Gianluca Ginoble and I

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

*Naomi’s Point of View

          The next morning I got up early again, catching the sun almost fully risen.

          After a quick breakfast, I stepped outside to go for a walk. I wasn’t really planning on exploring today, just going out to be alive in nature.

          After only a few steps, the door behind me opened and closed, and Gianluca was slipping his hand into mine.

          “Go back to bed, Gianluca,” I said. “You have a concert later.”

          “Nope,” he said, shaking his head. “I want to be with you.”

          We set out, quietly walking along, going off the path and into a field of wildflowers, then eventually into a quiet forest.

          We returned to the house before lunch to get ready for the concert, and I took a quick shower and put on a red dress at my mom’s request- she loved me in red. I took some time to put on mascara and lip gloss, and I even put on some light pink eye shadow to enhance my brown eyes.

          I put on black heels and carefully went down the steps, holding onto the banister. Gianluca greeted me at the bottom by offering me his arm and looking me over approvingly. I wrapped my hand around his bicep and smiled at him.

          He was wearing a suit; as in white collared shirt, black suit-coat, and a black tie.

          “You look very beautiful, Naomi,” he said as he leaned toward me to kiss my cheek.

          “You look very handsome, Gianluca,” I said. “I love it when guys wear suits!”

          “The boys and I always wear suits for concerts,” he said, smoothing his coat. “We’re…classy.”

          I giggled.

          We ate a quick lunch with Piero and Ignazio’s families in the Ginoble house, then drove to the theatre. We arrived early so that the boys could make sure everything was ready and all their equipment was working properly.

          Gianluca took me backstage with him, and I followed him around as he checked and rechecked microphones and sound systems.

          People were starting to arrive, and the theatre was getting crowded. Ignazio set a bouquet of red roses on a table backstage. I remembered the roses that they had handed out during the Il Volo PBS concert.

          Gianluca took my hand.

          “Don’t worry,” he whispered in my ear, “I’ll go give you one during the show.”

          I smiled.

          “Thank you, Gianluca.”

          People were taking their seats, and I left Gianluca and went to find my seat next to my mother, in the midsection of the theatre.

          When the three boys eventually walked out onto the stage, the audience went wild, clapping and cheering.

          Ignazio said something in Italian, and the crowd laughed and kept clapping.

          The boys began to speak in rapid Italian and Mrs. Ginoble told my mom and me that they were acknowledging that it was great to be back in Italy. The crowd kept cheering.