How is Venice?
Joy smiled and glanced up at the door to her hotel.
Like a dream come true so far . . .
CHAPTER 2
Sunlight streamed through the lace curtains of the window in her room, gently stirring Joy awake.
She fought against it as much as she could until she remembered where she was.
“Venice,” she whispered to herself, sat up, and stretched to the sound of the locals and tourists, cooing of pigeons, and the bells tolling from the Torre dell’Orologio bell tower in the piazza.
Rushing to the open window, Joy glanced down at the tourists crossing a bridge on their way to the piazza. Vendors set up their displays to sell their wares. And pigeons landed sporadically near the restaurants.
Joy inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. I still can’t believe I am here. She rubbed the chills of excitement off her arms.
She showered, then put on light makeup. Joy had been—and remained—an attractive woman. With brown hair, hazel eyes, a petite, curvy figure, and delicate features, she wasn’t the stick figure she had been in high school, but she remained slender enough not to worry about her clothes fitting or weighing herself on the bathroom scale each morning. Dressing quickly, she raced downstairs in time for a buffet breakfast courtesy of the hotel. Fresh croissants, jellies, cappuccinos, café lattes, juice, and cereal provided enough nourishment and caffeine for all hotel guests.
Joy chose her favorites: a café latte and croissant. The warm croissant melted in her mouth, and the strong coffee she sipped from a porcelain mug warmed her belly. Joy smiled as she held the warm mug in the palms of her hands. The warm caffeinated liquid worked its magic and jolted her awake, preparing her for the day’s work and adventures.
As she sipped her latte, a young couple seated at a nearby table caught her attention. Not wanting to stare at them, Joy returned her gaze to her coffee mug, but the couple’s conversation and laughter forced her to watch them.
The love reflected in their eyes and facial expressions warmed her heart as she remembered when she first met Tony, her ex-husband. His young, handsome face appeared inside her mind, sending waves of nostalgia over her.
Eighteen-year-old Joy couldn’t believe that Tony, the captain of the high school football team, would even know she existed, let alone know her name. But he did. And he asked her out on a date, and that date led to senior prom. Prom led to two years of dating and then a lovely church wedding. Joy’s heart raced as images of their wedding day flashed across her mind. With her long white gown, ten-foot veil, and bouquet of roses, carnations, and white alyssum in her hand, she was a vision to behold.
Tony stood at the nave of the church and smiled when spotted Joy, his bride, walking toward him. His handsome form in a black tuxedo brought tears to Joy’s eyes as she sat in that hotel lobby breakfast buffet three decades later. He was her prince. He was her knight rescuing her from her troubled home life.
Joy sighed as she watched the young couple drink their coffee and plan activities for the day, all while holding hands and staring longingly into each other’s eyes.
Ah, true love, she thought. Young love. But when she returned to her coffee, she frowned. It had become cold.
Tony’s angry face appeared in her thoughts. Sounds of their voices that day they’d argued about how dull and boring their marriage had become flooded her mind. Joy set down her coffee mug. Cold and lifeless, he had called her.
Cold.
Just like her coffee.
She pushed it aside.
The couple stood and pushed in their chairs. Arm in arm, they walked off, smiling and laughing.
Give it time! Joy wanted to scream. Your hot romantic love will grow cold with time, trust me. She lowered her head and exhaled. When did she become so hopeless? So cynical?
Probably when Tony announced he was leaving her for a younger woman.
Tiffany.
“Ugh.” Joy rolled her eyes at the thought of Tiffany. Tall, thin, tan—Tiffany was the antithesis of Joy.
That day.
That one painful day when Tony left her. And Jaime standing in the living room, still in tears after being left at the altar. Her shattered expression haunted Joy. That day remained forever etched in her mind. Deeply etched.
Her phone vibrated, jarring her out of her memory.
“Hello?” Joy straightened. “Hi, Jaime.” She stood and headed out the door into the bright sunshine. “My goodness. What time is it there in New York?”
“Pretty early. How are you?”
“Good. Just finished my coffee, and now I’m heading to my job.” Joy nodded to a vendor selling birdseed. She paid for a small bag, then headed to the piazza..
“That’s good. Listen, tomorrow I need to book the . . . wait, what did you say?” Jaime’s voice rose.
“My job.” Joy laughed. “Can you believe it? I was helping an elderly couple set up a wedding reception last night, and they offered me a part-time job at their florist shop. You know me, I love flowers and floral arrangements. So I accepted the offer.” Joy sat at a bench and tossed some seed to nearby pigeons. “What do you think about that?”
Silence.
“Jaime? Honey? Are you still there?” Joy crinkled her brow.
“Yes. I am still here.” She sighed into her phone. “Mom, what are you doing? You can’t work in Italy. Don’t you need a permit or a visa or something? Besides, you need to come home soon to help me plan the wedding. I need help with the reception hall, flowers, the bridesmaids’ dresses, and—”
“Of course I’ll be there for all that real soon. I’m only staying here for a month.” Joy tied off the bag of seed, then placed it inside her purse.
“A month? I thought you were only staying in Italy for another two weeks.”
“I was, but this elderly couple needs my help.” Joy headed to the florist shop. “I can help them and then fly home in May to help you.”
