Piazza Bella - Aperitivo XI
Truth and Revelation
Previous Chapters : I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X
The cafe was half filled with customers either buying their last caffeine fix before going home or their first for those working the night shift somewhere.
Every time I walked through the front door, my mood lifted. Excited chatter, the roast coffee aroma wafting delightfully through the air, broad smiles, and a few handshakes with kisses from new friends was exactly what I needed.
Liam was enthralled, and I speculated how much he got out while studying philosophy amid the art and statues of Florence. I decided to check his local knowledge later, hoping it didn’t read like a student prospectus.
Local people living nearby dominated our tiny coffee shop’s atmosphere. Bella steadfastly refused to replace her mother’s original furniture, which had seen its best days. I liked odd-shaped gouges in the wood, plentiful paint chips, and occasional wobbly legs, all adding character to a community hub.
Bella and I had become increasingly more inseparable since my arrival, and my favorite part of the day was meeting her with the others outside the cafe for a light breakfast after setting up. My second favorite event was the morning inspection of Angelo and Sebastien, who considered it a matter of honor to impress me.
When our drinks arrived, Sam lingered close by, annoyingly, until I shooed her away. When Liam relaxed in his chair opposite me, I examined him as potential boyfriend material. He constantly held eye contact, something I enjoyed.
The warm smile etched on his face every time he glanced at me was apparent, and I liked that, too. There was little to choose between Liam and Salvatore in the looks department, although I knew one was dangerous, and the other was damaged.
A comparison between the guys didn’t matter because commitment one way or another wasn’t on the table, and the Italian option was probably a meet-cute never to reemerge.
Sam had reserved a table in the cafe’s front window for privacy from everyone except her.
After a short silence to load up on caffeine courage, Liam smiled and seemed ready to fire his opening salvo.
“How have you been, Carla?”
“Ups and downs, Liam, to be honest. Life’s roller coaster is a fascinating ride at times.”
“Do you want to talk about anything that’s bothering you?”
“Not really. Mostly, the downs are not my business, so I’d rather not share.”
I studied his body language from the corner of my eye while sipping coffee and detected a hint of exasperation. My mood was jostling around on the high seas like a tiny dinghy in a squall, and I had no desire to be pressed.
“How’s the job? Do you like the Trattoria?”
“I love it. The people are incredible, our food is exquisite, and I seem to fit in.”
“Everything is perfect then?”
“Not everything, but that’s life.”
“You’d rather not share that, right?”
I eyeballed him, pursed my lips, and shook my head for him to register a flicker of my annoyance.
“I think we need to get something straight, Liam.”
“I’ve noticed you’re very good at that, Carla.”
He chuckled, and I wondered why he found humor where I didn’t.
Am I overreacting?
“Let’s walk together.”
I was conscious of Sam’s loitering and knew she hoped to capture a titbit of our conversation. Ordinarily, I’d laugh it off, but for now, I’d rather not share my conversations with Liam.
I signed the staff gratuity sheet for a cappuccino, paid for my guest, and let him follow me to the door.
“Am I getting brushed off?”
“No, just follow me, please. I know a deserted walking route where we can scream at each other if necessary.”
“Oh dear, I don’t like the sound of that.”
“That’s what I’d like to discuss.”
We strolled away from the piazza into a small alleyway that led to a canal serving Venetian residents like streets in other cities do. Motor boats and gondolas lined both sides of a residential area with four-story-high terraced apartment buildings.
“It’s a bit whiffy around here, Carla.”
“It’s like that everywhere when the lagoon tidal flow is light.”
“Is it safe at night for you to walk out alone?”
“Yes. It’s very private in this area except for the people sitting on verandahs above us, and they don’t care what we’re talking about. The thieves don’t hang around where they can be easily seen.”
I left out my close call with a mugger because he’d worry, and I didn’t need that burden. As we walked side by side in silence, Liam kept glancing across, no doubt checking my mood. When he could stand no more, he ran in front, turned around, and walked backward to look me in the face.
“What’s up then, Carla? It’s obvious you aren’t happy about something.”
“You’ll fall over, and then I’ll have to carry you to the clinic.”
I stopped beside a bench on a humpback bridge crossing the canal. Nobody was about, so it was a perfect spot for us to talk. I felt frustrated and stifled, needing to expose my feelings without distressing Liam in the process.
Seeing him cross the piazza, I felt something more than friendship was possible. I wanted to know more about the man who braved my wit during our flight from the USA and hoped to describe a little more about myself. It wasn’t going well so far.
“Hit me with it, Carla.”
“I don’t like having to watch everything I say to you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I risk hurting your feelings if I don’t, and that’s not much of a friendship. I have situations unfolding that don’t involve you, and we barely know each other.”
“Is this because I asked about your troubles?”
“No, it's because of your reactions when I backed you off.”
“Well, It’s like I said before, you can b-”
I held my hand up because he’d given me the opening I needed for absolute honesty.
“I know, Liam. I can be very direct, but, to be honest, I won’t change that much. Being rude isn’t my intention, and I’ll definitely work on that, but if I have something to say, maybe when asking or answering a question… I’m sorry, but this is what you get.”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
“To be honest, Liam, I’d rather not continue with… umm, whatever this is between us if we’re having to guard every comment each of us makes.”
He fell silent without sulking, which pleased me. While Liam considered my point of view, I looked skywards to the stars, turning my thoughts to Angelo.
His behavior had been out of character all day. Angelo seemed twitchy, and I’m very tuned in to those nuances, especially when a pattern arises, suggesting something might be awry.
Liam stood up and casually walked five meters across the bridge to its opposite side, staring along the canal toward a bright moon. His silhouette exuded a mysterious aura, and he looked pensive when glancing back at me.
I felt excited by our moment of tension, almost like we were sitting on a bridge in more than one sense. He always took plenty of time to think before speaking, another positive.
“Those waters are murky, like my life is, Carla.”
“Only because you allow it to be that way. I never said we couldn’t talk about ourselves. It’s too soon for me to expose other people’s business to strangers.”
“You shut me down pretty quickly, but I understand why. I’m sorry for my reaction.”
“That’s better, Liam. When I say something is off-limits, there is a reason. I’m sorry if I snapped, too.”
He spun around, beaming, and once again, I was struck by his fine physique while noticing that he was incredibly handsome. I briefly imagined what jumping on him might feel like, but I’d committed to a cautious approach, so I shook off any sordid thoughts quickly.
“That’s what I find refreshing about you.”
“What exactly, Liam?”
“You cut through everything like a sharp blade but with no ill intent. I love it, but it takes a little getting used to.”
“I try not to be ambiguous.”
He strolled back across the bridge, squatting onto his haunches less than a foot away from me. I read honesty and affection in his eyes amid a warm expression.
“I’m sorry for my reaction in the cafe, Carla. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re forgiven.”
“I haven’t put myself out there since Sarah died. I don’t think I mentioned that.”
“I guessed, and I’m not surprised. Have you dated anyone at all?”
“No. Tonight is the closest I’ve come to a date since she died.”
“This isn’t a date, Liam.”
“True. You’ve pushed me back, and this is hardly the most romantic spot in a city famous for love, but I’m here, you are too, and we’re alone. I’m chalking myself a point scored, even if you don’t.”
“I’m sorry, Liam.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I have no expectations, Carla.”
“Then what?”
“I should explain my trust issues.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I have bouts of insecurity. I told you about Sarah and the love we shared, right?”
“You were happily married, she was pregnant, and then the car crash happened.”
“That’s correct.”
“I understand your trauma, Liam, and I really sympathize. There are plenty of women looking for a man like you so they can fix everything. That’s not me.”
“I can fix myself. I wasn’t interested in anyone until our flight.”
“If it was the sandwich, I’ll message you the recipe.”
We both chuckled, and I waited for Liam to decide on his next move. It was vital for him to chase me. I would encourage him to a point because we had shared passionate energy that deserved to be explored.
Liam looked unsure of what to say next and seemed uncomfortable, still resting on his haunches. I patted the bench beside me, offering relief, and he accepted.
“How did we get from my asking how you were to me being broken, Carla?”
“It was your reaction, then mine, and you sort of finished by telling me you were insecure but not why.”
“Yeah. You picked up on my body language, though, right?”
“Why not start there and explain what triggered it.”
“Sarah and I had a fabulous marriage. She was grounded and supportive, and we had no secrets. I trusted my wife absolutely. Have you ever felt like that about someone?”
“My last boyfriend and I were not that close. My relationship with Sam in college was based on honesty, but we were too young to become long-term lovers, and both moved on.”
“Sam?”
“You met her in the cafe tonight.”
“Ah, okay.”
I was impressed when he skipped past my same-sex relationship, deciding that Liam was either enlightened or an outstanding actor.
“The accident investigation took months before they released Sarah’s body. By then, I’d begun to accept losing my wife and our baby. Her personal effects were delivered to me, and that’s when my world collapsed.”
“What happened?”
“There was a DNA test result document in her handbag.”
“Were you having the baby checked?”
“It was a prenatal paternity test excluding me as the father of Sarah’s baby.”
“Oh, fuck!”
“Okay, but hold on, please, Carla. I don't want pity.”
“Oh but fucking hell, that’s awful.”
“I don’t fully trust myself to interpret other people, having lost some confidence, so you’re not seeing my best version.”
Despite his appeal to the contrary, I felt overwhelmed, and pity was paramount in my mind. Discovering that your dead wife was carrying another man’s baby seemed catastrophic.
“Sarah obviously slept with someone else. I don’t know who, whether it was an affair or a one-night stand. My nerves aren’t fully settled with matters of the heart, so it probably isn’t fair that I chase you.”
“Is that what you’re doing?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I find you absorbing.”
“Absorbing? You make me sound like a handkerchief or, worse, toilet paper.”
“You know what I mean. I’m intrigued and want to experience more without being pushy.”
He wasn’t being pushy. So far, Liam had been mostly charming.
“I haven’t excluded romance, but I’m also not about to leap into one.”
“I have realized that Sarah was a big mistake in my life. I blame myself because as much as I loved her, she didn’t feel the same way.”
“How do you know that?”
“If Sarah loved me, she’d have been carrying my baby when she died.”
“Hmm. It sounds harsh but probably accurate.”
“Closure is within my grasp. Fixing myself is one reason for my study of philosophy, particularly the stoics. I don’t need your or anyone’s help in that regard. I’m not a sad project boyfriend, as you described.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know you didn’t, and it doesn’t bother me that you said it. Like you, I’d rather have it all on the table, no secrets.”
“What is it you want then, Liam?”
He turned sideways to face me, ensuring I could stare deeply into his eyes.
“I’d like a chance for us to know each other better. Maybe just a little patience, please.”
He’d been forthright, and I appreciated that. The guy who chased me around Rome to the point of a coronary had bared his soul. He was working on his issues without self-pitying, and I liked him, and that seemed worth pursuing.
“Let’s go, Liam.”
“Where?”
“I’ll walk you to your hotel, and we’ll start again tomorrow with a proper date. I wasn’t in a great frame of mind today, but I’m hiding nothing important from you. Let’s leave it at that for tonight, shall we?”
“Thanks, Carla.”
Liam had opted for an exclusive and costly boutique hotel less than half a mile from the Trattoria, so my walk home after dropping him off was brief.
Once inside my apartment, a wave of tiredness swept over me, but I needed a shower before sleeping. I read a note pinned to my bedroom door, grinned, and turned towards the shower, pleased for Sam.
I am sleeping over with Margarita. Wish me luck. Love you, babe.
I stepped out of my clothes, kicked them toward a laundry basket, and walked straight into a hot shower. My thoughts turned to Bella and Luca, hoping I didn’t steal all the hot water. Somehow, their approval felt important even though they were only five years older than me.
I felt happier and more confident when Bella was nearby. Her zest for life was infectious.
Another note left on my pillow made me smile.
Have some fun, too, babe. I know you’ve wanted to. Remember Percy Jackson!
I slipped off the bathrobe, dropping it to the floor, then leaped into my bed naked, deciding a little self-pleasure was long overdue. I spread my legs wide open, licked my right index finger, and dipped it deep inside a moist furrow amid soft whorls that I vowed to tidy up soon.
Both my pussy lips were swollen, very sensitive, and after a few light strokes up and down my creamy slit, I pressed hard onto the sensitive pearl nub that would dominate my orgasm.
I dragged my engorged clitoris from side to side, raising my ass high in the bed on waves of tantalizing pre-orgasm, moaning like a whore desperate for cock. I had no toys, or I might have fucked myself senseless.
Images of Liam, Salvatore, and Dave flashed behind closed eyes in my fantasy world. I imagined being defiled by each and then all of them together.
I felt an orgasm rise slowly, flooding my senses and filling me with happy hormones. I screamed almost at a crescendo.
“Carla? Is that you?”
“Fuck!”
I snatched the duvet from all around me, covering my nakedness, still shuddering through a ruined orgasm. A shadowy figure appeared at my bedroom door, holding something small and white in one hand with a wine glass in the other.
I’d recognized her voice, so the smiling face that emerged from the darkness to hug me needed no introduction. I kept my right hand well away as she kissed both cheeks, praying she didn’t smell the finger coated with a thin veneer of my shame.
“Fucking hell, Bella. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Yeah, sorry about that; I had my AirPods in and Metallica blaring while enjoying a glass of wine.”
“Okay, let me get some clothes on, and I’ll be right out.”
I was utterly mortified and shaken up by a violently ended orgasm. I washed my hands in the kitchen sink before realizing it was a mistake. My uninvited houseguest raised her eyebrow, then grew a tiny smile at the corner of her mouth.
“You already had a shower?”
“Yes. Sorry, Bella, I didn’t see you out here.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t see you come in either.”
“I went straight to the bathroom, then off to bed.”
“Yeah. I heard you shouting at someone in between tracks.”
“It was just a frustrating message from a fool, is all. What’s keeping you up so late?”
“I needed to be closer to family, so I came here to browse Mom's journals. One thing led to another; a bottle opened somehow; I played a few tunes and took over your home. Do you mind?”
She smiled apologetically and with genuine affection. I saw at least twenty books stacked around the breakfast bar and over fifty recipe cards scattered. We were in for a long night, but it was precisely the sort of fun I loved.
“I don’t mind at all. How’s Luca?”
“He sleeps so well now the truth is out. I do, too.”
I pulled an oversized wine glass from the shelf where Mama had always stored it and slid it across the marble surface.
“I’ll take some of that wine now, please. I’m guessing it’s not a Barolo, right?”
“Those pair of sluts will be enjoying that, most likely in bed. Margarita has a contact at the vineyard that produces. She gets as much as she asks for and with a healthy discount.”
I sat on the stool next to her, tapped a half-filled glass onto hers, and sipped, nodding my approval for her selection. It felt nice to spend time together because we were kindred spirits. Aside from Mom and Sam, I’d never felt closer to another woman than to Bella.
She shuffled through a selection of journals and recipe sheets, and I saw some were marked up.
“Are these for a change to our menu?”
“Yes. I like to change with the seasons and add specials from time to time. Mama had great menu planning, and it’s all in these books.”
“What are your thoughts?”
“Luca wants to do fewer fish dishes and more meat. He wants to do something with brisket and says you have ideas about that.”
I chuckled, remembering my sassy comment the first time we’d met.
“I think he’s right, but I’ve also been considering more pork. Specifically wild boar from the hills nearby.”
“We’ll sell more red wine with better margins. I like the idea, but we must avoid wastage.”
“My father believed a profitable chef was judged by what they converted from their leftover fridge. He learned that in Venice.”
“Mama would agree with him.”
“What was your mom like, Bella?”
“Oh, Carla. You would love Mama because she was fearless. I was an only child and very treasured. My first memories were of the kitchen downstairs where she and my grandmother cooked together.”
“Their recipe library is incredible.”
“Yeah. I was going through an early collection and found photos of our family.”
“Can I see them, please?”
“Yeah. This one is Mama with my dad. Sadly, I never met him.”
She handed me an aging photograph. The colors had drained into almost black and white. The edges were swollen and ragged, but the main facial features of a handsome and happy couple were clear.
I flipped the photograph over in disbelief.
Me and Jack.
“That’s my dad, Bella!”
My heart stopped, and I felt a terrible dread crawl over me. Lightheadedness almost wobbled me off the kitchen stool as I swayed like a drunk until Bella pushed me upright and held me there. My head exploded in confusion, my skin went cold, and my mouth felt parched.
“What do you mean, Carla?”
“Bella, that’s Jack Keady. It’s my dad in that photograph.”
“My dad’s name was Jack, and that’s him. I don't know his surname because Mama never said.”
“Fucking hell, Bella. I, umm, oh shit… fuck, I need air.”
I slipped off the stool, almost collapsing but forcing myself away from the photograph.
“Don’t run, Carla, please.”
“I can’t be here right now, Bella. I just can’t!”
I burst out crying and covered my mouth with one hand, bent over double, fleeing the apartment and almost falling down its stairs. At the bottom of our stairwell, I turned the front door handle and kicked it open, staggering into the night air, gasping for breath.
I ran without caring which direction I was headed and heard Bella behind me, chasing and screaming for me to stop. My sobbing was inexplicable because I loved Bella, but seeing my dad like that here and while I was on a journey to find him wreaked havoc on my emotions.
I stumbled barefoot halfway across the piazza, tripped, and fell to the floor with my cheek rubbing hard on a cold, solid concrete slab.
Bella hauled me to my feet, but both my knees had buckled, so she spun me around and wrapped me up in a bear hug. I sobbed into her neck, filled with emotions, and felt her crying too. My arms encircled her, and I held on tightly.
“Are you okay, Carla?”
“Jack Keady is my dad, Bella.”
“He’s my dad too. This is the happiest day of my life, Carla.”
“W-w-why?”
“Because I have a baby sister.”
Next Chapter:
There you go again Kate. This is a wonderful series and is evolving in ways none of us could have imagined. What will happen between Carla and Liam? What is the problem with Antonio? And now we discover that Carla has a family she knew nothing about. Superb.