A Night in Venice

I had just broken up with a liar so in order to forget the pain he caused me and relax, I took the first plane to Venice. I picked Venice out of all cities I could visit in Italy because my grandmother had found the love of her life there, and seeing as I was thinking of staying single for the rest of my life, I wanted to at least visit the city which was known for love.

It was almost midnight and the plan was to stay for only one day, which meant I had to go back to Greece tomorrow afternoon. I took a shower and then dressed myself in a night black dress with an appealing bust line and half of my back was exposed. The dress was tight around my body until my belly and then it fell freely like a short curtain. It was a beautiful dress that matched nicely with my black heels.

I had already seen the cliché scene in Venice; couples on a gondola, holding hands, and sharing soft kisses as they're swept through the canals along with an accordion playing. What a happy scene, I had thought. Shame it was a lie. All relationships started out like that, but after a few years (and that’s if you are lucky), you have to fight for your marriage or relationship if you aren’t on that stage yet.

My friends lied when they said people are like the stars and the moon. Someone is too lonely like the moon and the stars just keep company to it. Soon they fade and they are replaced by others. Those are the relationships people can build. I had relationships, and maybe a bit too many for my thirty years, but I could honestly say I had never seen the light in them. Maybe that was why I was feeling bad again, tonight had to be my night.

I let my hair down and did my make-up. I applied some perfume before wearing my coat and taking my purse with me as I left. The bar was just three blocks away. Once I was there, I grabbed my drink and checked out the guys in the bar. I wanted to have some fun. I wanted to feel alive, and more than anything, bad. I just missed the feeling.

There was a handsome guy to the back with another guy. He was pretty much up to my tastes as I examined him. He seemed like a serious man with small blue eyes and thin lips, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. I kept watching him as he spoke with his friend. His teeth were clean and the way he moved his mouth as he talked was kind of erotic. He saw me staring at him, but I didn’t avert my eyes like I usually would. I wanted this.

He averted his eyes after a few minutes had passed but a few seconds later and after talking to his friend, he looked my way again. I was staring, smiling even as I took a sip from my drink. Vodka burned my throat slightly but I always enjoyed the taste of lemon with it. I turned around to face the barman in order to get another drink. While I waited for the barman to make the drinks other people had ordered, a man sat beside me.

I turned my head to see the man I was staring at looking deep into my eyes. ‘’Giovanni,’’ he smiled at me and I returned the smile.

‘’Matina,’’ I said before turning to look at the barman again.

‘’You’ve been staring at me,’’ he kind of muttered.

‘’Wow, straightforward and you speak fluent English by the way,’’ I gave him a silly smile while I wait for what he’d say next.

‘’You too. What do you say we leave here for somewhere more private?’’ He asked, getting straight down to business.

‘’Now, who’s straightforward? And pretty quick, if I may add?’’ I thought I’d tease him a bit before I’d accept his invitation. I had started all this flirting after all.

‘’I guess I’m just gonna go then,’’ he said lowering his head and his eyes lost their shine. The excitement was lost and replaced with disappointment.

‘’Yup, you’ll go with me,’’ I smiled at him and he smiled back. He helped me wear my coat and then we left.

He led me along the alley ways hurriedly when I decided to ask, ‘’Where are we going?’’

He grinned, ‘’My house of course.’’

Truth was that I didn’t expect that but it was better than some alley or whatever other places usually men had in mind. "Just as the front door to his house had closed behind us, he looked at me and asked, "Dessert?" I smiled and then followed him into the kitchen. He pulled out vanilla and banana ice cream from the fridge and pulled some inside a bowl. We went to his room and soon my clothes met the floor like his. The way he made me feel made me forget all about my favorite ice-cream which had already melted by the time I woke up inside Giovanni’s arms.

“Best night date, right?” He asked softly as he stroked my hair and I chuckled realizing not only that he was awake earlier than me and watching me, but that he had enjoyed himself a bit too much as well...

“Yeah,” I whispered as I rolled over onto my stomach and looked down at him. He pulled me even closer to him, tightening his arms around me. I smiled weakly as I tangled my legs with his.

‘’Get up, let’s make coffee, and then I’ll take you somewhere nice,’’ Giovanni’s smile had melted all my worries and thoughts of my ex. I wasn’t in love with my ex but I just wanted our relationship to work, maybe that was the problem. Would I have thought of that if I hadn’t slept with Giovanni? I didn’t know yet being bad for once again, and getting something nice in return was really nice and unexpected to say the least.

Once we had drunk our coffees and we were decent - fully dressed - he took me to the gondolas. I wasn’t expecting to have fun and enjoy having Giovanni showering me with kisses and love. He was sweet, gentle, kind, romantic…he was Giovanni and I liked him. As our gondola was leaving the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal, Giovanni took my hand in his and said, ‘’I think I’m falling for you and your belly’’ while he smiled.

It was a bit too soon, but seeing as that man is now my husband, I can only say that I’m lucky I found him. Who knew that being bad for night would result in me being gifted with the stars and the shining moon lighting up the sky… Giovanni was the light in my darkness, and even now he is my light.