Love Struck (4 page)

Paulo and Gloria stepped outside
their grand hotel, full and satisfied with their breakfast to start the day off
and get their many romantic activities going. They took in the fresh sea air
and calm tranquillity. The perfect mood for some romance between the youthful
couple was spoiled by the intrusive sound of Paulo's belch.

“Excuse me.” he chuckled with a hint
of embarrassment. He didn't plan on it sounding as loud as it did.

Gloria rolled her eyes, he was
embarrassing her out in the public “You always get gassy after breakfast, every
single time. Why is that?”

“It's the anise rings. I love them
but they sure don't love me back.”

“So why do you keep having them?”
came the expected question from his puzzled girlfriend.

Paulo told it how it was for him,
“Simple, I love the taste, I'm not going to let a little indigestion stop me
from enjoying my breakfast.”

“The good outweighs the bad, huh?”

Paulo nodded, “They do.”

Gloria had to throw her contrasting
opinion into the matter, she was always too outspoken to keep her thoughts to
herself. “Personally if I ate something that kept giving me real bad
indigestion, the first thing I'd do is stop having it.”

The more he dwelled on it, the more
it was apparent to Paulo, “You and I are two very different people. Maybe
that's why it works between us, being opposites.”

“Seems that way.”

Paulo and Gloria walked down the
side-walk beside the chromatic beach coated in a deep blue. A scenic stroll, it
was the perfect way to start the morning.

“Take my parents for example, they're
completely different, yin and yang. My mother, calm and kind, you could tell
her the world's ending and she'd be cool headed about it. My father on the
other hand, always worries over anything, the news, the weather, his work,
travelling. My mother has to always calm him down. I don't know how she copes,
but maybe the business of having to calm him with her calmness is what keeps
them together. Perhaps that's what they like best about each other, their
differences.”

Gloria found his theory interesting.
“If that's the case, what do you like about my differences?”

“Well...” Paulo hesitated, he did not
know what to say or how to say it.

“Come on.” Gloria waited eagerly to
hear what he had to say. He started it, got himself into it, he had to find a
method to get out of it without offending her. The last thing he wanted was to
set off her mood swing and endure her sulking for the rest of the day.

Paulo thought of something off the
top of his head, the first thing that flashed in his mind. “I like your...
different taste in

food.”

Gloria whirred to him, she was taken
by surprise at his basic comment. “Is that it?”

He was treading on thin ice, he
wasn't out of the hot zone yet, he had to think of something better to her
liking and fast, if only he could think of one, “No, I also like your...”

“My?” she asked expectantly.

“Your...” he struggled to think of a
difference he liked. It was going to be a long morning.

The lavish cruise ship housing the
star who defined the meaning of the word “super” dropped anchor by the dock
located at none other than the continental island haven containing a fan who defined
the meaning of the word “devoted”.

Sara was in her cabin, cooling her
finely crafted body from the baking hot rays of the sun. She was signing the
final photo on the deck for the Bartender. She had spotted him at the bar, he
was barely able to contain his swelling excitement of his absolute favourite
diva giving him what he craved for since she stepped foot on the star-studded
cruiser.

Sara cheerfully gazed at the vintage
photograph and more importantly what she had written for the avid fan.

To my friend Luigi, I hope this is
hot enough for you, love Sara Sarracini xxxx

Her eyes moved up from the signature,
looked at the relic of her modelling days and how fast time flew by. It was
hard to believe three decades had gone by since that picture was taken, it
seemed like only yesterday she was standing in the ocean blue backdrop in the
studio during a bright Saturday morning, at the height of her career and
popularity in 1987, clad in red leather gloves complete with a red bra and
panties, layered over with a transparent white top with the light fabric torn
around the chest to expose her plentiful amount of cleavage from her ample full
breasts while striking a steamy pose full of heated sexiness, with her hands in
her wild and frizzy eighties blonde hair, and a lustful expression in her blue
compelling eyes and pouting, soft red lips, showing off a woman hungry for some
passion and good loving.

It was enough to get any man in the
mood and keen at a moment's notice. She had a fun and productive day during that
photo shoot, her and the enthralled photographer who could hardly look away
from his sensational canvas took many alluring and breathtaking photos that
complimented every curve of her sensuality and sexuality. 

“You are so impeccably sensual and so
impeccably gorgeous, your truly magnificent and truly stunning visage is like a
highly detailed and highly fascinating grand painting with your truly wonderful
soulful blue eyes, your truly tantalizing red lips, your truly shining silk
gold hair and your truly divine captivating face of a true goddess always at
the towering height of your true enchanting beauty and true beguiling
sensuality. Not even Faye Dunaway can compete with your absolute beautiful and
absolute compelling excellence.” those were the parting words from the
awestruck and lovestruck photographer as he shook her hand and kissed her
strong cheekbones. She never forgot them, she remembered them word for word to
this day and would do for the days that followed.

Her train of thought was interrupted
by the sound of her door being knocked.

“Yes?” she asked, wondering who it
could be. She expected it was another loyal fan requesting an autograph. She
had plenty more to give, and was happy to give them to all.

“The boat's arrived at the docks.”
came the voice of a young steward on the ship, bearing the reputable superstar
the good news.

Sara was overjoyed by the tidings,
she leapt up from the desk, eager to the extreme to set foot on dry land and
wow the inhabitants of the resort, as well as having the time of her life, it
was a win-win situation “I'll be on my way.”

She headed to her luggage,
opened a case up, scoured through her abundant selection of fashionable
clothing, she searched for the right attire to bid the crew and the passengers
of the ship a farewell and greet the residents and tourists of the island a
hello.

She didn't have to search
for long, she found the perfect choice of clothing to wear for the occasion.
“That'll do nicely” she said to herself, she had made her choice and was happy with
it. She was always a decisive woman who knew what she liked and what she wanted
in life. It made choices so much quicker and easier for her.

The ramp was lowered onto
the dock, its timing was impeccable, right on cue. Sara stepped onto the deck
to be given a grand farewell by the Captain, crew and passengers all lined up
bearing her the priceless gift of their appreciation and respect for her. She
gave them something in return too, instantly she dazzled them all in her
immensely stylish orange and yellow dress, and her cream and blue summer hat.
Tommaso, of all, could feel his heart skipping a beat.

“You are so brilliantly
gorgeous and so brilliantly entrancing with all your intense illustrious beauty
and all your intense radiant sensuality burning so intensely hot as an immense
flame of true divine and true breathtaking womanhood that makes every man on
the planet so immensely heated under their sweltering collars with your
absolute womanliness. Me, truly the most of all. I am always so extremely hot under
my collar and always will be with your extremely undying womanly heat.” he
wanted to break his composed silent formality as a personal assistant and be a
man to tell her that so badly. Fearing he would blunder it up and screw the
words out, he kept it to himself.

One of the days he would
tell her how he felt, it's what he constantly told himself to give him the
dutch courage to man up and profess his strong feelings towards her, but he
never did. Tommaso had a habit of stalling what he wanted for himself, focusing
his energy on others and denying himself. He figured it was down to always
being afraid in his subconscious that he would be rejected.

To be denied the love of
Sara Sarracini, it would have destroyed him as a man. He was waiting for the
right time for so many years, he wasn't sure when that would be or what it
would look like when it presented itself to him. Tommaso could only stall for
so long, he was aware it could do more harm than good, if he kept her waiting
any longer, he ran the risk of losing her to another. That would have triggered
a destruction on the same catastrophic level as rejection.

He was stuck between two
devastating outcomes, Tommaso decided he would stop his stalling, become
courageous and come clean to her during her summer vacation.

Tommaso had to do it, it
was now or never. If he didn't tell her soon, he might not ever get the chance
and he could not live his life hounded at the unanswerable question, always
wondering what could have been.

It would have been an
excruciating ordeal, losing the woman he adored, it was a hard road he did not
have the strength to walk down.

“It gives us all a great honour to
wish to you a marvellous vacation.” announced the Captain with much esteem in
his voice full of swelling appreciation to the beloved Sara Sarracini, treating
the superstar like the honourable guest she was on his ship graced with her
astonishing radiance livening the decks up tenfold.

Sara was lost for all words, she was
touched by their warmth and kindness to her. She felt so special, like royalty,
she was their queen and they were presenting their loyalty to their lovely
majesty.

“You are true royalty in this whole
world, a truly beautiful and truly elegant Royal Highness admired and idolized
by the entire enchanted and entire devoted kingdom, you are more absolutely
majestic than the finest of dresses, more absolutely dazzling than the greatest
of jewels and more absolutely magnificent than the throne and crown combined, a
true divine majesty showered always in such immense splendour and immense
tribute dedicated in your glorious name and prestigious honour, and deserving
so. When you step outside the grand place, the whole land and the hearts of
countless hearts are illuminated as you are basking in the wide green pastures,
living life so free and so innocent in the brilliant sun made that extra
brilliant in the true radiant and true excellent presence of you, the most
truly captivating and truly wonderful queen of all time for you are a true
queen of heaven on earth.” the Captain gave out his exceeding speech, written
by himself, his source of inspiration came from thinking of the great Sara
Sarracini herself.

She was inspirational to many, an
eternal flowing fountain of muse, filling the heart with the spark of
inspiration, the body with the energy of determination and the mind with the
light of creativity, fuelling them to create beautiful works in her honourable
beauty.

“It saddens us all to see you leave,
so we have a special gift for you.” The Captain said with a deep regret to have
to see her step off his ship.

On his mark, the first mate stepped
forth from the line and presented Sara the ship's tribute to her: a bottle
filled with high quality champagne. Only the best for a woman who was
definitively the best.

“A bottle of our finest champagne,
courtesy of the Lupo di Mare.” announced the Captain.

The First Mate handed the sparkling
bottle to the Captain who in return handed the bottle to Sara.

Her eyes watered, it was on the same
emotional height as winning an award, the gratitude her fans were showing her
spoke volumes to her. She was grateful and honoured.

“Thank you, thank you all. You've
made me feel so special. My return feels that extra grand. I look forward to
returning to the Lupo di Mare.” Sara's speech from her moved heart was the
ultimate gift of her appreciation to them, for without the fans, she would not
be where she was today, standing in front of a passionate audience all in love
with her.

“We all look forward to having you
back.” the Captain said hopefully, making her a proposition he could see she
was willing to accept.

Sara blew them all a tremendous
loving, thoughtful kiss. “I love you all.”

Sara walked to the ramp with Tommaso.
She spotted the Bartender in the line, she gave him the signed photo with a
sultry voice to get him worked up. She hadn't lost her sensual touches, she was
just as alluring, even more so. “Enjoy.”

She gave him a wink, carried onward
down the ramp with her loyal personal assistant faithful at her side.

The Bartender unfolded the photo, his
eyes stared deeply at the picture, he was instantly blown away. “Whoa.” was all
he could utter from his stunned lips.

A naughty smile curled on Sara's
smooth lips, she knew he would like it.

Sara and Tommaso stood onto the
sturdy wooden dock over the glistening waters, they observed the paradise that
surrounded them. It was monumentally inspired in every way, it was the perfect
place to spend a retreat in a sun filled harmony.

“What a place.” Sara said, her mouth
gaping wide in absolute reverence, she could hardly wait to get started and
explore the wonders the resort had in store for her.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” smiled
Tommaso, her amazed reaction gave him unbridled joy. He had made her happy,
that was reward enough to give him happiness throughout her holiday in the
closest thing to heaven on earth.

“Very.” Sara inhaled a deep breath,
taking in the enriching taste of the fresh, salty sea air. She could tell she
was going to love every second of it there, it would be the ultimate vacation.
“Smell that air, it's so fresh.”

Tommaso's eyes were lost in Sara's
beauty rather than the beauty of the resort. “Certainly is something.”

She concurred with that statement, it
really was something, and so was he.

“I knew you'd love it when I found
the place.” and as often in the past, his prediction was accurate. Tommaso was
connected to his diva, he knew her well, from her tastes, to her hobbies, to
her personality. He was one step ahead to give her precisely what he was
positive she would take much enjoyment from. Being with her for three decades,
he knew her better than a husband could. Had he been one to her, she would have
been spending her days with the quintessential perfect spouse.

Sara displayed her downright
appreciation to him with a fevered kiss on the cheek. Tommaso could have
fainted from her delicate touch.

“You're the best.”

Tommaso looked at her with great
affection, feeling her soft lips and hearing her sweet voice detached him from
his regular trepidation when it came to voicing his more closer and stronger
emotions towards her. He spoke with a calmness and clarity “I love you.”

The instance he said the immortal
words, he realized what he had just verbalized, his body was shook up by a
numbness, it instinctively slipped out without his sentient side in control. It
was back with calamity, it could have been too soon, she might not have been
ready to have such a giant proposal in a small package dropped on her, she
could have reacted badly to his true feelings for her, never knowing until now
how he really felt and be astounded, she might not have felt the same and would
never do. He had to save face and prevent their working and personal
relationship from falling into disarray. “Platonic, of course.” he clumsily
added. He wished to himself he hadn't panicked and said that, he could have
blown his chance and stalled it with another delay.

“I know.” she giggled, he never
ceased to put a wide, sparkling smile on her radiant face.

Tommaso held in his embarrassment of
making a fool out of himself a second time in such a short span in one day, he
was setting a new record.

“I love you too.” she said, with the
same calmness and clarity, it was as natural as her feelings for him.