Lilliana Jones and the Temple of Groom

by Rich Amooi

  She forced a smile. “Yeah. I didn’t feel the full effect of the three glasses of wine until I stood up.” She looked down at his hands on her waist and raised her gaze until their eyes met. “Uh . . . thank you. I should be fine.”

  He removed his hands from her waist. “Of course. I’m here if you need a designated walker.”

  Marco glanced at Lilly who was now out cold. She had fallen asleep after she had returned from the bathroom. Not a surprise since she’d had three glasses of wine.

  What a beautiful sight to see. So peaceful. He was curious about the woman. She seemed like a decent person—maybe had issues and baggage like most people, but there was nothing wrong with that. Hell, he had things he had to deal with in his own life. But when she didn’t speak—didn’t move—there was something angelic about her.

  Lilly pulled the blanket up closer to her chin. “Nice to meet you.”

  Marco did a double take. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  Lilly’s eyes were still closed, and she said nothing else. Odd. They had been talking for over three hours so why did she say it was nice to meet him now? You’d think she’d say that after they went their separate ways in Rome. Maybe she was just having fun with him.

  “I saw a bear,” she said. “And I rode in an expensive car.”

  “Are you messing around?” he asked. “Very funny.”

  No answer.

  Maybe she was talking in her sleep. Lots of people did that. He sat back and closed his eyes. The thought of sleeping for a little sounded like a great idea.

  “I’m going to meet my future husband in Italy.”

  Marco opened his eyes and turned to Lilly again. He sat up in his seat and peeked over toward her left hand resting on her lap. He didn’t see an engagement ring on her finger, so meeting a future husband made no sense at all. Besides, she would have said fiancé, not future husband. Unless it was an arranged marriage, and she hadn’t met the guy yet. Who knew how that worked? Maybe the wedding was in Italy—a destination wedding. Was she a mail-order bride? Marco pictured someone packing Lilly in a box and shipping her to Italy.

  He chuckled. “That would be funny.”

  “I don’t speak Italian,” said Lilly. “Yes, I would love a cappuccino. Two sugars please. Will you marry me?”

  “Lilly?” he whispered. “Can you hear me?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can?”

  Lilly moved her head like she was trying to find a more comfortable position. “You’re very attractive.”

  Marco raised an eyebrow. “Uh . . . okay. I think you’re—”

  “A spring wedding sounds lovely.”

  “Huh?”

  Marco moved closer to her, trying to figure out if she was playing around with him. She smelled fantastic. Like roses, with a hint of gummi bears.

  Lilly was obviously talking in her sleep. It was fascinating to hear what she was saying, but he felt a little guilty. Like she was revealing private information, and he was eavesdropping. It’s not like he went out of his way to listen—they were sitting next to each other.

  A minute later she opened her eyes.

  “Nice nap?” he asked, hoping she didn’t think he was checking her out while she slept.

  She sat up and stretched her arms out. “Yeah. I was a zombie there for a while.”

  He nodded. “I’ve been in that state before. That’s when you get the most vivid dreams, I think.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Did you have sweet dreams?”

  She squished her eyebrows together. “Kind of odd question, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all, people dream. What do you remember?”

  She shook her head and pointed to his face. “You look suspicious and—” She stared at him for a few more seconds. “Oh, God. Was I talking in my sleep? Please tell me no.”

  “No.”

  She analyzed him again. “Okay, please tell me the truth.”

  He grinned. “Yes.”

  “Ahhh!”

  He loved the color of her embarrassed cheeks but didn’t want to torture her. “It wasn’t so bad.”

  “I don’t want to know. Well, I do, but I don’t.”

  “You'd be disappointed if I told you, so maybe it’s best we keep it my little secret.”

  “Okay, now I have to know.”

  “I’ll tell you then. On the layover.”

  “What? No, no, no. I don’t have the patience for that.”

  The fasten seatbelt light illuminated, followed by a ding over the PA system of the airplane.

  “Ladies and gentleman, as we begin our descent into Washington DC, we’d like to ask you to please fasten your seat belts and bring your seat backs and tray tables to their upright and locked positions. We’ll be coming around the cabin one last time to collect any trash you may have. We’ll be on the ground shortly.”

  Marco pointed to the overhead speakers. “Darn, I was just about to tell you. Okay, it’ll have to wait. We have a three-hour layover, so I can tell you in the airport. Are you going to grab a snack or drink in the terminal?”

  “Uh . . . I guess.”

  “Good. It’s a date.”

  “A date?”

  “Relax. It’s just a figure of speech.”

  Not that he wouldn’t mind going out with Lilly. She was beautiful and had a fun personality when she wasn’t freaking out. But pursuing Lilly, or any woman, wasn't going to happen.

  Chapter Five

  Lilly nibbled on her ham sandwich at the food court inside the Washington Dulles International Airport. Marco ate his grilled chicken burrito and looked up and smiled in between bites. They had about two hours before they had to return to the terminal to take the second leg of the flight from DC to Rome.

  Lilly couldn’t believe she talked in her sleep on the airplane. She’d been doing that ever since she was a little girl in elementary school but the last thing she wanted to do was do it in front of a stranger. Especially a good-looking one. Plenty of people had made fun of her over the years. Family, kids at summer camp, friends, past boyfriends—you name it. She wondered if Marco would do the same.

  It wouldn’t have been so bad if she could have controlled what came out of her mouth because most of the time it was the most random and bizarre thing. Other times it was exactly what was on her mind before she fell asleep and that’s what worried her because she had been thinking about the psychic. She would die of embarrassment if Marco found out she was on a mission to find a husband in Italy, besides bring back Roberto.

  “Okay, you’ve had your fun,” she said. “Tell me everything I said while I slept.”

  Marco took a sip of his water, the entire time his eyes never leaving Lilly. “Okay. Here’s what I heard. Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  “Okay.” Marco analyzed her for a moment and swallowed hard. “You like unicorns and caramel corn and stuffed monkeys.”

  Lilly stared at him. “I didn’t say that.”

  “How do you know if you were sleeping?”

  “First, I have a fear of being stabbed to death by a unicorn. He chases me down a beach and I trip. I turn over, so I can see him and before I can say a word he thrusts forward and repeatedly stabs me in the heart. Second, however tasty it may be, caramel corn sticks to my teeth and I have this fear of my mouth not being able to open after I chew on some. I can’t breathe and I die.”

  “Why don’t you breathe through your nose?”

  “Allergies.”

  “Ahhh. And the stuffed monkeys?”

  She shrugged. “They can be cute. Unless they are the kind that come to life and try to strangle you while you sleep.”

  Marco laughed. “You have a wild imagination. You also seem to be scared of a lot of things, especially dying.” He grabbed a chip and dipped it in salsa. “Are you going to have time to see some things in Rome or is your trip strictly business?”

  “Very smooth how you changed the subject. We haven’t finished discussing what I said in my sle
ep.”

  “Yes, we finished.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it. Tell me about your plans when you get to Rome.”

  Lilly took the last bite of her sandwich and held up her index finger as she pulled her carryon closer. She unzipped the large compartment and pulled out her books. “I’ve done my research and have everything planned down to the hour.” She made space on the table and arranged the books in alphabetical order. Fodor’s Italy. Italy Travel Guide. Lonely Planet Italy. Rick Steves Italy.

  Marco blinked. “You’re joking.”

  “Why would I joke about something like that?” She unfolded her day-to-day itinerary and eyed the table. “Running out of room here.” She scooted his burrito off to the side, along with the chips and salsa. “Better. Okay, I will hit the ground running when we land. This is what I have planned after I drop the bags off at the hotel.”

  Lilly was proud of her plan. She had spent almost fourteen hours working on it and could see all the most popular tourist attractions easily. She should be a travel planner.

  Marco leaned in to inspect her masterpiece itinerary, shaking his head. “This is pathetic.”

  Lilly cranked her head around and huffed. “What? You can’t be serious. This is a traveler’s dream. Having everything planned out like this took time and hard work but will ensure that I see everything I have to see.”

  “Not even. You’ll burn out on the first day because you didn’t take jet lag into consideration. This is the most ridiculous way to travel. You have everything scheduled down to the hour. Restaurants. Tourist traps. Souvenir shops.” He laughed and pointed at the itinerary. “You even have the bathroom breaks scheduled. Oh, that’s right. You have a tendency to pee your pants. I remember now, so maybe those are necessary.”

  “Very funny. Admit it. I’m well-prepared and you’re jealous.”

  He pointed to the itinerary again. “This is no way to see the beautiful country where my ancestors came from. I already see a big flaw in your plan on the very first day that will throw off the itinerary for the entire week.”

  Lilly analyzed her schedule for the first day. Everything looked just the way it should be to her. “What are you talking about? This is perfect.”

  Marco shook his head and placed his finger on the first item on the list. “The Pantheon should not be the first thing you see.”

  She stared down at his well-groomed finger. “Why not?”

  “Once you see in person with your very own eyes the majestic, beautiful, fascinating, historical Colosseum, you'll want to visit it immediately. But you have it scheduled on . . .” He scanned the itinerary. “Day four! This will drive you crazy. Every time you see the Colosseum, every time you walk by it, every time you hear someone mention it, you will kick yourself for not scheduling it on the first day. Your first mistake.”

  “Well, I have patience and think you’re exaggerating. What’s my second mistake?”

  “You chose the most touristy restaurants to eat in. These are not the true Italy. These are food factories designed to shuffle people in and out as fast as possible. Their menus feature plates fast to prepare, so you can eat and be on your way. You’re missing out on some of the best places to eat.”

  “I’ve done the research. Many of these places have good reviews.”

  “From people like you. You won’t find the locals eating at these places. You should go where the locals go to eat. That is the real Italy.”

  “I’m sure I’ll have no problem enjoying the food. I’m not that picky.”

  Marco snorted.

  “Hey!” said Lilly, crossing her arms. “You barely even know me, so don’t judge.”

  “Fine.” He pointed to something else on her list of things to do. “This is ridiculous and an impossibility.”

  She leaned down again to see what his finger was sitting on. “What’s wrong with doing a church and temple tour? I love to see the architecture and the stained glass.” She’d also love to find her future husband inside one of those temples, but she wasn't going to tell Marco that.

  “There’s nothing wrong with it at all, but you’ve allotted three hours for this. There are over nine hundred churches in Rome.”

  Lilly blinked. “Nine hundred. Wow. Okay, anything else?”

  Marco shook his head. “If I tell you, are you going to change things on your itinerary?”

  “No. Everything is planned and I don’t stray from the plan.”

  “Ever?”

  “Ever!”

  Marco chuckled. “So you don’t like spontaneity?” He pointed to her face. “Why did you cringe when I mentioned spontaneity? There—you cringed again.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied, wishing there was something she could hide behind.

  “If you say so . . . I recall a certain woman sitting next to me on the plane who changed her drink order from coffee to wine once she was shown the error of her decision. That was spontaneous. Sound familiar?”

  “Can’t say it does,” Lilly said, for a total of two lies in less than a minute.

  “Not a surprise.” He folded the itinerary back up for Lilly and handed it to her. “Your planning is faulty and designed to fail. This is no way to see Italy and you’re spending almost all of your time in Rome. The city is magnificent, but there is so much you’ll miss. If you want to see Italy the right way, the way it was meant to be enjoyed and remembered and treasured, I would be happy to show you.”

  Lilly laughed. “You?”

  “Yeah. Me.”

  “I thought you were here for work?”

  “Just for one day. Then I’m free for a few days before I go to Australia.”

  How crazy would that be to have her own personal tour guide? A handsome tour guide? This was a tempting offer. But how could she meet her future husband if she was with Marco the entire time? It would defeat the purpose if Italian men stayed away from her because they thought she was taken.

  Unless Roberto was her man.

  In that case, maybe she could just have fun with Marco until she met up with Roberto.

  No.

  Too much risk for not enough gain.

  “Well?” asked Marco.

  Lilly gathered her books and stuck them back in her carryon. “No, thank you.”

  “Can I ask you why you don’t like to improvise?”

  “Yes, you can. I just won’t tell you why.” Lilly didn’t like how that came out of her mouth. She sounded kind of bitchy and it wasn’t fair to Marco. The guy had done nothing at all. He’d been kind and helpful, even though he picked apart her plan. “Sorry. I don’t like the way I answered you, so I apologize. I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “As you wish.”

  They made their way back to the gate, not saying a word to each other. Lilly had a feeling she'd hurt Marco’s feelings. She felt bad, but she didn’t want to talk about being spontaneous. She had enough of those talks with Colette.

  On the flight from DC to Rome, Marco moved to the empty seat next to Lilly. Obviously he wasn’t mad at her for her behavior. She chatted with him for over two hours about life, work, and travel. In fact, she rather enjoyed Marco’s company. He was easy to talk to and easy on the eyes. They even laughed their way through the movie Hitch on their own personal screens.

  After the movie, Lilly was getting sleepy but kept herself awake until she heard Marco snoring. Then she closed her eyes and drifted off. She didn’t want to take a chance of Marco hearing her talk in her sleep again.

  After they landed in Rome, went through immigration, and grabbed their bags, they headed toward the ground transportation.

  “Where are you staying?” Marco asked.

  “Palazzo Manfredi.”

  Marco jerked his head back.

  “What?” asked Lilly. “I didn’t say it right?”

  “Your pronunciation was perfecta,” he said, emphasizing the last word with a beautiful Italian accent. “It’s just the hotel you’re staying at i
s an amazing place and many of the rooms have a view of the Colosseum. Never stayed there before but I had dinner in their rooftop restaurant once. Benissimo!”

  “How come you’re suddenly sounding more Italian to me?”

  Marco laughed. “This happens when I arrive. I crank up my Italian button and presto!”

  Lilly laughed. “I like it.”

  “So glad. Hey, do you want to share a taxi? My hotel is just down the street from yours.”

  “Sounds great.”

  They rolled their bags over to the taxi area and a few minutes later they were on the way to the hotels.

  As they pulled up to Lilly’s hotel, her mouth dropped open. They must have been fifty feet from the Colosseum. She continued to stare out the window in awe.

  Marco smiled. “The offer is still open. I can show you Rome. Or you can get stressed out like most tourists and pass out in your hotel room each night, kicking yourself for not taking me up on my offer. Your choice.”

  Lilly laughed. “Thank you but now I have to do it my way just to prove you wrong.”

  “So be it.” He pulled a wallet from his pocket and handed her his business card. “If you change your mind. Or if you’d like to stay in touch. I have international service on my phone, so call me anytime.” He smiled and opened the door to get out with her. The driver pulled her bags out. Lilly pulled her wallet from her purse and Marco waved her off. “It’s a flat rate and I’m the last stop, so I’ll take care of it.”

  She stuck her wallet back in her purse and held out her hand. “Thank you, Marco. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  He stared at her hand for a moment and then accepted it. “A pleasure to meet you too, but you’re in Italy now and this is how we do it.” He pulled her closer and kissed her on both cheeks.

  Ooh. Can you do that again?

  He continued to hold on to her hand for a few seconds longer and kept eye contact. “Goodbye, Lilly Pilly.”

  “Goodbye, Marco Polo.”

  He let go over her hand and pointed to the Colosseum. “And good luck with that!” He laughed and got back in the taxi.

  Lilly watched the taxi zoom away, forgetting for that brief moment she was in Italy. She had forgotten about the Colosseum that was only a few feet away. Her mind was focused on his kisses. It was a simple, innocent gesture, but why did she enjoy it so much? And why did she wonder if she was making a mistake by not taking him up on his offer?