Those seemed like the only words worthwhile.
Chapter Four
Scarlett
I snatched the phone from the bedside table before it rang twice.
“Hello,” my voice was still rough from long hours of sleep, and my eyes hadn’t fully opened. But it was my favorite time of the day, our sweet time—11 at night for him and 6 in the morning for me.
“Mornin’, baby.” His voice was low, husky, on the verge of finding his own sleep. “How’d you sleep?”
“I dreamt of you.”
“Yeah. Tell me about it.”
“You were naked…”
He laughed. “Did I get some?”
“Oh yes.”
He sighed with pleasure. “I wish we could meet in dreams. I feel slighted and jealous. Effing dream-me.”
It made me smile each and every time he used the word “‘effing.” It was such a watered-down version of the real thing. Coming from his usual no-filter mouth, it sounded hilarious.
“Dream-you is so good,” I said, the smile undeniable in my voice.
“I want to kill dream-me.” He paused. “That’s fucking weird.”
I laughed, rolling over, staring at our pictures on the wall. “Yes. Effing weird.” I pulled the covers over my breasts. “What are you doing?”
“Staring at our pictures.”
“Me too.”
“Scarlett!” Mitch called my name and it echoed in the background. “Don’t get him started! He’s going to start panting and calling your name in ecstasy!‘Scarlett,’” he moaned. “‘Oh, Scarlett! Baby.’ Shit, Brando! I’m going, I’m going.”
I heard a door slam in the background. After a minute or two the line went quiet, and then Brando breathed a heavy and tired sigh into the receiver.
“Tell me your plans for the day, Ballerina Girl.”
“After physical therapy and swimming, I was thinking of going to Pienza. It’s in the Southern part of Tuscany, in the Val d’Orcia. A dancer friend of mine told me about it. It’s about four hours from Milan, but there’s a tour I can take. I hear they have the best pecorino cheeseandthe streets have names likeVia del Bacio.Kiss me. Real romantic.”
“I’ll be home in two days. Wait for me.”
I smiled and agreed. We could stay for a couple of days. I could make hotel arrangements…
“I can hear your mind working,” he said.
“Is that so? What else can you hear?”
“Not what I can hear. What I can see.”
“Tell me.” I borrowed his infamous words.
“Let’s see,” he said, sounding like he was settling in. “You’re naked in bed.”
“So far, so good.”
