An Apartment in Venice Read Online Free PDF

started to jerk away but batted playfully at his hands instead.
    He sat back amazed that a woman—any woman—would spurn his touch.
    She took his hands in hers. “Nonno. I’ll do this for you. But I have a few conditions. First—”
    “Ah piccolina , little one, the two of us are alike. Not only do we have the same strange, captivating eyes, we both like to be in control. Senta , listen. If you do decide to stay on in Venice—”
    “That’s decided. I will live in Venice,” she interrupted.
    “Good. When you do, we could become terrific business partners.”
    She ignored that, “I’ll do this for you, this one time, but,” and she held up one finger when she saw him ready to interrupt. “Do not tell the contact I’m your granddaughter. And do not describe my curly hair or that my eyes are like yours because I’ll be wearing a straight-hair wig and a brown contact lens.”
    He sat back with a wide grin on his face and said, “Si, si, we are alike. We think ahead!” And with that he placed a small packet on her dresser. As he reached the door, he turned and said, “I’m not sending white gold after all, but one of those gems is yours, for your trouble. You choose which one.”
    “Aspetta!”
    He stopped.
    “You must count out the diamonds and put in a note telling how many.”
    He brought the packet to her bedside. Pulling on a pair of soft, white gloves, he counted nineteen gems, each grouping was wrapped in a small square of jeweler’s tissue paper. She didn’t know how to eyeball their actual size, but three large ones were in red paper. Ten medium-sized were in green, and in the blue paper, lay six tiny gems. Each group went into its own small plastic bag made of tougher plastic than sandwich baggies. All the bags went into a soft-sided envelope that he laid back on her dresser. He turned and said, “ Va bene, okay?”
    “Not yet. Add a note verifying sizes and types with your signature.”
    “That’s my girl.” He made more notes.
    “And I will not take a gem. I’m doing this for you. This one time,” and she held up her finger again.
    He blew her a kiss and was gone.
    * * *
    Saturday, Nonna packed a lunch and she and Giulia went hiking in the lush foothills near town. She admired her grandmother, who was so fit that Giulia struggled at times to keep up. As they sat on flat rocks overlooking a lake of brilliant green, she thought of camping with Jason Stamos beside Crescent Lake in the Olympic National Park. It, too, had gleamed like an emerald. In spite of the sharp stab she still felt about his dishonesty, he had left her with a few jewel-like memories.
    Nonna turned to see a look of distress on Giulia’s face. “My angel, what’s bothering you? Can you tell me?”
    Giulia nodded. She did need to tell someone, and who best but Nonna? First, she told her about Ricky and the abortion.
    Nonna said nothing but put her arms around Giulia, holding her in a long, comforting embrace. “That’s a long time ago, mia cara, my dear.”
    “It is. But I was also thinking of another situation,” she sighed, “with another man.”
    Nonna, opened the basket and handed Giulia a bottle of water. “Take your time, we have all day.”
    Giulia began. “Jason had strong, masculine features from his Greek heritage. He was gorgeous, Nonna,” and Giulia turned to her. “Taller than other Greek Americans I’d known. We met during my first year of grad school. I thought he was the one until he told me he was married.”
    Nonna gasped but made no comment.
    “In name only, he’d said. They were legally separated. His estranged wife was living in Chicago with another man.”
    “And?”
    “I was crushed that he hadn’t told me. I left.”
    “Of course you were,” she said putting her hand on Giulia’s shoulder.
    “He persisted. Assured me his divorce would happen.” Giulia inhaled deeply. Shaking her head slowly, she said, “I went back.” She stared at the emerald lake