‘No,grazie,’ I replied, relieved.
We speed-walked along the waterfront, then took a sharp right under a bridge towards one of the quieter canals. As we hurried along the footpath, I could see we were heading towards a dead end – a basin of water, with a turning circle, and just one boat bobbing on the surface. But what a boat it was. A shiny black gondola with a red and gold sofa and matching velvet cushions. There was a table laid out with a Champagne breakfast for two and a stripy-topped gondolier stood waiting as the clock chimed ten.
‘Buongiorno, Signor Almagno,’ he said, doffing his hat.
‘Ciao, Lorenzo,’ Tony called.
‘Is this a scene from one of your movies?’ I asked, almost lost for words. I kissed him softly and he stopped walking just long enough to kiss me back, wrapping his arms around me.
‘If it was, it would be missing a little something,’ he said, with a frown.
I looked at him, surprised. It wasn’t missing anything as far as I could see. It couldn’t have been any more perfect. ‘Like what?’
He looked over my shoulder, put his fingers to his lips and whistled. I turned and Chiara was at the other end of the waterway with a tiny ball of fluff on a lead. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Nero. She bent down and unclipped him and he ran towards us as fast as he could, his little ears flapping in the breeze.
‘Whaatttt? Nero!!!! What are you doing here?’ I said, picking him up and kissing him as he licked me all over my face.
‘He’s coming back to LA with me,’ Tony said. ‘I couldn’t leave him behind or let him go to someone else. We can take him for a walk on our second date if you like?’
My heart felt like it might burst. I thought I’d never see these two again, yet here they both were – the three of us together in Venice, about to go on our first ever date. The start of another Italian adventure. What else could I say? It was time to take the plunge.
‘Works for me, if it works for you,’ I said, kissing Tony again, as he put his arms around the two of us and Nero snuggled in, giving us both a lick of approval.
Epilogue
Six months later
Kat:Nearly at yours – satnav says ten minutes.
I took one final look in the mirror and reapplied my lipstick. Shoes, earrings, bag and phone and I was good to go.Catswas back on in the West End and we’d managed to wangle tickets for opening night. The make-up team were recruiting and I wanted to familiarise myself with the production before I went in to meet them. We were sitting in the third row of the stalls, so I could study all the cats up close. Skimbleshanks, Macavity, Grizabella – and the rest – and I couldn’t wait. Since I’d got back from Tuscany, the jobs had been few and far between. A week here, a couple of days there. Phoebe was feeding me opportunities, but they always seemed to be short term, and this fly-by-night way of working didn’t work for me. I needed a stable home. A team I could settle into and really get to know.
The oven timer bleeped and I raced into the kitchen, popping my fairy cakes on a cooling rack to chill while I was out. I’d top them with buttercream and sprinkles in the morning and take them over to Mum and Dad’s for Sunday lunch. Chris was joining us too this week; family meetups were now a regular thing and tomorrow he was bringing his new girlfriend. Phoebe. Unbeknownst to me, they’d taken a shine to each other when she’d swung by my flat enroute to Venice and had been casually dating ever since. They were totally into each other and if there was ever a woman to snap Chris out of his quarter-life crisis, it was Phoebe.
FaceTime started bleeping and ‘TONY’ flashed up on the screen. My stomach flipped, like it always did at the thought of seeing his face, and I put my best smile on..
‘Morning, beautiful!’ he said, his Californian pep zinging off the screen. Smiling from ear to ear, his face luminous with just-shaved freshness. Already up and on the move, in a shirt and tie, on his way to make things happen.
‘Hey, handsome. It’s nearly evening here,’ I replied, looking out at the grey March sky as it started to drizzle. The streetlights were already on and I was wearing three layers to make sure I stayed warm once I left the central heating. ‘Are you in a cab? Where are you off to? Another day of LA glamour?’
‘Not quite, but it’s somewhere exciting,’ Tony replied. ‘But first things first – did you watch it?’
‘I certainly did,’ I said, with a chuckle. ‘Blake Thomas falling off his final horse.’
‘An excellent metaphor for his career, I’d say. Finally, I can start watchingOutlawsagain,’ Tony said. ‘I’ve been swerving it for the past few months. I couldn’t stand his smug face on my screen, howdy-ing around.’
‘The death scene was fun to watch though and as Blake said himself, Karma’s a bitch.’
‘That was certainly one way to find out,’ Tony said, with a laugh. ‘Anyway, enough about him. I’ve got a surprise for you.’
‘Have you indeed? Well, better make it quick – Kat is on her way to pick me up for dinner, and we’re meeting Sara at the theatre.’ I stepped into my stripy heels and scanned the bedroom for my gold hoops, walking and talking as I spotted them on the side. ‘I’ll just put you down a second,’ I said, throwing my phone on the bed while I put my earrings in and grabbed my handbag.
‘I met Gem and her girlfriend for dinner on Saturday, as you know,’ Tony shouted up at the ceiling.
‘Mm-hmm.’ I flicked a couple of lamps on to put off any would-be burglars, as the front door buzzer went downstairs.
‘I couldn’t say anything before, as she needed to double-check a few details, but she’s just called with the good news.’
‘Yesss…? Spit it out, Kat’s downstairs,’ I said, picking the phone back up and peering into the screen.
