Chapter Sixteen– Compare

Ramon had to think about all the little changes he was making, and it wasn't like she even knew about them. Here he was, being all sweet to her and making her want to blush, and that was not normally something he wanted to do, let alone actually do it. Again, most women he even associated with knew they were amazing, so he didn't need to fan their ego. But Jeanette didn't know, didn't see and it was like she had never heard these things, which he still had a problem understanding.

And then taking women out, treating them like royalty, hell, even taking days off for them; yes, all things that normally wouldn't happen. So, he could only imagine his family's surprise. Hell, it was him and he was having a hard time wrapping his own mind around it, or even why he was feeling the urge to do those types of things anyway.

"What else can you tell me about Pisa?" she asked, turning to face him in her seat.

"It has been around for many centuries, but now it is more like a university town, quiet, but for sure renowned for its art and architectural treasures. When my grandfather would take me, it would always just be us two, and we would always enjoy it, no matter how many times we saw it. 

"Pisa, the city itself, is not huge, and the complex is one of the biggest attractions." He glanced at her as she kept watching him, a smile playing at those lips; he was going to call those siren lips, for they kept calling out to him and tempting him. "What?" he asked as he glanced over at her again.

"Your face really lights up when you talk about your grandfather. You can tell he meant a lot to you." She practically beamed as she said that. She wouldn't try to understand why it meant so much to her, however.

"He did."

"And I'm pretty sure you meant a lot to him."

"That is what he would say. He would often claim to love taking me out because I was the only one who could understand his love for the places, love the history as much as he did, so I had more love from him than his other grandchildren. Of course, when you meet my siblings, or heaven forbid my cousins, do no mention that."

She laughed lightly but nodded at that. "Will you tell me more about him?" Mentally, he inhaled a sharp breath, it having dawned on him just how much he was expressing about that old man. And when the hell was he ever so open about one of the most important people in his life? He had already expressed more to her in the days of them being together than he ever has, family included. This was just another tally mark under the heading of things he never did, but yet, he also didn't seem to mind.

"I will, when we get to Florence; I will take you to some of our favorite spots. Can you wait untill then?"

"If I must." He saw her smile, and he couldn't help but return it; those lips not just calling out to him, but making him do a lot of other things that were just as abnormal to him.

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      They spent the next two hours walking around the complex in Pisa with her being the ever loving tourist and taking quite a bit of photos. But, unlike many others, she was able just to stand still with the man and take in the beauty that was Pisa. After all, there was much more to it than just a leaning tower and a cathedral, although both did live up to the imagination she had about them. And yes, by the time they made their way back to the car, she was already laying a plot out in her head. Which Ramon could only shake his head at and reward her with one of those rare laughs.

      "Bella mia, I would hate to be in your head sometimes," he admitted.

      "Trust me, I hate being in there too. You know, though, just because I can make some plots happen doesn't mean they get used. More often than naught, in fact, they end up getting scrapped."

      "Why is that?"

      "A few different reasons, but mostly because I can't twist the plot around to make the story work; it happens a lot to me and I'm okay with it. Though chances are, I would put some type of scene like that in the story I was working on. So, it's not entirely gone just not the main focus."

      "I must remember to ask my sister to borrow her books; I have to read them." Jeannette felt her face flame up at that. She couldn't even being to imagine what he would think if he did read it. Not that her stories were personal, but if one did begin to dissect it, one might find out a thing or two about Jeanette Washington. She, after all, did tend to put some bits and pieces of herself into her characters.

      "You really don't need to," she mumbled, as they pulled up to a small café. He helped her out. 

"I might not need to," he whispered as he led her inside, "but I want to, maybe then, I can understand how this very unique mind works." She bowed her head slightly to hide her blush and with his hand on her back, they walked up the sidewalk but soon paused at the door way as someone called out to Ramon. 

They both turned and Jeanette sized up the woman who appeared before them; all legs, blonde hair and blue eyed; clearly a woman from his past. And in Jeanette's mind, gorgeous went far beyond what this woman was. Was this the type of women he associated with? In that case, how the hell would Jeanette ever compare to women like that?