Lilliana Jones and the Temple of Groom

by Rich Amooi

  She stepped inside and inhaled.

  Wonderful.

  Not a surprise there were many smiling faces in the place.

  Lilly got the attention of an older gentleman coming from the kitchen with a wave of the hand.

  He smiled and approached. “Buon giorno!”

  “Buon giorno. Can I look at the menu to see what you have?”

  The man shook his head. “I’m sorry but we do not have menus here. You tell us what food you love and the chef will make something special just for you.” He gestured to the small table by the window. “Please have a seat. You will love it, I promise you this.” He smiled, waiting for Lilly to respond.

  Unbelievable. Another restaurant without a menu. Lilly thought of Marco and shook her head. He would tell her to live a little. Quit being so uptight. And she should quit being so uptight. What had happened in that other restaurant was her own fault for not speaking up. That’s all she had to do.

  “Do you know what lactose intolerance is?” Lilly asked.

  That was smooth. There could have been a better, much smoother way to ask.

  “We have a chef who is the best in all of Rome and he will prepare for you a dish without dairy products. Please!” He pointed to the table again. “Make yourself comfortable.”

  The man didn’t wait for Lilly to respond. He was probably used to picky Americans and had better things to do. Like tend to the other tables.

  Lilly sat at the table and watched the people passing by on the street, waiting for the kind man to return. A couple walked by holding hands and she thought of Marco. Another couple stopped in front of the window and kissed. She thought of Marco again. Even when she ordered a glass of wine with her meal she thought of Marco.

  It would take awhile to get over him, she was sure of it.

  After the best pasta pomodoro she’d had in her entire life and two glasses of wine, she felt no urge for an emergency visit to the restroom. Lilly made her way toward the Trevi Fountain, which was just a few hundred feet away.

  There were thousands of people taking pictures in front of the most famous fountain in the world while others tossed coins in the water for good luck. Lilly admired the tritons and the horses and the cascading water, her mind flashing back to a movie she saw a long time ago.

  La Dolce Vita.

  She had the urge to throw caution to the wind and wade in the water like the actress in that movie, but getting arrested in Italy wasn’t the greatest idea. Still, she had thought about it. Why did she have such an urge to be so spontaneous suddenly?

  She knew why.

  Marco.

  The man got her to see life again. To experience it. To enjoy it.

  She glanced over at the kiosk offering tours of Italy. A brochure caught her attention and curiosity drew her closer to the kiosk.

  It was a brochure for boat tours of Faraglione di Mezzo.

  Lilly smiled, thinking of her time with Marco on the boat. It had not ended so well with the jellyfish, but the rest was wonderful. The water. The rocks. The kiss.

  She turned the brochure over, admiring the beautiful photos and reading the description of Faraglione di Mezzo. Her heart rate picked up speed with every word.

  “This can’t be,” she mumbled to herself, now wondering if she would pass out.

  She read it again.

  Faraglione di Mezzo is known to many as Temple of the Sea. It is considered good luck to kiss underneath the archway and many of those kisses have led to marriage proposals. That’s why it is also affectionately known as the Temple of Groom.

  She thought back to Madam Love again and her words at Panda Express.

  There’s a temple connected to the man Lilly will meet. Her future husband.

  Lilly felt weak and took a seat on the bench.

  What a fool.

  She continued to people-watch, knowing soon she would return home to her plain-as-her-morning-bagel life. Her well-planned life.

  Her life without Marco.

  Marco stared at his computer screen in his hotel room in Rome and had great difficulty focusing on the task at hand. He tried again to work on a few things pertaining to his trip to Australia but just couldn’t. He didn’t have the energy. He didn’t have the willpower.

  All he had was an obsession for Lilly.

  The woman he loved.

  It was embarrassing how she had dismissed him with nothing more than a handshake.

  What the hell was that all about?

  But his behavior had been even more embarrassing than hers. He should have fought for her. He should have taken her in his arms right in front of Roberto and kissed the hell out of her.

  Yes, it may have seemed crazy since he was leaving for Australia, but they would have figured things out. Hell, he should have just told her he would quit his job to stop traveling. To be with her. Either that or he should have invited her to come with him to Australia.

  “That wouldn’t work,” he mumbled to himself. “Stupid idea.”

  She had a job. People were counting on her and she wouldn’t just bail on them and run off with Marco. It would have been nice though.

  Still, she was so cold when they had said goodbye. Like she was going back to her former self or like she had no feelings for him. Or maybe it was Roberto.

  Yeah. That had to be it.

  He shook his head and stood, walking over to the window for a stretch and a chance to clear his head. He stared out the window at the fountain below. There were over two thousand fountains in Rome, and even though the one he was looking at had to be one of the smallest, it was still beautiful. Not like the Trevi Fountain, but still. Beautiful.

  “Wait a minute . . .” Marco paced back and forth in the hotel room. “That’s right . . .”

  Lilly would be at the Trevi Fountain before her flight.

  He checked his watch. If she had to be at the airport two hours before her flight and it took thirty minutes to get to the airport, there was a good possibility she was there at the fountain at that moment. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was.

  Marco closed his laptop, grabbed the room key and his wallet and ran out the door. He was going to see Lilly. He would profess his love and then they would figure things out. There had to be a way for it to work out.

  Why hadn’t he thought of this earlier? He could see her again at the Trevi Fountain!

  He flagged down the first taxi outside of the hotel and hopped in. “La Fontana di Trevi. Per favore, presto!”

  “Nessun problema,” said the driver, assuring Marco he would get him to the fountain fast.

  Every block the taxi traveled, the faster Marco’s heart raced.

  Don’t mess around this time. Say how you feel. Show her. Tell her you love her.

  When the taxi arrived Marco paid the driver, thanked him, and got out in one motion. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the taxi had still been moving when he jumped out.

  Ten seconds later Marco stood near the fountain, scanning the crowd. “This is insane.” He couldn’t believe how many people were there, at least a thousand. He moved through them with precision, weaving in and around like a NASCAR driver at the Indy 500. “Lilly!”

  He was on a mission. Find the girl. Nothing else mattered.

  “Lilly!” he yelled again, waiting for a response. Any response at all.

  Nothing.

  His eyes darted from the left to the right, searching. She had to be there somewhere. It was still early.

  Two young Italian children ran around Marco. They laughed and chased each other back and forth, not a care in the world. They ended up back with their parents, doing circles around them, grabbing their legs. A happy family.

  Marco wanted that. And why not with Lilly?

  His gaze moved away from the kids and their parents to a woman a few feet away from them. She looked just like—

  “Lilly!”

  Marco ran toward her, bumping into several people, apologizing along the way.

  Yes! Do
n’t mess around. And don’t take no for an answer. She loves you as much as you love her.

  He grabbed her by the arm and swung her around, about to burst with happiness because he found her. “Lilly.”

  The woman pulled her arm free from Marco’s grip. “Let go of me.”

  A man approached and got in Marco’s face. “How dare you put your hand on my wife?”

  “Sorry,” said Marco. “I’m looking for someone. Sorry. Forgive me, please.”

  The man gave Marco a look and walked off with his wife.

  Not only did Marco feel horrible that the woman wasn’t Lilly, but he wouldn’t have blamed the man one bit if he had punched Marco in the face. Maybe Marco would have felt better if the man had punched him. That might have taken his mind off Lilly.

  No such luck.

  Marco stood there, staring into the water in the fountain.

  It was sinking in now.

  Lilly was gone.

  For good.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lilly could barely keep her eyes open at work because of the jet lag. It was her first day back in the office after returning from Italy and it felt like someone was stabbing her eyeballs with needles. Low energy did not make for a productive workday and she had a lot to do. She took another big swig of coffee and tried to power through it.

  Lilly glanced over at the file on her desk for Roberto. The job offer had about six hours left on it and she still hadn’t heard from him. It didn’t seem very promising considering the time. Odds were it wouldn't be a good day.

  The day before hadn’t been much fun, either. Colette had stopped by the house and Lilly filled her in on everything over a bottle of wine. How she’d met Marco. Getting sick. Going viral in Italy. Missing the appointment with Roberto. Changing her hair color—which Colette loved. The jellyfish incident and visit to the emergency room. And the moronic treatment of Marco in the hotel when they’d said goodbye.

  What a fool!

  “I miss him,” she said to herself, trying to fight back the tears. “I love him.”

  But seeing him again wouldn't happen thanks to her unthinkable behavior.

  The phone rang and just for a moment, Lilly hoped it would be Marco. The number didn’t show in her contacts, but he could have been calling from a different phone.

  “Hello,” she answered, crossing her fingers.

  “Lilly, it’s Roberto.”

  She sat up in her chair, suddenly not feeling any jet lag at all. “Hey! What a surprise.”

  Take the job.

  “Is the offer still open?”

  Lilly’s pulse picked up speed. “Yes. Yes, it’s still open. You changed your mind?”

  “I did.”

  “Great!” Lilly screamed and threw her hands up in the air. She jumped up from her chair and picked up the desktop calendar she had just swatted to the floor. She set it back in its place and smiled. “Wonderful, wonderful. Janet will flip. In fact, everyone will flip. What made you change your mind?”

  “Gabriella did, actually.”

  “Wow! So, she wanted to come to the US after all? Can’t blame her . . .”

  Roberto hesitated before answering. “Well, she said no to the proposal.”

  “Oh . . . I’m so sorry, Roberto.”

  Lilly wasn’t expecting that. She was thrilled Roberto would join the company, but didn’t like the thought of anyone suffering from heartbreak. She knew what he was going through since her heart hurt too.

  “What can a guy do?” Roberto said. “In all honesty, I rushed it and scared her off. She was fine the way things were. We’d only been dating for a few months, but I fell head over heels for her. Now I just want to leave Italy, get as far away as possible, since everything here reminds me of her. So, my loss is your gain.”

  Sometimes you know the moment you meet a person you want to spend the rest of your life with them. There’s something special about them. Something clicks between the two of you. Lilly had only spent a few days with Marco and she felt that way. He was fun to be around. Handsome. Smart. And he made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. She would have said yes to him.

  “Maybe she wasn’t the one after all and your true love awaits you in California,” Lilly said, hoping that might make him feel better. “Things happen for a reason and you have to wait to find out what that reason is.”

  “Yeah . . .”

  “I’m sorry for what happened, but we’re thrilled to have you back.”

  After Lilly said goodbye to Roberto, she called Janet’s extension and gave her the news. She leaned back in her chair, certain the company would be okay. No more layoffs was a good thing. And she owed it all to Marco. She would have never been able to track Roberto down if it weren’t for his help.

  Marco.

  Just the thought of him drained her energy again. Another phone ring provided a much needed distraction. She eyed the caller ID. Colette.

  Lilly closed her office door. “Hey!”

  Colette laughed. “This is a surprise. You sound so upbeat.”

  “Don’t get used to it. It’s a temporary high because Roberto accepted the job offer.”

  “That’s wonderful. Meet me for lunch and we’ll celebrate.”

  “Stop it.”

  Colette was already back to trying to get Lilly to do something spontaneous. But it wasn’t going to happen. Any spontaneity she felt had been left in Italy.

  “Come on, Lilly.”

  “No. Nothing is so important that it can’t be said over the phone.”

  “Not even if I want to tell you about a certain pregnancy?”

  Lilly stared at the phone. This was the most beautiful news in the world ever. Colette and Simon were so happy together and this just made their relationship even more special.

  A baby!

  Lilly sniffled, trying to get a congratulations out of her mouth. It wasn’t coming out.

  “Are you crying?” asked Colette.

  Lilly sniffled again. “Of course I’m crying. I’m so happy for you and Simon.”

  “Okay, then. Well . . . crap. I feel guilty then because I’m not pregnant. It’s my hair stylist, Jenny. You’ve met her, right?”

  “Oh, my God! I’m hanging up on you.”

  “No! Not while we’re happy for Jenny!”

  “I’m not happy for Jenny. I don’t even know Jenny.”

  “Oh, stop it. Meet me for lunch. It’s important.”

  “You know the routine, Colette.”

  “I know, I know. If we didn’t plan it, you will ban it. This is different though.”

  “What is it? Honestly or I swear—”

  “I can’t say over the phone.”

  “Oh, no you don’t! I am not meeting you at Panda Express for lunch!”

  “You have to.”

  Lilly huffed and paced back and forth in her office. She might try to find spontaneity in the future—or not—but today, no way. She wouldn't say anything to Colette but Lilly was going to Madam Love’s office during her lunch to give that fraud a piece of her mind. It wasn’t right getting people’s hopes up like that and Madam Love needed to know how Lilly felt.

  As for her best friend, Colette wasted no time at all. She was back to her tricky ways. But Lilly wouldn't fall for it. And considering what had happened with her and Marco, plus Roberto’s sad breakup, Lilly wasn’t in the mood to do anything at all. That’s why she’d decided she would skip the Elizabeth Gilbert event the next day. She wasn’t up for it. Lilly was in the mood to throw herself a pity party. No balloons or cake necessary. Just a bowl of popcorn, a box of tissues and a few sad movies guaranteed to make her cry and she would be set.

  “Lilly? Talk to me. Meet me for lunch.”

  “No. And I won’t be able to attend Elizabeth Gilbert’s event tomorrow night, either.”

  “What?” screamed Colette. “Don’t you dare! It’s sold out and we have been planning it forever.”

  “I’m just not in the mood.”

  “So
we’re back to that again? Who spent ten hours helping you move into your new place last year?”

  Let the guilt trip begin. “You.”

  “And who let you borrow her car for two days when your car was having work done on it?”

  “You.” Lilly waited for one more example. Colette always did things in threes.

  “And who loves you more than anyone?”

  “Maybe you. Although sometimes I have my doubts. Look, take your mom to Elizabeth Gilbert.”

  “No. You owe me this. You know how much I have wanted to go to this and I want her to sign my book! Don’t you dare cancel.”

  “I have to get back to work, Colette. I’ll talk with you later.”

  She ended the call with Colette and stuffed the phone into her purse. She took the elevator down to the first floor and headed for the parking lot.

  Ten minutes later Lilly parked her Toyota Corolla in the farthest spot of the strip mall, hoping to avoid door dings or any other disasters.

  Lilly passed the yoga place and Noah’s Bagels, swinging the front door open to Madam Love’s office. The lobby and front desk were empty but a few seconds later, Madam Love passed through the hanging beads and smiled. She was dressed in bright red blouse, her long hair held together under a headband. “I’ve been expecting you, darling.”

  Lilly placed her hands on her hips, her only mission to wipe that smile off her face. “Don’t darling me. The only reason you knew I would come looking for you is because you knew I would catch on to your lies. How do you sleep at night?”

  “On my side with a full-length body pillow. I snore less that way.”

  “You know what I mean!”

  “Hey, don’t take it out on me. You’re the one that likes to sabotage your own life. But hey, if you want to talk about what happened, no problem. Fifty dollars. Will that be cash or charge?”

  Lilly blinked. “You seriously want me to pay you money after what you did?”

  “I should charge you double for not taking my advice.”