‘Of course!’ Mia said, handing it to me. ‘Do that first then I’ll print it for you in the office.’
It was compulsive viewing being able to stare at Tony, with no comeback. His languid stance, his cheeky smile. I zoomed in on his face and picked up my pencil. It would be much easier to get his eyes right, doing it this way. Mia returned and taped the photo onto my easel, leaving me free to get lost in my painting, and in Tony, without any repercussions. I worked for a good hour, the smell of paint lulling me into a dream, as I pencilled, then painted, using brushes and my fingers to get the desired result. Tony looking at me, looking at him.
‘Abi! This is beautiful work,’ Mia said, standing next to me, as I smoothed a shimmer of gold through Tony’s hair. ‘The duality of Tony as both angelicanddevilish; I love it.’
I stared at my work, at the purity of the whites and golds next to the vibrant spectrum of reds – I could see what she meant – there was a fire about his body, but an innocence in his eyes. An accurate contradiction. I’d got there because of him, though. His painting had inspired me to push what I was doing. It was a reminder that art can simply be an explosion of feelings and creativity. That it didn’t have to be a carbon copy of real life – of course it didn’t. I was at the point where I didn’t want to ruin it, which meant I needed a break. My university tutor always said I stopped at exactly the moment I should push forward. Frightened to take the final step. For it to be finished.
‘I think that’s me done for today,’ I said, washing my paintbrushes and turning the water swampy. The painting still needed a certain something, but I’d work on it with fresh eyes in the morning. The sun was shining overhead, hidden by the trees, and the air was hot and still. I needed a drink and a lie-down. ‘Have you heard from Paolo? Did they get there OK?’
Mia looked surprised. ‘Of course!’ She laughed. ‘They’ve done that trip a thousand times – don’t worry about them.’
I did worry though. Ever since Josh’s accident, I could barely look at a motorbike, let alone get on one. The thought of it made me feel sick. Week after week of him lying in that pristine hospital bed. The non-stop bleep of the machine – until it did stop, of course. Nurses constantly in and out, checking on him with sad smiles, trying to keep my spirits up. The coma had lasted six weeks before he’d died. A widow at twenty-two. Not quite how I’d imagined my twenties turning out.
Ting.
Holly:Aperitivo later in the square?
Me:YES! Shall I invite Mia?
Holly:Good idea. See you there at 6 p.m. xx
*
The square was buzzing with tourists taking photos and walking in different directions. Tossing coins in the wishing well and queuing up for gelato. There were three ice cream shops almost next to each other, but the longest queue was always forDondoli’s, namedBest Gelato in the World 2017. The three of us nabbed a table outside one of the bars and ordered a round of Hugo Spritz. It had become my new favourite since I’d got out here, elderflower instead of Aperol – much sweeter and tastier to drink. The perfect sundowner.
‘Uno senza alcol,’ Holly said to the waiter.
‘Due,’ Mia added. They exchanged a look and the waiter scurried off.
‘Sooo… are Paolo and Tony staying overnight in Florence tonight?’ Holly asked.
‘Yes. They wanted some time together, just the two of them,’ Mia said. ‘They see so little of each other. Until recently anyway.’
‘Do you go over to LA very often?’ I asked.
‘Never,’ Mia said, firmly. ‘Giorgia was very against Tony going out there. It broke her heart when he moved away instead of joining the family business.’
‘How awful,’ I said, feeling bad for Tony. ‘He must have felt so guilty. You can’t blame him for chasing his dreams.’
‘Well, maybe now you and Paolo can go over and see where he lives?’ Holly said, going into investigation mode. ‘It must be strange not knowing anything about his life over there. Who his friends are… Has he ever been married?’
‘No. Well, I don’t think so.’ Mia laughed. ‘He could have a secret family out there for all we know. He’s had a few different girlfriends and there was someone special once, I think, but it ended a long time ago. Tony is so busy with his work – I don’t think he stops for long enough to think about a relationship or having a family.’
‘Sounds like someone else I know,’ Holly said, looking at me slyly.
‘I’d say we all work pretty hard,’ I shot back, as the waiter set our drinks down.
‘You’ve chosen a good time to come out and stay,’ Mia said, looking around the square. ‘The festival to open the Vendemmia is next weekend, and we are having a big party at the vineyard to celebrate. Will you still be here for it?’
‘I’m not sure. I haven’t got any work booked in yet, so I was going to play it by ear. What’s the Vendemmia?’
‘It’s the harvest of the grapes,’ Mia said, raising her glass to heaven.
‘You’ll miss an absolute treat if you go home before then,’ Holly said. ‘There’s food and wine and dancing. It’s brilliant!’
‘It’s one of the best days of the year,’ Mia agreed, dreamily.
‘Alright, alright, no pressure. I’ll have to see if my agent comes up with anything. But if she doesn’t, there’s no reason I can’t stay,’ I said, my eyes closed, soaking up the last rays of sun.
