Thanks for continuing to read my first attempt at portraying Alden and Maine in an alternate universe. I will try to update more often but not to the point of giving you a lame chapter. So please bear with me if the story does not arrive too soon, I sometimes write something but discard it when I think it's not good enough for the readers. Hope you'll like this chapter, will try to come up with another update in a few days. I love receiving comments so don't hesitate to leave one or two after reading. Enjoy!
With the help of Ilaria, Maine was able to find Elena, a tour guide who would take her and Alden around Venice. They agreed to meet in Dolci at 1:00 in the afternoon, with Alden, Mama Ten and Leysam tagging along. Maine prepared for the tour well. She wore hunter green wellingtons in anticipation of the rain, a dark brown leather jacket, beige pullover and snug-fitting jeans. She waited in the café taking a light lunch while chatting with Amato, consisting of buttery baby croissants with slices of prosciutto, tomatoes, onions, olives and fresh wisps of basil, partnered with a steaming cup of cappuccino.
Elena arrived 15 minutes early, giving her time to join Amato and Maine for a cup of coffee. Elena was a jolly, boisterous soul who looked intimidating at first, with her pompadour hairstyle and old-fashioned clothes, booming deep voice and wild hand gestures. But she was a sweetheart, a good friend of Amato as well. She kissed Maine on both cheeks after being introduced by Amato.
"Ahh, Maine! Sei cosi bella.."
"Grazie, signora." Maine responded, blushing. She was never used to being complimented for her looks, much less by people she didn't really know.
Alden and company arrived shortly, wearing a black leather jacket, white shirt, jeans and his favorite pair of Stan Smiths. He brought an umbrella with him, as well as a gift for Elena, some pastel-colored bonbons in a dainty pink box. It was funny to see Elena flustered and blushing, clearly taken by Alden's good looks and charm. They said their goodbyes to Amato and set off for the tour.
It was really cold despite the time of day. They rode a Vaporetto (Water Bus) to get to Piazza de San Marco, a 30-minute trip they had to take standing, as the water bus was full. The ride was rather scary when it started to get windy and rain, causing the boat to rock and have passengers bump into each other.
Alden steadied himself by holding onto a hand sling for standing passengers while having an arm around Maine to shield her from being jostled around. Maine squirmed uneasily, not used to being this close to someone she barely knew but was attracted to, who smelled so deliciously male and clean. He was so protective of her, selecting a corner spot to position her away from the crowd by shielding her with his body and turning his back on the other standing passengers. There were times when the passengers bumped into each other as a result of the unsteady cruising of the water bus, resulting in his leaning further into the corner, pushing her body against the wall while his full body length from chest to toes draped over her body.
"Ok ka lang ba?" He asked while rubbing her back.
"Nakakahinga pa naman," She said in a comically muffled voice against his chest. "Wala na ko lalong ilong pagbaba natin, haha."
"Uy grabe, hindi ka pango ha. Mas maganda nga ilong mo kaysa sakin. Ang laki ng ilong ko eh."
"Maliit lang ilong ko. Napapagkamalan akong bumbay pero sa ilong nagkakatalo kasi kapos sa tangos."
"Sus hindi, tama lang ilong mo, cute nga eh."
"Etong dalawang 'to usapang ilong talaga?" Mama Ten pulled Alden by the sleeve. "Oy, RJ bitawan mo na si Maine, maluwag na dito o. Ikaw ha, para-paraan ka rin eh."
They finally arrived at Piazza de San Marco (St. Mark's Square), by which time the rain also stopped. There were so many tourists scattered around the square, taking photos or feeding hordes of pigeons, which strangely didn't seem to be afraid of people.
Both Alden and Maine gasped at the breathtaking St. Mark's Basilica, a 900-year-old unique structure famous for its Byzantine and medieval design of mosaics, intricate stone and marble decorative patterns, and exuberant oriental domes.
Elena's historical knowledge fed them with interesting tales about Italian history and the different structures they visited. She took them through Doge's Palace, one of the 11 popular museums in Venice, the Sansovino Library, Bridge of Sighs and finally, the Rialto Bridge.
It was already late afternoon by the time they reached Rialto Bridge. Elena's voice droned on, constantly talking about the oldest bridge across the Grand Canal. Maine wondered how Elena was still at the top of her game, still discussing energetically while they all looked drained. She caught Leysam whispering a joke to Mama Ten, who giggled noiselessly while poking Leysam in his side. Maine tried to stifle a yawn, not wanting to hurt Elena's feelings. She failed however, resulting in a full-blown yawn, complete with eyes closed.
"Huy, baka naman mapunit yan," Alden whispered jokingly. She closed her mouth suddenly, conscious of being caught.
"Sa laki ng bibig ko, hindi na mapupunit yan," She joked self-deprecatingly.
"Kanina ilong, ngayon naman bibig mo pinipintasan mo. " He was shaking his head, eying her curiously.
"Malaki naman talaga bibig ko eh. Kaya bentang benta ako sa dubsmash, I look funny, diba?" She laughed but was not looking at him, self-consciously tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He held her by the chin and eyed her closely, taking in her features one by one.
"Hmmm, deep-set almond eyes with thick, long lashes. Check. Smooth, caramel colored skin and rosy cheeks. Check. Sexy pouty lips, perfect set of teeth, a small straight nose....Check. Patingin ng pangit, asan? Wala naman eh." He was daring her to look at him, and Maine, never one to back away from a challenge, met his gaze.
"Gutom na ko beh," Mama Ten complained, breaking the moment. Alden held on to her chin, wagged his eyebrows at her and let go, hooking an arm around Mama Ten's neck to playfully wrestle.
"Your boyfriend is so in love with you, eh?" Elena was teasing her playfully.
"No, no signora. He's not my boyfriend," She said, awkwardly, looking quickly at Alden to see if he heard. With his arm still around Mama Ten's neck, he smirked at Maine and laughed as she looked away. He hooked an arm through Elena's and quipped, "No signora, I'm not her boyfriend. Yet."
"Ahhh, sei così affascinante, " Elena said gleefully. "This is where the tour ends. I leave you to shop and enjoy dinner here, yah? Thank you for having me as your guide. Arrivederci."
They were walking towards Rialto Market when the rain suddenly poured and drenched them.
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Maine was shaking badly by the time they finished eating dinner. Despite her preparation for the rain, the winds drenched her clothes, her hands were bluish from the cold. Alden instructed her to remove her wet clothes and replace it with an extra shirt and jacket Mama Ten had in a bag for him. She went to the Ladies Room for a quick change and to freshen up.
She surveyed how she looked and was horrified. Her face was too pale, there was a lipstick smear at the corner of her mouth, and her eyeliner smudge created panda eyes. Ayos ka talaga Meng, she chided herself, nangangatog ka na't lahat, pabebeng vanity pa rin nasa isip mo. She quickly washed her face to get rid of the make-up smudges and applied lip and cheek stain to add color to her face. She wore the white shirt, loving the smell of Alden's cologne on her. She was touched by his chivalry in offering his dry clothes despite his clothes being drenched as well. Draping the jacket around her shoulders, she walked out to meet them.
"You're shaking," Alden said worriedly. He touched his hand to her neck to feel for her temperature. "Leysam, nilalagnat si Maine. Pano kaya to?"
"Mas malapit dito yung tinutuluyan natin, buti pa isama na lang muna natin siya."
"H-hhha? Teka, ayoko, dun ako sa Dolci uuwi."
"Maine, tama si Sam, walang mag-aalaga sayo don. Don't worry, hindi hotel yung tinuluyan namin, it's a flat with three rooms. You can stay in one room, share na muna si Sam saka si Mama Ten. May privacy ka pa rin."
She wanted to protest but she was feeling so dizzy and her head ached. She slipped her arms into the jacket to keep warm and nodded to them.
It was a good 20 minutes walk before they finally reached the flat. By this time, Alden and Leysam were practically carrying her with her arms over their shoulders. Mama Ten heated some water to give her a sponge bath, but Maine was too shy to let her. She tried to do it herself but her hands were badly shaking. Alden found her clumsily trying to dip the towel into the basin of lukewarm water and rushed to help her.
He made her lie down on the bed and took off her shoes and socks, putting a hot towel over her feet to warm them. He got another towel and covered her chest, knowing she was uneasy that a thin shirt and his sweatpants were her only body covering. He drizzled alcohol over the lukewarm water and proceeded to run the damp towel over her arms and legs, her back and neck. He gave her the towel so she could run it through her chest, turning away to give her privacy.
"Still feeling cold?" He asked, worry knitting his brow.
"Medyo pero nabawasan na. Sorry sa abala, ha?"
"Huy, hindi. Wag mo isipin yun, may Neozep ako, inumin mo yun para di lumala yan. Gigisingin kita ulit mamyang two A.M. para makainom ka ulit. " He run his fingers through her forehead and hair, caressing her face.
"Iwan na kita ha, para makatulog ka." He stood up to leave but Maine held on to his hand.
"Pwedeng dito ka muna? Samahan mo lang ako. Please?"
He sat on the bed beside her and made her take the Neozep with a glass of water. She obediently took it and lay back on the bed her hands clasped onto his hand. In her feverish state, she didn't know that she stated her innermost thoughts to him.
"Alam mo, cute ka na maalaga ka pa. Nakakainis, parang perfect ka. Parang gusto na tuloy kita."