Chapter Seventeen– Irony

Ramon felt the back stiffen under his hand and he let out a small curse.

      "Merda (shit)." Jeanette glanced at him with a raised brow, a smiled tugging at her lips, letting him know that she knew what he uttered. "Bella, will you get us a table, please?

      "Of course." She glanced at the blonde before walking away, leaving him to speak to her. She smiled as the waiter came over to her with the menus but her eyes stayed on Ramon, watching the exchanged.

      The moment they had turned around, Jeanette could feel Ramon had changed, his relaxed demeanor gone and she didn't like that. And as she watched him, she saw a whole new side to this man. She had no doubt in her mind that the leggy beauty was a past affair of his, it was in the way she drawled his name and in the way she was placing her hand on his arm.

      But, what was just as obvious was the fact that Ramon didn't care for it. He would back up a step, or he even would remove her hand. All of which was totally different then the way he was with Jeanette, and she quickly picked up on that, but couldn't understand why. Not that that Jeanette minded, she rather liked the carefree man rather than the uptight man that he was with this woman.

      She ducked her head as he walked to the table she was at and she tilted her head as she regarded him. The tenseness was still there, etched in the lines by his eyes and by his mouth. And for her, that just wouldn't do. She refused to allow him to be that with her.

      "A friend?" She smiled at him as he glanced up at her, a smile tugging her way.

      "Of sorts."

      "A girlfriend?" Ramon sat his menu aside and stared in her eyes, that smile turning into a most jaw dropping, panty giving smirk.

      "Ramon Capillini does not do girlfriends."

      "Ah, a past lover." She tossed him a wink and saw the lines fade away; mission accomplished. "I'm a romance writer, don't forget. A man as good looking as you and with your standing, I'm sure, has a long pathway full of broken hearts."

      "If they are there, it is not my fault."

      "They know the game upfront?"

      "All of them." She sat her menu down as the waiter came over and Ramon ordered for them. "This was my favorite spot as a kid, and anything on the menu is great."

      "Great, don't change the subject."

      "Oh, bella (beautiful), women know. I do not recall if I really have had any girlfriend."

      "At all?"

      "No, it is not my thing."

      "Huh." He lifted a brow at that and she could only shrug. "Not even in high school?"

      "No. Had plenty of ladies after me, but no, still no label of girlfriend."   

      "And here you are Ramon, taking me out, spoiling me, and I'm not falling at your feet."

      "You would if I had wanted you too."

      "And yet, something tells me that was a first for you, that though you would bring pleasure to other women, you still seek your own, so why was I different?" Ramon took her hand across the table, his thumb running along the back of it.

      "Trust me when I say, bella, that I wish I knew. But you strike something in me, and all I want to do is please you. And believe me, that is far out of my norm."

      "I saw the proof."

      "When?"

      "Right now," she said as she nodded her head at the front door where the scene was. "You were a certain way with her that you haven't been with me. I'm just working on the why."

      "When you figure it out, will you let me know?"

      "Oh, of course." They shared another smile as the food was brought out and they ate in comfortable silence, although plenty of looks were being exchanged.

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      "Are you ready?" Jeanette took a final sip of her water and nodded, allowing Ramon to help her out and led her back to the car.

      "So, where are we off to now?" Ramon opened the door and she slide in as he walked around to his door.

      "There is much to see in Florence, but not enough time. So, I thought I would treat you to the Boboli Gardens and maybe the Pitti Palace and followed up with a shopping trip down Ponte Vecchio."

      "Sounds busy. All points of interest?"

      "A few. My grandfather loved them. The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge, one of the most famous. My grandfather would actually tell me the story of how he got his very first gift for my grandmother from there." Jeanette watched him and once again, had to smile to herself about how Ramon changed when he talked about that man.

      "May I ask you something?"

      "Of course."

      "You don't date, so I will assume you don't get too close to females?" Ramon cut a glance in her direction but nodded.

      "I could guess you would be right; no one knows too much about me."

      "Then why all of this for me?" she asked, waving her hand. "Why the trips, the personal sights, the history about you; what makes me so special that you would share anything with me?" Ramon took her hand and pulled it so that it was resting on his leg, their fingers laced together.

      Hell if he had that answer again. After all, he had been wondering the same thing time and again. And okay, yes, he hadn't pulled it out and examined it closely. He was afraid of what he might find honestly. He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it softly.

      "I am not sure, cara mia. I just know you are someone special and I enjoy being with you and enjoy sharing it with you." It was as an honest as an answer as he could give at that moment. 'Love' would not fall from his lips, not that he believed he felt that way either.

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      Four hours later, they were walking over the bridge, glancing at many shops and Jeanette paused as her eye caught something. He watched her as she stopped and stared and then slowly walked over. He followed her gaze and he smiled as his eyes caught the necklace. It wasn't big and extravagant, but it was beautiful and the simplicity of it reminded him of her. That because of something so simple, it stood out to be the most beautiful piece.

      "Would you like it, cara mia?" he whispered in her ear as he walked up behind her. He had noticed that she hadn't bought any trinkets for her or those back home, like most everyone else did. And if she wanted this, he wanted to be the one to get it for her.

      "Don't you think it's gorgeous?" Ramon glanced at it again. He had seen much more expensive and much more gorgeous pieces, but this piece was rare.

      "It is unique, bella." And with that, he led her to the little store and quickly bought the necklace for her. He slipped it on and placed a brief and soft kiss at the back of her neck. The irony wasn't lost on him that he bought it for her, her first gift from Italy from here, just like his grandfather had done for his grandmother.