Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

Having spent seven years working on a novel filled with plots, subplots and conspiracies, I decided that I needed to put the writer in me on vacation while I was in the land of Medici’s, palaces and magnificent art and simply enjoy my new friend.

Tall, Fair, Handsome and I continued listening to jazz as the dinner plates were removed.  I just couldn’t get over the fact we were sitting in an ultra modern restaurant, listening to great jazz, eating nouvelle Italian cuisine with views of the Arno River.  He pulled me closer and gently kissed the palm of my hand.  I felt my cheeks flush and my heart race.  For a man of few words, his actions spoke volumes.

And then the waiter arrived with dessert, breaking the spell.  He placed the panna cotta with strawberry sauce in front of me and gave me the look, which translates in any language: You had better finish this!  The dessert was tantalizing just like my tall, fair handsome man, but I was too full to finish.  When the waiter returned, he looked at my unfinished plate and then at me.  Here we go again!  I gave TFH the knowing eye that only close friends and family understand.  He barely could contain his laughter when I got scolded by the waiter.

“What?  You no like dessert, either?  You no finish nothing.  What I tell the chef?”

Oh, how the Italians and my mother are worried I’m not eating enough! 

I needed to make a quick get-away from my indignant waiter.  Not wanting to be castigated for having a small stomach, I excused myself and raced down the stairs to the lady’s room to escape his ire.

There was a small lounge area in between the men’s room and the lady’s room with a sectional couch and a whimsical modern table.  What an unexpected surprise.

I wish I could have taken it home.  It would have been a great memento and a perfect table for writing my next novel.  With TFH in my life, a date with Michelangelo’s David in the future, modern furniture and jazz in ancient Firenze, I couldn’t imagine what my next adventure would be, but smiled at the possibilities that were unfolding.

TFH and I walked back to the hotel, pausing to enjoy the stunning view of the Arno River. 

It was there that his warm lips kissed mine for the first time. Lights from the restaurants and buildings reflected golden onto the otherwise dark river, illuminating the fact that TFH continued to be a man of mystery.