Love & Gelato(75)

That’s really how he said it. Gross miscommunication.

I shoved my remaining shreds of dignity into the back of my closet, then called Ren’s cell phone. Twice. Both my calls went straight to voice mail and I did my best to block out the image of him hitting REJECT.

Finally Howard helped me track down the Ferraras’ number, and I called their house.

“Ciao, Lina!” Odette trilled. She obviously hadn’t been filled in on the state of affairs.

“Hi, Odette. Is Ren home?”

“Yes, just a moment.” She set the phone down. Then there were some muffled noises. Finally she picked it up again.

“Lina?”

“Yeah?”

“Ren can’t talk right now.”

I grimaced. “Could you ask him a question for me?”

“What’s that?”

“Is it okay if I come over? I need to talk to him.”

There was a pause. “Ren? Why are you shakin—” Then she must have put her hand over the mouthpiece, because I couldn’t understand anything else.

It was so unbelievably humiliating. My remaining shreds of dignity caught on fire.

When she came back on the line she sounded confused. “Sorry, Lina. He said he’s too busy. He’s getting ready to go to Valentina’s party.”

I perked up. “He’s going for sure? It’s for the girl who graduated last year, right?”

“Yes. I think it’s to celebrate her eighteenth birthday.”

At least I’d see him face-to-face. I took a deep breath. It was better than nothing. “Thanks, Odette.”

“No problem.”

I hung up the phone and sent a quick text to Thomas. Then I booked it all the way to the visitors’ center. I needed a favor.



When I came bursting into the visitors’ center, Howard and Sonia looked up in alarm. They were both going through a stack of papers and Howard was wearing these tiny old-man reading glasses that made him look like a nearsighted lumberjack. I giggled.

He put his hand on his chest. “Lina! One of these days you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

“Your glasses are so . . .”

“So what?” He drew himself up to his full height and I busted out laughing again.

“Just . . . ignore me. Listen, I really need some help. I’m going to a party tonight and I really need to look amazing. I think it’s my best shot at winning Ren back. I need to find The Dress.”

He took his glasses off. “The one guaranteed to make anyone fall in love with you?”

“Yes! Exactly. Just like my mom had. Only hopefully I’ll actually get to wear it and it will do its job.”

“The Dress?” Sonia asked, looking back and forth between us. “I’m sorry, but I’m not following.”

Howard turned to her. “Sonia, we’ll have to close the cemetery early. Finding a new dress is probably pretty easy, but The Dress? It’s going to take some time.” He winked at me. “And by the way, I remember catching a glimpse of your mother in her version of The Dress. I think I walked into a wall.”

Sonia shook her head. “I’m still a little unclear about what we’re talking about here, but you know we can’t close the cemetery. It’s completely against regulations.”

“Fine, we won’t close it. We’ll abandon it for a few hours while the three of us take an emergency shopping trip into Florence.”

I bounced up and down. “Thank you! That would be really awesome!”

Sonia still didn’t look convinced. “Howard, I’ll just stay behind in case any visitors show up.”

He shook his head. “No, we’re going to need you. You know I’ll be completely useless when it comes to shopping. My closet is where things go to die. We need a woman’s opinion.”

She shuddered. “Your taste is pretty bad. Remember when I made you get rid of that horrible pair of corduroys? They were sprouting hairs.”

I clasped my hands in front of my chest. “Please, Sonia. I don’t even know where dress stores are, and I’m going to need all the help I can get. I have to look incredible tonight. Will you help me?”

She looked back and forth between Howard and me, then shook her head. “I think you’ve lost your minds. But all right. Pick me up at my house.”

“Yes!” Howard and I high-fived. Then I waited outside while he closed up the visitors’ center and we both jogged up the path to the house.

On the way into Florence, Howard and I filled Sonia in on our status as not related-sort of related.

She looked shocked. “You’re telling me you’re not actually father and daughter?”

“Not technically,” I said.

“And, Howard, you’ve known all along?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head, then started fanning herself with her wallet. “Only in Italy.”

Howard looked at her. “And, Sonia, in the future please don’t redirect any of my deliveries. Although in this case I think it worked out okay.”

“Cross my heart. I’ll never do anything like that again.” She turned around so she was facing me. “What time does Ren pick you up?”

“At nine. But I’m not going with Ren. I’m going with Thomas.”