Page 30 of The First Time

“There’s not a lot of walking involved. You can get away with anything, really.”

“And when do I get to find out what the surprise is?” I ask as I get out of bed.

“When we get there, Freckles.”

Whatever. I’m too tired to try to analyze what’s happening. Josh is in and out of the shower so fast I barely have any time to think.

“I’m gonna be downstairs. Take your time, it’s no rush,” he yells out before he walks out of the hotel room.

“Pfft, take my time,” I mutter to myself.

I’m in Italy, and the man I’ve pined over for years wakes up to tell me he has a surprise for me. And he thinks I’m gonna just mosey around while getting ready.

Not a chance in hell. I practically sprint to the bathroom and then jump into the shower. I opted for a black and white sundress with my brown sandals.

After spraying my perfume, an absolute must for me at all times, I grab my purse. On the way down to the main lobby, I take a deep breath. Why am I nervous? It’s not like this is a date.

When I get downstairs, Josh is talking to a man at the front desk and then breaks out into a laugh. He looks so good: a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and blue shorts.

“Ready?” he says with a big smile on his face when I approach.

“I’m ready.”

“Alright. I’ll catch you later, Enzo. Thanks for all your help. Come on, Freckles.”

As soon as we get in the car, he grabs two cups of coffee out of the holders. “One for you,” he says, handing a cup over.

“Wow,” I reply. “You really thought of everything. Thank you.”

“Let’s get this show on the road,” he says as he starts to back out of the parking space.

The navigation system on his phone begins directing him through the winding roads along the mountains. It looks like our trip is over two hours, but I don’t recognize the address of our end location, and the city isn’t showing.

It’s not until I start seeing signs and recognizing the trees that I begin to sit up straighter in my seat. “Are we in Tuscany?” I ask.

He smiles. “I figured I wasn’t gonna fool you for too long. But we are only thirty minutes away, so I made it most of the trip.”

“Oh my god, Josh! I’m so excited! Where are we going?”

“It’s a vineyard in the Chianti region. Some family-owned vineyard that generally only sells its wines here in Europe.”

“How did you get it booked solast minute?”

He shrugs. “I had the help of Enzo at the hotel. I called him last night when you were sleeping in the car.”

“That was really sweet of you.” I try to blink away the tears that are threatening to spill over.

He reaches for my thigh and squeezes. “I’m just trying to make this trip what you pictured it to be.”

This trip is nothing like I pictured it to be with this man sitting next to me, but I’m beginning to think it’s better than I could have imagined.

When we get to the vineyard, Josh and I are taken on this incredible tour that starts with the vineyard itself. We walk along some of the vines while this adorable old man, Lorenzo, tells us all about their growth and the kinds of wines they make.

Josh gets really into, asking all kinds of interesting questions that spark a lot of laughs with Lorenzo. It’s just so easy to be around him. He doesn’t take life too seriously. There’s nothing stuffy or pretentious about him. I may have blocked all those qualities out for years, but they are there.

“Alright, let’s go down to the cellar. I’ll give you a special tour. It’s not part of the package, but I like you two,” Lorenzo says as we walk back to the main building.

Josh makes a funny face at me, and I try to hide my laugh. He knows he won this guy over and is definitely gloating, but I’m happy to reap the benefits.

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