thinking about Italy. There’s a feeling there … I don’t know how to describe it. Maybe there is something to the phrase
la dolce vita
and we don’t understand it in this country.” She smiled. “But I had a fabulous inspiration!” She picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and told Annie about her idea for a new product line.
“Sounds fabulous!”
“Do you really think I can pull it off?” Elizabeth poked her chicken with her chopsticks.
Annie leaned back and stared at Elizabeth. “Of course you can. Why would you think you couldn’t?”
“I’ve never tried anything this ambitious before. What if I can’t do it?” Elizabeth heard the doubt in her own voice.
“First of all,” Annie said, putting her wrapped food down, “you can do this. Second of all, in the extremely unlikely case you can’t make it happen, you’ll know you tried.”
Tried and failed.
“Were you afraid when you quit your job?” Elizabeth asked.
Annie nodded. “Terrified. But it was worth it.” She smiled at Elizabeth. “But I bet you were afraid after Joe died, too.”
Elizabeth sighed as she remembered the dark days after her husband’s heart attack.
“Sorry,” Annie said. “Didn’t mean to bring up bad times. But I wanted to remind you how capable you are. You can do this.” She picked up her food and took another bite. “Now, how about you tell me about the man you met in Italy?”
“There’s no man.”
“Give me a break.”
“Oh, all right. I met a guy in Italy.”
Annie’s dropped the pancake back on the plate and clapped her hands. “I knew it! Tell me what happened! Every detail? Did he kiss you?”
Elizabeth laughed and told her friend about the dinner and the visit to the winery.
“Well?” Annie asked when she finished. “Did he kiss you?”
“Yes.”
“How was it?”
The deep blush began at Elizabeth’s cleavage and worked its way up to her cheeks.
“That good?” Annie asked.
“That good.” Elizabeth remembered the night Marcos had dropped them off at the hotel after the vineyard tour. He’d waited until Sarah had gone inside the hotel before planting a lingering kiss on her lips. The kiss had been all he attempted.
She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or annoyed.
“Have you heard from him? Is it serious? What’s his name?” Annie asked as she picked up her dishes and trailed Elizabeth to the kitchen.
“He lives in Italy. It can’t be serious. His name is Marcos.”
“Long distance relationships are the in thing. And wasn’t there that writer who met the guy in Bali? You both own your own businesses. You can make it work.”
A dull headache began to throb in Elizabeth’s temples. “It’s not that simple, Annie. I’m planning a big business expansion. I haven’t got time for a man. The two don’t mix. A woman can either run a business or a marriage, but not both.”
The garbage can lid clattered closed. “Where did you get that antiquated notion?”
“I don’t think it’s that old-fashioned. Men are real supportive when a woman starts her business, but I’ve heard far too many stories about women becoming successful and their husbands asking for a divorce.”
“Maybe … but I bet there’s lots of people who stay together, too.”
“I can’t take that risk.”
“That’s too bad. If anyone could use a good man in her life, it’s you.”
“I had Bobby.”
Annie shut the dishwasher. “Bobby was okay and he did love you, but he was a bit of a control freak. I can say that now that you’ve broken up.”
“Wow. I never knew you thought that.” Elizabeth pondered her friend’s statement. “But I think you’re right. Maybe that’s why I didn’t want to marry him.” She laughed, a sense of relief lifting her spirits. “Coffee?”
“Sure … but I can’t stay too late. John wants to get to the horses early in the morning — too early if you ask me. And, he wants to have breakfast first, so I have to get up, get ready and meet
la dolce vita
and we don’t understand it in this country.” She smiled. “But I had a fabulous inspiration!” She picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and told Annie about her idea for a new product line.
“Sounds fabulous!”
“Do you really think I can pull it off?” Elizabeth poked her chicken with her chopsticks.
Annie leaned back and stared at Elizabeth. “Of course you can. Why would you think you couldn’t?”
“I’ve never tried anything this ambitious before. What if I can’t do it?” Elizabeth heard the doubt in her own voice.
“First of all,” Annie said, putting her wrapped food down, “you can do this. Second of all, in the extremely unlikely case you can’t make it happen, you’ll know you tried.”
Tried and failed.
“Were you afraid when you quit your job?” Elizabeth asked.
Annie nodded. “Terrified. But it was worth it.” She smiled at Elizabeth. “But I bet you were afraid after Joe died, too.”
Elizabeth sighed as she remembered the dark days after her husband’s heart attack.
“Sorry,” Annie said. “Didn’t mean to bring up bad times. But I wanted to remind you how capable you are. You can do this.” She picked up her food and took another bite. “Now, how about you tell me about the man you met in Italy?”
“There’s no man.”
“Give me a break.”
“Oh, all right. I met a guy in Italy.”
Annie’s dropped the pancake back on the plate and clapped her hands. “I knew it! Tell me what happened! Every detail? Did he kiss you?”
Elizabeth laughed and told her friend about the dinner and the visit to the winery.
“Well?” Annie asked when she finished. “Did he kiss you?”
“Yes.”
“How was it?”
The deep blush began at Elizabeth’s cleavage and worked its way up to her cheeks.
“That good?” Annie asked.
“That good.” Elizabeth remembered the night Marcos had dropped them off at the hotel after the vineyard tour. He’d waited until Sarah had gone inside the hotel before planting a lingering kiss on her lips. The kiss had been all he attempted.
She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or annoyed.
“Have you heard from him? Is it serious? What’s his name?” Annie asked as she picked up her dishes and trailed Elizabeth to the kitchen.
“He lives in Italy. It can’t be serious. His name is Marcos.”
“Long distance relationships are the in thing. And wasn’t there that writer who met the guy in Bali? You both own your own businesses. You can make it work.”
A dull headache began to throb in Elizabeth’s temples. “It’s not that simple, Annie. I’m planning a big business expansion. I haven’t got time for a man. The two don’t mix. A woman can either run a business or a marriage, but not both.”
The garbage can lid clattered closed. “Where did you get that antiquated notion?”
“I don’t think it’s that old-fashioned. Men are real supportive when a woman starts her business, but I’ve heard far too many stories about women becoming successful and their husbands asking for a divorce.”
“Maybe … but I bet there’s lots of people who stay together, too.”
“I can’t take that risk.”
“That’s too bad. If anyone could use a good man in her life, it’s you.”
“I had Bobby.”
Annie shut the dishwasher. “Bobby was okay and he did love you, but he was a bit of a control freak. I can say that now that you’ve broken up.”
“Wow. I never knew you thought that.” Elizabeth pondered her friend’s statement. “But I think you’re right. Maybe that’s why I didn’t want to marry him.” She laughed, a sense of relief lifting her spirits. “Coffee?”
“Sure … but I can’t stay too late. John wants to get to the horses early in the morning — too early if you ask me. And, he wants to have breakfast first, so I have to get up, get ready and meet
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