La Rosa Gialla

Chapter 1

January 2024

I was angry. So madly angry that I'd like to smash the stupid car with a baseball bat. But there were a few problems. I didn't have a bat and no one within a few kilometers could lend me one. And besides, the car has already received its share of the punishment. Smoke billowed from under the hood of my red Golf and I stood on the side of the road with my hands on my hips wondering what the hell should I do.

It was a Saturday evening in January, there was not a single living soul anywhere. The only car that whizzed by in the last 20 minutes had the music blasting and didn't even slow down. My phone used up the last percent of its battery just seconds before the engine sputtered, coughed, and then retired to the eternal hunting grounds. Engine and the phone. Just to be clear.

"Adri, calm down," I encouraged myself in a whisper, shoved my cap further into my forehead, put my hands in my pockets, and headed in the direction of what I suspected was civilization. I knew that I was only a short distance from Gorzano, where my dad owns a tiny guesthouse and a restaurant with the best home cooking I know in the world. I go to see him every time I have a longer break. My Golf always patiently waited for me at the relatives' house on the outskirts of Florence, but this time, it seemed, was his last trip.

Ever since my mother died, Gorzano has been a town full of painful memories of periodic trips to the hospital in Bologna. Memories of mom, who looked weaker and sicker every day. After my mom died 5 years ago, my dad insisted that I should stay with him. Help him run the family business so we could fight the grief together. But I needed to get away, so I chose to study in London and leave everything so familiar to me behind.

I walked so lost in my thoughts that I almost didn't have time to jump away from a fast-moving sports car whizzing towards Modena. "Hey!" I yelled and started waving my arms frantically to get the driver's attention. The car slammed on its brakes, turned on its reverse lights, and crept back to me at a slow pace. I went over to the driver's side and tapped on the window, which opened about half a second later. "Good evening, my car broke down and I need to drop in...Charles. Never mind, it doesn't matter. Bye," I waved my hand and stubbornly prepared to walk to Gorzano. "Adriana Rossi, maybe my eyesight is deceiving me," gasped Charles, crawling next to me in his white Ferrari.

"It's still at least 15 kilometers to Gorzano. Are you sure you are dressed enough for such a long walk?"

I sighed, walked around the car, opened the passenger door, and sat down on the leather seat. "Please shut up and just take me to my dad," I waved toward him, keeping my eyes on the narrow road in front of me. "As you wish," he smirked and stepped on the gas.

"What happened to your car?" he asked after exactly half a minute of soothing silence. I took a deep breath and turned my annoyed gaze at him. "It died. It started to smoke and died," I explained to him. "Ah," he grumbled. "Well, if you want, we could turn around and I could..." "No," I cut him off sharply. "Just take me home. I'll sort out the car tomorrow." "Okay, as you wish," he resigned, and I could enjoy the silence for a while again.

"How long will you stay here this time?" Charles asked after another few hundred meters. "I don't know," I retorted.

"Will you be here at least until your dad's birthday?"

"I don't know, Charlie."

"I'm sure he'd love it if you—" "I'm saying I don't know," I cut him off before he could ask again. I heard him sigh in resignation. "Of course, I'll stay here for my dad's birthday," I finally gave up and he chuckled quietly.

"It was nice to see you again Rossi," he smiled as I was about to open the door to finally get out of his car. "Thanks for the ride," I said and slammed it behind me. Then I hastily made my way to the front door of the La Rosa Gialla guest house. Yellow rose. My favorite flower.

"Mia Cara!" Dad exclaimed excitedly as soon as his eyes landed on me. "Adri! Darling! Where have you been for so long? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, papa," I smiled and ran into his protective embrace. "The car broke down. But don't worry. Charles gave me a ride."

"That's very nice of him."

"Unreal," I grumbled, moving away from my dad so I could take my backpack off my back and slip out of my warm quilted jacket. "I baked you a lasagna," Dad said as if nothing had happened, and suddenly all the gloom passed over me.

I slept long and well. After breakfast, my dad and I took my Golf to the service center and I was happy when the mechanic said that it was nothing serious and that the car would be running again soon. To tell you the truth, I didn't plan to do anything for the first few days at home. I just wanted to hang out and occasionally help my dad at the restaurant. I needed time off, to clear my head and take a breather. But a certain Monegasque had other plans, because as soon as I settled into my chair with a book, a message beeped on my phone.

"Hey, what's your plan today?"

I took a deep breath and finally decided to ignore him.

"This is Charles, by the way."

I smirked and shook my head.

The truth is that my relationship with Charles is somewhat complicated. We have known each other for more than 13 years. Back then he was racing go-karts in the same category as my older brother. So I spent almost every weekend with the whole family at the racetracks, and as an eleven-year-old girl, I was completely captivated by Charles. We didn't speak a word at the time because I only spoke Italian and his Italian was absolutely terrible. But 3 years later we ran into each other again and we were inseparable until he entered Formula 2. But then everything went to shit.

My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my phone. "What?" I asked Charles in a rather annoyed tone.

"I was afraid you were dead since you didn't text back."

"And didn't it occur to you that maybe I just don't want to write you back? I have better things to do."

"Let me guess."

I rolled my eyes and sighed again, "What do you want?"

"I want to know what you have planned for today. That is, except for reading romance novels."

"Nothing. My romance novels are good enough entertainment for me for the whole day."

"Adri!"

"Charles?"

"I'd like to take you on a trip."

"Sorry?"

"We have not spoken for a long time."

"But you do realize that you were the one who completely cut me off."

There was a soft sigh followed by a short pause, "I know. And I'm sorry. I would like to explain it to you."