1 Chapter 1

I love those, who can smile in trouble...

- Leonardo da Vinci

The Sun was slowly setting over the city of Rome and I was sitting in a small café surrounded by tourists from all over the world. I was also a tourist once, but now I feel like a true roman.

I was born in London and I kind of liked living there until I met the love of my life, at least I thought he was. Although we have known each other since high school, we started hanging out as friends when I was nineteen and he was twenty-two. He was truly beautiful, like an angel in some ways, he had blond shiny hairs, sparkling blue eyes and he was tall, oh my god you wouldn't even believe how tall he was. It was definitely love at first sight, but we were both too young and afraid to say it out loud until one unexpected moment.

We haven't seen each other in years, because we both went to different colleges. I was at Oxford and god knows where he was (honestly I don't remember). The point is I wasn't in London that much during that time. I was supposed to spend the Saturday with my two best friends, but they canceled last minute. They lived together and they caught some kind of flu or something so they were sick and couldn't party with me. Suddenly I had a free day out of nowhere, I started thinking about what I should do. I wasn't used to having free time just for myself. I thought I could just rest for a day and watch Netflix or something, but then this strange urge came like a drop from the sky. 'I need to go to London today, I haven't been there... phew a long time I guess. I can visit my parents and I can go to the cinema with Amy (my younger sister).'

And so I took a train to London. I had this strange feeling in my stomach something is going to happen there, but I couldn't figure out what of course. I got off the train at Paddington, crossed Hyde park, and went in the center direction. It was 11:48 in the morning and I was starving since I had breakfast at about 7. I stopped by in Delfino's, which was a pizza place, to get a pizza to go.

I opened the door and guess who I saw in there ordering a pizza for himself. It was Max. Yes, the tall blond guy. He looked at me and a smile appeared on his lovely face. Oh, how I missed him. I tried to forget him and it sort of worked out. I just always felt an empty spot in my heart where he belonged. I immediately forgot about my hunger and about all the other things I felt, in that moment. The only feeling I had was love. We were standing there like a couple of idiots not saying anything, just looking into each other's eyes. Finally, a pizza guy broke the silence and tension in the place by saying:

"Yo, do you know each other or something? Get a room for god's sake!" We started to laugh and looked at the pizza guy. He started to laugh as well so then we were not only two but three idiots laughing. "I'm sorry I ruined your moment there I just don't fancy these situations. Anyway, sir, you were meaning to order a pizza, however, you didn't tell me what pizza you want and that's kinda important for me, you know. So what do you want?"

"Hmmm...let me just...just give me a minute please." Max said to the pizza guy and turned to me "Lily, it is so nice to see you again. Do you have any plans?" he asked.

"Well, actually today is all unplanned so I am free as a star in the night," I answered.

"Wonderful, would you like to order a pizza with me and then maybe get a cup of coffee and catch up?"

"Yes, sure, I would love to!" my heart was pounding in my chest. It felt like it was going to explode.

"So what pizza do you want? Let me guess...you look like a capricciosa type of girl, am I right?"

"How do you know? You're right."

"Well, I didn't guess it. I remember things you wouldn't think I do. So one capricciosa for us?"

"Yep, thanks!"

"Okay, pizza guy, wait..." Max read his name tag. "Matthew, Matt I guess you heard us, it will be a capricciosa for me and the lady." He winked at me and stepped closer. Matt started making our pizza and didn't pay attention to us anymore.

"Okay, our precious food is in the making phase so in the meantime tell me how have you been these couple of years?" he came even closer so I saw his perfect face even better, and also I smelt him. I loved his perfume it smelt so manly.

"I'm looking forward to our precious food," I smiled at him, "and I have been fine the last few years, I went to Oxford so I have been a little busy with all the studying. Today is my free Saturday after a loooong time of absorbing new facts and information about the history of art and art itself. How have you been, and what are doing for a living at the moment?"

"Wow you're at Oxford, I always knew you were smarter than the other kids at school but this smart, you are awesome really. My life is...I'd say boring, every day is the same. I work in the office for one company I bet you don't know." (Okay now sorry for this he didn't say I don't know the company, but I don't remember it so let's act like he said what I said, deal?)

"Guys your pizza is ready, it will be £15.50." Max gave him the money, took the box with the pizza in it and we left. When we were in the door leaving Matt shouted at us

"And come back, maybe we will talk more next time. Enjoy your pizza!"

"Yeah, you won't even remember us next time we show up here, this is what all of them say, just a classic line." I thought to myself, but I was wrong...