anything for
you,” she said, embarrassed and confused. “We’ve never exchanged gifts before....”
“Yeah, I know,” he smiled. “Like I said,
it’s nothing big,” he repeated sweetly. “The usual gift for soccer fans are
free tickets to the games, but seeing as how mine are already free for everyone....”
He was trying to joke around a bit so as to ease the confusion that this
unexpected situation had created.
“Thank you so much,” she said, quietly,
her eyes shining and her mouth dry.
“Wait to see what it is before you thank
me,” he said, pushing the package into her hands, “even though I have no doubts
about you liking it.”
“Oh yeah?” Marika steadied herself and
tried to sound as if she weren’t on the edge of a nervous breakdown. She didn’t
know if she should cry or laugh, if she should just let down her defenses and
kiss him a thousand times, or pretend to be untouched by his generosity.
Ultimately, she chose the easiest and least-reactive of all possible solutions:
she put herself on standby, letting fate take over.
“I have my sources,” he claimed, leaning
back so as to see the expression on her face. “Go on, open it.”
“Let me read the card first...” she said,
trembling.
“Not out loud, I hope,” Matteo said,
suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m not much for writing.” He looked at her.
Marika avoided his gaze, thinking, “ You’re
embarrassed are you? ” Then she smiled, hiding her nervousness. “ Just
how do you think I feel then? I feel like I’m holding a time bomb that’s about
to explode in my hands and destroy everything that we have at this moment .... ”
“The last time we talked about this
I had to give you a lesson...
Now you can give one to me. Merry Christmas!
Matteo.”
She read the dedication in silence. She
was in much worse shape than he was in terms of trying to formulate a complete
sentence.
Considering the telltale shape of the
package, she had already guessed as to its contents, but, more than anything
else, it was his words that would turn this event into such a treasured memory.
She rapidly tore off the paper before he
could say anything else. “Noooo!” she said, glowing. “Thank you!” She
quickly opened the first page of Breaking Dawn , the fourth and final
book in the Twilight series, but she couldn’t understand a word of it.
Her mind was overflowing with memories of that unforgettable afternoon with
Matteo at the old water mill.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” Her
emotions were overwhelming her, and she felt as though she were about to
explode. “God, what would I ever do without you?” she confessed, lowering her
guard completely and taking him into her arms in a long-lasting and completely
unrestrained embrace, the gear stick pressing uncomfortably against her
stomach. “Merry Christmas!”
But what did she care about the leather
gear knob or the bruise it would inevitably leave on her skin compared to the
rush she felt at finally being able to give in to her desires and hold him in
her arms? The only thing that mattered was to suck the life out of every
single second of this unique moment that would never come again; because
yesterday is the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift.
They were so close to each other that they
could hear their heavy breathing, lost as they were in the warm scent of
neroli, musk, and candied fruit that emanated from the heat of their ardent,
almost feverish bodies. In their innocent physical fusion, they could hear the
pounding of their hearts, and they were no longer able to determine which one
was pulsating more intensely, or which was which.
“You look good dressed like a girl,” he
whispered in her ear, his voice deep and resonant despite the joking tone which
alluded to the usual jeans and sneakers that she wore 364 days a year, holidays
included. “I mean it.” Shifting his body, his lips brushed
you,” she said, embarrassed and confused. “We’ve never exchanged gifts before....”
“Yeah, I know,” he smiled. “Like I said,
it’s nothing big,” he repeated sweetly. “The usual gift for soccer fans are
free tickets to the games, but seeing as how mine are already free for everyone....”
He was trying to joke around a bit so as to ease the confusion that this
unexpected situation had created.
“Thank you so much,” she said, quietly,
her eyes shining and her mouth dry.
“Wait to see what it is before you thank
me,” he said, pushing the package into her hands, “even though I have no doubts
about you liking it.”
“Oh yeah?” Marika steadied herself and
tried to sound as if she weren’t on the edge of a nervous breakdown. She didn’t
know if she should cry or laugh, if she should just let down her defenses and
kiss him a thousand times, or pretend to be untouched by his generosity.
Ultimately, she chose the easiest and least-reactive of all possible solutions:
she put herself on standby, letting fate take over.
“I have my sources,” he claimed, leaning
back so as to see the expression on her face. “Go on, open it.”
“Let me read the card first...” she said,
trembling.
“Not out loud, I hope,” Matteo said,
suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m not much for writing.” He looked at her.
Marika avoided his gaze, thinking, “ You’re
embarrassed are you? ” Then she smiled, hiding her nervousness. “ Just
how do you think I feel then? I feel like I’m holding a time bomb that’s about
to explode in my hands and destroy everything that we have at this moment .... ”
“The last time we talked about this
I had to give you a lesson...
Now you can give one to me. Merry Christmas!
Matteo.”
She read the dedication in silence. She
was in much worse shape than he was in terms of trying to formulate a complete
sentence.
Considering the telltale shape of the
package, she had already guessed as to its contents, but, more than anything
else, it was his words that would turn this event into such a treasured memory.
She rapidly tore off the paper before he
could say anything else. “Noooo!” she said, glowing. “Thank you!” She
quickly opened the first page of Breaking Dawn , the fourth and final
book in the Twilight series, but she couldn’t understand a word of it.
Her mind was overflowing with memories of that unforgettable afternoon with
Matteo at the old water mill.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” Her
emotions were overwhelming her, and she felt as though she were about to
explode. “God, what would I ever do without you?” she confessed, lowering her
guard completely and taking him into her arms in a long-lasting and completely
unrestrained embrace, the gear stick pressing uncomfortably against her
stomach. “Merry Christmas!”
But what did she care about the leather
gear knob or the bruise it would inevitably leave on her skin compared to the
rush she felt at finally being able to give in to her desires and hold him in
her arms? The only thing that mattered was to suck the life out of every
single second of this unique moment that would never come again; because
yesterday is the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift.
They were so close to each other that they
could hear their heavy breathing, lost as they were in the warm scent of
neroli, musk, and candied fruit that emanated from the heat of their ardent,
almost feverish bodies. In their innocent physical fusion, they could hear the
pounding of their hearts, and they were no longer able to determine which one
was pulsating more intensely, or which was which.
“You look good dressed like a girl,” he
whispered in her ear, his voice deep and resonant despite the joking tone which
alluded to the usual jeans and sneakers that she wore 364 days a year, holidays
included. “I mean it.” Shifting his body, his lips brushed
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