on my knees would be fine. A littler higher up my legs, maybe?
He pulled the other chair next to me, sitting astride it, resting his hands on the back. "So, mia bella, what is your name?"
Mia bella? I knew enough Italian to know that was a compliment, and to blush.
"Delilah," I said, holding out my hand to shake his.
He took my proffered hand and kissed the back of it, never taking his eyes off mine. His lips on my hand burned like fire, sending shivers of delight up my arm to coil hot and heavy in my belly. He'd actually kissed my hand. I could barely think, for a moment.
"I am Luca," he said, after I failed to ask.
"Oh, sorry, yes, I was going to ask but I...you..." I stopped, took a deep breath and gathered my composure. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Luca. Thank you so much for getting my bag back, and taking care of me."
Luca smiled, his straight white teeth brilliant against his dark olive skin. "The pleasure is all mine, Delilah."
"I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost my bag. It has everything in it."
"Roma can be most dangerous, at times. You are here alone?"
I nodded. "It's a beautiful city. I've always wanted to see Rome."
"Is it what you thought it would be?" Luca asked, resting his chin on his hands along the back of the chair.
"Yes and no. In some ways it's so much more than I'd ever dreamed, but in others..."
"It is not so lovely in some ways, too, no? I know this. I am from...you call it Florence, I think...and I too am often surprised at the state of things here in Roma. It is a complex place. You should see Firenze. Mio Dios. So lovely." He gave me a quirky smile, roguish and cunning. "So lovely, like you, Delilah. The only thing Firenze needs to be perfect is you, walking her streets."
I think I melted, right then. All I could do was blush redder and look away, down at the cracked and faded tiles beneath my feet. Was he trying to give me a heart attack? Was he really talking about me?
"I'd like to see Florence...what'd you call it? Firenz?"
He laughed, a flash of white teeth and kind mirth. "No no no. Firenz-EH. with the 'eh' on the end. Firenze. Florence is the English word. We call it Firenze."
I tried the Italian pronunciation, giving it the lilting accent he did. "Firenze...it's much lovelier that way. But yes, I think maybe I'll see Flore—Firenze next."
"For how long are you in Roma?" He grinned again. "That's how we say 'Rome' by the way. 'Roma'."
"I suppose I should have learned some Italian before I came, huh?" I laughed somewhat sheepishly. "I don't have any definite plans."
"Well, you are learning now, no? I am a good teacher, I think. I will teach you more. For example, 'thank you' is 'grazie'."
"That was the first thing I learned. And 'thank you' is 'per favore'." I showed him my phone, and the app I'd been using to translate. "I've learned a few phrases with this."
Luca laughed again, waving his hand in dismissal. "Bah. Technology is a wonderful thing, but I think perhaps nothing is so good as a person to teach you a language. There are many small things to speaking truly that no program or app can ever teach." He stood up and extended his hand. "I think maybe after so much running you are hungry, yes? Eat with me, Delilah."
There was no hesitation. I took his hand and let him draw me to my feet. "I would like that."
We walked through the streets of Rome, or Roma, I should say, him guiding me with subtle nudges. He worked for a vineyard, selling cases of wine to restaurants and bars throughout Italy and some of the surrounding countries. He was the youngest of four children, all of whom except him lived and worked in Firenze, a stone's throw from their parents. Luca traveled much of the time, but still spent a few weeks at a time with his family, "on holiday" he called it.
We sat across from each other in a little cafe, from which I could see the huge gray bulk of the Coliseum.
"I am returning to Firenze tomorrow, actually. I have been in Roma for a week,
He pulled the other chair next to me, sitting astride it, resting his hands on the back. "So, mia bella, what is your name?"
Mia bella? I knew enough Italian to know that was a compliment, and to blush.
"Delilah," I said, holding out my hand to shake his.
He took my proffered hand and kissed the back of it, never taking his eyes off mine. His lips on my hand burned like fire, sending shivers of delight up my arm to coil hot and heavy in my belly. He'd actually kissed my hand. I could barely think, for a moment.
"I am Luca," he said, after I failed to ask.
"Oh, sorry, yes, I was going to ask but I...you..." I stopped, took a deep breath and gathered my composure. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Luca. Thank you so much for getting my bag back, and taking care of me."
Luca smiled, his straight white teeth brilliant against his dark olive skin. "The pleasure is all mine, Delilah."
"I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost my bag. It has everything in it."
"Roma can be most dangerous, at times. You are here alone?"
I nodded. "It's a beautiful city. I've always wanted to see Rome."
"Is it what you thought it would be?" Luca asked, resting his chin on his hands along the back of the chair.
"Yes and no. In some ways it's so much more than I'd ever dreamed, but in others..."
"It is not so lovely in some ways, too, no? I know this. I am from...you call it Florence, I think...and I too am often surprised at the state of things here in Roma. It is a complex place. You should see Firenze. Mio Dios. So lovely." He gave me a quirky smile, roguish and cunning. "So lovely, like you, Delilah. The only thing Firenze needs to be perfect is you, walking her streets."
I think I melted, right then. All I could do was blush redder and look away, down at the cracked and faded tiles beneath my feet. Was he trying to give me a heart attack? Was he really talking about me?
"I'd like to see Florence...what'd you call it? Firenz?"
He laughed, a flash of white teeth and kind mirth. "No no no. Firenz-EH. with the 'eh' on the end. Firenze. Florence is the English word. We call it Firenze."
I tried the Italian pronunciation, giving it the lilting accent he did. "Firenze...it's much lovelier that way. But yes, I think maybe I'll see Flore—Firenze next."
"For how long are you in Roma?" He grinned again. "That's how we say 'Rome' by the way. 'Roma'."
"I suppose I should have learned some Italian before I came, huh?" I laughed somewhat sheepishly. "I don't have any definite plans."
"Well, you are learning now, no? I am a good teacher, I think. I will teach you more. For example, 'thank you' is 'grazie'."
"That was the first thing I learned. And 'thank you' is 'per favore'." I showed him my phone, and the app I'd been using to translate. "I've learned a few phrases with this."
Luca laughed again, waving his hand in dismissal. "Bah. Technology is a wonderful thing, but I think perhaps nothing is so good as a person to teach you a language. There are many small things to speaking truly that no program or app can ever teach." He stood up and extended his hand. "I think maybe after so much running you are hungry, yes? Eat with me, Delilah."
There was no hesitation. I took his hand and let him draw me to my feet. "I would like that."
We walked through the streets of Rome, or Roma, I should say, him guiding me with subtle nudges. He worked for a vineyard, selling cases of wine to restaurants and bars throughout Italy and some of the surrounding countries. He was the youngest of four children, all of whom except him lived and worked in Firenze, a stone's throw from their parents. Luca traveled much of the time, but still spent a few weeks at a time with his family, "on holiday" he called it.
We sat across from each other in a little cafe, from which I could see the huge gray bulk of the Coliseum.
"I am returning to Firenze tomorrow, actually. I have been in Roma for a week,
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