Italian Journey

Chapter 20

Jasmin

After breakfast, the tour group decided that our last day in Venice would a 'free day'. This meant that each person would use this last day to do whatever they liked- whether to quietly roam the streets of Venice, go back and visit St. Mark's Palace, take a trip across the lagoon an so on. Upon hearing the tour guide explain the freedom of a 'free day', I noted that Lorenzo's eyes lit up and his mouth curved up into a delicious looking smirk. I felt like I could eat his mouth up, yum yum.

Boy, do I need to control my hormones around him!! Anyway, the other tour members begin to disperse and soon it's just Lorenzo and myself remaining in the breakfast room. I try to avoid saying anything but my awareness of this fine male specimen next to me denies that possibility. Finally, I look up and there he is already looking at me, giving me that smouldering look that sends shivers down my spine.

"What?" I asked, defensively.

"Do you have plans for your 'free day' today? asked Lorenzo. "I don't want to presume and control your day. I can go along with whatever you have planned" he continued.

I paused and then honestly revealed, "I have nothing planned, I really don't know to do. I had planned to simply stroll around and see where it led me."

"Well, then," he stated, with a broad smile on his face, "let's get going."

"Go where?"

"Let's just stroll and see where it leads us today. It's a fine way forward in our own fresh start." Lorenzo stands, looking down at me with a small smile on his face but his eyes hold a certain shadow of expectation.  He extends his hand out for me to take and it strikes me that taking his hand is more than just being polite and accepting his gentlemanly advances, it's about us.

If I take his hand, I'm really agreeing to giving this relationship a chance, am I ready? Ready to trust him again, open my heart to the possibility?

I switch my gaze between his hand, still outstretched and his face. Lorenzo has not removed his hand and he is allowing me to decide the outcome. Taking a leap of faith, I reach up, take hold of his hand and stand, gazing straight into his eyes, I simply say "Ok, let's have a final look at Venice before I have to leave."

Lorenzo pulls me towards him and whispers lowly, "You will not regret it, mi amor"