The Tuscan Trap: Part I

It was a blustery day in London, the rain was pouring continuously without pause, as Dawn did her best to avoid the puddles on the pavement. It was hard enough that she was already ten minutes late for her meeting but that her hair was starting to stand up on end in little fuzzy patches. 'Oh shit', she thought. She dreaded to think whether her make up was still in place or if she was sporting, 'wet t-shirt' at the front of her. She swung through the front door of the building she worked in and ran for the nearest available lift and pressed the fourteenth floor. Looking in the lift mirror, her face was indeed etched with mascara trailing down her cheeks and making her face look like the day after a drunken night. She smudged away at the make-up, she didn't have time to get to the ladies and spruce up, she simply had to go to the meeting, it was a life and death situation. She dumped her bag at her desk and literally sped into the conference room to a room full of smartly dressed senior people.

"Dawn, glad you could join us, we were just discussing your role," voiced Terrence Hiller, the VP for Finance.

Dawn gulped as she took an empty on the big oval mahogany table, "My position?"

"Yes of course, we would like to transfer you to Italy," Terrence said flicking through what looked like a holiday brochure.

"Italy? But why?" gasped Dawn.

"We are happy with your progress here Dawn, but we'd like you to oversee a project over in Tuscany, Italy. This would be a perfect opportunity for you to prove yourself as a leader and a valuable necessity to the company. Would you be willing to take it, that would be my question?" Terrence said glaring at her.

"When would you like me to start?" Dawn asked.

"Monday morning," Terrrence said, "Of course, we will take care of your expenses and accommodation so you needn't worry about that. You will oversee the infrastructure of our new property, you will need assess and divulge ideas on commercially as well as trying to understand whether it is a safe investment for the future of this company, do you think you are most capable of doing this?"

Dawn wide eyes gave her away and she paused to think.

"Time is money Dawn, if you do not think you are capable of doing it, I will simply pass this offer onto someone else," Terrence said shooting her a glance.

"No... no... I will take it," Dawn said, her lips suddenly dry.

"Good, well you better start packing your bags then," Terrence said and then started shooting off directions and commands left, right and centre.

A few hours later, Dawn left her office in a daze. They would Fed-Ex her plane tickets to her flat the following day, Saturday and she'd need to start assessing what she would bring with her and what she didn't need. She was a spectacular hoarder, so everything was a must and she didn't quite know how to explain to baggage control at the airport on how she desperately needed all ten or so boxes full of crap. She didn't even know where she would be staying, let alone whether there would be enough space to accommodate her and her junk, but she wasn't going to risk it.

So on Monday morning when she checked in with British Airways, she discovered that she'd be lounging in complete luxury in first class. When she got seated, she had the glory of the window seat. Fantastic, she thought, just how I liked it. She was going through the cocktail menu, only to have her eyes transfixed on a heavenly bod. She couldn't see the face of this heavenly bod, as he was shoving something in the overhead compartment and when he finally sat down next to her, he smiled briefly and continued to read his paper. Dawn had caught a glimpse of this man seated next to her and she gushed to herself. He was gorgeous. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed his scruffy tousled brown hair and his deep penetrative brown eyes scouring the contents of the paper. She held her breathe, releasing it slowly. He was the most gorgeous man, she had ever seen and in such close proximity.

"I've never ridden in first class before... there's so much leg room," Dawn instigated at conversation. The man made no move to reciprocate conversation, she peered forward and the man put down his newspaper and exhaled.

"Ridden is used when you ride a horse, not when you fly by plane," he said matter of fact.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this was a master class in the English language!" Dawn said back, taken by his unfriendliness.

"And if you want to make conversation, you better look elsewhere," he said.

"Gee, what a friendly person you are... obviously gentleman isn't found in your vocabulary," Dawn huffed and looked outside the window.

Note to Audience

Please be aware that the stories that are on my blog are completely fictional and are no way related to the people who I have taken from celebrity.

Many thanks,

Roanne

La Dolce Vita: Part VIII

A whole week passed by and there had been no phone calls from Amelia. Rob spent most of his days walking around and taking in the architecture of Naples, going to the market and reading. His agent had contacted him about a possible project that needed him to oversee the leading part. He had received the script but was yet to read it. He wasn't in the mood. Rob was returning from his walk along the coast when he saw Amelia emerging out of a small white transit van. Her hair was tied back in a chignon and she was wearing a floaty white dress and a red cardigan. He watched as she embraced Giovanni in a hug and then hugged an older version of Giovanni, which Rob presumed was Gavino.

Rob walked quickly towards them and stopped a few meters away from them. Giovanni was the first to see him and instructed Gavino to take it all inside, leaving Amelia out with the van.

Amelia exhaled and spun around on her heels to retrieve the last painting and then she paused as the figure standing in front of her caught her attention. They stood there motionless, the silence stretched out. Rob walked towards her closing the gap between them.

"Hello," Rob whispered.

"Hi, how are you?" Amelia asked, "I'm sorry I didn't call you back, I just needed to work..."

Rob nodded, what was he to say without coming across as desperate and sad. Amelia filled the silence and she went to the door of the transit van and withdrew a fairly large canvas.

"I know, I was meant to call and I'm sorry about that... not that, that makes any difference but there is something I would like to give you..." Amelia withdrew a canvas of Rob seated at the piano, "I kinda had this picture in my head of you, you playing the piano because I heard you and... well... I just hope you have somewhere you can put it."

Rob gazed at it in awe.

"This would be a good time then any to say something," Amelia whispered.

Rob gazed at his portrait, "You only do landscapes,"

"I know, funny that... you were in my thoughts and whenever I tried to paint a scene, a cafe or something, it never really came out and well... I thought I'd give it a bash and it came out perfectly, this is what I had in my head... I hope you like it?" Amelia sighed.

"I more then like it Amelia, I love it. Thank you," Rob smiled and as he took the portrait from her, he leaned forward and kissed her and she kissed him back, ever so gently.

The sound of a car dispelled their kiss and they both withdrew from each other. All of a sudden, Rob felt a fist collide with his cheek and he stumbled back and he heard Amelia shriek out a name.

"Rick!"

Rob held his stance and his face contorted. He touched his lip and it was bleeding. He saw Rick grab Amelia and she surged back.

"Where the hell have you been Amelia?" Rick said and Rob noticed it was the same guy with the red flashy Lamborghini, "And what the hell are you doing with him?"

Amelia shoved at him, hard and Rick stumbled back, "That is none of your business and you have no right to treat him like that! I will tell you again as it obviously didn't get through from the beginning, we are over and I don't ever want to see you again."

"Amelia, you got it all wrong..." Rick tried to sustain her.

"Yeah, I did get it all wrong... I should never have believed getting involved with you would have been a good thing. Your lies almost ruined my career but being here, has made me realise I don't want to be with you anymore," Amelia said bluntly, as she stepped away from him and towards Rob. Rick looked from the face of Amelia to Rob.

"So, you've chosen him have you?" Rick said.

"No, I've chosen myself," and as she turned towards Rob she looked at him anxiously, "Come on, I have a some ice upstairs," and she led him away, leaving Rick standing furiously on his own in the middle of the street.

Rob took a seat by the window and watched Amelia disappear into the bathroom, she came back with a bowl of warm water, a white cloth and some cream. She sat opposite him beside the window sill. The windows were open to let in some cool air. Rob watched her intensely as she got to work on the cut to his lip.

"Are you alright?" Rob asked.

Amelia looked up from nursing his lip and looked into his eyes, "Yeah, it was a long time coming but I feel better thanks," she dipped the cloth into the water and applied it to his lip, "Sorry you got involved there..."

Rob touched her hand and leaned forward to kiss her.

Giovanni was standing outside the bakery shop and when he looked up, he saw his little piccola kissing the movie star and at last he thought, as happiness flooded through... it was indeed La Dolce Vita.

THE END

La Dolce Vita: Part VII

Rob sat by the phone like an infatuated teenager, he had spoken to Giovanni's sister-in-law Gaby and she had promised she would relay his message for Amelia to call him and here he was, desperate, just to hear the telephone ring and mostly, to hear Amelia. It was late into the night and still there was no ringing and no speaking and he was becoming restless when suddenly he heard a knock on the door. He stood up abruptly and opened the door to see a stocky man and instantly recognised him to be Giovanni.

"Buona sera Mr Blake, we are just about to eat, would you like to join my family for a meal?" Giovanni ventured and without waiting for a reply from Rob, ushered him out of his apartment. Rob's stomach grumbled, "We are having Carbonarra tonight with some wine from the valley, si?"

"Yes, that is good thanks," Rob smiled and followed Giovanni across the width of the cobbled road and into his house. Upon entry, the room was brightly lit and he realised that he was smack bang in the kitchen with Giovanni's wife Roberta setting the table and talking to her son Nikos.

"Buona sera, come, come have a sit, you must be hungry, si?" she smiled and Rob felt really at home. He took a seat next to Nikos who was smiling back at him. Rob smiled back and his eyes scoured the room. The walls were cluttered with photographs of his family and of water colour paintings.

Giovanni caught Rob staring at the wall and immediately launched into conversation, "You see the walls, no? I will show you my family," Giovanni pointed at a family portrait, "This is my bigger brother Gavino, his wife Gaby, who you spoke to today..."

"Yes, that is correct..." Rob nodded.

"Si, this is their three little bambinis, Marco, Mia and Don, such beautiful no?" Giovanni gushed.

"Yes, very. I like your paintings too... they are very symbolic," Rob ventured and then paused and looked quickly at Giovanni as he pointed.

"Si, they were painted by my little piccola Amelia. She is so in love with this place, it is like a refuge for her, a what do they say, a home away from home. Do you them?" Giovanni asked.

Rob was caught up in the colour and as he stood up to take a closer look, he caught her signature at each bottom right hand corner. Rob turned around to hear Giovanni speaking with his wife and they motioned for him to sit down and tuck in. They talked whilst they ate and Rob was drawn in by closeness of the family in front of him. Giovanni was chatty as was his wife Roberta and Nikos couldn't stop laughing, if only London was more like this. The conversation turned to Rob.

"So tell me Rob, what it is you do?" Roberta asked.

Could he tell a white lie or should he tell them the truth, could he sacrifice his anonymity? "I am a musician," the words just came out.

"Ah, si, si... you play what?" Roberta asked.

"The piano, the guitar but I only have my guitar with me." Rob replied.

"Ah, come, come," Roberta asked as the whole family followed her and Rob followed them. Roberta brought them down the hall and into a large room and from the outset of the apartment block to the inside, it was very different, "I have a grand piano, a clarinet, guitar and violin. You are welcome to play?"

Rob looked at the both of them, their eyes never leaving his. He sat down at the piano first, it was gleaming black, the blackest black he'd seen in a while and when he opened the hood of the piano, the ivory keys were indeed ivory and of such a porcelain white, he was taken a back. He played a chord and the sound chimed beautifully, it was in tune. He started composing, he was used to improvising and a symphony erupted within the room. He noticed that Giovanni left the room but Rob continued to play... it had been a while but he didn't care and he was insistent on continuing the melody.

Amelia could hardly hear Giovanni on the line, the music was so strong and vibrant washed over as she lay in bed listening to it. She had never heard of it before but somehow it sang to her. Giovanni had at last stopped talking and there was hush on the line, all except the sound of the piano keys. She sighed into the phone, it was beautiful and she wondered if Roberta was playing the piano again.

She heard Giovanni speaking and then the music stopped and then there was a long pause.

Rob finished the piece and saw that Giovanni was holding out a cordless phone. Rob took it, not quite understanding why and spoke into the mouth piece, "Hello?"

"Hello?" Amelia replied back, "Who is this, Nikos?"

"No, afraid not..." Rob said before he was interrupted by a Amelia.

"Rob, what are you doing over there?" Amelia was in shock.

"I was invited over for dinner and then shown to a music room," Rob saw Giovanni, Roberta and Nikos scuttle out and close the door behind them and Rob was left on his own in the music room, "How are you?"

"I'm good, my hands hurt from all the painting but I'm good," Amelia said, as she sat up, she could not have a conversation with him lying on the bed, she would start to inhabit different feelings, "How are you?"

"Not bad, not bad at all. Giovanni and his family are the nicest people I have ever met," Rob's voice hinted with a smile.

"Yes, yes they are. You should meet his brother's family, they are buckets full of fun and their three children..."

"Marco, Mia and Don," Rob finished her sentence.

"How did you know?" Amelia laughed.

"Because he loves them so, I feel like I know so much of them and yet I haven't met them, is that weird or what? So what have you got planned tomorrow?" Rob asked.

"Gavino is taking me to the city, so I can draw inspiration from the scenes there," Amelia said.

"Be careful," Rob said thoughtfully.

"I will be, Gavino is leaving me with his friend who will be watching me," Amelia said.

"His friend?" Rob felt a tinge of envy or was it jealousy, he wanted to be the one watching out for her, "Anyway, erm... when will you be back?"

"Saturday morning, so a few more days, why?" Amelia hesitated.

"I would like to see you," Rob said.

"You'll see me when I get back, I'm sure. You only live across the road."

"No, I mean... I would like to see you sooner," Rob said masterfully, without scaring her, even though he knew, he scared her.

"I don't think that's possible," Amelia paused.

"As crazy as it sounds Amelia, I really miss you..." Rob said quietly, so quiet Amelia thought she had missed it.

"But you can't miss me, you don't know me?"

"I know you more then you know... I know that Giovanni and his family see you as the daughter they've always wanted and that every wall in his house is covered with three or more of your work, I know you are an amazing artist and that, that makes you most happy and I also know that you have a past that you want to forget as is all of us. I know I have things in my past, I want to forget... and I know that when the scene is most fitting, you can babble for Britain but I won't hold that against you because you're gorgeous when you do, so are you going to tell me, I don't know anything about you?" Rob said in a teasing manner.

"You're observant," Amelia licked her lips, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Rob said.

"I have to go, I'll call you soon," and with that she hung up and all Rob could do was stare at the phone in his hand.

La Dolce Vita: Part VI

Robert woke up to the birds chirping and the sound of commotion outside. He looked outside to see a crowd around a bright red Lamborghini parked outside the bakery. He was curious to know who owned the boastful vehicle and mostly, why was it parked outside the bakery and then he remembered, Amelia. They had kissed last night and for the life of him, he could not sleep afterwards. He had stayed up late playing his guitar, looking distracted but yearning to catch a glimpse of her through her apartment window. He'd probably be branded a perv or a peeping Tom but he didn't care, he had to see her. Forgetting his shower and even breakfast, he strolled out in his black jeans and a black t-shirt and flip flops and went out to the street.

As he approached the street, the girls surrounding the car screamed and Rob paused in mid-step. He looked around paranoid and realised the screams were not aimed at him but at the guy who had just stepped out onto the curb from the red flashy Lamborghini. He didn't even recognise the guy and Rob wanted to avoid the crowd and side-stepped towards the bakery shop.

"Bonjourno Signor... um... is Amelia in?" Rob whispered.

Giovanni looked at Rob and then his attention was diverted to the guy who was now standing next to Rob. Rob looked at the guy standing next to him, he was wearing a black leather jacket with a white t-shirt and faded denim jeans, his glasses were on and he looked every inch of 'cool'. His American accent gave him away and Giovanni looked at him in amazement.

"Hi, is Amelia in?" the cool guy said.

Giovanni turned back to Rob and then looked at the guy standing next to him, in his rough English and strong Southern Italian accent he did his best to communicate to the both of them that Amelia had gone to Tuscany for a few days.

"Tuscany, you must tell me the address of where she is staying, it is important that I see her?" the cool guy said.

Giovanni was reluctant to divulge information regarding the whereabouts of where Amelia was, because she had confided in him about her past and he did not want to tell this overbearing pompous arse where to find her. He had hurt her too much and he was not going to allow him to continue doing that.

Rob paid attention to the conversation, keeping his guard up. It had slipped his mind that she had gone to paint and would be back in a few days but he was an idiot not to get a contact number and now he was royally kicking himself. He didn't want this guy, whatever he might have to do with her, to her first. He watched as the cool guy walked away and into his Lamborghini and hooted for the people to get out of his way. Rob's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Giovanni behind the bread stall,

"He is a royal prince but he is a royal culo... he come here in his big fancy car and all the girls scream at him but do they know he made a fool of Amelia... do they know? No... he does not deserve a girl like her!" Giovanni said heatedly.

"Signor, I would not ask if this was not important but do you have a number I can call Amelia on... it's just... we... I..." Rob paused.

"You like her, I can see. I see also the kiss you give her over there this morning... you like her very much. It is always said, it starts with a kiss," Giovanni ranted.

"What starts with a kiss?" Rob was completely clueless.

"La Dolce Vita..." Giovanni said, his eyebrows peeking, "I will go inside and get a number for you."

When Giovanni arrived back, he handed Rob a piece of paper and Rob looked at the digits on paper. He gave thanks to Giovanni and went back to his apartment to call Amelia.

It was four o'clock in the afternoon when Amelia returned to Giovanni's brothers house Gavino. The sun was setting and it gave the country house a really warm hue. She was greeted by the German shepherd dog Pixie and Gavino's three children Marco, twelve, Mia, ten and Don, five.

"Hi guys," Amelia beamed.

"What have you painted there? Let me see," Mia jumped. Amelia noted the girl was fond of her work, always asking questions, wanting to paint like her. Amelia turned around the two canvas's she had worked on, "Wow, that's the sunflowers over on the other side... but who is that?" She pointed.

Amelia looked at the canvas in her right hand, "It is of a man."

"Like a lover?" Mia was inquisitive to know.

"Let's get inside, so these can dry off." Amelia said.

When Amelia went inside the old country house, she was greeted by Gaby, Gavino's wife who greeted her with a hug.

"You got a phone call from a man by the name of Robert P. Blake... tis the actor, no?" Gaby beamed.

"He called? But how?" Amelia panicked.