“Is something the matter?”
“No. No. It’s just—you know – the airport—
people are looking at us…”
“Ah. Do you think Gregory Peck would not have kissed Audrey Hepburn in an airport?”
“Gregory Peck was the American.” Libby corrected him. As if pointing out that dissimilarity discounted his point. They had watched Roman Holiday together many times last year. In the movie the hero was American, and the damsel was European.
“Sorry about…” Libby waved her arm out the glass door indicating where it was cloudy and wet outside.
Libby hated that it was raining. Some time the night before a steady drizzle had soaked the ground and coaxed a bunch of worms out of hiding. Normaly rain didn’t bother Libby but she felt badly that Gio’s first day in America would be so dismal.
He was laughing at her. Libby had almost forgotten how often Gio laughed at her. Also that she found this habit slightly annoying.
“The sun should be out the rest of the week.” Libby added defensively.
“Ah—Mia Betta. Apologizing for the weather?”
“Ah—Mia Betta. Apologizing for the weather?” He was stil chuckling softly as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I have missed you.”
Libby decided to forgive him for laughing at her.
Gio wanted to get checked in at the hotel, and rest after the flight. Libby felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t invited him to stay at Stuart’s. Her mom was away teaching a pastry workshop and Stuart had driven up to spend the weekend with her. She felt weird enough staying there alone, but alone with Gio? It would be a bad idea. So they made plans for Libby to pick him up after lunch and she would show him the bakery. Mel and John were also coming in tonight. They would be staying with her parents for two weeks while they saw to the final details of the wedding. Mel desperately wanted to be at the airport when Libby picked Gio up, but she had been molified by a promise that they could al meet up later that evening for drinks at a local bar.
Gio loved the bakery. Libby’s mom loved Gio. So that went wel, she supposed. Next they drove around the town. They saw Libby’s old high school and the park where she and Mel had played as kids. Libby didn’t know why she felt strange showing Gio this part of her life. He certainly didn’t seem bored. He was ful of questions about her childhood, and then about what she had been doing since she returned from Italy, about her catering business.
And then he was ful of advice on new locations for when she was ready to try opening her own shop. Libby wasn’t al together sure she enjoyed having reality elbowing its way into her European adventure.
Later that night when they met up with Mel and John Libby relaxed a little. She liked the bar. It wasn’t any of the ritzy clubs Gio had taken her to, but it wasn’t a dive either. Libby had been here a few times over the last few weeks, and she liked it. The band was always good enough for dancing, but not too loud and the drinks were reasonably priced. Libby thought things were going pretty wel. Gio seemed to get along wel with her friends—even John.
“Right! The European adventure!” John exclaimed with his usual lack of tact when Libby introduced him, as he reached across the table to shake Gio’s hand.
Gio merely arched an eyebrow in Libby’s direction before grasping John’s hand. “I guess that would be me.”
“Ignore him, Gio… everyone else does.” Libby had muttered.
Congratulations are in order?” He changed the subject easily by nodding to where Mel was sitting next to John. “And my best wishes to the bride” it was the perfect tactic. Mel was off a mile a minute about the wedding, and how she had always wanted to be married on the beach. If Mel wasn’t already charmed by him at that point then she was completely won over when he ordered a round of champagne to “toast to her happiness”.
“He is just yummy Lib.” Mel was touching up her lip gloss in the ladies room. “And a great dancer. I do love a man that can dance.” Gio had obligingly twirled Mel around the dance floor when John proclaimed himself much to sober to make a fool of himself. Not that John didn’t dance; he was just more of a shuffler whereas Gio had spent the early part of the evening spinning and dipping Libby with practiced expertise.
“Yeah. He’s terrific.” Libby agreed.
Mel twitched a look at her in the mirror. “You aren’t mad that I invited him right?”
“No. Of course not. I am glad he’s here.” Libby protested
“Okay, good. Because I can tel he adores you.” Mel turned around snapping her hand bag shut. “Tony is going to drop by.” She mentioned not so offhandedly.