Chapter 7
The light was bright when I opened my eyes again, the sun streaming through the window. Of course, because it was dark when I went to bed, I'd totally overlooked that there were wooden shutters instead of drapes. Sounds below me had me more alert and with a sigh I knew that I would need to get up. I didn't want to miss another day by sleeping through it. I definitely needed a shower having missed one the day before so went through my usually cleaning rituals as well as washing my hair. Of course, that meant that my curls came back to life but not having any straighteners with me there was nothing that I could do about it, so I pulled it back into a loose ponytail.
I dressed in cut offs, a strappy top with an open blouse over the top and with flip flops on my feet went downstairs. The place was empty so acknowledged that maybe my father had already left to find some breakfast. There were already several people sat outside in the sunshine so trying to feel inconspicuous I walked toward the kitchen area. There was a buffet set out that contained cheeses, bread, yoghurts, and fruit but also some pastries that looked intriguing. Holding a mug of coffee and a plate of pastries I scanned around me looking for my father, but it was the sound of someone shouting my name that had me seeing Allegro. There were a few people sat at tables but no sign of my father, so I went over to the table to join her and then noticed that she was sat with a man beside her.
"Stefania I was just saying to Enzo that I was going to wake you up and here you are"
I looked again at the man beside Allegro because I honestly hadn't recognized him as the man from the pool and then felt mortified when I remembered that he'd found me there asleep.
"Maybe Stefania's body clock hasn't caught up with us yet"
I saw the wink that he gave me and, in that moment, I knew that he wouldn't mention our late night meeting. A quick glance at him now in the light of day had me seeing a good looking man with dark straight hair, cut so that the ends touched the top of the shirt that he was wearing. I judged him to be maybe a couple of years older than me and from what I could tell he looked to keep himself in shape. I didn't want to be caught staring at him so started to pick up my pastry. The pastries were delicious and the coffee, well let's just say it certainly had a kick with it. As I started to pick up the pieces of fruit, I noticed that both of them were watching me, making me wonder what the problem was. Had I crumbs all over my face? Then it hit me, I'd probably moaned at the first taste of that sugary, syrupy, cinnamon taste as it had hit my tongue. I felt my cheeks flame and went back to focusing on my fruit making sure that I stayed quiet.
"Your hair is different this morning. Is it normal for it to be curly or have you done something to it?"
I watched as Allegro reached over and fingered one of my curls that had fallen out of my ponytail.
"No, this is how my hair normally is. Totally curly and usually flying all over"
I mean how did I make an excuse for how my hair behaved?
"It's beautiful, and so natural"
I looked up surprised as Allegro said that because all I'd ever heard from a lot of people was how messy it was, from my mother to Joe and a line of teachers in between. The only other person who had said that they liked my curls had been Ranger and now Allegro.
"Are we on for going down to the village this morning?"
"Sure"
I answered not knowing of a reason to refuse, I had no idea where my father had disappeared to but assumed that he was maybe with Gaia. I agreed to meet Allegro back in the courtyard in twenty minutes, plenty of time for me to collect my wallet and phone.
Maybe I should have had a reason, I thought, as I stood looking at the bike in front of me.
"You can ride a bike, can't you?"
"Yeah"
Maybe twenty years ago when I hadn't a care in the world and the idea of hurting myself was an alien concept. I sighed as I saw that Allegro was already pedaling away from me and realized that I was going to have to suck it up and just get on the damn thing. I had a wobbly start but soon got into the rhythm finding my balance and was soon behind Allegro as we pedaled slowly down a track. To be honest it wasn't long before I was wondering what I'd been so worried about. I'd spent hours out on my bike as a kid riding around the Burg with Mary Lou, that was until my mother stopped me and told me that it was too unlady like for me to be doing that. It was refreshing feeling the air blowing through my hair and surprising cool even with the sun beating down onto us.
As we entered a wooded area the track started to slope down and that was when Allegro held her legs away from the pedals to freewheel down. I did the same and was soon laughing and screaming along with her. I felt a freedom that I hadn't experienced in years and was totally enjoying it.
As the track leveled out, we joined a small road which I have to admit made for easier pedaling. Allegro was well ahead of me, so I pushed harder on the pedals in an effort to speed up and catch up with her. The problem with me on a bike on a road? Well, when a car came towards me, I totally forgot which side of the road to cycle on. Did they drive on the same side as we did in America or the other side, and for an awful minute I thought that the small white sports car was going to crash straight into me. I was going too fast to swerve and to be honest wasn't confident enough with my balance to do anything other than close my eyes. I heard the honking of the horn as it passed me and luckily it veered to the side of me, so collision averted. My heart was going ten to the dozen as I realized how close I'd come to hurting myself or causing an accident plus I was feeling very embarrassed for being so stupid.
Fortunately, Allegro was way ahead of me so hadn't seen my near miss and no way was I going to be telling her about it. I caught up with Allegro as houses began to appear and followed her cue when she stopped and dismounted. We parked the bikes in a stand on the sidewalk and started to walk up the street.
"Aren't you going to lock them up?"
I asked her because where I came from, they wouldn't be there when you got back.
"Nah. They'll be fine"
Together we started to walk down the street my head turning back and forth as I took in what was around me. The town that we were in was intriguing with narrow cobbled streets and narrow tall buildings. It seemed that people who lived here loved their colors, on the walls and in the flowers that seemed to be growing from window boxes draping down the walls, everywhere seemed so rich and vibrant. Allegro obviously had places that she wanted to call at and I soon realized that they were wedding related. A flower shop, a bakery and a liquor store, though there only seemed to be wine being sold. Those jobs done we were soon sat down in front of a small café with small cups of coffee in front of us. I'd have to get used to drinking it black and strong because that was how it seemed to be served.
"Allegro, what happens after lunch?"
Because I was sure that I could remember Gaia mentioning that other guests would be arriving.
"There are people staying here at the villa, but a lot have booked into local hotels or rented houses. They'll be coming up to the villa mid afternoon so people can meet and then this evening we all sit down in the courtyard for a meal"
I wasn't sure what my role would be in all of that or what would be appropriate to dress in.
"How will people be dressed?"
"Comfortable. I'm wearing a sundress and flip flops oh and a bikini underneath so that we can have some fun in the pool before dinner"
Okay I could go with that. I'd brought a cute sundress and luckily had packed a bikini, well fortunately Lula had. Finishing our coffee, we meandered back to where we'd left the bikes and were soon on our way back to the villa. It was harder work going back and I ended up having to push the damn bike up the hill. That was how unfit I was. It actually made me feel embarrassed when I caught up with Allegro at the top of the hill. I knew what she was thinking and was determined to do something about it. Why the hell had I never accepted Ranger's offer of help to train? Because you're lazy and hate to run, I muttered to myself. Somehow when I got back home that would be on my list of things to do. I'd find a gym and stick it out then maybe I wouldn't be as dependent on Ranger or his men because I had a feeling that maybe I'd have to survive by myself.
Parking up the bikes we parted to go our separate ways, with Allegro telling me to meet her outside in the courtyard at 3pm. After showering and changing I was pleased to see my father downstairs sat at the table drinking from a mug.
"Hi dad"
He turned and looked up at me, smiling back at me.
"I hear you went for a bike ride"
"Yeah. I really enjoyed it. What have you been doing all morning?"
I sat down opposite him keen to know where he had been.
"Gaia showed me around the villa, showed me things that had belonged to our fathers. It was good to see where my father had lived when he was a young man. Gaia has always lived here even after she married. Her husband died a few years ago but her children support her, and she oversees this place"
"Do they live here with her?"
"No, they work in Milan and have their own lives, but visit her often. I told her about you. When you were younger and growing up. She sees a lot of our fathers in you, even though you have Hungarian blood mixed in. She laments the way that your mother brought you up, says that she stifled you"
I wasn't sure that I felt comfortable with how this conversation was going. I mean she was his wife and my mother. I felt like defending her even though in my heart I knew that what Gaia had said was true.
"I can see what she means but the past is the past. What matters now is the future. I just want you to be happy Pumpkin"
I leant over the table and took my father's hand in mine because I could feel how conflicted he was. Two women with two totally different perspectives and personalities pulling him in opposite directions.
"Does she know what I do, that I'm a bounty hunter?"
"Yeah, she loves that, though is as concerned for your safety as I think most folk are"
I raised my eyebrows at that but had to admit that maybe that was something that I did need to consider. Either that or find a new line of work. Yeah, I'd tried that and nothing I'd tried had ever worked out. I wasn't too sure what else I could do. My age was against me for menial jobs, and I wasn't prepared to work at somewhere like the personal products factory. I might have a mediocre degree in business but not enough experience for someone to employ me. Which left me right where I was, doing a job that I usually enjoyed, but I couldn't envisage doing it for the next twenty years. I felt my hand being squeezed and looked up into my father's face, maybe he knew what I'd been thinking.
"I'm proud of you Pumpkin, so did you decide who you want to trust with the truth"
"Maybe I like the idea of the anonymity that being Stefania brings"
And maybe I might even be able to shake off some of that bad luck that seemed to follow me around.
By 3pm the courtyard was milling with people, a mix of Italian and English carried from their conversations. Allegro had been right, most people were dressed casually so I didn't feel out of place. I stayed with my father to start with getting totally lost with all of the names of the people that we were introduced to and whether they were here for the groom or the bride.
Two hours later I felt maxed out with making small talk so finding a towel from the house made my way down to the pool. I was pleased that there were only a few people there so chose a lounger at the quieter end of the pool. It was incredibly hot under a cloudless sky, so I allowed my yellow sundress to fall to the ground around my feet before choosing a lounger that was underneath a blue and red sun umbrella before sitting down. With a book in my hand, I opened to the first page with the intention of quietly reading, annoyed that I'd forgotten to bring any sunglasses with me. I'd hardly got to the end of the second page when a shadow fell over me but seeing as the sun was behind them, I was struggling to work out who it was.
"It was you. I can't believe that you're sat here"
I sat up shading my eyes from the sun pleased when the man stepped to the side so that I could see him.
"Excuse me?"
Because what he seemed to be saying was starting to piss me off. I had every right to be sat here.
"Hey Lucio, back off what's your problem"
I heard Allegro defending me as she walked over toward me, but I needed to stand up to show this Lucio that I could defend myself. Standing up I took on my typical pose when confronted, hands on my hips and chin forward to face this man, Lucio. The problem was that he never said or did anything, he just stood there staring at me. I was aware of Allegro coming to my side and as she linked her arm through mine and that seemed to be what broke the spell.
"She nearly ran me off the road this morning"
And that was when I knew that he was right, well almost. Lucio must have been driving the car that had passed me this morning when I was cycling along the road.
"I am so sorry, it's just that. No, you're right I was in the wrong"
My whole body deflated, and I let my arms fall to the side. I could have ended up causing an accident and someone could have been hurt. At least he stopped looking at me so intently and turned to look at Allegro.
"Are you going to introduce me Allegro"
I was pretty sure that Allegro rolled her eyes before she did just that.
"Lucio, Stefania. So what the hell was that all about Lucio?"
I was taken by surprise when Lucio stepped toward me and lifted my hand in his and raised it to his mouth before kissing it. His whole demeanor had changed and instead of seeing an irate man in front of me I was seeing an extremely good looking man with the hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.
"Nothing Allegro, a misunderstanding"
What the hell just happened? He'd gone from being mad at me to kissing my hand, obviously a man who had a short temper. I pulled my hand free from his, suddenly feeling very self conscious stood there in just a flimsy bikini inwardly cursing Lula for choosing a black one that barely covered anything up.
I was quick to sit back down, or maybe fell, before I read too much into what had just happened. Allegro sat down in the lounger next to me as we watched Lucio walk away from us. It seemed that only the younger guests were gathering around the pool, some with small children, some as couples and others as groups of friends. My book was discarded as I watched and listened to what was going on around me.
"Maybe I need a background on some of the people here"
I suggested to Allegro as she laid on her front basking in the sun. Her hands came under her head, propping her chin up, as she looked around.
"Well Lucio and I work together. We run a fashion house out of Milan. Lucio is the creative one coming up with the designs and products and I manage the promotional side. Dario, who you've met, he's what you would call a lawyer and works for a big firm in the city. The woman with him is Chiara, his bride to be. She pretends to work but I suppose she's involved in a lot of charity work"
As Allegro pointed out each of the people she named I looked at them, trying to reconcile who I was seeing to their jobs. I would never have guessed their occupations from the way that they were laughing and fooling around.
"Louisa, the one with the blonde hair, she's Chiara's friend, I think that she works at the local newspaper as a reporter. Then there's Enzo. He's been friends with Dario since they were kids, he's actual a police officer"
Okay that had me looking twice because he had none of the swagger that Joe had, although I had to admit that he had one hell of a body.
"How is it that most of the Italian men look so hot"
I heard Allegro laugh and look round to me making me aware that I'd just said that out loud.
"Sorry, I have a tendency to say out loud what I'm thinking"
"Don't be. I suppose you're right but I'm sure that you know some very good looking men back home'
I saw the hint of mischief cross Allegro's face as she said that, and I suppose that I did, especially when I thought of the Merry Men. All of them were seriously good looking guys and super fit to go with it, especially Ranger. I sighed as I thought that, which didn't go unnoticed by Allegro.
"Why the sad face if you know those good looking men back home? The end of a romance?"
I wasn't too sure what to tell Allegro but decided that maybe somewhere near the truth was called for.
"I suppose I do, but I found out that looks aren't everything. I finished with my long standing boyfriend not long ago. He had it all, a house, good looks and a good job but, I suppose what he wanted didn't mesh with what I wanted, so I called it quits"
Allegro didn't say anything to that which I was thankful for but then she surprised me with what she said next.
"Same thing happened to me. He saw me as some bimbo that he thought he could lure with his good looks. He had no respect for me as a business woman, until I set him straight"
I could just imagine Allegro doing that. Maybe there were more women like me out there, just looking for that perfect match, someone that accepted you for what you were and supported you.
"That's Lando with the camera, he works for me and agreed to take the photographs for the wedding"
I watched as Lando stood in the background, focusing his camera on people's faces as they laughed and talked. He didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the party, maybe how he hung back and skirted on the edges. There would certainly be a lot of photos with memories of being here and the people that I'd met.
The rest of the evening went by in a flash. A lot of people sat at tables being served my favorite food. Pizza, an Italian delight that I loved even though the recipe was different to what I was used to. I suppose it was more authentic than what we had back home simpler with the contents yet just as delicious. It was mainly small talk at the tables, and I spent the evening sat with my father just listening. We'd been sat together with a middle aged couple and their son and daughter so while interesting it was nothing that I could remember afterwards. Seeing as the wedding was in the morning there was wine to drink but not in excess and most people left by 10 o'clock to return to where they were staying or prepare for the next day. I was actually tired, so both my father and I decided to head to bed early, maybe I was getting used to what the time was here.
