CHAPTER 9

Daniel glared at Gio, "Hey, well, he followed you to my hotel back in New York in the first place! He messed up what could have been a good thing, by convincing me he was so great for you! But Betty, listen…"

Gio grabbed Daniel's arm and pulled him out into the courtyard, "HEY! YOU listen to me, Mister Meade! You really think being Betty's boss entitles you to follow her around and tell her who she can and can't be with?"

"I seem to recall that being okay with you when it came to us both working together to get her away from Egg Salad! You were all for it then."

"That was different and you know it! He was no good for her."

"Oh, what, and I suppose you are? Says who? You practically kidnapped the poor girl and brought her here..."

"I did not kidnap her! Betty, did I kidnap you?" Daniel shoved Gio against a tree and was getting ready to pull back his fist when Betty followed them out and tried to grab his hand, getting his other fist in her cheek just below her eye instead and knocking her down.

Daniel stared in shock at her, on the ground, and tried quickly to get to her,"BETTY! Oh my God! Honey, are you alright? I'm so sorry!"

"What, it's not enough you let your stupid girlfriend try to burn her up; now you come here to hit her? What the hell, Daniel? Why don't you get lost!"

"NO! YOU get lost Let me help her, you little...weasel!" Gio tried to push Daniel away from helping her up, but they ended up wrestling with each other, leaving poor Betty to scramble up off the ground on her own.

She yelled at them to stop, but neither of them seemed to be paying attention, so she left them to fight it out, totally annoyed with them both at this point.

She went to the kind concierge at the desk and got some ice for her cheek, then went to the dining area to get some breakfast; a cappuccino, some sopressata, and a cornetto. "Men are really idiots sometimes, aren't they? Or is it just American men?"

The waiter smiled at Betty's musing, and looked around, then seeing none of his supervisors were around, he grabbed a chair from the empty table next to her and sat on it backwards, "May I answer your question, bella?"

Betty smiled, "Of course! I was sort of...thinking out loud, talking to myself, but...please, enlighten me!"

He thought for a second then responded good-naturedly, as he took her hand in his, "Well, I wouldn't say that about American women, of course. They are quite lovely and charming, such as yourself. But the men? Eh… perhaps, as you say...very immature, totally unworthy of a full grown woman's admiration!

Maybe you would like to dump your silly American boy and see what an Italian man is like, signorina? I finish my work shift in ten, fifteen minutes. I can take you on a wonderful tour of Firenze! One you will never see on your own, I promise you."

Betty giggled at his come-on, then glanced out at the courtyard, where the two "boys" were rolling around in the yard like school children. She shook her head, "Oh my God! I swear, those two are both like five year olds! What's your name?"

He stood and bowed, "Aldo Guillati. My scooter is in the back, signorina ...what is your name, bella?"

"Betty."

He took her hand again and kissed it, "Buongiorno, bella signorina Betty! So...we go, eh?"

Betty finished her cappuccino and stood, following him, "We go! How do you say that in Italian?"

"Andiamo"

"Si...andiamo! Is it the same for 'let's go'?"

"Si….andiamo...let's go! You are ready to leave the silly American boys behind?"

She nodded, "Yes, until they can act like adults. I have to tell you; I've...never ridden on the back of a scooter before." she looked slightly apprehensive, but Aldo took her hand and led her to it, smiling.

"Here. Hold on to me!" he handed her a helmet and she got on behind him, holding on tightly as Aldo took off quickly, before she changed her mind.

In the meantime, Gio and Daniel had managed to find their way to the fountain in the courtyard and first, Gio pushed Daniel into it, then Daniel got up and pulled Gio in after him, "HEY! What the hell? Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?"

Gio rolled his eyes, "If you're so worried about your damn suit, then don't go flying to Italy, chasing down women who don't want you chasing them and starting a fight with their boyfriend!"

Daniel made a face, "Since when are you her boyfriend? Just because she came here with you...doesn't mean anything. It's just a trip...for her to blow off some steam, that's all. Don't make more out of it than there is." He hesitated, "Are you in separate rooms?"

Gio shrugged, "Maybe. But that was MY idea, so she wouldn't think I was trying to rush her. I was only trying to be a gentleman. Something you wouldn't know anything about, Mister player! Dog! Player Dog! Woof! Woof!"

Daniel and Gio started shoving each other again, until Gio put his hand on Daniel's chest, holding him at bay, as he glanced around, "Hang on a minute. Dude, have you seen Betty? Where the hell is she?"

Daniel looked around, shaking his head, "I have no idea. She disappeared."

"Maybe she went inside to get some ice for her face after you punching her."

"I did NOT punch her! Not on purpose. I was trying to hit you and she just got in the way."

They both started to get out of the fountain, but messed around with each other, pushing the other back in a few times before they finally made it out, dripping wet.

The housekeeper, a tall, lovely woman in her late forties, holding a mop and two plastic bags, had heard of their fight and came to greet them at the back door, "Excuse me, gentlemen! But perhaps before you come in like so...if you would like to take off your clothing and put them in these bags, I will have them cleaned for you as soon as possible. You can put on these robes while you wait."

They both looked down at themselves and nodded, each stripping off their clothes and putting them in the bags she gave them, and put on the robes quickly as she turned around. "Okay...here you go. Thank you, Miss...um…"

The woman smiled, "Signora Maite. Sofia Maite. Ciao, signores! I promise, I will have these back very quickly, so you can go chase after your pretty signorina."

Daniel looked around inside, "Did you see where she went? She left?"

"Si, signore. She took off with Aldo about fifteen minutes ago."

"Aldo? Who the hell is Aldo?" Gio looked concerned, as did Daniel.

"Yeah, is he...someone you know? Is it safe for her to be with him?"

She looked them both over, "Aldo works here in the kitchen. He is a very nice young man. I'd say she is as safe as she would be with either of you two! Not to offend."

"No offense taken. Did you really say your name is...Sofia? That's perfect! At least you're nice!"Daniel tried to laugh, but felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.

He had come all this way, only to completely mess things up, accidentally hitting Betty, then getting so wrapped up in fighting Gio that she got fed up with both of them and took off with some random Italian guy!

He shook his head, as he sat down on the stoop, "Man! I can't believe I screwed things up so badly! Now she's never going to even talk to me!"

"Well, don't blame me! You shouldn't have come. Things were going just fine. I did NOT kidnap Betty, okay? She came here willingly. She showed up on my doorstep, her bags all packed, passport in hand right after I got off the phone with you. The time we actually had a conversation I mean, not all those crazy messages you left afterwards!

And for God's sakes, close your robe better, will you? Unless you want to flash all of Italy, not to mention me, again!" Gio gestured at the sidewalk of busy pedestrians walking by the courtyard of the pensione.

Sofia laughed at the two silly American men and started to leave, but turned back to Daniel, "Excuse me but, what is wrong with my name, signore?"

He smiled, "Nothing. It's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady, Signora, is it? Your husband is a lucky man! It's just...well…um..."

Gio rolled his eyes, "He got dumped by this hot, but bitchy chick named Sofia about a year ago. She gave him back his ring on national television. Then it was in a bunch of magazines, splashed all over the front page and she did a bunch of interviews…"

Daniel made a face, "Do you mind? She gets the idea! She humiliated me, okay? Are you happy?"

Gio shrugged, "C'est la vie! Hey, at least you lived and learned, huh? You know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "Great! Any other sage platitutes you want to try and squeeze in there, Socrates? No wonder you annoy Betty so much!"

"You're annoying!"

"No, you are!"

Sofia looked at Daniel sympathetically, hugging him and shaking her head as she patted his cheek, "Oh, signore! I am very sorry to hear this! How hurtful!

That woman was an idiot! You may be...childish, to fight with the other gentleman over the new signorina, but I can see that you love very deeply...you followed your love here and well...what that other Sofia did was simply...unforgivable!"

Gio looked at Daniel, "Hey! Don't take his side with Betty, just because he got dumped before! Betty sort of dumped me so she could chase after stupid Egg Salad and he got his ex pregnant!"

Sofia looked puzzled, but curious, but Daniel got up and shoved him inside, "Come on, let's go inside and let the nice lady get our clothes to the cleaners. Thank you, Sofia. I'll make sure you get a nice tip. We really appreciate you doing that for us. Which one is your room?" he turned to Gio.

"Get your own room, Mr. Moneybags!"

"Hey, I offered to pay. But I left my wallet in my pants."

Gio scrunched his face, "Yeah, me, too! Damn! I hope she really does work for the hotel or we're both screwed! Okay, fine! But don't even think about opening that little refrigerator! That shit's expensive! Some of actually have to work for a living!"

"Have you been this cheap when Betty was here?" Daniel asked hopefully.

Gio made a face, "No! I have not. It's not being cheap. Besides, Betty's not extravagent, like you. She knows the value of a dollar. She's had to work hard her whole life, too, like me. It's one of the many things we have in common!"

Daniel sighed, "You're right, I guess. She is always telling me I don't realize how expensive things are. I suppose I need to be more aware of stuff like that. I mean, hell, what if something terrible happened to the economy or I got embezzled somehow and lost all my money? I wouldn't know how to deal with it! You guys are actually really lucky that you've learned to get by on less. I don't even know how to ride the subway...or the bus!"

"Oh, yeah. We poor people are so lucky! You do realize how stupid and condescending you sound right now?"

"Yeah, I do. Look, I'm sorry I shoved you and stuff earlier. I was mainly mad at myself for not being straight with Betty before she left New York."

"You really think it would have made a difference if you had what, told her...the L word?"

"I don't know. Maybe. All I know is...I didn't. I screwed up. As usual. Then, I planned on telling her how stupid I was for letting her go off with you in the first place because I...love her, but I saw you and I just got sidetracked."

"I'd say you did! You hurt my jaw!" Gio put his hand on his jaw, moving it back and forth. "You really do love her, huh?"

Daniel felt his nose, "Is my nose red? You punched my nose about three times, you know! It hurts like hell! And yeah...I really do love her."

Gio leaned forward to get a better look, then laughed, "A little bit. You kinda look like Rudolph!"

Daniel jumped up and looked in the mirror, checking out his nose, "It does not!"

Gio laughed harder, "Ha! Made you look!"

After a moment of silence, they looked at each other and Daniel asked, "So...how do you suggest we figure this out? You think we should like fight to the death? Or….just tell Betty she has to choose between us...or…"

"Yeah, what if she doesn't pick either one of us?"

Daniel made a face, "What, you think she's going to run off with this where's Waldo character? Did you see him? Is he hot or something?"

Gio shrugged, "What do I know? They're all hot! They're Italian, for God's sakes!"

"Aren't you Italian? Is that supposed to mean you think you're so hot?"

Gio grinned, "Well, yeah, I'm actually Puerto Rican, like I told you, you silly Gringo! But my old man's grandfather was Italian. That's who I'm named after; Giovanni! His mamma was supposed to be this incredible Italian cook!

That's where a lot of the Rossi family recipes were passed down from here-the "old country". I'm going to try and look up some relatives while I'm here and see what kind of great recipes I can bring back to New York. I love Betty, too, you know. Maybe we should...flip a coin?"

"Flip a coin? To decide something this big? You're not serious?"

"No. Not really. That's a really dumb way to decide something so important; you're right. But I have no idea what to do. We both love her. It's not fair. I know she chose stupid Egg Salad over me...over both of us. But now...I don't want to lose her to you, too! You really don't deserve her!"

"Thanks! I know I don't. I mean...well, you do, I guess. But that doesn't mean I'm backing off again. I tried to...but I'm sorry, I can't."

Gio shook his head, and walked to Daniel, then shook his hand, "I totally get it. You have to do what you feel is right, man. May the best man win!"

"You think that means you, of course."

"Of course." he grinned.

"We'll see about that."

Betty sighed, looking out at the gorgeous sunflowers in the field stretched out across the valley below, "This is...so beautiful! Thank you for the tour, Aldo! I'm sorry I've been such terrible company, talking about...those silly American boys the whole time.

This place is amazing!" Although she had been having fun with Aldo, she did still feel guilty for taking off, in spite of how childish and ridiculous they had acted.

He shrugged, "Eh, I am the one who got to be in the company of a beautiful signorina the whole day, so I still think I am the lucky one. Do not feel badly that you spoke of these two men. However, may I...offer an unbiased observation?"

"Of course!"

He leaned closer and whispered, "You have two men, who both love you. They fight over you and act childish. But the truth is; you only love one of them. So….what is the problem? You simply must break the other one's heart! But if you do it quickly and kindly and pronto! You are happy, with the one you love!"

Betty looked at him, "You make it sound so easy!"

"It should be. You American's make everything so difficult. Love is love. You either feel it or you do not. To make light of it is not in our nature.

We may….enjoy the carnal pleasures, succumb to our lusts a bit too much, it is true. But when it comes to marriage, to choosing our mate, we are careful. We do not marry lightly, and cast them aside thoughtlessly. We take our time, making sure we have chosen wisely. That is perhaps why we….have so much fun deciding in the meantime!"

She laughed, "I see. So...today is just for fun, right?"

He nodded, "Si. It has been fun. You make me laugh. You are beautiful. But I think….we would not last long. You are too much in love with New York, with your family and with one man in particular who lives there."

She blushed, "One in particular?"

He nodded, "Si, the one who's name you have used over and over today. That is the man who you desire, no?"

Betty bit her lip, unsure how to answer, "I...don't know. Did I really?"

Aldo laughed, "You don't know? Signorina Betty...you have done nothing but talk about how much Signore Gio is annoying to you, but...you are completely angry with Signore Daniel. All day...Daniel this, Daniel that…"

Betty sighed, "That's your…"

"That is my impression, si. Of course, I could be wrong. Perhaps you do not love either signore? Perhaps...you only think you do. I know! We could test that theory...we could have sex."

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