LUXURE

16. GRAZIE

Warning! This chapter contains some steamy sex scenes!

Giovanni drove through the city effortlessly. I looked out the windows as I watched the tall buildings slowly transform into smaller buildings. I haven't been outside of this city in 9 years. I've mostly just never had the time nor the desire.

"How long have you lived in the city?" His voice drew me out of my daydreaming and sight-seeing.

"My whole life, you?" He looked over at me, slightly surprised.

"Your whole life? You've never lived anywhere else?" He sounded shocked, I wonder why?

"Yeah?"  I said confused.

"Wow. Well, I mostly moved around, but I grew up in Italy."

"Italy?!" I looked at him and my jaw nearly dropped.  He let out a slight laugh at my reaction.

"Yeah, Italy." So many questions raced through my mind.
"I wish I could go to Italy. Maybe one day." I sighed softly.
"Do you like this city?" His question surprised me a little. Why wouldn't I like this city?

"I mean, it's all I've ever known really." I shrugged my shoulders as I sat back further in the leather seat, shrinking down a little more, feeling shy. I watched as he nodded his head

Giovanni pulled the car into a small parking lot of a small 2 story building. The building looks like a house converted into a restaurant. The little sign above the door was the only thing that gave it away that it wasn't a house. The sign read "Mama Lucina."

"After you." Giovanni said with a smile as he held the door open for me. I smiled at him as a thank you.

"Giovanni!" I heard someone yell. I turned to see who called him. It was a little old lady with an apron folded around her waist.
"Ciao Mamma." The little lady ran up to Giovanni and kissed him on both cheeks in a friendly greeting gesture. She said something to him in Italian and he responded while looking at me causing her to look in my direction. Damn. I really wish I took some Italian classes in high school. The lady turned and faced me and Giovanni seemingly introduced me... in Italian.
"Ciao!" She said as she kissed me on the cheeks in greeting manner. I was so confused with what was going on so I just stood there and smiled at her. Giovanni said something to her and she nodded while smiling at me.

"Yes yes! Come." She said with a heavy accent as she turned and walked towards the back of the room. The restaurant was cute. It was definitely a little hole in the wall, nothing exquisite, but it housed character and emotion rather than expensive fixtures. We walked by the large metal kitchen doors to a staircase that led up the narrow stairs. The woman walked up the stairs quickly saying things to Giovanni in Italian as he laughed and responded. His Italian was delicious, every word he spoke set my insides on fire and gave me butterflies in my stomach.
She led us to a table in the corner that overlooked the city from across a large river. When I saw the view I nearly stopped in my tracks. It was beautiful. You could tell this is the best spot in the house. The room looked like it was reserved. There was no one up here while downstairs seemed busier.
Giovanni leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before she hurried away after showing us the table.

We both sat down and I stared at him.

"What?" He said with a smirk.

"What do you mean what? What was all that about?" I asked. "Who was that?"

He let out a small laugh.
"That was Mamma Lucina. She's a... close family friend. She's been a motherly figure in my life ever since I can remember" he said while looking at me. "And she's mad that I haven't been here in a while, but she's happy I brought a lady" he said with a wink.
I scoffed. "I'm sure you say that to all the girls you bring here." I winked back.
He laughed. "I don't bring anyone here." He scratched his chin and busied himself with the menu. "Enough about me." He said brushed it off like he wasn't interested in sharing any more information about himself. A young woman, no older than 17, brought us some drinks I didn't even remember ordering.