Love, Anonymous (COMPLETED)

Chapter Three - Chance Encounter

Hi everyone! Sorry for the super late update, I was busy preparing my entry for AMACon2. If you have the time, please, please read my AMACon2 entry, Fix You. It would also be great if you could read all the entries, all the writers worked so hard to give the best and most creative stories for our beloved MaiChard.  Do leave a comment or feedback, you can also tweet us in #AMACon2.

Some readers have requested for a continuation of Fix You, and I am already working on it! Hope you all like it as well, just stay tuned for the posting of both books one and two of Fix You, here in my Wattpad account.

Moving on, I hope you will like my update, as Alden and Maine get closer and closer in this AU. They still get to be in Italy together, read on and see how they discover more about each other. Feel free to comment here, or tweet me @Forever_Rimaine . Enjoy! 

Maine raised her reclined window seat as the plane prepared for landing in Venice. It was her first time to travel alone, much to the chagrin of her parents. But Maine was adamant, she wanted to walk in the streets of Venice, see Juliet's house in Verona, and if time would permit, enjoy Renaissance art in Florence. She was purposely avoiding Rome and Milan, since both were too touristy for her taste. She was quite excited, saving up for this two-week trip since she started working. Italy was a dream destination for her, especially because it was rich in arts and culture.

The plane finally touched down, it was noon, Venice time, but Maine wasn't hungry. She was too excited to feel jetlagged, she wanted to just dump her luggage in the room she rented via Airbnb and just go off to explore Venice on her own.

Going through customs and getting her bags was quick despite the full flight. She packed light, fitting all her things in her Delsey trolley, a birthday gift from Miggy last year. Outside, the sun was shining bright but a cool wind was blowing. It was supposedly the tail end of spring but temperature was still at 12 degrees Celsius. Maine zipped her leather jacket to ward of the cold, patiently waiting for Ilaria, her landlady, to fetch her. Finally, a ravishing fair-skinned brunette waved at her excitedly, smiling widely at her.

Ilaria was a former passenger in one of Maine's flights back to the Philippines from Vancouver. After helping Ilaria retrieve her lost luggage, Ilaria took Maine out to dinner, where they talked a lot about Italy and Maine's dream of vacationing in Venice. It was then that Ilaria mentioned her dad had a spare room above his bakery café in Venice, which was listed in Airbnb. Maine checked out the listing and fell in love with the room, the old renaissance vibe evident in the building it was in.

"Buongiorno, Ilaria!" They hug each other excitedly.

"Buongiorno, Maine. I take you to my papa's place, yes?"

Driving through Venice was wonderful. The houses looked picture pretty, with their tall chimneys and stone facades that warded off the cold during winter. The roads were smooth, drivers stuck to their lanes and courteously gave way to pedestrians crossing the streets. Traffic was not stressful, worlds away from bustling and noisy Manila.

After thirty minutes, they arrived at Dolci Café, a cozy looking bakery café that looked like a setting for a romantic movie. The wonderful smell of brewed coffee and freshly baked bread was a welcoming sensation to Maine. She took in the scenery with elation and wonder. I'm really here, she told herself, I'm here, finally in my dream destination.

Ilaria's dad, Amato, was there to welcome them. He was a handsome man, small but of stocky built, his eyes twinkling and his smile infectious. Maine felt at home with him already.

"Benvenuto, Maine." He kissed her on both cheeks then hugged her heartily. He took her luggage from Ilaria and led her to the kitchen, where two bakers were busy preparing cannoli. He opened a narrow door to reveal a short flight of stairs that led them to her temporary home for two weeks.