Between Perfect Strangers

Chapter 17- Casa agrodolce - Cecilia

May 21 10:00 p.m

Getting off the plane felt an awful lot like walking to the executioner. 

Kat yapped her ear off for most of the time we were on the plane and while it was a welcome respite to everything, I also had to hear her snores. It turns out that Kat Zhao was a lot chattier than I thought. As she gossiped about Ayden and his two friends Matt and Angelo, she told me how those three are practically attached at the hip because they grew up together.

I noticed when Vanessa kept sneaking glances in his way and I noticed when Ayden’s eyes closed, going into a peaceful slumber. Seeing him asleep reminded me of a baby. There was an innocence to his face whenever he was sleeping and Kat teased me about it mercilessly once she woke up. I eventually drifted off to sleep and now as we walked down the stairs, I prayed that mother Mary would protect me from having my head cut off.

“Oh my god, this place is beautiful!!” Kat squealed as she took pictures with her bulky Nikon camera and I rolled my eyes. It’s a beautiful tragedy, alright.

“If my head wasn’t on a platter it would be,” I muttered and she poked my shoulder.

“Come on, Ce-I mean Lisette, sorry.” she apologized profusely and I chastised her for using my real name here. She vowed not to tell a soul and she beamed at me as Professor Campbell led the way. 

Once we met up with the tour guide, I found a tall lady with blonde hair waving at us. She looked like she was attending an awards ceremony with her bright green jumpsuit and as she introduced herself as Giorgia from the company that would be hosting us.

“So we have a total of twenty-seven, coretto?” she asked and I nodded quietly.

“Wonderful! First of all, welcome to Venice, Italy and we are so happy to have you all here!” she exclaimed happily and while walking, we picked up our luggage. I kept looking for my luggage which never seemed to appear and felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find Ayden holding up a dark blue suitcase.

“Is this one yours?” I nodded gratefully and he smiled softly at me as I kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush. Meanwhile, Vanessa fumed quietly in a corner at the sight of us and I spotted his backpack and suitcase matching perfectly.

“Thank you for finding my suitcase. Should we walk together? After all, we’re all going to the same place,” I told him and he smiled, nodding at me as we walked together. I caught Kat winking at me. I smiled to myself and he broke the silence.

“You seem awfully amused about this.”

“Maybe I’m amused because I finally have you to myself.”

“You sound like you have wicked things planned behind that smile,” I started laughing and staring at the place I grew up in.

“Well, you don’t seem to be stopping me either,” I teased and he quickly fired back.

“Maybe I don’t want you to,” A blush crept on my face and it felt so foreign to my face because I usually had to make myself appear like I was impressed by the men I conned back then. But with him, it was simple to blush. I felt it spreading through my body and I surprised myself with a bolder comment that would surely have earned a slap in the face back at my house.

“My room or yours?” he burst out laughing, the sound rich and deep and it caused my skin goosebumps. He glanced at me, shaking his head before he booped my nose softly.

“Quite bold, Lisette. I have to admit I didn’t see that one coming. I just need to make sure you won’t knock me out with a metal water bottle again,” he said jokingly and I shook my head, wanting to run for the hills.

How could I ever tell him that my name was never Lisette? How could I laugh with him when lies came out of my mouth? How could I feel so bad for a lie I started? All those questions tugging at me seemed to disappear in those caring eyes. While the tour guide showed us places that I knew at the tip of my tongue, they all marveled at the sight. The architects in our group were busy geeking out over the buildings and architecture and even Ayden snapped pictures, his eyes glazed over at the beauty of Venice. I smiled wistfully, remembering when I ran down these streets as a little girl while my mother chased me and I wondered if she was still here. If she left as I did.

Once we got to the canals, I found a bunch of canoes as Giorgia gave us a bright smile.

“Okay, we have rented canoes so three people can fit along with their belongings,” she said quickly and as people began to get in the canoes, I tried not to gulp at the sight of the water. It wasn’t very deep… I think. Ayden quickly grabbed our stuff and stuck it inside the canoe and we sat on opposite sides as he passed me an oar.

“I admit I have no clue how these work,” I told him honestly and he burst out laughing.

“It’s like rafting.”

“Still no clue how that is supposed to enlighten me,” he snickered and smiled at me.

“It’s like moving your arms back and forth in a constant motion,” he explained, his cheeks beginning to flush and I grinned devilishly.

“Constant motion like when we’re having sex?” I teased him and he turned as red as a tomato while I cackled at the expense of his humiliation. I knew it was a crude joke to make while we were rafting, but I was getting to know him better. He swatted my answer away and I couldn’t stop laughing as he scowled and flicked a hand to the water so it fell on me. I narrowed my eyes at him and he shot a satisfied smirk my way.

“You were saying?” I passed my hands through the water, splashing him too and he laughed as we started splashing each other when the lioness Vanessa came, sitting next to me on the canoe.

“Oh gosh! I’m so sorry, I couldn’t find space on the other canoes since Kat got on Angelo and Elaina’s canoe, so I came here,” she said sweetly to us, giving me the fakest smile a girl like her could produce and Ayden got serious again, smiling at her.

“No problem, Nessa. You know how to row a canoe?”

“Yeah, remember when we were kids and we learned it back at Tita’s cabin?” she said and I tried to not glare at her. 

The moon shone above us as the canoes started moving and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It was a very repetitive movement not at all like sex, but the joke still had done its damage and Ayden still looked flustered about the comment.

“Lisette, I heard you were from here. Why haven’t you canoed before?”

Because my father wouldn’t let me near them, you dumbass. Instead, I shot her a fake smile and responded politely. Or as polite as someone can towards someone annoying like her.

“I learned how to do horseback riding instead. Rowing boats weren’t really my thing. My family took that very seriously,” I lied and she nodded, pretending to understand while Ayden’s eyes brightened.

“What was it like?” I looked at him and began to stutter.

“I-I didn’t like it at first. You’re sort of bouncing the whole time but it hurts your butt after a while,” I explained lightly and he started laughing before his phone rang and he quickly started looking through his bag to look for it. He eventually found his phone and answered the call.

“Pensi di conquistarlo?” Vanessa asked me in perfect Italian and I glared at her, smiling at her. Do I think I’ll conquer him? Ha, this girl didn’t know me.

“I don’t think honey, I do,” I replied to her and she smiled, that saccharine smile making me want to smack her against the wall. I laughed quietly to myself and when she stayed silent, I knew I won this round. Vanessa Solis might be Ayden’s best friend, but she’d never get to know him as I did.

And that’s when she knocked me over the canoe, towards the water with her oar.

It's almost been a year since I wrote this chapter, but "I don't think honey, I do," is still one of my favorite lines of this novel. Now that we have discovered Cecilia's weakness (and her tendency of crude jokes ;) will Vanessa get away with it or will this fracture the bond between Ayden and her?

Sandyfrogy