Giovanni: The Italian Vampire

Giovanni in Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Bustling bodies and the drenching smell of alcohol is just what Giovanni wanted on a Saturday night out.

Not.

It was boring watching his friend fumble with words, flirting with women who hardly seem like they're taking the bait.

"Do you act like this when you bring Angie?" Giovanni asked Ava, curious.

"Ah, Gio! Loosen up a bit, love? You've barely had a sip off your drink! You're sitting all hoity, what was the point of coming?", a young woman shouted boisterously.

She's tipsy.

"But, yeah. Sort of. We just made it clear with each other. As long as I don't cheat, you know?" She lets out a hearty laugh and takes another shot.

Intervention, perhaps?

Giovanni sighed. He got dragged here, quite literally. Ava was stronger than the average person, and he wasn't going to risk any more bruises.

"Ava. I didn't want to be here, you know. I just wanted to have a calm, peaceful night out with my friend. But no!" He exclaims, quite tired of being.

Ava stares. Puzzled. She stares.
And stares.
Staring.

"What'd you say, love?"

The music.

He groans and rolls his eyes. Gesturing a 'come closer', she understands and shuffled closer to his side. "Nothing," he lies, "I'm just tired. Do you think we can go?"

"Oh yeah! Just let me finish these two shots." Smirking wildly, she lifts her drink and quickly downs it, sliding it across the polished wooden bar top, asking for a refill. "Place is lame, same thing every week, man. I'll get you home, love."

Increasingly concerned, Giovanni cried out, "Are you sure? You can't drive like this! It's dangerous! You could ki—"

"Oh, hush up, you fanny. 'Dangerous' is my surname." She quoted, prideful, altogether ignoring her friend's caution.

~~~~~~~~

"Can't you at least call an Uber?"
Giovanni suggested, desperate that she'd change her mind. She's lost it!

"Gio. If I lived life by the book, I would've never met you. I would've never met Angie. Or, jeez, I would've never scored this sweet car!"

Ava...you sweet child.

"Ah. I'm glad you feel this way about our friendship, Ava, but I'm still net letting you drive."

"Damn." She scoffed. Then her face lit straight back up. 

"So then, how's my car going to get home? Eh? You got a state issued?" She asked, matter-of-factly. Smart.

"Well no, but—"

"Ha!" She exclaimed triumphantly. "I have to drive!"

Just then, the woman, who claims to be a champ at alcohol, lost her footing.

Jesus!
Giovanni raced over to his friend to grab and support her, so she wouldn't crack her face. She's heavier...than...I thought.

The young woman regained consciousness, but was still wobbly, trying to stand. She eventually gives up and relaxes in our hero's arms. "Don't say it." She muttered.

Can't spare you this time.
"Told you." He laughed quietly.

​
The Uber came to pick Ava up relatively quick. "I'll ride with you. You can't...quite move." Giovanni snorted, shoving Ava into the backseat, and following after.
He buckled her in,then himself. And let out a long, exasperated sigh. I was holding it?

He dozed off for a second, until he felt a familiar weight hit his right shoulder.

Ava was fast asleep. She reeked of whiskey and Guerlain, acceptable separate. Together? Unpleasant.

But Giovanni didn't mind. He wasn't really in a rush to start moving around again, and he was relieved that Ava finally sat down, because his eyelids are getting heavy.

She worries me. What about when I'm not here? What about Angie? She doesn't think that far, 'uh?

But for now? This is nice.
"We have a ways left until Angie's, we can nap a bit, I guess." He says softly, mainly to himself. He's fighting it. Fighting sleep.

Until he couldn't. He fell asleep, leaning on Ava's blue dyed hair. Quietly humming that one song by AJR, about big kids. Getting drunk.

How's it go again?

~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonus:

Angelica😇: so did you two have fun carching up? I wish I could meet up with old friends 😄

Tortellini: oh yea! we had a blast! she's lucky to have someone like you☺️which is why you can't be mad.

Angelica😇: ?

AvaDuverneigh: o o o it lxixuxz xlgxxkT 🤩🤩🤩🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Angelica😇: y

Angelica😇: oh no worries. I'll have you both.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Angelica made Giovanni and Ava stay and help with housework and birdwatching because "wind down is important in a heart healthy lifestyle "