CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
By the time they reached Tuscany, the sky had turned a beautiful shade of purple and pink as the sunset welcomed them. Although not a large villa like the one outside of Rome, they were in a converted villa turned hotel. The rooms were smaller, but it didn’t matter. They were in Tuscany.
“I will not be your chef tonight,” he smiled, “but the chef is excellent. Dinner is at seven and served family style. All guests are welcome to join.”
Settled for the next two days, the team enjoyed a wonderful meal and then decided to take a walk around the area. Hand-in-hand, they passed the historic chapels, municipal buildings, and homes.
“I’m going to look in this shop,” said Lena. The other wives followed as the men stood outside. Lena stared at her friends, speaking in a low voice. “Did you see them? The same kids we saw in Rome.”
“I saw,” said Kari. “Do you think they’re being used or are just scamming us?”
“I’m not sure, but if we tell the guys they’re going to be chasing after little kids for the next few days. They already trust us, so maybe we could get them to speak with us.”
“It’s worth a try,” said Mary. She turned and walked toward the children standing in the aisle of the little boutique. “Hello, there. Do you remember me?”
The boy gave a peculiar nod, holding out his hand but not in a beggar sort of way.
“That’s not how this works,” said Mary. “How did you get from Rome all the way to Tuscany? Are you following us? Are you in trouble?”
The little boy backed away from her, shaking his head as he did.
“You’re not in trouble,” said Kari. “We can help you.”
His lips moved, obviously saying something rapidly in Italian, but they couldn’t hear him. The three other children followed him out of the store. By the time Kari, Mary, and the others were in the street, the children had disappeared.
“Okay,” said Faith, “we all agree something is up with those kids, but we’re not going to say anything to the guys. We’ll see if Enzo can give us any insight, and then we’ll figure out what to do. But I do not want this beautiful trip going sideways.”
“Agreed,” said Kari.
“Same,” said Erin.
When the women walked outside, the guys were still laughing and talking, completely oblivious to the kids who had left the store. For once, the wives were relieved that they were so distracted they didn’t pay attention to the details around them. Wilson turned to Sara, smiling.
“Nothing? Not one souvenir?” he grinned.
“Oh, there were a few things, but we have time tomorrow if I decide to return. The man in there said there’s a wonderful chocolate and gelato shop on our way back. What do you say to a late-night snack?”
“Race you!” yelled Tailor, running toward the shop. Mac, Alec, Antoine, and Clay followed, laughing the entire way. The other men looked at Trak, who had a strange expression.
“No gelato for you?” asked Nine.
“Oh, yes. I was just giving them a head start.”
It was a ridiculous scene to watch grown men racing one another for chocolate and gelato, but, as expected, Trak and Clay tied for the win. The owner was more than happy to see more than thirty faces eager to try her treats.
Not only did they all get gelato and chocolate, they bought boxes of chocolates to take home with them. Sara spent twenty minutes asking about her recipes and how she got the chocolate so smooth and in so many strange flavors.
“Enjoy!” she called out to them. “But beware, the chocolates are aphrodisiacs.”
The team just laughed, but by the time they reached the villa, they were racing to their rooms, ready to strip their clothes off and enjoy some Italian amore. Enzo smiled as they scattered away, then looked at his friend working in the villa.
“They ate the chocolate,” he smiled at Enzo.
“Yes. They ate the chocolate and the gelato. They will sleep well tonight,” grinned the young man.
“Are they as kind as they say?”
“Kinder,” smiled Enzo. “Good night, Giamano.”
“Good night, Enzo.”
The smiling faces of the men and women at breakfast told Enzo all that he needed to know. They’d had a wonderful evening, alone in their rooms, with the cool breezes of early spring coming through their windows.
“Good morning,” smiled Enzo. “I trust that you all slept well.”
“Perfect,” grinned Kari.
“Spectacular,” laughed Rose. “How about you, Enzo? Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” he smiled. “Thank you. Breakfast is ready for you to enjoy. I’ll gather what we need for the day and meet you at the buses. My friend, Giamano, is going to drive the second bus so that all of you can enjoy the scenery.”
With breakfast done and the team well-rested and ready to go, they made their way to the individual buses and headed out for the day.
“Today, we visit Florence,” he said to the group on his bus. “Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region and is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture. One of its most famous sights is the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. We will stop and see Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus . And if that were not enough to impress you, we will see da Vinci’s Annunciation . It should be a wonderful day.”
“I can’t believe we’re going to see all these amazing art pieces,” said Ro. “I’ve seen photos and walked past them but was never able to actually get close to them.” Jean smiled at his art-loving wife, knowing that today would be one she would remember for a long time.
Everywhere they turned were plazas, art museums, sculptures, cathedrals, and fountains. It was simply magical. While the women went into a local cosmetics store known for its amazing skincare products and rare perfumes, the men took over a famous pub nearby.
“So, what’s our grade so far?” smirked Dex.
“I’d give us all a B+,” said Nine. “I think we’re still looking over our shoulders now and then, but for the most part, we’re doing good.”
“I agree,” said Ghost. “We’re doing pretty damn well, and I have to admit, I’m enjoying the shit out of this trip. Being alone with all of you and my wife, it’s amazing. I love my kids and grandkids, but this reminds me of when it was just me and Grace.”
“Same,” nodded Trak. “I love my sons and daughters, my grandchildren, but getting time alone with Lauren is difficult some days.”
“Enzo has made this trip pretty spectacular,” said Wilson. “I know we were unknowingly his benefactor for the villa, but he’s gone above and beyond for us. We need to think of something special to do for him.”
“We’ll see what we can come up with,” said Gaspar. “Us. Not the girls. We always burden them with gift ideas. We’ll come up with something for Enzo.”
Enjoying the mid-day sun, the men indulged in tray after tray of pizza done the Italian way. They could see the cosmetics store from where they were sitting and watched as several children ran from the store, disappearing down an alleyway.
“Kids. They’re the same everywhere,” laughed Rafe. Gabe smiled at his brother, turning to look at the wives coming out of the store. Something was not right.
“Oh, this one smells wonderful!” said Tory.
“It’s our best-seller,” smiled the saleswoman. “Would you like a bottle?”
“Yes, please,” she smiled. Turning, she spotted four little heads that looked familiar. Grabbing Mary’s arm, she nodded toward the aisle.
“What on earth?” frowned Mary. She walked toward the children, blocking their exit, while Tory and Sara blocked the other end of the aisle.
“Alright, children. What’s going on? How are you following us from place to place?” asked Tory. The kids shook their heads, looking around for someone or something. “You have nothing to fear from us. You’re not in trouble right now. But if you’re in danger or running from something, maybe we can help.”
The boys stared at one another, then shook their heads again.
“Are you stealing?” asked Grace. The boys didn’t deny it, but they didn’t admit to anything either. They just simply looked away. “If you’re stealing, you’ll be caught, and then you’ll really be in trouble. If you need money to get home, or if you need us to call someone, please tell us.”
The boys just stood there, and then Enzo walked in, smiling at the women. When he saw the four boys, he frowned.
“Enzo, will you please tell these boys we’re only trying to help them? If they need something, they need to tell us. We won’t turn them in to the police.”
Enzo spoke softly to the boys in Italian, but the boys said nothing.
“Do they understand you?” asked Sara.
“I believe so. I think they are scared, but I don’t know of what,” he said, huddling close to the women. While they were speaking, the boys ran around them, running out of the store.
“Damn,” muttered Grace. “Enzo, don’t tell the men about this. We have our reasons, and they’re good reasons. Just don’t let them know about the boys now being in three different locations that we were in.”
“Of course,” he nodded. Before they left, he asked the owner of the store if she’d ever seen the boys before. She looked at the group of women with a strange expression.
“What boys? I’m sorry. I did not see any boys.”
Stepping into the sunlight, the women immediately saw the men watching the building. They waved, smiling at them.
“Everything is perfectly normal,” grinned Faith. “Nothing is going on.” Erin laughed at her friend.
“Nope. Nothing.”