Chapter 17

64 25 21
                                    

"Anna, this is Bernardo. Bernardo, Anna," Randall introduced the girl to his best friend.

Anna smiled affably and shook hands with the modest guy with cheerfully disheveled hair and a sparkle in his eyes. He looked much younger than Randall, but his voice was shallow and creaky, which gave him several years as soon as he opened his mouth. And he'd been opening it, as she learned later, as often as Randall.

It's been two days since her arrival in Milan, and Randall had time to show her around. He did not break the earlier promised boundaries and slept on the floor, despite Anna's pleas to go to bed with her and separate the pillows if something embarrassed him, but he was adamant. It was a little hurting from a purely female point of view. Maybe I'm not his type after he saw me in reality? Perhaps he has a girlfriend? What's wrong with me that a single guy who stays in the same house with me for two weeks doesn't even want to touch me?

The hero himself interrupted her thoughts.

"I have a surprise for you, beautiful!"

She made a questioning face, trying to clarify that she wasn't a big fan of surprises. The young man waved his hand as if to ask for an explanation.

"You gonna like it. We're going to the Milan Mountains for a few days!"

"What?"

"Yes! Just a couple of hours by car, and we'll be living in paradise, baby! We will go up to the first peaks of the Alps' foothills and set up camp there. Just me, you, and Bernardo. What do you think?"

The last sentence was clearly messed up. Me, you, and Bernardo? Very romantic. Nobody has yet canceled the concept of a third wheel.

"Wow!" she exclaimed instead. "Great idea! When do we leave?"

Randall seemed to be over the moon about the girl's reaction.

"Now! Pack your things!"

Anna hugged him. She wanted to take every opportunity to be close to this charming guy who whispered in her ear: "You will be delighted with what I have prepared for you, beautiful. It's gonna be a hot night."

He smiled slyly and hugged her back even tighter.

There was a sudden crunch. Bernardo opened a pack of potato chips.

"Have no doubt." Anna rolled her eyes.

NOT GIVING UP ON FOREVERWhere stories live. Discover now