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“This is just for us?” she asks. “No one else?”
“Yes, Josie. This is just for us.”
“A villa like this only exists in the movies...”
“Well, you’re now with a movie star, so I think that’s appropriate.”
She’s looking at the doors.
“Can we go inside?” she questions quietly.
“Of course,” I reply. “This place is ours for the next week.”
The villa itself doesn’t disappoint. It’s full of rooms. A large foyer with a chandelier. Floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the lake. Beautiful, well-kept gardens and a long outside terrace. It feels so very indulgent, which seems to be exactly what Josie is looking for.
“This is breathtaking,” she tells me as we stand outside on the terrace.
“Yes, it is.”
She’s smiling.
“I like it when you’re happy, Josie.”
“Shut up, Victor.”
“It’s true,” I reply. “You remind me of a dove.”
The girl’s mouth hangs open in disbelief.
“A dove?”
“Yes.”
She laughs.
“Why do you say that? A dove is so random.”
I shrug.
“Doves are free,” I reply. “They fly wherever they like. They soar. They are graceful and soft. They understand the world in a quiet, understated way. They bring peace wherever they go. That’s why they remind me of you.”
Josie nods.
“Okay, I have to admit that is nice, if totally random. Sure, a dove. I’ll take that as a compliment.”
49
JOSIE
I lie back on the lounge as the hot, inviting Mediterranean sun hits my face and I surrender to the blissful belief that I am in paradise. I mean, that’s not too hard to imagine, because I think I might actually be in paradise here on the terrace beside the most gorgeous lake in the world.
I’m nearly naked as I lie in the sun. I’m just in my bikini. I’m never willing to show off this much bare skin in public. Crystal River isn’t known for being the best place to get a tan, but I guess that when you’re in Italy...
Yeah, when you’re in Rome and all that.
No one can see me. No one can judge my body. I’m free to just be... me.
This truly is paradise.
