"Hello."

Ciao.

"My name is Linda."

Il mio nome è Linda.

"How are you?"

Come stai?

"Italy is beautiful."

L'Italia è bella.

I pressed pause on my "Learning Italian 101" program and slid my headphones down to my neck. Rubbing my temples, I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed deeply. The warm Italian sunlight streaming in through the café window felt extremely pleasant and gave the place a very homey feel.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of coming here," I thought to myself and picked up the cup of coffee sitting on the table in front of me.

This was the third consecutive year where I had taken time out of my busy writing schedule to go to Italy. The first year I had gone, I went with my husband to a little town by the Amalfi Coast called Ravello. We had visited a few more villages on that trip, but I had fallen in love with the historic little haven.

I made it a point to come to Ravello every year, and I had done so now for three since discovering it. I had made quite a few great friends, and they expected me around the same time each spring. I loved knowing I had somewhere to stay -a little B&B down the road- and personally getting to know the people and locations here. It was my home away from home, and the picturesque scenery gave me lots of inspiration for my writing.

I put my tablet and headphones back into my bag and pulled out a book. As good as my Italian had become over the years, I still liked to refresh my memory every time I came here. But I had done so for a while now, and decided to catch up on some reading.

However, I found myself constantly distracted by the people walking in and out of the café. This establishment, "Il Piccolo Latte" by name, was like something taken out of a movie. I enjoyed watching the people interact with one another, and I imagined random conversations they might be having. I smirked and shook my head, turning back to my book; my writer's brain never stopped.

Finally I was able to direct my full attention to the story I was reading and became oblivious to everything else. My cup of coffee turned into just a cup, but I didn't bother to get up and ask for a refill. The current novel being read was a historical fiction about pirates raiding Spanish ships in the 17th century, and I thought it perfect, as I was writing a historical fiction trilogy on pirates myself. So engrossed was I in my reading that I didn't even notice a middle-aged man walk up to my table.

"Ciao. Do you mind if I sit?"

He startled me, and my head shot up to look at him. My blue eyes widened slightly as they lit upon none other than the well-known Romanian actor, Sebastian Stan. I hadn't quite processed what he had asked, and I'm sure I had a very bewildered look on my face.

Assuming I didn't know English, he asked again in perfect Italian. "Ti dispiace se mi siedo?"

Now having understood him in two languages, I didn't know which one to reply in.

Seeing as I was still having trouble getting my voice to work, he looked over his shoulder and then back at me in a slightly confused manner.

"I'm... sorry," he said, motioning behind him as he began to step away. "I'll just..."

Finally my tongue was released from its paralyzed state and I managed to say, "No! Sorry." I gave a short laugh. "You just caught me by surprise. Per favore, si accomodi." (Please, take a seat.)

"Ah, so she does know Italian," he remarked, grinning as he took the chair opposite me.

Was this real life? Was I really about to have coffee with a celebrity?

I brought myself back to reality and closed my book, smiling. "Yes she does. And I didn't know the famous Sebastian Stan knew Italian."

He looked shocked for a moment, then lowered his gaze in an almost sheepish manner.

He gave a short laugh. "And here I was thinking I would go unrecognized in a small Italian village."

"I guess you have fans everywhere."

Sebastian looked back up at me and smiled. "So you're a fan?"

"Oh absolutely! I've seen just about all of your earlier works, and I'm a huge Marvel fan."

"Well, thank you." He took a sip of his coffee.

I realized then that I hadn't introduced myself, so I extended a hand towards him. "I'm Linda, by the way. Thought it proper you should know my name if I know yours."

He shook my hand. "Nice to meet you. Linda..." He mused, and squinted his eyes ever so slight as he studied my face. "You wouldn't happen to be Linda W. Fast, would you?"

This time I was utterly stunned. "Why yes, I am. How did you know?"

"When I was getting my coffee, I saw you sitting here and thought I recognized you from your book. Then when you said your name, I knew I was right." The actor smiled with a sparkle in his green eyes. "I guess you could say I'm your fan too. Escaping the Darkness is brilliant."

I just sat there stunned, and it took every ounce of effort not to let my jaw drop to the floor. A celebrity being a fan of my first published work? And not just any celebrity; Sebastian Stan! I'd been his fan for ages! This honestly had to be one of the greatest milestones in my career to date. And being able to have coffee with him in Italy; it was unbelievable!

I was finally able to speak again, but stumbled over my words. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much! That's just... Wow." I covered my face with my hands and laughed nervously as I felt my face heat up. "I'm sorry. It's just that I never would've thought that I'd be able to sit in a cafe with one of my favourite actors, who so happens to be a fan of my work. It's just... incredible."

Sebastian grinned. "Well, I rarely get to meet the authors of the books I read so this is a treat for me as well." He glanced at my empty coffee mug. "Tell you what. I'll get you a refill, and you can tell me about the idea behind the book."

"Yeah I'd be happy to! Thank you." I then told him how I liked my coffee, and watched as he strode towards the counter and talked to one of the servers.

I don't think my heart had stopped racing from the sheer excitement of all this since Sebastian had sat down at my table. I'd met a few celebrities in past years, but the emotions never changed. But never in my life had I ever thought I'd be able to hang out with one in a cafe in Italy.

"I can cross that off my bucket list," I mused.

I put my book back into my bag, and just as I straightened in my chair Sebastian had returned with my mug and a small plate. I reached out and took the coffee from his hands.

"Thank you," I said, and took a sip. It was perfect.

He sat down and put the saucer in the middle of the small table. In it were two of a common Italian pastries known as cannoli.

"I enjoy eating something with my coffee, and thought maybe you'd like one as well. If you don't want it, I'll eat it."

"Oh, no! I love cannoli! It's one of my favourite Italian pastries." I took one of the napkins he had brought and one of the pudding-filled rolls, and took a bite. Sebastian did the same with his.

After a few moments of silence, I leaned back in my chair with the mug of hot beverage in my hands. "So, what would you like to know about my book?"

The middle-aged actor set his drink on the table and also leaned back in his chair. "The inspiration you had to write it. I mean, I've read a lot of books but your idea is very unique. I'll be honest, once I started it I had a hard time putting it down. My girlfriend found it funny."

I laughed. "Well I'm so glad you enjoyed it so much. As for the inspiration behind it..."

I then proceeded to tell him all about what had been going through my head at the time I had come up with the idea. I told him I had been listening to the song "Monster" by Imagine Dragons and the rest had come to me bit by bit.

"I have a huge appreciation for music, and many of my works, both in writing and art, have been inspired by songs. Very often, I can say a phrase or sentence, and that can trigger another flow of ideas. Trust me; I have a life-time of ideas to keep me writing."

"So writing, it's somethings you do for a living?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes. I had a normal full-time job up to the point of me publishing my first book, but since then I've been a full-time writer."

He nodded thoughtfully. "That's great." He sipped from his coffee. "I've heard that writers sometimes have certain people in mind for their characters as they're writing. Do you do this?"

I looked down and licked my lips subtly, very sure of what his next question would be. "Yes I do, most of the time. It helps me get a better real-life image in my head."

"Who do you have for Donovan in Escaping the Darkness?"

I was right.

"Funny thing, actually " I replied, with a grin. "It's you."

Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "When I was figuring the idea for the book, it came to my mind the roles you play a lot in your movies. More often than not they are broken characters with a difficult past, and you portray them perfectly. After that I couldn't imagine anyone else being able to do Donovan justice." Laughing, I added, "I always told my friends that, should the book become a movie, you would be the first person I'd ask for."

"Honestly," Sebastian said, sitting more upright in his chair, "I would be completely up for that."

This time it was my eyes that widened. "Seriously?"

"Absolutely! I could really see Escaping the Darkness becoming something big. But the reason I'd want to be a part of it is because of the story. It's very relatable, showing in symbolism the demons that people fight every day. It sends an excellent message, and I definitely think it should be made into a movie."

I was speechless. "I don't know what to say. I just... Thank you. That really means so much."

The actor looked at me thoughtfully for a moment as if contemplating a decision. "You know what? I want to give you a chance. I know a dedicated person when I see one, and you deserve to be heard." He pulled out his phone from his pocket. As he unlocked it and scrolled through his contacts, he added, "Plus, I'm going to be a bit selfish by saying it's also because I want to be a part of this."

I was very confused as I watched him. "What are you talking about?"

Finding what he was looking for, he looked back up at me. "Do you have a pen and paper?"

I fumbled in my bag until I presented to him the requested items. I was still trying to process what he was implying.

"What are you-?"

"Here," he interrupted as he scribbled down a name and number onto the scrap of paper and slid it across the table to me. "Have your manager call this number and schedule a meeting." He tapped a finger on the paper. "This guy is an amazing producer. Tell him I recommended you and you'll be off to getting your book made into a movie in time."

My hands trembled slightly as I picked up the paper. I stared at it for a moment, dumbfounded by what was happening. If I was speechless before, I was mute now. I tried forming words, but nothing made its way out of my mouth. Was this really happening? Should I pinch myself? I didn't know how to react properly.

Finally I looked up at Sebastian, who was grinning widely. "I feel like Ellen DeGeneres," he said, and laughed. That made me laugh as well, and I was finally able to speak.

"Sebastian, I don't know how to thank you for this. It's just the biggest opportunity... This could change the face of my writing career. I don't feel worthy of it."

"You are! And as to how you can thank me, just cast me as Donovan." Sebastian smiled, and reached across the table to touch my hand. "You deserve this, Linda, and I'm happy to give you this chance."

"Thank you so much." The words seemed so small and worthless, but they were the only ones my brain could compute at the moment. I looked at the paper again. This was what I wanted. My ultimate dream was coming true.

I looked up at Sebastian, who was downing the rest of his coffee. I could tell he was getting ready to leave. I mustered up the courage to ask, "If it's too much trouble, could I get a photo of us? I like to take photos of memorable points in my career, and this is by far one of the most memorable."

The actor nodded. "I'd love to!"

We both got up from our seats and I asked one of the cafe's servers to take our photo. We stood side by side, Sebastian putting his right arm across my shoulders as my left arm went across his back. After the photo was taken, I took back my phone from the server and thanked them before turning back to our table, after I had gathered my things, we walked out of the cafe together. My cruiser bike stood leaning against the brick wall of the establishment, and I placed my belongings into its front basket.

"Nice way to get around," Sebastian mused, nodding at my bike.

I smiled. "It's the best way."

"Well I best be heading off. It was awesome meeting you," he said, and opened his arms for a hug. Of course I obliged.

"The pleasure's all mine," I replied as we separated. "Thanks again, so very much."

"You're welcome. We'll be in touch." He waved as he began walking away. "Godetevi il vostro tempo in Italia." (Enjoy your time in Italy.)

"Grazie! Same to you!"

I started riding my bike in the opposite direction towards the B&B I was staying at, a broad smile on my face. Would the smile ever go away? Frankly, I didn't care. I just couldn't wait to tell my husband about this. This had positively been one of the best days of my life.