‘It’s incredible.’
He nodded. ‘The building dates back to the thirteenth century.’
‘I loved the story of Romeo and Juliet. I studied it for GCSE Literature and I read it about ten times.’
Joe turned to her. He roamed her face with his intense green gaze and Sophia’s heartbeat quickened. ‘So there is a romantic inside you then? I thought so.’
Sophia’s heart continued to flutter as they walked through a dark stone archway and gazed at the walls, which were covered in writing in many different languages as well as numerous drawings, the majority of which were tiny hearts. It led into a crowded courtyard. Tourists milled around, looking up and taking photographs. Sophia felt Joe’s hand tighten around hers and she moved closer to him so they couldn’t be accidentally forced apart.
The walls of the courtyard were covered in thick vines that spread across them like green and brown veins. There was an entrance to a gift shop and a few other doorways with one leading inside to a staircase.
‘This is amazing,’ Sophia said.
‘I know. Look, they’ve even got those old-fashioned wall sconces for torches. And there’s the famous balcony.’ He pointed upwards.
A shiver ran down Sophia’s spine as she looked up and goose bumps rose on her arms. It might not be the house of a real Juliet Capulet, it might just be a tourist attraction, but that didn’t matter. What did matter was that Shakespeare had written a tragic love story that had withstood the test of time. Even now, hundreds of years later, people still loved the story and flocked to Verona to celebrate it. Romeo and Juliet had a tragic ending, there was no doubt about that, but there was hope in their story. Hope that people could fall in love. Hope that families, no matter how long they’d been at odds, could reconcile. And hope that people, wherever they were from, whatever their age or gender, could be moved by literature and fall in love with a story.
‘What do you think?’ Joe asked, then he looked at her. ‘What’s wrong? Did I say something?’
Sophia shook her head. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m usually so stoic… I don’t let things get to me, you know? It’s something I perfected growing up.’ She sniffed. ‘It must be Italy working its ancient magic on me.’
‘Or perhaps you’re actually a complete romantic and you didn’t know it until now.’ He wiggled his eyebrows at her. ‘Will you go inside for me?’
‘With you?’
‘No. I’d like to take a photograph of you on the balcony.’
‘Oh you don’t want a photograph of me.’
‘I do. Please?’
‘I don’t know. I don’t really like photographs of me.’
‘I won’t show it to anyone.’
She sighed. ‘Promise?’
‘Just… I might post it on my blog if I write a post about Verona.’
‘You have a blog?’
‘Not yet, but I’m thinking about setting one up. Kind of a travel blog. I just thought it would give me a chance to use some of the photographs I take.’
‘Yikes! I don’t want to be on a blog.’ She shook her head.
‘Sophia.’ He gently cupped her cheek. ‘What are you worried about?’
She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to discuss this with him. He seemed to think she looked good – was beautiful, even – and he’d said nice things about her. What if she told him the truth and he suddenly saw her as she saw herself?
‘You’re a stunning woman and I’d love a picture of you on the balcony. Please… for me?’
‘All right.’ She couldn’t refuse him when he was being so sweet. And he wanted a photograph of her. Lee had only ever wanted selfies.
‘Go on then!’ He released her, then removed his lens cap and aimed it at the balcony. She headed for the open doorway that led to the steps. She turned back just before she entered and saw him fiddling with the extending lens, completely oblivious to the people surrounding him, as if nothing else existed, just him, there, in that moment.
Her whole body tingled. Joe was gorgeous, funny, bright and interesting. He wanted to get out there and do things, live life, not just sit there and play on social media like Lee did. And he actually wanted to do some of them with Sophia. He even wanted her to appear on his blog.
But he’s not your boyfriend. Not even close. It’s only a summer fling.
Whatever was happening here, she had to guard her heart and remain realistic.
She ascended the stairs, then followed the slow line of tourists to the room with the balcony. After waiting for what felt like years, she finally managed to get out there and she scanned the crowd below for Joe. He waved at her, then pointed the camera in her direction. She smiled, then leaned on the wall of the balcony and rested her chin on her hands. When he gestured okay with his finger and thumb, she gave him one more wave, then went back into the house and down to the courtyard.
‘See… That was fantastic. You’re a natural. Should have been a model.’
‘Hardly,’ she scoffed. ‘I’m about a foot too short.’
‘There are different types of models. You could have been a catalogue model or even…’ His eyes twinkled. ‘An art model.’
‘What, posing naked in front of strangers?’
‘I’d draw you.’
She punched his arm. ‘Cheeky!’
‘The human form is glorious. Just perhaps not when it’s streaked in fake tan.’
She laughed then. ‘Perhaps not. Or when it’s bruised.’
‘Your face has healed well. But I think I’ll feel guilty about that for ever.’
‘Don’t. I’m fine. You kissed it all better.’
‘It was the least I could do in the circumstances.’ His eyes twinkled. ‘Now… time to rub a boob.’
‘What? Here?’
‘Not yours!’
‘Oh.’ Was that disappointment she felt? ‘Then whose?’
‘Juliet’s, of course.’ He pointed at the far end of the courtyard where people were gathering.
They made their way through the crowd to the bronze statue of Juliet. Sophia watched as, one by one, tourists touched one of the statue’s breasts and posed for photographs.
‘What’s the point in that?’
‘It’s meant to bring good luck in love and good fortune.’
‘Are you going to touch it?’
‘I will if you will.’
‘You’re on.’
Sophia went up first and stood next to the statue. She felt many pairs of eyes searing into her and blushed as Joe raised the camera again. But there was no point in coming all this way if she was going to chicken out, so she raised her hand and covered the cold shiny breast. Just then, thunder boomed overhead and the courtyard darkened. An eerie silence fell over the location and the air seemed to crackle with tension. There was a flash of lightning directly above them then sheets of water suddenly lashed down into the courtyard as if someone had emptied a swimming pool over it.
Sophia squealed as cold water hit her shoulders, trickled down her back and into her knickers.
‘Sophia…’ Joe waved at her. ‘Come over here, now!’
She peeled her hand away from the statue and wiped it on her wet dress, then realized that even though she’d taken her hand off Juliet, people were still staring at her. A few of them were laughing and pointing and one or two were lifting phones that they sheltered under hands or jackets.
‘Sophia, your dress…’
She looked down and immediately crossed her arms over her chest. Her lovely new white maxi-dress had gone completely see-through in the rain and was clinging to her body, giving everyone currently staring at her an impromptu flashing.
Wearing a lacy bra was probably not my best choice of underwear…
‘What about you, Joe?’ she pushed out through chattering teeth. ‘You need a photo taken too.’ Sophia was reluctant to step away from the statue in case someone else jumped in and Joe would have to wait in line again for a turn. She turned her body sideways to pro
tect her modesty from prying eyes but, suddenly, Joe was there, covering her with something he’d pulled from the rucksack; his new shirt.
‘It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.’
‘It does matter. Let me take a picture of you.’
‘Quickly then. People are waiting, the camera’s getting wet and you’re soaking.’
He went and stood by the statue and Sophia snapped a few pictures. Then he took the camera back and tucked it into the rucksack on top of the shopping bags.
‘Let’s get into the gift shop.’ He took her arm and steered her into the dry.
‘They have towels.’ Sophia spotted the towels monogrammed with R&J.
‘Probably extortionately priced, but we’ll have to get you dry.’
Joe bought two then helped Sophia to dry her hair. She opened the shirt he’d given her to inspect the damage. Then realized that Joe had frozen. She looked up and found his eyes fixed on her.
‘Joe? What is it?’
‘Sorry! It’s just that… your dress is completely transparent now. And I’m…’
‘A man?’ She buttoned up the shirt he’d given her, realizing that no amount of towelling was going to dry her dress.
Something unfamiliar was coursing through her. She was usually quite shy and prone to hiding her body. She’d been in front of Joe in a bikini, of course, but now… the way he was looking gave her the impression that he thought she was absolutely gorgeous.
It felt so good to know she was desirable.
To have him desire her.
To feel desire in return…
‘Sorry.’ His cheeks reddened. ‘Like I said, you’re just stunning. And I wish there weren’t so many people around us right now…’
Sophia pressed her lips together to stop herself smiling. ‘Do you think we’ll have it now?’
He tilted his head and frowned. ‘Have what?’
‘You know… Good luck in love.’
‘Oh… I hope so.’
He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek and heat exploded inside her.
‘You had a raindrop there.’
‘Thanks. And I hope so too.’
‘Sorry?’
‘I hope we have luck in love. I think we deserve it.’
He nodded and a drop of water plopped onto his shoulder.
She gasped as he cupped her chin, then leaned forwards and pressed his mouth to hers. Desire shot to her core and she slid her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. As his tongue slipped between her lips and tangled with hers, she let go of her reservations, of the rules she’d lived by for so long and surrendered to the moment and the sensation.
So what if there were people around them? She didn’t know them and didn’t care. Right now, she was alive. Joe had that effect upon her. Their time together would be short so she would savour every moment, greedily, unfettered by social inhibitions.
When Joe gently pulled away, Sophia sighed. ‘We’d probably better get moving, hadn’t we?’
He nodded. ‘Standing in the middle of a shop while dripping onto their floor is not the way to make a good impression. Although if you kiss me like that again, I might not be able to control myself.’
Joe rolled the towels up, then tucked them into the straps at the bottom of the rucksack. ‘Come on then.’
She took his proffered hand and they went back into the courtyard then back through the graffiti-covered archway, the tunnel of hope and dreams. Out in the street, the rain had faded to a light drizzle and the sky was brighter.
The rain, her wet dress and being jostled by the crowds didn’t bother Sophia, because inside she was glowing. She was filled with hope, that perhaps she would be lucky enough to find true love, or at least to understand what it felt like, because whatever it was that she felt about Joe, it had to be pretty close to the real thing.
Chapter 18
The restaurant on the Piazza Bra was perfect. From its smartly dressed waiting staff with their uniform of black trousers and white shirts and their spotless white aprons, to the well-stocked bar featuring bottles of all shapes and colours and the round tables complete with flowers and candles in the centre, it was everything Sophia had imagined a five-star restaurant in Italy would be.
A grand piano sat in one corner where a pianist played a beautiful melody that made Sophia think again of tales of love and hope. The walls were panelled, adding to the warm atmosphere and chandeliers hung from the ceiling, catching the light from the candles and sending it shimmering across the wooden floor.
When the maître d’ pulled out a chair for Sophia, at the table he’d shown them to, she asked where the bathroom was, then hurried across the restaurant to try to salvage her outfit.
She pushed open the door and her mouth fell open. Everything in sight was marble, from the floor to the sink units to the sinks themselves. Huge mirrors were positioned above the sinks and on the other walls, giving the bathroom the appearance of endless space. She removed Joe’s new shirt then stood in front of the mirror and inspected the damage. Her dress had started to dry and just small darker patches indicated where it was still damp. A quick look around showed her that there was one of those automatic hand driers with a rotating funnel, so she went to it and stood under the heat, turning round every so often to dry other areas. When she was satisfied that she was dry enough, she let her hair down, then dried that too.
Back at the mirror, she had to smile at her reflection. The heat from the drier had made her cheeks glow and her frizzy hair made her resemble an eighties pop star. So she got her brush out of her handbag and ran it through her hair until it lay neater, then she pulled out her lipgloss and slicked some on. The crinkle material of the dress meant that even though it had been wet, it still looked okay now it was dry, and her charms were no longer on display. She quickly used the toilet then headed back to their table.
‘Here you go. And thank you.’ She handed Joe the shirt, which he tucked back into the rucksack.
‘You dried out okay, then?’
‘Thankfully! Not sure I look like I did this morning, but at least I’m a bit tidier than I was twenty minutes ago.’
‘You look as lovely as you did this morning. Although I have to say I think I liked the dress even more after you were caught in the rain.’
Sophia held his gaze and watched as his pupils dilated. She felt as if he were drinking her in.
‘Sorry,’ he said, lowering his eyes and straightening out the lay of the cutlery. ‘I just can’t help myself around you.’
‘I like the things you say to me. No one’s ever spoken to me like that before. You make me feel… desirable.’
‘I do?’
She nodded.
‘Right, I really should try to think about something else…’ He fanned his cheeks. ‘Perhaps a walk will help. So while you peruse the menu, I’m going to visit the bathroom to cool off and get dry.’
‘The ladies is like a palace.’
‘It’s a very swanky place, isn’t it?’
‘Definitely.’
Sophia watched Joe walk away, then she began to read through the menu. But five minutes later, when Joe returned, looking much drier himself, she still hadn’t decided what to have.
‘That’s better. I was able to rotate the drier to get at my back.’
‘Me too.’
‘I didn’t have a comb though.’ He ran a hand through his hair and it rippled between his fingers then stuck out in several directions.
‘I like the messy look on you. It’s very handsome.’
‘I see. Perhaps I should keep it like this all the time then. Have you decided what to have?’
‘No. There’s so much choice and it’s all making my mouth water.’
‘How about we order a few different dishes, then we can share them?’
‘That sounds like a great idea.’
They went through the menu together and narrowed it down to two starters and three mains because Joe said he was extra hungry and could easily manage two
dinners, then ordered a bottle of Valpolicella to go on with. When the wine arrived and Joe tasted it, then ensured that Sophia did too to make sure she approved, Sophia was bowled over by his consideration. Never before had she been treated so well, with so much kindness and respect. Being with someone as thoughtful as Joe was a whole new experience for her. It was like growing up and relearning all over again how good spending time with a man could be. Although she knew that this wasn’t going anywhere, a fact that she had to try more and more not to dwell on, she couldn’t help but wish she had more than a summer to enjoy with Joe. He was making her appreciate exactly how bad things with Lee had been, and how much of a fool she was for putting up with it for so long.
Joe’s phone started buzzing where it lay on the table and he lifted it. His face changed and an expression Sophia recognised from when she’d bumped into him at the harbour appeared. It was one of grave concern and it didn’t suit his handsome face at all.
‘I’d better take this,’ he said as he swiped his thumb over the screen. ‘Hold on, I’m just going somewhere quieter.’ He covered the mouthpiece. ‘Sophia, I won’t be long.’
Sophia slumped back on her chair as Joe went out onto the square. The lovely warm feeling she’d been enjoying wavered. Here she was, thinking how wonderful Joe was when she didn’t really know very much about him at all. She didn’t know who his family were or whether his parents were still alive, if he had siblings or what he liked and didn’t like. Yet… she felt that she knew him. That there was a connection between them that her rational mind couldn’t explain, no matter how hard she tried to work it out.
*
Joe returned after about five minutes, red-faced and looking a bit shaken.
‘Everything all right?’ Sophia asked, concern turning her stomach as she took in his appearance.
‘What? Oh… yes. Fine thanks.’
‘Really?’
He nodded, then stuffed his phone back into his pocket. ‘Yes, don’t worry now!’
Sophia tensed at the abruptness of his tone.
Joe rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just… families. You know.’
Love at the Italian Lake Page 16