http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/writing-challenge-1000-words about this photo.
Julia had accidentally met him in the grocery store, only a couple of hundred meters from where they now stood, embracing.
Sunday morning in a desperate need for her coffee fix, and finding the cupboards bare Julia went to the local grocers in chase of some. Jumping up and down the living room floor trying to zip up the dress that she swore she fit into last week, she moaned about not having the ability to just knick down in her pyjamas.
“Morning, morning” she greeted Franco who was busy cleaning out the cupboards on his hands and knees.
“Good Morning Bella”, came his reply. He always grinned when he saw her, she was so bright and young and full of life.
“Coffee pleasssse Franco, I’ve run out”, she pleaded.
“Ah, for you that I can do”, he chuckled retrieving a packet from the top shelf for her.
“You look so pretty today Miss Julia”. She swore she saw him blush.
“You are such a flirt Franco, that’s the only reason I shop here”, winking and paying for her beloved coffee, she started for the door.
“God sorry” spilt from his lips.
Julia couldn’t speak, in fact her mouth had dropped and no matter how she tried, nothing would come out.
“Are you ok? I am so sorry I wasn’t watching were I was going”, he bent his head a little on the side to look up at her, for she was now staring at the ground with embarrassment.
“What, um.. err.. no I’m fine honestly, it was me that crashed into you, no harm done”, she awkwardly smiled.
“Well I best get a wriggle on, my coffee awaits” holding up the package in front of her glowing red cheeks.
This guy is a gift from the Gods.
“What, no, surely not, someone as pretty as you makes their own coffee”?
The most magnificent smile and brilliant white teeth and the accent. Snap yourself out of this Julia, she silently reprimanded herself.
“Well, yes I’m pretty good with the percolator, I’ll have you know kind Sir”, feeling herself blush even further.
“Let me buy you a coffee, in fact let me buy you breakfast? It’s Sunday, the sun is shining, that should make up for our little accidental no”?
He was Italian – of course he was, drop dead gorgeous and Italian and why haven’t I seen him around here before? Where has he been all my life?
“Well, err”, she stammered, trying to form a cognitive sentence to no avail.
“OK I don’t see why not, yes, we will have breakfast, but only if we go Dutch”.
“Dutch? but I am Italian” he laughed and there were those brilliant white teeth once again.
“After you um?
“Julia, Julia Sheppherd, holding our her hand to shake his “Pleased to meet you”.
“Andre, Andre Bocinni, grasping her hand and holding it, neither of them actually shaking in a friendly how do you do mannerism or a good-bye one, just holding, skin against skin.
“Forgive me Julia I am not from these parts, so you will have to show me your finest breakfast Cafe, if you would be so kind”, Andre smirked.
“Good bye Franco, thanks for the coffee” she yelled back as she passed out of the door with the most divine looking specimen that she had laid eyes for quite some time.
“Good-bye Bella, enjoy!” Franco yelled back.
“Bella, yes that you are” Andre said as he waited for her to walk beside him.
She swore she saw him wink when he said that, not a full blown ‘how you doin’ wink but a little ‘did you catch that’ one.
They walked down the cobblestone path along the tram lines. It was busy for a Sunday morning, people coming and going down to the markets for their fresh produce. Julia realised not only were her cupboards a little bare, but also her fridge and she should really be doing her weekly shop. Clambering around the markets for food however, was not on the agenda, not this morning, after bumping into ‘Mr. Divine’, this was a moment she wasn’t going to let go of for a micro second.
They walked for about half a kilometre, down another small street to a Cafe of her choice, she had eaten lunch there twice, the food was always delicious. The smell of the freshly cooked bread and the coffee drew her in whenever she ventured down there.
“Shall we sit outside, it is too beautiful a morning to be in the darkness”, Andre gestured his hand behind the back of a chair already.
They sat looking at each other now and then above the Menus, both trying not to catch the other out.
The waiter came and took their order and they sat in the sun and tucked into their eggs and bacon on toast and of course the freshly brewed coffee.
“So” “Where” They both started talking at once and laughed for doing so.
“Please, Bella you first”.
It took all her strength not to slide off the chair, when he called her Bella.
“I was just going to ask do you live here (please say you are and that you’re unattached and looking for someone like me) or visiting”?
She waited, it seemed like an eternity before he answered, she watched his mouth, those kissable lips, those sparkling white teeth that made his sun tanned skin even more golden.
“I am here just for, he looked at his watch, another hour or so”, he replied taking a sip of his coffee.
“Unfortunately”, he added.
Her heart sunk, she thought it too good to be true, the day…. another hour or so, is that what he said. I meet the man of my dreams for him to vanish in two hours?
“Oh right” trying to hide her disappointment, so where are going to, are you on a stop over”? The temptation was to great, but she kept her mouth shut about his ‘unfortunately’ comment.
“Yes I am flying to France at 12, I was just here on business the last two days and unfortunately…”
There was that word again. Stop reading into this Julie honestly, a man like this would have an adoring model wife and beautiful bambinos waiting for him at home.
“Unfortunately I cannot stay any longer, as much as I would now like”, then came a further wink, a stronger one this time.
“Well that’s a shame, at least you have been privvy to one of the best Cafe’s and their delicious coffee”, she tried to sound strong knowing full well that she sounded more like a love struck teenager.
“Not only is the coffee delicious”… interrupted by the waiter, who promptly cleared their plates from the table.
Breakfast was finished, they sat looking at each other, a chemistry that she had never felt before.
“Well my lovely Julia… Bella, I thank you for the pleasure of your company, but I really have to get going to the Airport”. Did I see a look of sadness in his eyes?
He walked her back to her apartment. They stood, Julia fidgeted, he can’t just go like this..he can’t.
“May I” he said holding out his arms to embrace her.
“Yes, you may, as he held onto her, he secretively slipped his business card into her shoulder bag..with his phone number and two little words.. Call Me.
Ramblings From A Mum 