure they’re here.”

  She got out and went in the front entrance. Her eyes adjusted to the reduced lighting. Lunch service didn’t start for another half hour. Voices carried from the bar area, so she walked over.

  As she neared, a woman’s soft giggle caught her attention. “Paolo, you’re so sweet.”

  Mamie froze, close enough to see a blonde sitting on a tall stool with Paolo at her side, leaning close and playing with her hair. Her Southern accent gave her away as an American.