“Caspisco,” Lorenzo said. He picked up one of the medium-sized knives. “Of all my cousins, Giulia is the only one who can still boss me around.”
Ten
The Cave Grotto
The sun appeared as a florescent orange disk at the edge of the horizon. The bell of the church tower chimed six times. While the remainder of the town slept, the harbor of Riomaggiore was pulsating with activity. Some fishermen huddled together sipping espressos and eating pastries. Others loaded their boats with crates and checked their nets over, prepping for the day.
Sabrina hid a yawn and pulled the ends of her jacket tighter around her body.
I could use a second cup of joe right about now. What is taking Lorenzo so long? He said he would be here right at six and that I should be dressed and ready. Otherwise, I would’ve waited inside the nice, warm lobby.
Unexpectedly, a trail of icy-cold water suddenly splashed her legs. She jerked. “Eek. Cold.”
To her surprise, Lorenzo, clad in a full-body wet suit and blue life vest, floated up to the boat launch in his kayak and hopped out. In a cheerful tone, he called out, “Good morning, Sabrina. If you want the quickest way to wake up, I’d recommend a jump straight into the water. Works like a charm.”
“That wasn’t funny.” She frowned and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll wait to hit the water until it’s unavoidable, thank you very much.”
He waded in the shallow water and settled the kayak and two paddles onto the rocky beach. Bending over, he retrieved a backpack and slung it over his shoulder, humming as he made his way onto the pier.
“I’m sorry for splashing you. It was callous of me.” Moving the backpack to the front of his body, he unzipped the main compartment. “What if I apologized by offering you some of the specialty blend of coffee from Isola Nostrum?”
He pulled out a metallic thermos and unscrewed the top. Sabrina could smell notes of chocolate, hazelnut, and chai. Her body leaned forward toward the decadent aroma. Lorenzo replaced the lid.
“Do we have a deal?” he purred.
Sabrina nodded slowly, still half asleep.
That coffee smelled divine. Must have some caffeine.
Like a shark, Lorenzo grinned widely. “I even brought a few chocolate cornettos for us to go with it.” From the backpack, he retrieved a brown paper bag and placed it in Sabrina’s hands, still warm to the touch.
She poked her head inside the bag. The paper crinkled and steam tickled her nose. She cradled the bag of Italian croissants against her chest. “I dub thee Lorenzo the wise, for recognizing that the way to this girl’s heart is through her stomach.”
Lorenzo chuckled. “I remembered that Giulia doesn’t like to rise until at least eight on Saturdays. Since we have a lot of ground to cover this morning, it’s important for us to be properly fueled.”
They sat on the edge of the pier. Sabrina took a bite of the flaky pastry, groaning in delight over the semisweet, milky chocolate melting in her mouth. “What else do you have in that magic bag of tricks? Coffee cups? Napkins?”
“Yes to both of those.” He poured the promised coffee into two powder-blue plastic cups and slid hers over to her. “I also brought you a wet suit and booties. The life vest is in the kayak. I guessed on your size and borrowed it from Lucia. You’re about the same height as her. Five foot seven?”
Sipping her coffee, Sabrina experienced a much-needed boost of energy to her system. “Close. I’m five foot six. That was very thoughtful of you. I was going to tough it out and planned to get away with wearing my swimsuit, T-shirt, and jacket.”
Lorenzo drank from his own mug. “All jokes aside, you’ll need the wet suit for warmth. The temperature will drop significantly inside some of the caves.”
They discussed their tentative plans for the day. Sabrina learned they would be kayaking to a remote stretch of coast nestled between Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. As a national park, the waters outside of the five villages of the Cinque Terre were a part of the protected marine zone. Boats with motors were unable to travel where they were headed. Lorenzo mentioned that if they chose to snorkel, they’d find a coral-reef-like environment with tropical fish of every size, shape, and color.
If I weren’t with Lorenzo, I’d never be brave enough to try exploring these places. I’d be worried about what might happen with my lack of coordination and fine motor skills in the water.
By the time they finished their breakfast, Sabrina and Lorenzo found themselves alone in the harbor. One by one, the fishermen had taken their boats out to sea. There were few sounds except for the water lapping against the rocks.
“I’m all ready when you are.” Lorenzo stood. “Here’s the wet suit. It should be easy to slide on over your ensemble, but if you’d rather have some privacy”—he nudged his head toward a local walking their dog—“the closest place might be your hotel room.”
Her stomach flipped up and down. “I’m happy to change here.”
I gave up some of my precious sleep time this morning to pick out my cutest bikini. After all that effort, I want to see your reaction to it.
She wiggled her jacket off her shoulders and pulled her oversized T-shirt over her head. Her cheeks flushed.
Lorenzo ran a hand through his hair. His lips parted, and by the subtle movement of his head, Sabrina knew he was soaking in her black-and-white-striped bikini top with crisscrossing straps in the back and a black bow on the shoulder, and her black boy-short bottoms. Turning her back to him, she slowly stepped into the wet suit and pulled it over her arms.
