Love, Anonymous (COMPLETED)

Chapter Four - Weather Beaten

Thanks for continuing to read my first attempt at portraying Alden and Maine in an alternate universe. I will try to update more often but not to the point of giving you a lame chapter. So please bear with me if the story does not arrive too soon, I sometimes write something but discard it when I think it's not good enough for the readers. Hope you'll like this chapter, will try to come up with another update in a few days. I love receiving comments so don't hesitate to leave one or two after reading. Enjoy!

With the help of Ilaria, Maine was able to find Elena, a tour guide who would take her and Alden around Venice. They agreed to meet in Dolci at 1:00 in the afternoon, with Alden, Mama Ten and Leysam tagging along. Maine prepared for the tour well. She wore hunter green wellingtons in anticipation of the rain, a dark brown leather jacket, beige pullover and snug-fitting jeans. She waited in the café taking a light lunch while chatting with Amato, consisting of buttery baby croissants with slices of prosciutto, tomatoes, onions, olives and fresh wisps of basil, partnered with a steaming cup of cappuccino.

Elena arrived 15 minutes early, giving her time to join Amato and Maine for a cup of coffee. Elena was a jolly, boisterous soul who looked intimidating at first, with her pompadour hairstyle and old-fashioned clothes, booming deep voice and wild hand gestures. But she was a sweetheart, a good friend of Amato as well. She kissed Maine on both cheeks after being introduced by Amato.

"Ahh, Maine! Sei cosi bella.."

"Grazie, signora." Maine responded, blushing. She was never used to being complimented for her looks, much less by people she didn't really know.

Alden and company arrived shortly, wearing a black leather jacket, white shirt, jeans and his favorite pair of Stan Smiths. He brought an umbrella with him, as well as a gift for Elena, some pastel-colored bonbons in a dainty pink box. It was funny to see Elena flustered and blushing, clearly taken by Alden's good looks and charm. They said their goodbyes to Amato and set off for the tour.

It was really cold despite the time of day. They rode a Vaporetto (Water Bus) to get to Piazza de San Marco, a 30-minute trip they had to take standing, as the water bus was full. The ride was rather scary when it started to get windy and rain, causing the boat to rock and have passengers bump into each other.

Alden steadied himself by holding onto a hand sling for standing passengers while having an arm around Maine to shield her from being jostled around. Maine squirmed uneasily, not used to being this close to someone she barely knew but was attracted to, who smelled so deliciously male and clean. He was so protective of her, selecting a corner spot to position her away from the crowd by shielding her with his body and turning his back on the other standing passengers. There were times when the passengers bumped into each other as a result of the unsteady cruising of the water bus, resulting in his leaning further into the corner, pushing her body against the wall while his full body length from chest to toes draped over her body.

"Ok ka lang ba?" He asked while rubbing her back.

"Nakakahinga pa naman," She said in a comically muffled voice against his chest. "Wala na ko lalong ilong pagbaba natin, haha."

"Uy grabe, hindi ka pango ha. Mas maganda nga ilong mo kaysa sakin. Ang laki ng ilong ko eh."

"Maliit lang ilong ko. Napapagkamalan akong bumbay pero sa ilong nagkakatalo kasi kapos sa tangos."

"Sus hindi, tama lang ilong mo, cute nga eh."

"Etong dalawang 'to usapang ilong talaga?" Mama Ten pulled Alden by the sleeve. "Oy, RJ bitawan mo na si Maine, maluwag na dito o. Ikaw ha, para-paraan ka rin eh."