Page 92 of La Dolce Vita

“What are those for?”

“For us, we need to ride off the property to get to our surprise.”

“On bikes!” she gasped. “In the middle of the night?”

He stepped toward her. He stood so close she had to step back to look up into his eyes.

"Remember the time when you would get on a bike just because I asked you to? When you would go anywhere with me in the middle of the night because I asked."

She smiled. “I remember that time.”

“Can that be tonight,cara?” he asked and traced his thumb along the side of her face. She glanced to the bike. In Italy, particularly in Chianti, she saw women and men riding bikes along the roads. She had never done it with Giovanni. She felt a tingle of excitement over the request. Mirabella wore a long ‘cami’ maxi-sundress. It was part of her Spring collection this year. It had thin straps, a subtle A-line silhouette against her curvy figure, with a deep V-neck that showed the swell of her breasts. The fabric was light, but the dress was not something she'd choose for biking.

Still, she saw such desire in her husband’s eyes when he looked at her; she didn't want to change. She smiled. The dress covered her feet. She drew up the hem and hiked the dress up to her thighs. She tied the stretchy fabric into a knot at the right side of her thigh.

“Let’s do this!” she clapped her hands together. She walked over to the bike with the basket. She pulled it off the other bike. It had a bell to it. Both bikes had a single lamplight to the front of the handlebars. The tires looked like they were okay for a night ride. “Well? Are we going to do this or what?”

Giovanni smiled. He went to the other bike. He got on, flicked on the lamplight, and started to pedal away. Mirabella sat on the seat and did as he did. She put her foot to the pedal and began to steer her way to the road. After a few hard pedals, she caught up to Giovanni. The men who lingered by their cars watched them. Giovanni slowed and waited for her to ride at his side. Together they started up the road, and off the land.

Mirabella glanced up to the moon. It appeared and vanished like the flashes of a strobe light as the trees drew closer to the road, and their long branches stretched for the sky. Still, she could see. Mirabella held tight to the handlebars. Her bike stumbled along the dirt road. She wobbled a bit as the wheels bumped rocks and lumpy mounds of earth and stone. Before them, the trees rescinded and the plains of many green hills could be seen in the distance. The moon reappeared. It was crescent, larger than normal, and bright against the dark shifting clouds in the sky.

Giovanni had got ahead of her again. She rode harder and faster. Soon she was at his side again.

Mirabella loved the speed.

“Wanna race?" she asked then went for it. She leaned into the bike and rode harder and faster. She glanced back to see Giovanni gaining on her by the second. Chianti at night was paradise. The absence of cars and city sound, transported her to a different time in the world. And of course, she had Giovanni to explore with.

“Bella! Slow down.”

“It’s fun!” she squealed and started to pedal faster.

"Bella! Be careful, the road slopes up ahead!" he called out to her. But she heard him too late. Her bike pitched forward, and she nearly lost control. Mirabella screamed and swerved to the left and used her hand brakes to stop. It was too late. She was pitched forward and she and the bike flipped. She landed hard on her side.

"Bella!"

Giovanni must have flown off his bike. He was at her side within seconds.

"Owe," she said.

"I told you to slow down," he said and swept her up into his arms.

"Gio!" She fought him. "Put me down. I'm fine."

"You're bleeding," he said.

When she was helped to stand she saw she scraped her arm and knee. Small trickles of blood. Her husband eyes stretched as if she were cut and dying. She smiled. "It's a little boo-boo. Kiss it." She turned her arm around for him. He frowned. "Kiss it."

He kissed her arm.

"Now see. All better."

“Are you alright?” he panted.

She laughed. "Did you see that? Did you? I ultimately kept control. You saw it didn't you!"

He shook his head with a smile. He stood her bike up for her to climb back on. “Yes. I saw,cara.”

“Woohoo!” she yelled and put up her fists like a prize boxer.

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