Amore and Pinot Grigio - a Guido la Vespa Christmas Tale [Guido la Vespa] (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream) by Veronica Bell Page A

have had to get it all reset, which is costing a small fortune. My father was so worried about it he had to come down from Tuscany this week.”
    “Oh my, I’m terribly sorry. But you know it was unintentional and for a good reason. You told me your father was very concerned about the cat so I’m sure he will understand. Please give him my sincere apologies.”
    “You can apologize yourself, in person. In fact, I insist. Unless, that is, you want to get stuck with the bill for the work we have to get done.”
    “You wouldn’t!”
    “Yes, I would. I insist you come and apologize.”
    “Fine. I remember where it is.” As though I could ever forget . “I’ll be there later today. Right now I have to work.”
    “I’ll help you and we can go back together.”
    “I don’t need help.”
    “Yes, you do. Look what you’ve done to poor Babbo Natale .”
    Sigrid realized she had stuck a nail right through his eye. “Oh! Poor Santa!”
    Sandro grabbed the hammer from her. “Let me take care of it. Is there anything else you must do?”
    “Yes, I have to clean a bunch of litter boxes.” She smiled. “Care to help me with that? If not, I insist that you go back to the restaurant and wait for me there.”
    Sandro laughed. “Still the wildcat! All right, I will help you. I have never been afraid of any kind of work.”
    When Sigrid brought Sandro into the shelter’s welcome area, she saw that while these gattare may have mostly been senior citizens, they all still knew a beautiful man when they saw one. Body language changed, tone of voice changed and girlish giggling was barely stifled as he greeted each of them with a smooth, “ Piacere ,” and a kiss on both cheeks. Great, thought Sigrid. Even after menopause, there is no respite from men.
    “He’s going to help me,” she said.
    The ladies stared in disbelief. Sigrid found that amusing. They obviously didn’t think it odd for someone like her to be cleaning litter boxes, but for a man who looked and dressed like Sandro to do so? Pazzo ! Crazy.
    Sandro dutifully helped her, stopping though, to stare at all the cats in cages in the adoption centre. “ Poveri ,” he said. “The poor little things.”
    When it came time to leave, the gattare again all huddled about, watching Sandro and giggling, a couple of them even winking at Sigrid. One of them approached Sigrid and took her aside, conspiratorially. “This man likes you very, very much, Signora Sigrid.”
    “No, no, he doesn’t. You don’t know what is happening here,” said Sigrid.
    “Yes, yes, I do. And I assure you, this man is, how do you say in English, smitten with you.”
    Sigrid laughed and waved her off. “No, listen. I have to get going. I will see you all soon. Ci vediamo , Signore .”
    “ Ci vediamo .” More giggles as she left with Sandro.
    Once up on the via Florida, Sigrid put on her helmet and walked to where she had parked Guido la Vespa. “I’ll meet you there,” she said. “I’m bringing Guido, as lovely as your Lancia is.”
    “By all means, bring your Vespa. I haven’t got my Lancia with me. I’ve brought my Vespone. Do you want to see it? I’ve just parked it over here.”
    Sigrid followed and saw a larger version of her bike, tan in colour. “It’s great,” she said. “Have you named it?”
    Sandro shook his head. “Crazy girl. No, men don’t name their motorbikes. And most women don’t, either, just crazy Canadian girls. Anyway, now you have seen a Vespone, or ‘big wasp,’ in English. And you know that ‘Vespa’ means ‘wasp,’ don’t you?”
    “Yes, I knew that. They were so named because supposedly that’s what they look like, wasps.”
    “I can’t tell you anything, can I?”
    “Obviously you can, since you’re forcing me out to the restaurant to apologize to your father in person, for something I’m sure he knows I didn’t mean to do and was done entirely in good cause.”
    Sandro let out a sigh and put his hands out in a gesture of