hotel's grand staircase and its ivy-draped courtyard. It was a quaint, cozy space - all warm lighting and inti

full glass of wine sat beside her, the deep red glinting in the candlelight. She wasn't hungry. Not reall

lted into lavender. Somewhere in the distance, a m

en come bac

online rumors, and her own crumbling confidence, i

here? What was

s to her lips, her thoughts looping back to

d her table - not until he bumped into

ying himself as her wine glass w

d up - an

hestnut hair that curled slightly at the edges, olive-toned skin, and eyes so green they almost looked unreal under the amber lig

she said quickly, s

er with mild amusement, then s

an, do you?" he asked wit

an... just enough to find th

eyes dancing.

or work," she corrected,

m her without asking. "What kind of work makes a beau

, caught off-guard. "Y

plained everything. "We don't do shy. Ferrari Delu

errari? Li

plied, eyes glinting. "Fast,

ed. "Cele

let go. "Hmm... Celeste," he said, testing the name

a brow. "

your name sounds like a brand of herbal tea. Or

u've got su

nly. "I shall c

urst out laughing. "Twinkle?!

r like your eyes when

miling despite hersel

Twinkle - what kind of wo

. Travel feat

ter. "Ah, so you

ing lik

g up suddenly. "Then come.

ed. "Wait

he said, already pulling on his jacket. "It's s

anger who calls me Twinkle," she r

ot a stranger. I told yo

od anyway. "Fine. But if I

arm. "If I were kidnapping you, I'd at

-

ting vendors and artists like old friends. He took her to a tucked-away rooftop near Ponte Vecchio where an old man sold paintings of the

as they stood near a centuries-old f

ic. He explained how certain blues only showed up after ra

ramatic. Flirty. And

d her hotel, the moon had risen, c

," he said as they reached the fro

honestly. "It reminded m

. "Good. Then maybe you'll

ou'd like that,

I say? I'm an artist. I

id, "Thank you, Ferrari. T

f it. "You're welcome. Tomorrow - I show you

dded,

ared down the street with a gr

moment longer, hand still tingl

ide slowly, he

the beginning

nd a story wort