Florence: Where It All Began

Chapter 11

After Tony cleans you and himself up, it's your turn to go to the bathroom. When you walk out, you find all of the lights off except for the small one by the bed and you see him lying under the covers waiting for you.

"Come join me," he says.

"Do you want me to stay," you ask.

"At least for a little while. You don't have to sleep here if you don't want to."

"Okay."

You walk over and he lifts up the covers for you to crawl in with him. You sort of keep your distance for a second, not sure what he's expecting.

"What's the matter? Don't you like to cuddle after sex," he asks.

"Oh, I do. I wasn't sure about you though."

He reaches over and grabs your arm and brings it across his chest as he settles on his back.

"This comfortable for you?"

You rest your head on his shoulder, "Yea it is. Really nice," you say. "I have to say, Tony, I wasn't expecting that."

"Expecting what.. exactly?"

"Well, I guess everything," you say. "You. I never would've ever guessed that I would be in Florence, Italy, with you, eating pastries, going on dates, least of all, going to bed with you. I don't know what's happening."

Tony chuckles as he takes your hand and interlocks his fingers with yours.

"You know, this happens all the time. People meet, attraction grows, things happen. It's pretty normal. Is there something in particular that's bothering you," he asks.

"No, I think I'm just in shock." You sit up to look at him. "I mean, I meet my all time favorite actor and longtime celebrity crush in a restaurant where I make a fool of myself in front of him. Somehow, despite that, he likes me enough to ask to see me again. Then he invites me on an all expenses paid trip with him while he's shooting a movie and then he takes me to bed. Can you tell me in what world I wouldn't be in shock?

Laughing, Tony says, "Well when you put it that way I guess it does sound pretty strange. And it's all happened so quickly."

"Exactly," you say.

"Can we back up, though?"

"To which part," you ask.

He looks up at you with those big blue eyes and the biggest, proudest smile and asks, "How long have you had a crush on me?"

You just laugh and lay back down, this time on your side eye to eye with him, playing with his hand.

"Let's see. I've had a crush on you for I guess about 8 years now? I didn't see Silence of the Lambs when it first came out because I was too scared, but I watched The Oscars in '92 when you guys won pretty much every award that convinced me to bite the bullet and watch it, figuring that it must've been good. So I did. I watched it by myself in my room at my parent's old house and I nearly fell head over heels for the strange but brilliant Dr. Lecter. I later saw more films of yours, a few interviews and quickly found it wasn't the crazy psychopath I liked, but the man who made him, who gave him a face. The man who is compassionate enough to understand him and tell his story."

"Wow," Tony says.

"Sorry, I guess I dove kinda deep there."

"Don't apologize for that. I'm happy to hear that I had more of an impact than just scaring people."

"Trust me, you did. You do. If you hadn't, then we wouldn't have met," you say.

"Oh come on, that wouldn't have stopped us from meeting in the Malibu restaurant," he says, rubbing your arm.

"Yes it would've. I wouldn't have been visiting LA if I wasn't hoping for a chance to meet you. I wasn't being honest with my friends and family, or even myself until now, about why I was really there. But the truth is, I flew out there to find you. I needed to meet you, Tony."

He stares at you a moment and then reaches out and pulls you to him. You share the most passionate kiss you've ever had with him and feel your body react to him. You break off the kiss and place your hand on his chest pushing him away.

"I think I should go back to my room. You need to get some good sleep tonight since you had so little last night."

Rolling on top of you, he says, "I'll be ok."

You indulge him for a moment and then push him away again.

"No, I mean it, you need your rest."

Tony rolls his eyes and reluctantly lets you up. You get dressed and gather your things and meet him at his door where he's waiting for you in his robe.

"Thank you for tonight, Tony. It was wonderful."

"It was wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow, not sure what time though."

"Okay."

You lift your head for one more kiss before leaving and then walk out.

"Goodnight," he says.

"Goodnight."