All I Believe (Firsts and Forever, #10)(25)

When we returned to the hotel, I went for a swim in my new pair of perfectly modest navy blue trunks while Jessie and Nana had refreshments under a big umbrella on the beach. After that, I showered and dressed in a new pair of shorts, a crisp short-sleeved shirt and a pair of sandals, and helped Nana and Jessie pretty much plaster the town in flyers for their singles mixer.

We took a break for a late lunch, and since it included a couple bottles of wine, Nana was feeling pretty jolly after that. She got the idea to visit the tiny local radio station and charmed the DJ into letting her on the air to talk about the mixer. People rarely said no to cute little old ladies.

Nana settled onto a chair in the sound booth, and when the DJ asked about her flyers, she said in Italian, “We’re hosting a party for singles at the Hotel Conchiglia this Thursday at eight p.m. I don’t want you to think this is just for the young people, though they’re certainly welcome. I’m in the market for a silver fox, so I want to see some sexy seniors at this event! Now listen. This message is for all you gay homosexuals out there. You’re invited, too. Gay, Lisbon, straight, or whatever, this party is for everybody. I don’t care if you like lots of sausage or if you’re a vagitarian, come on out!” I had to grin at ‘vagitariano’. The station’s somewhat older easy listening audience would probably just think they misheard it, but I knew better.

Nana was saying, “It’s worth a shot, right? Me, I’m eighty years old, but I’m still going to show up and give it a go. If I can do it, you bet your ass you can, too! Remember, Thursday at eight at the Hotel Conchiglia, in the bar behind the lobby. There’s going to be food, drinks and entertainment, and it’s all free. You got nothing to lose, and maybe you’ll meet a honey.” Honey (miele) probably didn’t translate well either, but I assumed people would get the gist.

She and the DJ chatted for a few more minutes, and when we were back outside I asked, “What are you going to do if a thousand people show up, Nana? The bar’s not all that big.”

“Do you think that could happen? I’d be happy if we got fifty.”

“You never know.”

“Well, I guess we could spill onto the beach, there’s plenty of room out there. I’ll tell the hotel staff to be prepared with lots of booze, just in case,” she said.

“Isn’t this going to get expensive, Nana?” Jessie asked.

She waved her hand and said, “It’ll be worth every penny if it helps even one couple find love. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give for that.” I put my arm around her slender shoulders as we made our way back to the town square.


We went straight to the bar when we reached the hotel, and Jessie bought a round of drinks. Nana tossed hers back, then went to speak to the kitchen staff about snacks for the party. Jessie turned to me and said, “I’ve been dying to ask you about Luca, but I kind of figured you didn’t want to talk about your sex life in front of your grandmother.”

“Good call.”

“How was last night?”

I grinned and said, “It was the best night of my life, and you want to hear something crazy? It turns out Luca was the boy I told you about, the one I met at the fountain when I was fourteen.”

Jessie’s eyes went wide and he grasped my hand. “Oh my God, your first kiss, and now you two have found each other again! It’s so romantic that I’d die of jealousy if I didn’t like you so much!”

“It’s a wild coincidence.”

“It’s fate!”

“That’s what he said, too. I can’t quite get on board with that idea, but I am pretty blown away by the fact that we were drawn to each other twice, more than a decade apart.”

“It was meant to be.”

“I can’t stop thinking about him,” I admitted. “I feel like a giddy high school kid, which is kind of funny, since that’s exactly what I was the first time I met him.”

Nana soon rejoined us, and we brainstormed some ideas for her singles mixer as we had a few more cocktails. After a while, I glanced up and saw Luca across the lobby, near the front desk. I jumped up and went to say hello, intercepting him as he headed toward the door. “Hey,” I said, “you’re back! Want to join us in the bar? My family and I seem to keep gravitating there.”

I could tell something was wrong the instant he turned to face me. Luca stared at me for a long moment, some sort of strong emotion churning in the depths of his green eyes. “I’m sorry, I can’t,” he finally managed.

I reached for him, and when he took a step back from me, it hurt more than it should have. I tried to downplay it as I said, “Okay. Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

“I can’t,” he said again, backing toward the door. “Please tell your grandmother I’m sorry. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Luca, what’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer me. Instead, he turned and left the hotel, walking quickly, never looking back. I stood rooted to the spot, staring after him, wondering what the hell happened. Part of me wanted to run after him, but the ‘stay away’ message had been loud and clear.

I walked slowly back to the bar and sank onto my chair. “Wasn’t that Luca?” Jessie asked.

“It was. He, um, he had to go. He can’t make it to dinner, so we’re on our own.” I picked up my drink and finished it in two swallows.