They both stared up at the stars. "You know, I've thought about something. Instead of sight-seeing, do you want to take the canal ride first, then sit on the rooftop of my grandparent's house and look at the stars?" Otto looked at Sunny quizzically.
"Sure, I was thinking that too." She put her hand on the table, hoping he would hold it. She was only twelve, and he thirteen, but there was nothing stopping her from loving him.
The waiter strolled out onto the balcony with one mocha lattee and two slices of Chocolate Dream cake. They both began to eat the cake, anticipating the rest of the night.
When they were through eating, they walked back outside, Philipio waiting in the limo.
"So, coppia bella, where we going now, la canali?" Philipio asked.
Otto leant up into the speaker in the back. "Yeah, then after that, we just want a ride around town and then to go home, is that okay?"
Philipio laughed. "SX. Canal ride, then you want to go back to your la nonna's?"
"Yeah." Otto sat back and put his arm around Sunny, leaning over for a kiss. She kissed him gently, then pulled away and leant her head on his shoulder.
They both stepped out of the limo, and walked to the small pier on the edge of the river. Otto talked to the man standing in the long boat, and handed him some Lira (Italian money.) He stepped in first, then held out his hand to help Sunny in, but she hesitated, and looked down upon her high-heeled shoes.
"Sarebbe forse meglio portare le scarpe via da," the man spoke with a thick Italian accent. Sunny looked at Otto in confusion.
He smiled and translated. "He said maybe it would be better if you took your shoes off and held them."
Sunny smiled and did so, stepping cautiously into the boat, grasping Otto's hand tightly. She sat down beside him, and drew closer to him, letting his arm slip around her shoulder. He embraced her lightly. They sat and watched as they glided stealthily down the river, under passing bridges linking cobblestone streets across the murky water.
"This was a really nice thing for your grandparents to do. It's so romantic," Sunny said.
Otto nodded, in agreement. He sighed, and Sunny turned to look up at him. "What?"
"Just thinking."
"About?" She was curious to know.
"I was just thinking, that, you know how you are always saying, 'Be spontaneous, try something new?' Well, maybe we should try something new, I mean, if you want to." There was a peculiar nervousness in his voice she was afraid of.
"You don't mean...we're only thirteen! We'll, I'm twelve..." Otto interrupted her.
"No, no, no! I don't mean that! You think I'm crazy? I was thinking about going further, but not that far! I meant like, um...you know, like..." he couldn't get the words out.
Sunny sighed, relieved. She knew Otto, and she mentally slapped herself at just the thought of him thinking that. She knew what he was talking about now, anyway. "You mean like, French kissing, right?"
"Uh, yeah. I mean, it's up to you, really. I mean, you hear people talk about how great it is, so I wanted to be spontaneous and see how it really is. You know..." he stuttered.
"I guess. At least we won't have to hide beside the bathroom and get our friends to cover for us, like Reggie and Hunter used to do," Sunny jested. She and Otto burst out laughing.
It had been almost thirty minutes, then the boat turned sharply, scraping against the side of the small pier. Otto thanked the canal man and helped Sunny out. They both got into the limo, and drove to his grandparents house in silence. Sunny was anxious about sitting on the rooftop and watching the stars; she wasn't so much anxious about that, she just had an edgy feeling in her stomach. She was getting nervous about what might happen on the roof.
They arrived at his grandparent's house an hour later, it being nine-thirty or so. They thanked the driver and walked into the house.
"So, how was your time? Did you have fun?" asked Mrs. Belvidere immediately.
"It was really awesome." Sunny took off her shoes and held them in her hand. "I'm ready to change. I'll come back down here in a sec." She ran up the stairs and closed the door behind her.
Otto hugged both his grandparents. "Thanks for tonight. We had a great time, but we changed our minds about the site seeing; that's why we're back so early. I asked her if she'd like to sit on the roof and watch the stars; it's a beautiful night."
His grandmother smiled. "Oh, how romantic you are, nipote. You have your la nonno's sense of l'idillio; you really know how to impress a ragazza. Now, why don't you go change into some comfy clothes. Your signora giusta will be waiting." She hurried him up the stairs.
Sunny waited on the couch in super low-rise jeans and a glittery halter top, waiting for Otto. He finally appeared at the top of the stairs. "Come on, it's up here," he shouted to Sunny. She got up and perambulated up the staircase.
"Sure, I was thinking that too." She put her hand on the table, hoping he would hold it. She was only twelve, and he thirteen, but there was nothing stopping her from loving him.
The waiter strolled out onto the balcony with one mocha lattee and two slices of Chocolate Dream cake. They both began to eat the cake, anticipating the rest of the night.
When they were through eating, they walked back outside, Philipio waiting in the limo.
"So, coppia bella, where we going now, la canali?" Philipio asked.
Otto leant up into the speaker in the back. "Yeah, then after that, we just want a ride around town and then to go home, is that okay?"
Philipio laughed. "SX. Canal ride, then you want to go back to your la nonna's?"
"Yeah." Otto sat back and put his arm around Sunny, leaning over for a kiss. She kissed him gently, then pulled away and leant her head on his shoulder.
They both stepped out of the limo, and walked to the small pier on the edge of the river. Otto talked to the man standing in the long boat, and handed him some Lira (Italian money.) He stepped in first, then held out his hand to help Sunny in, but she hesitated, and looked down upon her high-heeled shoes.
"Sarebbe forse meglio portare le scarpe via da," the man spoke with a thick Italian accent. Sunny looked at Otto in confusion.
He smiled and translated. "He said maybe it would be better if you took your shoes off and held them."
Sunny smiled and did so, stepping cautiously into the boat, grasping Otto's hand tightly. She sat down beside him, and drew closer to him, letting his arm slip around her shoulder. He embraced her lightly. They sat and watched as they glided stealthily down the river, under passing bridges linking cobblestone streets across the murky water.
"This was a really nice thing for your grandparents to do. It's so romantic," Sunny said.
Otto nodded, in agreement. He sighed, and Sunny turned to look up at him. "What?"
"Just thinking."
"About?" She was curious to know.
"I was just thinking, that, you know how you are always saying, 'Be spontaneous, try something new?' Well, maybe we should try something new, I mean, if you want to." There was a peculiar nervousness in his voice she was afraid of.
"You don't mean...we're only thirteen! We'll, I'm twelve..." Otto interrupted her.
"No, no, no! I don't mean that! You think I'm crazy? I was thinking about going further, but not that far! I meant like, um...you know, like..." he couldn't get the words out.
Sunny sighed, relieved. She knew Otto, and she mentally slapped herself at just the thought of him thinking that. She knew what he was talking about now, anyway. "You mean like, French kissing, right?"
"Uh, yeah. I mean, it's up to you, really. I mean, you hear people talk about how great it is, so I wanted to be spontaneous and see how it really is. You know..." he stuttered.
"I guess. At least we won't have to hide beside the bathroom and get our friends to cover for us, like Reggie and Hunter used to do," Sunny jested. She and Otto burst out laughing.
It had been almost thirty minutes, then the boat turned sharply, scraping against the side of the small pier. Otto thanked the canal man and helped Sunny out. They both got into the limo, and drove to his grandparents house in silence. Sunny was anxious about sitting on the rooftop and watching the stars; she wasn't so much anxious about that, she just had an edgy feeling in her stomach. She was getting nervous about what might happen on the roof.
They arrived at his grandparent's house an hour later, it being nine-thirty or so. They thanked the driver and walked into the house.
"So, how was your time? Did you have fun?" asked Mrs. Belvidere immediately.
"It was really awesome." Sunny took off her shoes and held them in her hand. "I'm ready to change. I'll come back down here in a sec." She ran up the stairs and closed the door behind her.
Otto hugged both his grandparents. "Thanks for tonight. We had a great time, but we changed our minds about the site seeing; that's why we're back so early. I asked her if she'd like to sit on the roof and watch the stars; it's a beautiful night."
His grandmother smiled. "Oh, how romantic you are, nipote. You have your la nonno's sense of l'idillio; you really know how to impress a ragazza. Now, why don't you go change into some comfy clothes. Your signora giusta will be waiting." She hurried him up the stairs.
Sunny waited on the couch in super low-rise jeans and a glittery halter top, waiting for Otto. He finally appeared at the top of the stairs. "Come on, it's up here," he shouted to Sunny. She got up and perambulated up the staircase.
