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Chapter Twenty-Five
‘Ithought she would not get back up again!’ Geli cackled.
We were in the car about fifteen minutes away from Chiorno and couldn’t stop laughing about when Roxy had dropped down to do the splits in the club.Hilarious.
When I asked Geli if I could get a lift home with her so Lorenzo wouldn’t have to drive all the way back to pick me up, she agreed straight away. She even offered to drop Bella and Roxy to the airport too.
I pictured Roxy on the floor again and smiled. I’d hadsucha great weekend. Seeing Bella and Roxy was a real tonic. It was great having video calls and technology to help us stay in touch, but nothing beat seeing your friends in the flesh. I’d laughed so much that my cheeks hurt, but it wasn’t just the fun that I’d had that made me feel better. Some time away had helped me to see a few things differently too.
It felt good to be a bit more relaxed and just go with the flow, so I wanted to ease up on the rigid regime I followed. Starting with cutting back on my daily workouts. Instead of pushing myself to get back into shape like I’d put on my list, my goal now was to just try and be healthy, which was something I could do by exercising two or three times a week or whenever I could. I didn’t need to pile on all that extra pressure.
And maybe when I’d written the list, I’d been looking at the Marta situation all wrong. These past few days, I’d realised that giving up some control over who looked after Leo and being more flexible about his routine had its benefits. It made Lorenzo happier as Marta got to spend time with her grandson and it had also given me the chance to have an amazing weekend away.
Instead of seeing Marta as a hindrance, I’d try and see her more as someone helpful. I was lucky to have a babysitter on tap, so maybe I should make more use of that. I mean, she might still be a pain in the arse at times, but she did a good job of raising Lorenzo, so it wasn’t like she didn’t know how to be a good mum. She just had different methods. I didn’t have to like her. I just had to tolerate her and be civil. Plus, it would be good for Leo to be bilingual, so that he would never have to struggle with Italian like me. So being around Marta would be good for his language skills.
After taking time out, I also felt less stressed about the business. I was ready to tackle work stuff tomorrow, and when I did, my mind would be much clearer. It would be easier to make decisions. Yep. This trip was a game-changer.
‘So I understand that you are worried about having sex again. After having Leo?’
Whoa.
My eyes popped out of my head.Where did that come from?
One minute we were talking about our night out in Florence, the next, Geli looked at her watch then suddenly switched to that statement.
‘Um…’
‘No need to be shy. We are both adults. I have a son. He is twenty-five now, but I remember what it was like with my husband.’
Geli had a son and a husband.Huh?There was so much I wanted to ask about her right now...
‘I didn’t realise you were married.’
‘Sì. Long story. Anyway, people can overthink. Sometimes you must just do it,no? Just try. Not worry about what will happen if you do this or that. Just jump. But of course, a woman should not feel pressured to do anything. I know what men, especially Italian men, can be like.’
That was a bit stereotypical…
‘Lorenzo isn’t like that…’
‘Well, I will admit, it has been a while since I have been in this town, I try to avoid coming back as much as possible, but I remember when I lived here before how popular Lorenzo was with the women.’
That didn’t really surprise me. I knew he had a past. Didn’t we all? Okay, maybeIdidn’t have much of a history with men as I was in a long-term relationship and always working, but you know, normal people did.
‘I’m aware of his past.’
‘Sì.Everywoman here wanted to have sex with him and he certainly take advantage.’
What was the point of this conversation? Was she shit-stirring? I thought Geli was nice.
‘Well, he was young. He’s a man now. A father. He’s totally committed to me.’
‘Yes, I am sure he is. He is still averysexy man. EvenIcan see that. And he is still popular with the ladies. My mother asks about him and she is in her seventies.’ She let out a raucous laugh.
Of course I knew he was sexy. I thought that every time I saw him.
‘I’m sure he’d be very flattered to hear that.’
‘I mean, he has a very good body, no? I imagine, averymuscular chest and very firm thighs and, well… I have also heard that he is averybig man…’ She smirked.
