“I closed myself off to the world. I never wanted to be humiliated or hurt again?.?.?. until you came along.” He kissed her bare neck, sending shivers up her spine. “I’ve never had another woman who sets my body afire the way you do. When I’m with you, there is this lightness and energy that consumes me. I don’t know yet exactly what it is, but there is no denying that the connection between us is strong.”
It sounds to me like you’re describing love.
“It’s the same for me,” she replied.
The golden disk began to descend slowly. The sky glowed with tones of champagne gold and tangerine orange. A lazy breeze blew through the field. The tips of the grass danced as they kissed.
Seventeen
The Jane Austen Festival
Opening up her phone, Sabrina smiled as she received her latest text message from Lorenzo.
Lorenzo: Good morning, Miss Hill. How are you finding Bath? Is it everything you imagined it might be?
Sabrina: Nora and I only arrived last night. But based on our walk from the train station to our B and B, I can say with confidence that being in Bath is like being inside of a living, breathing Austen novel.
Lorenzo: You’ll have to send me some photos.
Sabrina walked over to the window, parted the curtain, and snapped an image of the ring of white, flat-fronted Georgian terrace houses.
Sabrina: Here is what my room overlooks.
She sent the photo to him. Three dots blinked as he typed a message.
Lorenzo:If I were none the wiser, I’d almost claim you’d sent me a still from one of your Austen films.
Sabrina: Wouldn’t surprise me. The BBC and numerous other film companies have used Bath as the backdrop for their movies and television shows. I wish you could join us.
Lorenzo: I do, too, but there is no chance I can escape Isola Nostrum. We still have quite a few staff to hire. With how quickly some of the grapes are ripening this season, Papa and I will have to be out in the fields from sunrise to sunset helping out.
Sabrina sighed. She knew the early summer was one of the busiest times of year for wine producers.
Sabrina: You can always hire me.
Lorenzo: Nice try. All jokes aside, harvesting is tough manual work. Everyone we hire is already experienced. The best thing you can do is enjoy your time in the UK until you receive a decision about the status of your temporary residence permit. Then you can work on searching for a job.
Sabrina rubbed her temples. Navigating the world of visas and immigration was a nightmare.
We rushed to submit the required forms before the clock on my tourist visa ended, only to learn that it could take up to ninety days to process my case.
While her paperwork sat in government limbo, Sabrina found that she would still have to leave Europe. Her only saving grace was that she could visit the UK for up to six months on her US passport visa free.
Sabrina: I’m not good at being patient.
Lorenzo:Me either. I want to see you in person and hold you in my arms.
Her cheeks warmed recalling their passionate parting kiss at the airport in Florence two weeks before.
Three dots blinked again. Lorenzo was typing.
Lorenzo: Papa is calling me. I have to go. Enjoy your first full day of the festival. Text you tonight. Ciao.
Sabrina:Don’t work too hard. Ciao
From the bathroom, Nora called out, “Are you dressed yet?”
Sabrina placed her phone down on the dressing table. “I’ve been ready for over an hour.”
