Tales From a Broad (29 page)

I folded my hands across my chest. Times like
this had always made me feel special. “This is...” I looked around
at the vista of green trees that stood against the plowed, brown
fields. “Unbelievable. Really something else.”

“Well, you’re something else.” Cooper took my
hand and walked me to the table, where a bottle of champagne rested
in a bucket of ice.

“I’ll open that for you, and then after your
champagne toast, we’ll be on our way,” Sal called out from behind
us.

Cooper pulled out a chair with flourish.
“
Per favore, signora
.”

“Grazie
,” I said with a curtsy.

I sat down and smiled as Sal approached the
table. He pushed up the sleeves of his white shirt and pulled out
the bottle of Prosecco. I noticed his arms were rather tanned, and
I guessed it was from spending so much time outside at the
vineyard.

I gripped the sides of the chair and locked
my arms. It couldn’t get any better than this. “Where might I ask,
are we going?”

I sat on the edge of my seat and looked back
and forth at the two men. Cooper wore a mysterious smile, and Sal
simply winked as he opened the bottle.

“Let’s just say we are going to take this
tour to a whole new level,” Cooper answered.

“What do you mean,” I asked.

The cork made a distinctively loud sound as
it popped. A small cloud escaped the bottle and disappeared into
the air. Sal poured the champagne, and I watched the bubbles dance
to the top of the glasses.

“Salute
,” Sal said as he handed us the
glasses of champagne.

Cooper tapped his against mine. “Cheers,
Luce.”

I smiled from behind my glass and sipped the
champagne. It tasted fruity and smooth in my mouth.

“Shall we?” Sal said to Cooper.

I sat up a little straighter in the silver
chiavari ballroom chair and felt a flutter of excitement and
nerves.

“We shall.” Cooper took my hand and helped me
rise from the table.

I really felt like a princess. First the
clothes and the chauffer, and now I was being wined, dined, and
only God knew whatever else was in store. What a day it was turning
out to be.

“Will you please tell me where we’re going?”
I pleaded with Cooper as a smile stretched wide across my face.

Sal led us around the corner of the castle,
where a rainbow-colored hot air balloon awaited.

I felt like someone had punched me in the
stomach. “No.” I shook my head and looked at its large, chocolate
brown passenger basket. My knuckles turned white around the
champagne glass. “Please tell me, we are
not
going in
there.”

“Of course we are.” Cooper gave me a strange
look.

“Cooper, we’ve been over this a million
times.”

I looked away, took a deep breath, and slowly
exhaled. Just the thought alone of going airborne in a basket made
my chest feel tight.

“I’m really sorry to burst your balloon,” I
said, “but I’ve told you, time and time again, I would never set
foot in one of those.”

Cooper looked at me momentarily with a blank
stare and then a flicker of recognition crossed his face. “I know
that,” he said in a patronizing tone. “But c’mon Luce, look at
where we are.” He swept an arm majestically across the field. “You
can’t be afraid here.”

“Oh I can’t? A hot air balloon in Italy is
still a hot air balloon.” I loosened my grip on the glass for fear
it would break in my hand. Hoping to swallow the anger that burned
my throat, I took a big sip of champagne.

Cooper looked crestfallen and cast his eyes
in Sal’s direction.

“That’s like me saying you can’t be addicted
to work here. C’mon, Coop, we’re in Italy,” I mocked.

Sal cleared his throat and stepped forward.
“
Signora
, it’s
magnifico
. You will love it. I
promise.”

“Come on, Luce. I was trying to be romantic,”
Cooper said. “You know, make one of those grand gestures.” He
looked at me with a pout.

I shifted my stance and took another swig of
champagne. Was a grand gesture supposed to make a woman feel sick?
I knew he’d meant well, and I certainly didn’t want to spoil the
mood, but part of me was upset. Either he had forgotten about, or
was just minimizing a great fear of mine. Regardless, I had to stop
myself from showing
him
a grand gesture.

Cooper stood there and tapped his foot. “I’m
going to use the bathroom,” he announced. “Try to keep an open mind
while I’m gone.”

“Right that way,” Sal said and pointed to a
wooden door on the castle.

“Thanks.” Cooper walked off and turned around
to face us. He walked backwards towards the castle, with his hands
in his pockets. “Hey Sal,” he called out, “I’ll throw you a few
extra euros if you can convince that stubborn woman.” He turned
back around, and I saw him pull his phone from his pocket.

I sighed and looked at Sal. “I’m sorry. It’s
not you. It’s just that this has been an incredible fear of mine.
He should know that by now.”

“Signora
, men are s
tupidi
. We
don’t always think.” He tapped his salt and peppered colored head.
“He’s trying to impress. When he called, he kept saying everything
had to be
perfetto
.” Sal pressed his fingers together. I
thought you were a
nuova coppia?
”

I didn’t understand. “New...” I furrowed my
eyebrows and stared at Sal.

“Couple?” he finished.

“Oh. Well, that’s debatable. We’re an old
couple that’s well, maybe about to be new again? Who knows...” I
muttered.

“There’s a saying.
Tutto il vecchio e
nuovo anchora
.” He pulled on his lips as he paused to think.
“Everything old is new again.”

I nodded and ran my hands through my hair. In
the distance, I could see a few men picking grapes. My mind
wandered back to the day I’d spent with Simon.

Sal reached over and tapped my head. “Don’t
listen here. Listen here.” He thumped on his chest.

I wondered if he had read my mind, but then
realized we were still talking about Cooper.

“And if that don’t work, then here.” He
pressed his fingers into his stomach. “
Il stomaco
never
lies. So what do you think?” He pointed at the balloon.

I placed a hand on my churning stomach. “My
stomach says....”

“Eh, fuggedabout the stomaco,” Sal said with
a wave. “Trust me. Make a memory.”

I took a deep breath and saw Cooper walking
towards us. He paused at our table and grabbed the bottle of
champagne. I readjusted my bandeau and reminded myself that Cooper
was just trying to give me a perfect day. This was his way of
trying to win me over. Besides, wasn’t this trip about breaking out
of my comfort zone? I was in the midst of downing the last of my
champagne when Cooper rejoined us.

“Just in case,” he said, waving the
half-empty bottle in the air. He looked at Sal and then at me, as
if trying to get a sense of the situation.

“I hope you have another one for yourself,” I
said with a tight smile and grabbed the bottle from his hand.
“Let’s do it.”

“To new beginnings,” Sal exclaimed as he
helped refill my glass.

Twenty minutes later, I clung to Cooper as we
ascended into the sky. With a hand over my eyes, I peered between
my fingers for a one-eyed peep show as we drifted over old
churches, farmhouses, and fields of green and dirt. Even scared out
of my mind, it was pretty exhilarating to see Tuscany from that
vantage point. I let my viewing window get bigger and bigger, and
by the time we touched ground an hour later, my eyes were fully
uncovered. I’d survived.

Sal escorted us back to our table for a
champagne brunch, and I was insatiable as we devoured the fresh
cheeses, jams, and pastries. Anxiety had always caused me to
overindulge, and I wasn’t sure whether I was trying to fill a hole
of post-traumatic stress syndrome or simply celebrating the fact
that I had faced a fear. My feet were back on the ground, and I
felt a sense of triumph.

After a wine tour, where we learned about the
fermentation process and how wine is made from vine to bottle,
Cooper and I lingered in the tasting room. Between all the
champagne we had and then the wine, I was feeling more than
comfortably numb. We sat on bar stools and faced each other, our
knees lightly touching.

A plate of green grapes sat beside us on the
table. Cooper plucked one from the bunch and held it out to me.
“Grape?” Without waiting for me to answer, he popped it in my
mouth.

“You know what,” I said once I finished
chewing, “I think you’re kind of like a grape.” I nodded at my own
revelation.

“A grape?” Cooper looked bewildered. “Are you
talking about a mature one that’s finely wrinkled and plump? Or one
that’s immature? Hard, but small?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but he held a
hand up. “Stop right there. I don’t think I want to hear the answer
to this. I may be buzzed, but I have feelings.” He laughed and took
a sip of his red wine.

“Oh, shut up,” I chuckled. I took a few
grapes and stuffed them into his mouth. Cooper may have shown a
little insensitivity with the balloon ride, but when all was said
and done, I felt as if I were still flying high on top of the
world.

“What I meant was, like a grape, there are
times when you’re a bit sour and hard to swallow, but on the
inside, well, you’re pretty sweet.”

“Thanks.” Cooper cocked his head to the side
and gave me a look. “I think?” He slid my wine glass aside and
picked up my hand that had been resting on the table. “No more wine
for you, missy. I’m cutting you off.”

I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “What I
said wasn’t a bad thing. I think the same could be said for our day
here in Chianti. At first it had a tough skin and a bitter bite,
but it ended with a real sugary finish.”

“I knew you would enjoy yourself once you let
go,” he said. “I’m glad you had fun, and I’m proud of you.” He
tapped his glass against mine. “And, while we are drawing grape
comparisons, I have to say, you my dear are like a fine wine. You
only get better, not to mention bolder with age.”

“Ew.” I tucked my hair behind my ears and
looked into his eyes. “You are so cheesy.” I raised my eyebrows,
“The balloon ride was pretty much thrust upon me. I didn’t want to
hurt your feelings.”

He placed a finger on my lips and leaned
towards me. “I see that you’ve sweetened with age, too.”

I couldn’t help but smile as he lightly
brushed his lips against mine.

“Now, what do you think?” he murmured.

“Still cheesy,” I teased. “However, if you
were a wine, I would say ... somewhat aggressive, very smooth,
and...”—I tapped my finger on my lips and leaned towards him
again—“I think I’d like another taste.”

* * * *

“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” Cooper said,
squeezing my knee.

The car stopped in front of my pensione. We
were right back where we started, yet mentally a lot had changed
over the past four hours. The awkwardness between us was gone, and
things were heading in a good direction. We held hands the entire
ride back, and I rested my head on Cooper’s shoulder in a buzzed
state of bliss.

“It doesn’t have to be goodbye, you know.” I
turned my head to look up at him.

“Ah, I thought you would never ask,” he said
with a wink. “I would love to come upstairs with you.” He traced my
knee with his finger.

“That’s not what I meant.” I swatted his hand
away.

Cooper grabbed my hand, kissed it, and then
gazed into my eyes. “Well, what did you mean? Luce, there is
nothing I would love more than to spend the rest of the day and
night with you.”

Nerves fluttered in my stomach, and a titter
escaped me. All day I had been feeling like I was back together
with my best friend, and while it was fun kissing Cooper at the
vineyard, I didn’t quite have a burning desire to rip his clothes
off. I chalked it up to jitters and figured that the lust would
kick in eventually.

“How about you come in, I’ll change into
something a little more comfortable...” I paused as Cooper nodded
his head enthusiastically. “Then maybe we can grab a bite and come
back here to hang?”

I noticed a slight frown cross his face.

“Maybe do a little snuggling?” I quickly
added. “Get reacquainted?” More than anything, I had really missed
sharing my bed with someone.

“How about we just go back to my hotel?
Twelve hundred count bedding, pillow top mattress, a towel
warmer...a towel warmer
,
Luce. Need I say more?”

I paused and looked at him thoughtfully. I
had somehow managed to forget that the Cooper I had pined away for
had a tendency to whine.

“Oh, just come in.” I stepped out of the car
gracefully, offered Cooper my hand, and pulled him out to the
street. “Let’s pretend we just met and you don’t have a high horse
to come down from.”

“Ooh, role play. I like that.”

“You’re hopeless.” I shook my head.

“And you’re sexy,” he murmured, leaning
towards me to give me a kiss. I turned my head and his lips landed
on my cheek.

“Not here.” I looked around the street, half
expecting Tess and Landon to be there. I had texted Tess from the
vineyard, but I conveniently neglected to say that Cooper was with
me.

“If not here, then where? We’re in
Italia
,
bella
.” With that, he put his arm around my
waist and dipped me low to the ground.

“What are you doing?” I cried.

“Pretending I don’t know you. Isn’t that what
you wanted?”

I looked into his eyes and saw a playful
glimmer.

“Alcohol suits you,” I said, after he had
tipped me back up to standing.

I felt woozy from the blood that had rushed
to my head and held onto his arm to steady myself. I looked around
and saw a few faces staring at us from the front window of the
pensione.