Desires and Contracts

Ch. 24

Currently, we were on our way to Italy. A few weeks ago when we planned our honeymoon, Xavier and I decided on what activities we wanted to do in Italy, that way we knew exactly what to do and where to go when we arrived. Xavier had been to Italy a couple of times before, but he said there were a lot of things he didn't try because he would only go for work. I figured out that Italy was six hours ahead of California which means that it was still Monday, June 15. Based on the "itinerary" I made, we should be able to complete everything we wanted within five days.

Arrive Tuesday, June 16 in Rome, Italy.

8 am- 11:30 am: Explore Rome

~12 pm train to Florence~

1:30 pm-7:30 pm: Explore Florence

~8 pm train to Rome~

Wednesday, June 17

~9:25 am train to Milan~

12:30 pm - 3 pm: Explore Milan

~3:15 pm train to Venice~

5:30 pm- 9:30 pm: Explore Venice

~9:45 pm train to Rome~

Thursday, June 18

~8 am train to Naples~

9:15 am - 2 pm: Explore Naples

~2:30 pm train to Rome, flight back home leaves at 4:30 pm~

When our flight landed in Rome, it was about 3 am on Tuesday, June 16 in the Italy time zone. Since we took Xavier's private jet, we didn't have to wait in long lines at either airport and it was also a nonstop flight. When we arrived at the hotel, Xavier and I were a bit exhausted. We decided to freshen up and get some sleep before starting our day. At around 7 am, we both woke up and began our traveling. The first thing was to explore Rome. We had a tour booked which began at 8, giving us plenty of time to get ready and have breakfast before the tour. The entire tour took about 2 1/2 hours, which allowed us to have lunch at a local sandwich shop. We also met some new people from the tour group! At 12 pm, we had to catch a train to Florence, which is about an hour and a half train ride. When we arrived in Florence, we did a lot of sightseeing and shopping. I bought a few small things for Tara, Jarrod, Natalie, Kelly, and even Tilly. Xavier bought something for Mark and Austin while we also got something for Xavier's parents and grandparents. At 8 pm, the train to go back to Rome was scheduled so we had to make sure to explore Florence by then. We were able to order dinner on the train as well, which was a beautiful experience because the waiters were so delicate and smooth when serving the dishes.

When we arrived back at the hotel, Xavier headed to the shower first. As I waited for him to finish so I could go in next, I began scrolling through all the pictures we took today. I got some really nice pictures of monuments and landmarks, while also getting nice ones of the cities. I smiled when I saw the pictures I took of Xavier and the ones with both of us in them.

The next morning we were going to explore Milan! I was really excited because we would see the fashion element of Italy. I decided to wear a white flowery shirt paired with my black jeans and I saw that Xavier wore a dark blue shirt with black pants. After having breakfast that was ordered to our room, we headed to the train station.

"So tonight, I have a special dinner planned for us in Venice," Xavier said as we sat on the train.

"I can't wait!" I responded while pecking him on the cheek. He wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled at me.

When we arrived in Milan, I couldn't believe my eyes. Everything looked so beautiful. Xavier had been here before so he guided us to all the different shops and areas that I wanted to see. We had lunch at a local shop before heading back to the train station to go to Venice. When it was around 4 pm, I began getting tired even though we were seated on the train at this point. Xavier and I just talked and laughed during these train rides. I learned a lot about him, like how much he travels and also the things he did when he was in Italy all the previous times. The restaurant that we were going to have dinner at is Xavier's favorite, and he claims that he always eats there at least once whenever he visits the country. We arrived in Venice at 5:30 pm and the first thing we did was rent a small boat and explore the city through the canals. Since we only had limited time in Venice, the boat driver took us directly to the restaurant, which didn't take too long but I still got to see amazing buildings and architecture.

We arrived at the restaurant and surprisingly it wasn't busy at all. When we got off the boat and walked up to the host at the front of the restaurant, he immediately recognized Xavier and gave him a big hug. The short, older man seemed to be really good friends with Xavier because they spoke for about 15 minutes since we arrived. Apparently, Rio, the host, owns the restaurant and knows the Diamond family very well because he's sought business advice from them, and is also a family friend. We were seated right away and all the dishes on the menu sounded delicious. Xavier ordered a fancy wine for us while we decided on what to eat. We both settled on pizza- I was going to order the local favorite pizza which included chicken, tomatoes, basil, onion, and mushrooms while Xavier was going to order his regular which was a chicken and bacon pizza with mushrooms, spinach, and jalapeno. When our food arrived, we enjoyed the meal with a beautiful view.

By the time we arrived back at our hotel in Rome, it was almost 1 am. The both of us were extremely exhausted. I was happy that for our last night in Italy, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner and were also able to explore many different things. Xavier had showered first while I removed my makeup and began packing up my things since we leave tomorrow evening. When Xavier exited the bathroom, his hair was wet and he was also shirtless. During the entire trip, I realized that I was falling in love with Xavier. I was seeing a different side of him that I normally didn't see and just being on a honeymoon with him didn't help either. Everywhere we went, we were surrounded by romantic settings.

After my shower, I put on some lavender-scented lotion and wore my silk pajama shorts with the matching short-sleeved shirt. I forgot my glasses on the table in the room so when I walked out of the bathroom, I headed straight toward the table but since I was looking down I didn't realize Xavier was a few steps in front of me and bumped into him.

"Woah, careful there." He chuckled as he placed his hands on my arms, steadying me.

"Sorry..." I said as I looked up at him. We were so close that even without my glasses I could see his face clearly. Xavier moved his right hand to my face and moved his left hand down to my waist. We continued to stare at each other as I moved my hands and placed them on his chest. Slowly, the both of us leaned in closer until I felt his lips on mine. He pulled me even closer, if that was even possible, and our lips continued to move in sync and soon we kissed each other passionately and hungrily. Xavier and I moved towards the bed without breaking apart. Xavier placed his hands at the bottom of my shirt and slowly pulled it over my head. After, I tugged at his shirt too and he quickly took it off as well. Before we knew it, we were both on the bed kissing passionately and our hands roaming each other's bodies. Within a few minutes, I felt Xavier enter inside me and all the bliss that came after.