Honeymoon For One Read online

  She felt as if he was waiting for a response from her.

  “My fian-Uh.” She was flustered and realised that the word tongue-tied meant exactly that. She couldn’t get her words out and in her panic, in reaching out for her coffee cup she accidentally knocked it over, sending a splintering sound echoing around the glass windows of the small conservatory.

  Visibly horrified at the mess she had made, Ava scrambled to the floor to pick up the broken pieces of the cup as the dark liquid began seeping slowly along the floor.

  “Please, Ms. Ramirez. It’s alright,” said Nico holding her gently by her elbow and helping her to her feet. The elderly couple had turned to watch the commotion taking place.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Ava in a small voice. She felt the redness creeping to her face and she could hear her heart beating fast again. Nico still gently held her elbow and then, realizing it was no longer necessary, he let it go gently.

  They stood facing each other. Ava’s gray-blue eyes scanned his face before looking downwards. What was the matter with her?

  “Please,” he said softly, “It’s really no big deal.”

  She looked up into Nico’s almost black eyes and saw that they were softer now. Gone was the arrogance that she had seen in them yesterday. As another hotel assistant rushed to clear up the mess, Nico said in a voice low and gentle, “I can take you to the Casa di Giulietta Ms. Ramirez. I have to go into town and I can pick you up when you’re finished. If that’s alright by you.”

  Now that he was being completely agreeable and going so obviously out of his way to be nice to her, Ava wasn’t so sure she wanted him to go away. She nodded.

  “And your luggage has arrived. I took the liberty of getting the porter to deliver it to your room, once I saw you were in here. I hope that’s alright with you.”

  “Yes, thank you,” said Ava with a sigh of relief. Her shoulders relaxed a little as she exhaled. Whatever it was that had just come over her, her anxiety was now gone. Having someone like Nico to talk to and look at, for he was remarkably good-looking, would make it easier for her to move on with her life and put the old, with Connor, behind her.

  “Would you like to go now?” he asked, watching her anxiously, his eyes not once leaving her face.

  “Yes,” she said absent mindedly. “I’m ready to move on.”

  Chapter 8

  They had been driving for a short while when Nico asked her “Was all your luggage intact?”

  “Yes, it was.”

  He nodded and watched her from his rear view mirror.

  “It says here that Juliet’s Balcony is very popular with tourists and that you can rub Juliet’s left breast if you want a new lover,” said Ava, carefully reading through her Lonely Planet Guide To Italy and then blushing at what she had just read out aloud.

  “So legend has it,” answered Nico slowly.

  “So incredibly romantic,” mused Ava, staring out of the window at the lush green countryside.

  “How long have you been working at the Casa Adriana?” she asked.

  “Most of my life. Or at least it seems like that.”

  Ava watched his face in the mirror, unable to read the expression on his lips. She sat back in the plush leather seats and rested her head against the fat headrest.

  “About two years now,” said Nico, finally putting a number to his reply.

  “It’s a wonderful hotel,” said Ava, lifting her head up again. “Everything about it is so carefully and meticulously thought out.” She looked down at the white shirt she had on; it was one that Gina had bought, she assumed, and it fit her perfectly.

  “I’m glad to hear that your opinion of the service in our country is slowly changing,” said Nico dryly.

  “Whoever owns that hotel - and I know its not a chain because Conn-I.” She stopped and caught him staring at her again. “Because I see now that privately run hotels have a very unique and distinctive touch about them that make them special.” One of the things about Connor was his insistence on staying at only the best and most lavish of places. He wasn’t one for seeking out the more well-known chains of hotels. He preferred exclusive, family run hotels that people found out by word of mouth. The Casa Adriana was such a hotel.

  The cobbled and congested streets near the Casa di Giulietta signaled that their short journey was almost at an end. Nico parked up and they got out. Although it was still relatively cold here at this time of the year, the sun was out and it helped to keep the chill out of the air. It was not very busy now, but she could imagine the throngs of people who would cluster here during the summer.

  “I can show you around if you like?” suggested Nico, “But I feel that would you prefer to explore alone. No?”

  “Yes, I would actually.” Ava seemed a bit embarrassed to admit this.

  “Of course. Take your time. I will be waiting out here for you.”

  She beamed a smile at him before making her way down Via Cappello which led to the small courtyard inside which was Juliet’s house, the Casa di Giulietta.

  As she ambled along Via Cappello, the deliciously welcoming aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries seduced her taste buds. She stopped and bought a freshly baked warm pastry, shaped like a heart with sprinkles of sugar on top. It melted as soon as she took a bite; the buttery sugary pastry making her wish she had bought another one, or two, at the very least.

  She paused as she walked into the courtyard, looking at the statue of Juliet. She looked at the scattered messages scribbled down with hope on paper and band aids, and stuck to the walls all around.

  Licking the last crumb of the pastry from her lips, she looked up at the infamous balcony. Connor had always told her that she was a hopeless romantic. And she had to grudgingly admit that he was right. After all, her wedding date had been set for Valentines day and here she was staring up at Juliet’s balcony outside the Casa di Giulietta, eating a buttery, sugary heart shaped pastry. She laughed in spite of herself. Connor had knocked all vestige of romance out of her with one phonecall.

  She braced herself and walked inside to examine the house.

  No way was she going to rub Juliet’s left breast. A new lover was the last thing she needed.

  But as soon as she got inside, the attendants were moving everyone through and out the other end.

  The Casa di Giulietta was closing for the afternoon because a wedding was going to take place in this very building. Ava strained her neck to see over the crowd. The museum attendants were vacating the building and others were bringing through beautiful bouquets of flowers.

  A low gasp escaped from Ava’s mouth and she put her hands to stifle it, holding back an overwhelming urge to vomit. She felt her chest tighten and struggled to find enough air to fill her lungs. All of a sudden, she felt claustrophobic and needed to get out. She could see spots dancing in front of her eyes and she squeezed her way through the now heavy throng that had started to gather, as news of an impending wedding went viral around the streets.

  She struggled free from the crowd and found herself out in the courtyard once more. The irony of her sorry situation was not lost upon her and with a heavy heart, she rubbed away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks.

  Here she was, running away from the ruins of her own wedding and finding herself in the middle of another one.

  She wiped her eyes quickly as she walked out of the courtyard. Her legs moving faster and faster as if she couldn’t get away from Juliet’s house fast enough.

  As she marched on and turned a corner which opened up into the local market, she soon screeched to a halt at the sight of Nico sitting at one of the tables outside. He was sipping what looked like an espresso. Across the table sat a glamorously made up blonde woman, tall, thin and with eyes only for Nico.

  Ava noted that while the woman seemed to have eyes only for Nico, he seemed to be more interested in his espresso.

  Ava’s heart raced as she realised she couldn’t avoid going past them unless she turned around and she didn�
��t want to head back towards Juliet’s house again.

  Wincing with embarrassment, she rubbed her eyes again, making sure there were no tell-tale tears as she put her head down, pushed her sunglasses down, forced her shoulders back and darted past the two of them.

  She prayed that Nico wouldn’t see her fleeing the Casa di Giuletta.

  Chapter 9

  She was so fiercely independent, thought Nico, watching Ava as she strode up Via Cappello. So much heartache to deal with and still so defiant and strong. He admired her tenacity.

  As he watched her from a distance, he noticed that she drew looks from people as she walked past. Maybe it was her height, or her looks. The sunglasses perched on her head seemed to give her a slight movie star appeal and it was true; she did seem to stand out from the crowd.

  He shook his head in resignation. Poor woman. What a trial this trip must be for her. Such a sad event, to have lost a true love, under such circumstances. It was almost too tragic to bear thinking about. And yet, he marveled at Ava’s strength of character in all this and her ability to carry on with her sight seeing. Perhaps it was her way of dealing with her grief.

  Nico shrugged his shoulders and carried on walking down the cobbled street until he found a café. Grabbing a newspaper from a vendor nearby, he sat down at an outside table, ordered an espresso and buried his head in the paper. It gave him the perfect opportunity to look engrossed so that nobody else would recognize him and bother him. It also made keeping an eye on Ava a relatively inconspicuous task.

  Not that he was stalking her, he wasn’t, but he would at least know when she came out.

  “Nico darling! Whoever are you hiding from?” Silvia Azzarone, tall and angular, bent down and whispered into his ear at the same time as giving him a light peck on his cheek. She had Alessa with her, her five year old daughter. Uninvited, Silvia sank into the seat opposite him, with her back to the footpath.

  “Come Alessa darling, sit down. Where are your manners?” she said, pointing to the empty chair next to Nico.

  “Silvia,” said Nico coldly, still holding onto his paper. He put it down for a brief moment and would have carried on reading but he caught sight of the little girl who was now sitting beside him.

  “Good morning Mr. Cazale,” she said. The hard gaze reserved only for Silvia, now softened as Nico looked at the beautiful little girl with bright green eyes and a shy expression on her face.

  “Hello Alessa, and how are you today? How’s your bear?” he asked, folding his newspaper and placing it on the table, next to his espresso. He leaned in and gave the teddy bear a little tug on his paw.

  Alessa smiled back, lifting her eyes to Nico’s face before lowering them shyly and moving back into her seat. Nico smiled at her, happy to spend time with the little girl and not wanting to waste any more time with the girl’s mother.

  “Darling! So cold?” said Silvia, giving Nico an icy smile that made him wince. He felt annoyed that she had imposed herself on him. All he had wanted was to take some quiet time away, and now that his father was out of town he could take that time. He wanted to wait for Ava and to enjoy a paper and a coffee in the meantime. But now Silvia had swooped upon him.

  “Out shopping again Silvia?” he asked, looking into his espresso cup and downing the strong shot of coffee in one gulp. He called the waiter over and ordered another one. Silvia placed her snakeskin handbag carefully on her lap and sat back. She was perfectly made up, in full make up and dressed as if she was going to a fashion show and sitting in the front row.

  Nico’s eyes narrowed as he watched her. “Did you have anything you needed to see me for? Because I was hoping to have a pleasant day today, without any interruptions.”

  “I was shopping Darling, and then I saw you from across the square. But tell me, what’s going on? I know something is, Nico? You never take a day off. Of course, now I find myself wondering what could Nico Cazale possibly be doing sitting outside sipping espresso?” She crossed her long legs and slid further back into the chair, as her luminous orange nails tapped lightly on the arm rest.

  Alessa was too preoccupied in her make believe world with her teddy bear to take any notice of the two adults.

  Nico eyed Silvia coldly wondering how to get rid of her quickly. He was sure Ava would be along soon enough and he didn’t want the two to meet.

  “Nothing that is any of your business, Silvia.” He turned to the waiter and took a second cup of espresso. His jaw was tight and his steely grip on the tiny cup handle betrayed the turbulence beneath his quiet exterior.

  “Really?” replied Silvia, she tilted her head upwards, then leaned forward towards him. “Your father has you working very hard at the moment, I hear? This is not the Nico that I knew from many years ago. You were just a playboy when I met you. Properly met you, I mean.”

  “I don’t need to prove anything to anyone, Silvia,” he said coolly. “I know the facts, as do you.” He looked over at Alessa and smiled. She was a beautiful little girl and it was impossible to resist her cute little face.

  “We’ll see about that Nico. We’ll see.” Silvia knew she had provoked him and she so enjoyed doing that.

  Refusing to rise to the bait, Nico softened his tone, for Alessa’s sake, “I know we go back a long way Silvia. But enough is enough. And soon the facts will speak for themselves.” He knew these words would not sit well with Silvia but he didn’t even hear what she said in reply because he saw Ava rushing down the street with her head down, just as she slipped her sunglasses on. But he had already seen her tear stained face and he knew she had been crying. He looked up to catch her eye, but she was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn’t notice him and slipped away.

  Silvia glanced at Nico then turned to look at what had caught his attention all of a sudden. She saw the back of Ava who was disappearing quickly down the street.

  “Business calls, I must go,” he announced, getting up and trying not to sound as if he was in a hurry. He knelt down beside the little girl and stroked her teddy bear before lightly stroking the little girl’s soft, pudgy cheek. “Be good Alessa, although I know you always are aren’t you?” The little girl nodded, still shy and still not saying a word.

  Nico slipped a few notes on the table and rushed after Ava, trying to walk slowly so that Silvia would not realize his actions. The last thing he needed was her interference.

  Chapter 10

  Ava carried on walking, not knowing where she was going. She knew only that she needed to put as much distance between herself and that wedding.

  She walked along for what seemed a long time, unsure of where she was going or what time it was. She needed to calm herself down. She walked until the ball of anger inside her heart had melted down.

  Would anyone ever love her again she wondered? Would she ever love anyone again? And how would she ever know if the next time would be different to the last?

  Maybe this was what she had been hiding from ever since New Year’s Eve.

  Connor didn’t want her. He didn’t think she was worth marrying.

  Yet she didn’t want Connor either. Not anymore. She had put their increasing distance down to wedding stress. She had been hiding behind her pretty wedding favors and table settings in order to ignore looking at the fabric of their own relationship. She had made a great job of dressing up their relationship by wrapping it up in a beautiful wedding. But the core of it, her and Connor, had stopped being cohesive long before the table arrangements had been agreed on.

  The only thing Connor had had the guts to do was to call off the wedding.

  Ava came to a sudden standstill as she made this realization and found herself outside a small restaurant where the waiters were pulling down the canopy and getting the tables ready outside. She took one look at the pretty pink and white tablecloths gently flapping in the breeze and admired the small lilies in shiny red vases. A trace of mouth watering hot garlic butter floated towards her and she decided she would have her lunch here.

  S
he chose a table where she was shielded from the sun but where she was still far enough outside to watch people walking past. People watching was a favorite past-time of hers.

  She ordered quickly and while she waited for her tuna nicoise salad and her glass of white wine to arrive, Ava looked at her itinerary again then ripped it to pieces. She would set her own itinerary, for this was, after all, her own holiday. Maybe she would visit the Casa di Giulietta towards the end of her stay here in Verona. Or maybe she wouldn’t. It wasn’t as if she had to make compromises anymore. She could do as she pleased. She was answerable only to herself. And it suddenly felt good again to have that power, to do as she pleased.

  Her colorful and mouthwatering salad soon arrived and instantly put Ava into a better mood. The pink cotton tablecloth flapped gently in the breeze as she raised her glass of wine to her lips and sipped, savoring the taste of it.

  All was good in her world again.

  She put down her glass and was about to tuck into her salad when the tall and imposing figure of Nico appeared in front of her again. His face etched with concern.

  “Ms. Ramirez – are you alright?” he asked, still standing. His face was flushed and she guessed that he must have followed her the entire way.

  Ava lowered her glass onto the table and stared up into his face. She noted the frown lines on his forehead.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” she asked guardedly.

  Had he been following her?

  “My mistake, I’m sorry. I thought you seemed a little sad back there.” He shuffled his feet, unsure what to do next.

  She hadn’t yet asked him to sit down but merely acknowledged him with her eyes.

  “Why would I be sad?” she asked, pretending to busy herself with her salad.

  “I thought you had been crying.”

  He had been following her.

  “Have you been following me Nico?” she asked, putting her fork down again.