guess you don’t have to worry about money,” she said.
“Not really. Most of my real estate is rentals so I get a monthly income from them. Then I have a good stock portfolio which adds to my monthly income. Add both of those to my salary as a cop and I live very comfortably.”
“You probably wonder why I seem so frugal about some things.”
He nodded and then smiled as he said, “Everything except dresses, bags, jewelry, and shoes.”
“The day is going to come when I will be too old to be a fashion model so I would like to have a nice nest egg to retire on. I had always hoped when that day came, I would be married to David, but that obviously isn’t going to happen.”
“Maybe you’ll find someone else,” Mitch suggested.
“After what David did, I don’t think I’m going to find it very easy to trust again.”
“All men aren’t like David,” he protested. He hoped she didn’t think he was at all similar to her ex-boyfriend.
Jade didn’t reply. Instead, she looked out the window at the scenery that was flying past.
The train stopped in Verona and they joined the crowd of people walking toward the main plaza of the town.
“Look at that old coliseum,” Mitch said as they reached the plaza and they saw the remains of the old building.
“That’s the Arena di Verona ,” Jade told him. “We don’t have time to take the tour, but I can tell you a few things about it. It was built in 30 AD. Back when it was first built, it could hold 30,000 spectators who came to attend games and shows. A lot of it was destroyed by an earthquake. Then it was rebuilt and plays and concerts have been held there since the middle 1800s. The acoustics were so good that until the last few years, they never found the need to install an electronic sound system. Now they only allow 15,000 people to attend the performances.”
“Why is that?”
“For safety reasons.”
“Well, I’m ready for lunch, so take me to the market.”
“I think you would rather eat than sight see,” she teased.
“I can’t help it. I love the food here in Italy.”
The market was one long row of covered counters, stretched across the plaza. Individual white canvas held up by slender poles sheltered each table from the weather. There were offerings of fresh fruit, sandwiches, and various flavors of gelatos.
Mitch chose a sandwich with slices of meat and several kinds of cheese and a plate of fresh fruit. Jade ordered only a plate of fresh fruit, saying she was saving room for a gelato.
After Mitch ate his sandwich and Jade finished her fruit plate, they went to the table which was serving gelatos. Mitch chose to have a pistachio flavor. Jade chose a cioccola all’ arancia.
“You’ve got to have a taste of this one,” she said, holding out a spoonful of gelato.
He let her put it into his mouth and as she slipped the spoon back out, he thoughtfully tasted it.
“Is that a candied orange peel I taste in the chocolate?”
She nodded. “Isn’t it delicious?”
“It is.”
They finished their gelatos and Jade said, “Let’s go to Romeo and Juliet’s now.”
They found a crowd of people at the entrance of the tunnel that led into the courtyard of the house. The line moved slowly and when they finally entered the tunnel, Mitch looked around in amazement.
There were hundreds of papers stuck to the walls of the tunnel. When Jade saw the puzzled look on his face, she explained them to him.
“Lovers write the vows they make to each other on them. Tradition has it that if they stick them on the walls of the tunnel, their love will last a life time.”
“I want to do that,” Mitch said, smiling down at her.
“Do you have a lover?”
“No, but we can pretend you are.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t know if that will work.”
“Let’s try it, anyway. Do you have paper and pencil in that bag of yours?”
In response to his question, she rummaged in the large bag which hung on her shoulder.
“You go first,” she
“Not really. Most of my real estate is rentals so I get a monthly income from them. Then I have a good stock portfolio which adds to my monthly income. Add both of those to my salary as a cop and I live very comfortably.”
“You probably wonder why I seem so frugal about some things.”
He nodded and then smiled as he said, “Everything except dresses, bags, jewelry, and shoes.”
“The day is going to come when I will be too old to be a fashion model so I would like to have a nice nest egg to retire on. I had always hoped when that day came, I would be married to David, but that obviously isn’t going to happen.”
“Maybe you’ll find someone else,” Mitch suggested.
“After what David did, I don’t think I’m going to find it very easy to trust again.”
“All men aren’t like David,” he protested. He hoped she didn’t think he was at all similar to her ex-boyfriend.
Jade didn’t reply. Instead, she looked out the window at the scenery that was flying past.
The train stopped in Verona and they joined the crowd of people walking toward the main plaza of the town.
“Look at that old coliseum,” Mitch said as they reached the plaza and they saw the remains of the old building.
“That’s the Arena di Verona ,” Jade told him. “We don’t have time to take the tour, but I can tell you a few things about it. It was built in 30 AD. Back when it was first built, it could hold 30,000 spectators who came to attend games and shows. A lot of it was destroyed by an earthquake. Then it was rebuilt and plays and concerts have been held there since the middle 1800s. The acoustics were so good that until the last few years, they never found the need to install an electronic sound system. Now they only allow 15,000 people to attend the performances.”
“Why is that?”
“For safety reasons.”
“Well, I’m ready for lunch, so take me to the market.”
“I think you would rather eat than sight see,” she teased.
“I can’t help it. I love the food here in Italy.”
The market was one long row of covered counters, stretched across the plaza. Individual white canvas held up by slender poles sheltered each table from the weather. There were offerings of fresh fruit, sandwiches, and various flavors of gelatos.
Mitch chose a sandwich with slices of meat and several kinds of cheese and a plate of fresh fruit. Jade ordered only a plate of fresh fruit, saying she was saving room for a gelato.
After Mitch ate his sandwich and Jade finished her fruit plate, they went to the table which was serving gelatos. Mitch chose to have a pistachio flavor. Jade chose a cioccola all’ arancia.
“You’ve got to have a taste of this one,” she said, holding out a spoonful of gelato.
He let her put it into his mouth and as she slipped the spoon back out, he thoughtfully tasted it.
“Is that a candied orange peel I taste in the chocolate?”
She nodded. “Isn’t it delicious?”
“It is.”
They finished their gelatos and Jade said, “Let’s go to Romeo and Juliet’s now.”
They found a crowd of people at the entrance of the tunnel that led into the courtyard of the house. The line moved slowly and when they finally entered the tunnel, Mitch looked around in amazement.
There were hundreds of papers stuck to the walls of the tunnel. When Jade saw the puzzled look on his face, she explained them to him.
“Lovers write the vows they make to each other on them. Tradition has it that if they stick them on the walls of the tunnel, their love will last a life time.”
“I want to do that,” Mitch said, smiling down at her.
“Do you have a lover?”
“No, but we can pretend you are.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t know if that will work.”
“Let’s try it, anyway. Do you have paper and pencil in that bag of yours?”
In response to his question, she rummaged in the large bag which hung on her shoulder.
“You go first,” she
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