A Villa in Sicily: Figs and a Cadaver

by Fiona Grace

  She hardly noticed Mason behind her until he said, “You’re really going to go out with that guy? Looks like a loser.”

  The tone of his voice was one of disapproval.

  “I don’t know,” she said dreamily, as Mason’s words fully registered in her head. She whirled to face him. If G was the ray of sunshine, Mason was the storm cloud. “No, he’s not. He owns his own restaurant.”

  Mason snorted.

  “It’s better than being some entitled trust fund kid,” she said. “Besides, why is it any of your business?”

  He shrugged, ambivalent. “It’s not. But you should. If that’s what you’re into.”

  “Maybe I will,” she said, craning her neck to look out the door, but by then, G had already gone. “When I can find the time.”

  She scanned the mess around her, which looked nothing like a vet center at all, and sighed.

  Which is probably… oh, just about… never.

  CHAPTER THREE

  As Audrey finished hanging the temporary sign on the front door—Mussomeli Veterinaria, Dott. Audrey Smart, Opening Soon!—she smiled. She’d constantly debated whether Sicily was a smart move, and she’d thought a million times about moving back to Boston. But this? This was a major step toward putting down permanent roots and making Mussomeli her actual residence. Soon, she’d have a permanent sign up, and she’d feel more like a long-term fixture in this town.

  She was nervous, but it felt like the right step.

  “It’s crooked,” Mason said to her, chewing on an apple, then tossing the core in the dumpster on the curb.

  She scowled at him. “Thanks, Mr. Ray of Sunshine.”

  “What do you need, boss?”

  “Just a few more things. I made a list inside. There’s some heavy furniture I need help moving, and a couple of storage cabinets that should be nailed down, but I think we’re almost done. I’m ready to greet my first customers.”

  She followed him inside to the reception desk. He set his toolbox down on it and looked around. “I gotta say, I did good. Never thought this place would shape up like it did.”

  “Yeah. Next time, you should charge for your services.”

  “You’re funny.”

  It was rather nice. Once they got the sunny terra-cotta-colored paint on the walls and the laminate wood flooring in, it’d come along, and looked homey and welcoming. The furniture was almost in place, and the reception area was clean and white, with modern fixtures, almost like what she’d dreamed of. Sure, it needed some finishing touches, but she planned to add those later.

  Audrey smiled proudly, too happy to even bother reminding him that she’d done a lot of it. Besides, he’d done her a solid, offering a lot of free labor. He deserved to have that ego of his stroked a little. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “True. You’re lucky that witch of councilwoman spoiled my plans and put me at your complete disposal.”

  “Oh, right. Any word on that?”

  He exhaled. “Not yet. I tried to call her office in city hall to smooth things over, give her a little bit of the Mason charm, but she hung up on me. Can you believe that? The witch.” Clearly, he couldn’t believe it, probably because he was so used to women hanging on his every word, so she shook her head. “Anyway, I’m still in a holding pattern. So when does the staff come in for training?”

  Her smile faded. “Staff?”

  “You do have staff, right? Like a receptionist? I mean, because you don’t even speak the language, so I’d have to imagine it’d be pretty dang hard for you to …”

  Her mouth fell.

  “So that’s a no, then?” He winced for her.

  God. She needed one of those. Big time. Maybe she didn’t need vet techs right away, but she’d at least need a right hand to translate. If only she could learn a little more Italian. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel so lost. She’d gotten the hang of a few phrases, but it’d be better if she had someone in the practice who spoke …

  “Um …” She wanted to kick herself. Of course, a vet didn’t work alone. “Well, I—”

  “You seriously didn’t hire anyone to help you?”

  She slumped over the receptionist desk. “No! God, how could I forget them? They were the glue holding the whole practice together, where I used to work! I’m toast!” She moaned, straightening immediately. “Wait. Maybe Falco has?”

  Mason snorted. “Falco, the guy who gave you the key to this place and then ran off, never to be seen again? That guy’s about as useless as the T in pinot grigio.”

  He was kind of right. Other than checking in every once in a while and telling them where they could get various items they needed, he hadn’t really been a man of action. That meant, likely not. Could she deal with all of Mussomeli’s strays by herself?

  No. No, of course not.

  But she knew someone who could help her.

  She grabbed her purse from behind the reception desk. “Can you do this list alone?”

  He glanced at it. “Yeah. But… what are you gettin’ in that crazy head of yours, girl?”

  “Tell you later. I’ll be back in a little bit. I have an idea.”

  She rushed outside before he had a chance to protest and hurried to G’s place. It was just before the lunch rush when she went inside his little café and slipped onto a stool at the bar. He was busy preparing a dish and didn’t see her until he delivered a pasta dish to another customer. “Hey! Principessa!”

  “Hi!” She waved, smiling. His easygoing humor would be just the thing to calm her nerves.

  She was about to order her favorite, the ciambotta, because there was no better comfort food than that vegetable stew and a hunk of crusty bread. But he held up a finger, then put a pasta dish in front of her. “Pasta e fagioli.”

  She inhaled deeply. “How do you say wizard in Italian? Because that’s what you are!”

  He laughed and pointed to the other customer, a man with a goatee and a NY Jets ball cap. Another American expat, drawn to Sicily by the one-dollar home deal. “Meet Bruno. He’s from New York. You two are neighbors, yes?”

  Audrey waved at the guy, who was built strong and refrigerator-like, like a football lineman. She had a hard time imagining someone his size fitting in some of the homes around here, since most of them had low doorways and smaller rooms, made for when people were a lot less substantial in stature. “Hi. I’m Audrey. From Boston. Where did you buy?” she asked.

  “No, I haven’t bought just yet. I’m here on vacation. Just testing the waters, so to speak,” he said. “But if I like it, my girlfriend and I are going to move here and start over. We’re both self-employed, so we can really work anywhere.”

  “That’s great. That would be ideal. I’m a vet, so I’m setting up a practice in the area. It’s a lot of work in addition to the house renovation.”

  “I bet.” He’d been shoving an entire meatball into his mouth, and said what sounded like, “What’s your house like?” but she couldn’t be entirely sure because it came out as more of a grunt and a raised eyebrow.

  “I moved into the house on Piazza Tre about a month ago. You’re smart. I bought my place sight unseen.”

  The man raised an eyebrow. “No kidding?”

  “Nope.” She was proud of the fact, now, even though when she’d first taken it on, it’d felt a little like certain death. Whenever she began sharing war stories with the other ex-pats, it made hers a lot more interesting by comparison.

  It got the desired effect. Bruno eyed her with admiration. “Wow. And you moved out here all by yourself? That takes guts.”

  Audrey laughed. “Or insanity. Or a little of both.”

  “And? How was it?”

  “Oh, it’s been a rollercoaster. But I guess that’s kind of what you expect when you do something like this. I love it here, though. It took some getting used to, since I don’t speak the language, but it’s definitely growing on me.”

  He seemed excited to hear that. “This is all my girl’s idea, really
. She’s been out here, visiting family in Palermo before. That’s where she got the idea. My girlfriend speaks Italian fluently. I’m a different story, but I took a few classes at a community college before we started getting serious about this, so I know a few helpful phrases.”

  “That’s great. That’ll be so helpful. You’ll probably love it.”

  “Yeah, well, if we’re going to move out here, we want to get married before we do. So we’re on a two-year plan. I still have to propose. She’s got a lot of family. A lot of family. And if you ever hear of a New York wedding, you know they don’t come cheap.”

  She smiled. “Yeah. Weddings rarely do!”

  He checked his watch and threw a few euros down at his place setting as he struggled to pull his body out from under the counter. “Nice talking to you, Audrey, but I’ve got to meet with my Realtor. He’s going to show me a couple properties on the south side. Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck, Bruno. Nice meeting you. Hope you propose to that girlfriend of yours and join us in the insanity, too!” She waved at him, watched him leave, and then hunched over her plate, practically inhaling her pasta. It was delicious, just the right amount of heat and flavoring, like almost everything G made her. Any girl who dated G would probably end up the size of a whale.

  “So what is the latest?” G asked, leaning toward her on the counter. “The vet place open for business yet?”

  “Almost. Couple days. Just waiting on the last permit.”

  “Ah. I am going to be your best advertiser. I’m going to tell everyone I know to bring their pets to the best vet in the area.”

  “The only vet, you mean. And I will tell all my patients’ owners about your café. Do you have pets?”

  He laughed. “No, just goldfish. Ha ha. That’s all.”

  “Oh. You’re so nice. I’m a little nervous, and that’s why I stopped by. I’m hoping you can help me.”

  “Anything for you,” he said in his deep voice that made her heart melt.

  “I just realized I’m probably going to have to hire help. A receptionist or something. I need someone who speaks Italian. Are you going to come to my Grand Opening?”

  He patted his chest. “Me? Wouldn’t miss it.”

  She sighed with relief. One friendly face would be nice. And maybe he could help serve as translator. “Thank you.” She yawned.

  “You look tired,” he observed.

  “Yep. No sleep will do that to a person. I need a vacation and I’m not even in business yet.”

  He laughed. “I go away tomorrow. To Catania, for the day. A delivery I make. Would you like to come with me?”

  “Catania? That’s in the east, right? Mount Etna, the volcano?”

  He nodded. “We see the sights. I show you. Si?”

  The idea itself was an amazing one. Like a dream. Since arriving in Mussomeli, she hadn’t left the town proper at all. Part of her dream of being in Sicily was exploring this beautiful land, and yet she hadn’t done much of that at all. Most of the exploring she’d done had been while renovating the two properties.

  “Well, I don’t think so. I still have a ton to do, but …” She thought of what Brina would say. Brina would’ve shoved her into his arms with both hands. Not that it was a date or anything. G was just being friendly to her. “I need to find a receptionist. If you know of anyone …”

  “No. I will be your receptionist, if you need me! You know me, I know everyone in town. I’d love it. Temporary. Until you find someone else, of course.”

  “Really? Well…” Out of excuses, she shrugged. “All right. Sounds great. Can’t wait.”

  “Good. I come at nine and pick you up.”

  She smiled, doing her best to push all thoughts of the business away. Mussomeli had survived all these years without a veterinarian. It could survive one day more.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Audrey rolled over in bed when she heard a knocking on the door.

  She covered her head with a pillow and tried to drown out the sound.

  When it clearly wouldn’t go away, she sat up and looked at her phone.

  It was precisely nine o’clock.

  She jumped out of bed and peered through a crack in the shutters at the small white car pulled up in front of her house.

  Outside, G was knocking, a single red rose in his hand.

  So this was a date? Brina would be thrilled.

  She sighed in awe, then realized she was in no condition to go on any date, with her hair a rat’s nest and drool all over her face. Luckily, she’d spent last night trying to figure out what to wear. She’d been wavering between a sundress—romantic, in case it was a date, and a denim skirt and low boots—in case it was more of a friendly sightseeing thing where she’d need to be more active. She still wasn’t quite sure, and she wasn’t really sure what she wanted it to be either. Both outfits were hanging from the door, waiting for her to make the final decision.

  She grabbed a robe, and pulling it tightly around her body, she opened the door, gnawing on her lip. “Uh, hi, G. You’re early!”

  His eyes danced with amusement over her state of undress. “I said nine, no?”

  “Well, everyone’s always so late in Italy, I just assumed you would—”

  He shrugged. “No matter. You finish. I wait.”

  “Are you sure? I’m not going to make you late for your delivery?”

  “No, no. I’m happy to make him wait for such a beautiful reason.” His eyes drifted over her. He smiled, not in a creepy way, but it made her whole body blush, nonetheless, something likely very evident from her lack of attire.

  She let him in and brought him up a couple of stairs, to the big living area she liked to call the ballroom. Even though it wasn’t all that huge, it was certainly bigger than most of the rooms in these smaller homes. “Thank you. I’ll only be a minute.”

  He looked silly, a big, tattooed man, falling into the dainty and feminine damask chaise in the room. “Take your time. This is a nice room, cara.”

  “Thanks. Haven’t fixed that one up yet, though.” As she rushed upstairs and got herself ready, she told him a little about the supposed history of the place, and how a Sicilian noblewoman had used the place for her illicit affairs with a baron many centuries ago.

  She threw on the sundress and sandals, shook out her hair, applied lip gloss, and met him downstairs. He eyed her with appreciation. “Gorgeous, Principessa. You look wonderful.”

  He was the perfect gentleman, leading her out to his car, settling her in the passenger seat before going on ahead to his own side. They chatted and flirted the whole way there, and as she expected, despite the cultural differences, he put her right at ease. He explained different points of interest and the history behind certain places, adding his own flair: “This is the village where my mother grew up,” and “My father and I used to fly kites in this field.” It made the two-hour drive seem like mere minutes.

  As usual, he was very charming. But she wasn’t sure if his interest was a romantic one, or if he was simply being friendly. The culture gap was one Audrey couldn’t seem to grasp. He was so nice and touchy-feely with just about everyone. Maybe this was nothing special.

  Before long, the sprawling, snow-capped peak of Mt. Etna loomed in the distance, its top disappearing beneath some hazy gray clouds. “Wow,” she said, enjoying the view while taking in deep breaths of fresh, cool air from the open window. It was invigorating, inspiring.

  This was exactly what she’d come to Sicily for.

  Yes, she knew that she’d have to deal with setbacks and difficulties with the renovations, but she also knew those were temporary, and the reward afterward would be lasting. This felt like a taste of that reward. She’d told herself that if only she could be done with all the work… then she could finally live.

  But there was nothing wrong with living right now. She needed to remind herself of that.

  And having G as a boyfriend… that wouldn’t be terrible. In fact, having a Sicilian boyfriend would proba
bly make her transformation to a real Sicilian woman complete.

  “What are you thinking, cara?” he said, snaking his hand over the gearshift and taking hold of hers. He squeezed it gently.

  She smiled. “Just that this is great. Everything is so beautiful. And I think it might just make me never want to go back.”

  They parked at a side street in the center of the city, which G explained was the second largest in Sicily, and climbed the hilly cobbled street toward the bustling center of town. The sea air was cool, but not chilly, and smelled fresh and clean. Audrey smiled as they walked past a gelato shop with a cute little polka-dotted awning.

  They stopped at an outdoor café for lunch, deciding to sit at a bistro table under a black-and-white-striped umbrella.

  As they sat down, G pulling out the chair for her, making it scrape along the cobblestone street, she said, “What about your delivery?”

  He gave her a sheepish look. “Ah, I make that part up. I make this trip for you. To get you out to enjoy the sun. Pretty thing like you should not be hiding away.”

  “Really?” She giggled. She spread the napkin out on her lap and looked around at the gorgeous architecture. The air smelled like the sea, and it was a perfect seventy degrees. The food smelled delicious, making her stomach rumble with hunger. She could get used to this. “So is this the treatment you give all the American tourists who stop by your café?”

  He winked. “Only the beautiful ones.”

  The giggles just kept coming, but this one ended in an unladylike snort. She blushed. She wished she had Brina here. Including this, Audrey could count on one hand the number of times she’d gone on a date. Brina had a sixth sense when it came to men. She’d be able to tell if this guy was sincere or a player. Or, maybe not. Maybe all Sicilians were Latin lovers and equipped to sweep women off their feet.