“Yes, two please.”
“Two cappuccinos coming up.”
Maria P. gets her small frame off the stool and wobbles a few steps to prepare the drinks. Once done, she wobbles back to the register to bring the drinks to Rosa and Adriano. Maria P. knows Rosa’s family very well and knows that Rosa is on a tight budget. She’ll occasionally tell her, it’s on the house. A proud Rosa always insists on leaving a tip behind even when Maria P. says not to.
“On the house today, to honor our out-of-town guest,” says Maria P.
“Thank you,” says Adriano.
Rosa just smiles at Maria P. and gives her a wink. Adriano takes the drinks and Rosa guides him to a table for two in the far corner of the shop.
“What brings you here?” asks Rosa.
“I wasn’t sure, but I know now it is to meet you. There’s no other explanation.”
Rosa blushes.
“Your cheeks match your hair,” says Adriano.
“That’s a sweet thing to say.”
“Has anyone ever called you Rossi?”
“No, why would they?”
“Where I live, it means someone with red hair.”
Rosa begins to stroke her hair, which comes down to just beyond her shoulders.
“Oh, really? My hair is a scarlet color; it runs in the family. Down here, it’s Russo and it has the same meaning. I’ve heard someone call my father that several times.”
“That sounds like a name for a male,” says Adriano “Rossi sounds softer. It may become my nickname for you as our friendship grows, since by no means is anything manly about you.” Adriano laughs.
“Why thank you, Mr..?’
“De Luca.”
“Nice name.”
“And your name is?”
She answers, “Battista. How long are you going to be in the area?”
“No timetable.”
“No wife or girlfriend to get back to?”
“No, there isn’t anyone special back home. I’m very single. Yourself?”
“No, not at all, I’m single as well. Are you really sure that you’re single?”
“Yes, I’m very single, why do you ask?”
“I found it interesting that you were browsing in a woman’s boutique.”
Adriano was so focused on thinking of what to say to Rosa that he never noticed that he was in a woman’s store.
The embarrassed Adriano says, “I feel foolish,” while laughing at himself. Rosa joins him in laughing at his obvious missed observation.
Rosa studies Adriano’s eyes for the answer to her question. She learned from her father that if a person shifts his or her eyes or looks away when answering, there’s a good chance that he or she is lying. If the person can reply while looking you directing in the eyes, he or she is probably telling you the truth. Adriano’s brown eyes stay locked in with Rosa’s green eyes. She feels that he’s being truthful when he says that he doesn’t have a girlfriend.
“You mentioned your father; do you have a close family?”
“Yes, we are. We don’t have much but we’re rich with love.”
“That sounds wonderful,” says Adriano. “My family is tight, as well; however, my mother wants her son to remain a little boy. Tonight, I have no plans; would you like to join me for dinner?”
“Being that you’re from out of town and unfamiliar with the area,” says Rosa, “it would be rude for me to say no. Yes, I’ll join you.”
“Great. When should I pick you up?”
“What hotel are you in?”
“The one on Corsa Alcide De Gasperu, a few blocks from here,” he says.
“I know of a restaurant next door. I will meet you there at 6.”
“That sounds good.”
When they both stand up from the table, Rosa leaves the equivalent of three dollars for their drinks despite Maria P.’s wishes. Once Rosa turns her back to him, Adriano leaves a twenty on the table as well.
Rosa blows a kiss to the Marias and they wave goodbye.
“The cappuccino was delicious, thank you,” says Adriano.
“You’re welcome, come again,” says Maria P.
“So I’ll see you at six?”
“I’ll be there at six,” Rosa says.
“Ciao.”
“Ciao.”
Rosa turns away from Adriano to make her way home, while he doesn’t make a move from the entrance of the coffee shop. Adriano soaks in every step that Rosa takes. The sunlight radiates perfectly off her red hair that bounces left-to-right with every step she takes.
He thinks to himself, If she looks back, she’s interested. Oh God, please let her look back!
She thinks to herself, If he’s watching the entire time as I walk away, he just may really like me. But I shouldn’t look back, it’ll make me look desperate. Yes, no, well, I guess a peek wouldn’t hurt.
She looks back. Thank you, Virgin Mary! he thinks and waves at Rosa with a goofy grin that she can’t see because of the distance between them. Rosa returns the wave before turning her head back into the direction she is walking. Rosa grins and thinks, I guess there’s no doubt he likes me.
• • •
That evening, Adriano arrives at the restaurant next to his hotel at 5:50 p.m. He’s great about his choice for what outfit to wear. He’s come to admire the look of Don Johnson on the show Miami Vice. He has on a pair of grey baggy pleated slacks, black loafers, a royal blue sports coat with a black shirt underneath. He thinks to himself what his father would probably say, You look good, but get a haircut! Poppa De Luca hates Adriano’s look that’s similar to the romance novel’s poster boy Fabio’s. Poppa doesn’t feel that it’s a good look for a businessman. Being six-foot-two, Adriano could easily fill in for Fabio with his handsome looks. Tonight, he decides to tie his hair up behind him instead of having his locks flow; he figures that it’ll give Rosa a different view of him from the earlier look she saw.
He orders himself a Negroni cocktail; it’s a popular pre-dinner drink that his father enjoys often. Like father, like son.
It’s now 6:25 p.m., with no sign of Rosa. Adriano is finishing up his second Negroni, and isn’t in the mood for dinner now. He’s very disappointed that he’s been stood-up; it’s unfamiliar territory for him. Most woman are desperate for a date with him. He’s never experienced a woman who wasn’t either early or right on time for a date with him.
Feeling dejected, he pays his tab. While doing so, he looks out the window of the restaurant and then sees walking toward him the closest thing to perfection that God’s created. The eyes of every male and female in view are fixated on Rosa. She walks into the restaurant wearing an emerald green sleeveless dress that goes down to just below her knees. Her olive complexion, dress and hair are flawless.
“Hi, Adriano. So sorry I’m late.”
Adriano is in a trance. He can’t hear a word that Rosa is saying to him, even though she’s only standing arm’s length away from him. She snaps her fingers in front of his face.
“Adriano, Adriano, hello?”
He finally snaps out of it. “Oh, yes.”
“I said that I apologize for being late.”
He pulls out her chair for her, and then he takes his seat.
“Apology accepted,” Adriano says. “To be honest, I was about to leave. I’m grateful that I was patient. You’re breathtakingly beautiful!”
Rosa blushes and smiles again. “Why, thank you.”
“The room was in a hush as you walked into the door.”
“Oh my God, will you stop it?”
“I’m serious! If you were across a room that’s filled, I could spot you easily. I could even cover one eye with a hand, have a piece of hair in my other eye and I could still spot you in a crowded room. You’re amazingly beautiful!”
“Adriano, y
ou are so silly, but cute.”
“I love your dress.”
“Thank you, my grandmother made it for me a couple of years ago; however, I never had a reason or place to wear it.”
“I’m honored to be the reason for you to wear it.”
“You look very handsome.”
“Thank you, I try to look my best.”
An older couple walks over to their table.
The woman says, “Rosa, Rosa Battista? Child, I almost didn’t recognize you. You’ve turned out to be a beautiful young lady.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Modugno. Hi, Mr. Modugno. This is my friend, Adriano De Luca; he’s from out of town, visiting.”
Adriano stands up to shake their hands, “Piacere,” he says.
“Are you a De Luca from the family in Milan?” asks Mr. Modugno.
It catches Rosa off guard that they may know him. Adriano, too, feels awkward. Up to that point he’s been a nobody in everyone’s eyes, which is exactly how he wants it. He isn’t ready to share that kind of information with Rosa yet.
“Yes, sir, I am.”
Mr. Modugno whispers something into his wife’s ear, which causes her to smile.
Mr. Modugno says, “You have a fine family, young man. I’ve heard of your father. Have a wonderful evening.”
The couple says goodnight and as they turn to leave, Mrs. Modugno winks at Rosa so that Adriano can’t see and pats her on the shoulder on her way out.
“What was that all about? They appear to know something about you. So just who are you?”
Adriano takes a deep breath. He knows that he must fully explain more about himself to this woman whom he’s come to adore.
“I wasn’t trying to be deceitful; I wanted to be sure about you. I know now that you’re a pure person.”
“Well, go on, Mr. De Luca.”
“You’re not going to make it easy, are you?” says Adriano, trying to make light of the situation. Rosa doesn’t crack a hint of a smile; she stares at him. Rosa stares at Adriano’s brown eyes to see if she could catch any shifty movements. If Adriano looks under the table, he would see Rosa kicking her crossed leg. Most men know that when a woman does that, she means business. She’s not upset, but wants to try to figure out who this new friend really is.
“My full name is Adriano Frances De Luca. I’m from Milan. I’m 25 years old. My family owns the top wine-making and distribution companies in Europe. In this very restaurant, I can see from here my family’s product being served at the bar. In your family’s cabinet, you’ll probably find our wine. Have you ever heard of ‘Buona Sera, Buongiorno?’”
“Good night, Good morning is made by your family?” Rosa asks with a shocked expression. “I had some just last night.”
“Yes, it’s one of our most popular brands. It’s one of our inexpensive brands. We have other brands that are on the high end.”
Adriano and Rosa stare at each other briefly without either saying a word. The restaurant is very busy; they don’t even notice. They feel like they’re the only two people in the room. Rosa soaks in every word falling from Adriano’s lips and waits in anticipation for the next set of words to come out.
“It’s hard to trust people who are aware of who I am, because usually they end up wanting something from me rather than getting to know who I am as a person. I have no wife or girlfriend at this present time. Any questions? I’m an open book.”
Adriano is actually relieved to share who he is. At no time did Adriano’s eyes wander away from Rosa’s green eyes.
Rosa, however, says, “I suddenly feel very uncomfortable being here.”
“Why would you feel that way?” asks Adriano, confused.
Embarrassed, Rosa says, “I’m a poor 23-year-old with limited education, a chambermaid for a hotel, living in Bari. I have nothing that I could offer you. I have pride; I probably wouldn’t have said yes to this date or shown up if I knew all this.”
Adriano reaches across the table to grab and hold her hand, and smiles at her.
“You have proven to me that you are a genuine woman, which to me is extremely valuable. That is what you offer me; to me that’s priceless. You came out to get to know me, not my bank account.”
Rosa squeezes Adriano’s hand in return as she looks at it. She returns a smile. “I feel a little better now.”
“Shall we eat? Rossi?” She giggles at his pet name for her, and says yes.
From that moment on, Adriano and Rosa spend as much time as they can together. They officially become a committed couple by his second visit to Bari; he flies to southern Italy as frequently as possible.
• • •
Five months into the relationship, Adriano plots a surprise visit. In the pre-dawn hours, Adriano goes to Rosa’s job to speak with her supervisor. He asks what rooms Rosa will be assigned to and which ones have yet to be occupied. Adriano pays for one of those rooms, and also pays the supervisor handsomely for his service and silence.
Later that afternoon, Rosa is tired and ready to begin cleaning the fourth room of the day. From his rental car in the parking lot, Adriano is watching Rosa push her cart on the second floor balcony. He thinks to himself that though she probably thinks she looks a mess, she couldn’t look more beautiful. It turns him on that here they are, five months into their relationship, and not once has she asked for one penny, even though she knows that he’s extremely wealthy. He’s excited that she’s finally reached the room that he’s reserved. She knocks on the door of room 217.
“Housekeeping.”
She gets no answer. She looks at her chart to confirm that it has been occupied. She pulls out her keys to open the door for cleaning, again saying, “Housekeeping.”
She opens the door to a clean, unoccupied room. She sees a dozen red and pink balloons weighted down by a bouquet of red roses on the room’s bed. She nearly walks out of the room thinking that it is still occupied, but then she happens to notice a message on one of the balloons stating, “Rossi, pop me!” This 13th balloon is unlike the others; it is clear and larger with bold black letters. Rosa walks into the room and the door closes behind her. Adriano is laughing in the car. Rosa has her hands on her hips, and smiles. She thinks to herself, when on earth did Adriano do this?
She pulls out a hairpin, which allows her hair to freely drop down. She pops the balloon as directed; out spills small numbered notes onto the bed. She sits on the bed and, in order, reads every note.
“Allow me to begin your seduction.” “I’ve missed you.” “I hope you missed me.” “I can’t stop thinking about you.” “A day doesn’t go by when I don’t desire to hear your voice.” “When I close my eyes, I see your sexy smile.” “I want to breathe the same air that you breathe.” “Will you see me tonight?” “Can I see you sooner than tonight?” “If yes, please open the door.”
Rosa’s eyes well up. She goes to the door to open it and Adriano is waiting for her. They embrace and passionately kiss.
“I have something for you,” he says.
Rosa can’t contain her happiness; she’s smiling from ear to ear.
“Are you serious? What is it?”
Adriano pulls a small box from his pocket and hands it to her. She opens it up and inside is a gold necklace with a small key medallion. Adriano takes the necklace out of Rosa’s hand and walks behind her. She lifts her hair up for him, then turns to face him.
“Rossi, this is the official key to my heart around your neck. I hope that you’ll accept it as your own.”
“Of course I will.”
“Move to Milan? I want to spend more time with you and plan for a future.”
“That sounds sweet, but I can’t right now. My family needs me here.”
“I need you, Rossi.”
With her right hand, she grips his chin and gives him a peck on the lips. “I need you as well, but I need pat
ience from you. If I promise to visit often would that help?”
“Yes, it would. Having you in Milan would be great. Here’s a spare key to my apartment that I had planned to give you if you agreed to move up north. Take it now so that you can come and go as you please.”
Milan
A few weeks later, Rosa makes her first trip to Milan. Since Rosa has never traveled, Adriano makes her feel comfortable by flying down to her so that they can fly up north together.
Rosa is amazed at how beautiful Milan is. The afternoon sky is picture perfect. She is grateful she gave the nervous guy in the boutique shop an opportunity to get to know her. She’d almost walked away from her soul-mate.
They pull up to the De Luca mansion. His parents aren’t aware that Adriano is dating anyone. Before he and Rosa get out of the car, he gives Rosa some information that she should be aware of concerning his parents.
He starts by saying, “I adore your mother and father; they’re great people that I respect.”
“They adore you as well.”
“My father is a lot like your parents. He’s a down-to-earth gentleman. However, my mother is a handful. I told you a while back that she’s tough, so be prepared.”
“She can’t be that bad, I’m a big girl. I’ll be okay.”
They both get out of the car and walk up to the doors of the mansion. Several servants greet Adriano one-by-one.
“Are my parents in?”
“Yes, they are, sir,” a servant replies.
“Please ask them to meet me in my office please.”
“Very well, sir.”
Once Adriano and Rosa arrive in his home office, Rosa asks, “Just how many rooms are in this place?”
“I’m not sure, maybe twenty to twenty-five.”
Rosa’s mouth is wide open with amazement. “We have four in my home.”
“Your parents’ home isn’t as big as my parents’; however, it’s just as nice.”
Mr. and Mrs. De Luca arrive at Adriano’s office. Momma De Luca is caught off guard that Adriano has brought a guest into her home. Right away, she can tell that this female guest isn’t someone that she wants here. Momma De Luca gives her son a hug; however, she doesn’t take her eyes off Rosa for one second.
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