Queen of Hearts (Wonderland 2)
Chapter Fourteen
Lyriope
It doesn’t seem real.
Nothing about Italy, driving with the top down in a sports car, and sitting beside one of the sexiest men alive can be real.
And as we enter Florence, and I look around at all the buildings that are from another time, and I inhale fragrances that I don’t recognize but are so floral, spicy, earthy, and nearly hypnotic. Everything is beautiful here. Even the crumbling buildings, or relics that seem to be scattered about. The history of this city makes me feel like I’ve stepped onto a movie set rather than driving along a real live street.
Nothing is real. This can’t be my reality. And yet it is.
Nick was wrong when he told Harrison we would blend in with the tourists. As we pull up in the parking lot near the train station, all eyes turned to us. We weren’t in any normal car. And then when we stepped out and began walking toward the Duomo, I could feel the stares burning my flesh.
“It’s a short walk,” he says. “You can’t drive into the city center.”
Nick is wearing his classic suit, though missing a tie. I’m wearing a red dress that was purchased for me from one of the El Boro staff. My heels click on the sidewalk right along with the tap of his cane. There isn’t anything about us that says tourist. We don’t have sneakers on, we aren’t wearing fanny packs, we aren’t taking pictures every other step, and we don’t have an ounce of casual attire about us. We look like celebrities, and the stares and side glares tell me that my feelings are correct.
Normally, I would hate the attention. I don’t like when all eyes are on me. But being by Nick’s side, my hand held securely in his, and his confidence raining down upon me, I’ve never felt more at ease. This city seems to be calling to me. It’s pulling me into the depths as we walk the few blocks to the magnificent Duomo. The minute I see the medieval church, I gasp.
“Oh my God,” I say to myself, pausing in our stride.
“Powerful, isn’t it?” Nick asks, allowing me to simply stand and take it all in.
“I’ve never been one to care about architecture, but this… people actually built that? It’s so intricate.”
“Come on, the restaurant is on the other side. It’s in its shadow.” He pulls me out of my stunned paralysis, and we make our way to his intended destination.
I can’t stop staring at the church, and if it weren’t for Nick holding my hand, I’d surely walk into someone or trip and fall. I’m in awe, and I don’t even try to hide that fact. I feel as if I just drank something that made me shrink in size. I’m so small and the world around me is so big. So massive. And yet… I feel more powerful than ever. I can feel Nick’s strength pouring through me as his fingers mesh with mine. I belong here. I feel the energy. I allow it to sink in. I’m intoxicated with Florence, the people, the everything.
As we take our seat at the outdoor table, I stare at the Duomo across the way from us. It’s so close that I can see every crack and detail of the walls. I’m not sure how I can be expected to eat when I’m hypnotized by the structure that is casting its shadow down upon us.
“Shadow of the Duomo. Bucket list,” Nick says again as he then orders us our food and drinks.
I faintly hear the order, but I’m now watching a woman with a violin setting up nearby to play for tips. If this day couldn’t be any more magical, it’s about to reach a completely new level. As she begins to play a haunting melody, shivers run up and down my spine. I feel tears well in my eyes at just how happy I’m feeling. Everything bad has vanished. Everything has melted away. It’s just me, Nick, and the most perfect setting imaginable.
When our pizza and Prosecco arrive, I stare down at our food a little confused. The thin crust pizza is missing an important ingredient. Cheese.
“Hear me out,” Nick says with a chuckle. “You have got to try their pizza this way. It’s just their tomato sauce, basil, garlic and whatever else their secret recipe calls for. You don’t need the cheese to hide all the flavors. You’re going to love this.”
Even though it appears to be the most basic of pizzas, the minute I bite into it, I actually close my eyes and moan. An explosion of tastes erupts in my mouth and if a food could bring you to orgasm, this pizza would be able to do so.
“I told you,” Nick says as he bites into his own pizza.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this. The city, the food, the ambiance…” I almost say “the man” but I don’t want to show all my cards. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“We can’t hide in the countryside the entire time we’re here. I refuse to visit Italy and not come to this place. It’s like that gelato we had. Life changing.”
I smile at the memory of Loro Ciuffenna, feeling like it was a lifetime ago. Yes, everything about Nick Hudson is life changing.
I have started to let down my wall. As each day went by, I began to trust Nick enough to confess my wishes and my dreams little by little. I don’t know if it was the fresh Italian air, the food, the wine, or simply the company, but we spoke of art into the wee hours of the night. I confessed for the first time just how much I love it and wished it was part of my life. That I love color but have always lived in a world of gray. I admitted that I don’t have the luxury of dreaming because… well, I simply gave up dreams at a very young age.
I also confessed my hurt when it came to my mother. I didn’t go into all the details, as even speaking about them causes physical pain. But the fact that I spoke about her at all was something.
But my biggest confession is I admitted how I feel like an outsider always looking in. I don’t belong. I feel like I walk in a parallel universe not truly belonging to a real one.
I told him more about me than I’ve ever told anyone.
Nick listened, he advised, and he accepted. He never judged me for all the scams I was part of due to my mother. He never looked down at me because I was poor. He never made me feel like I was anything less than perfect. Nick had a way of making me feel safe and protected, even though my real life was anything but.