I smiled and thanked the barista as he handed me my takeout coffee. I’d been in Italy for two weeks, and I had been greatly enjoying myself. As a wedding planner, I spent much of my time helping people prepare for the biggest day of their entire lives, and while I loved every second of it, every now and then it was good to get away from it all and have some time to myself.

I had always been a free spirit—more of a loner than anything. My friends and family found this an ironic truth since I spent so much time helping others join together in such a permanent way, but I didn’t mind. I was Sasha Greening—world traveler, dream-maker, and the planning genie that made everyone’s wedding wishes come true.

Whenever I saw a bride smiling on her wedding day, surrounded by her guests and loved ones, I knew that I had done a good job. Even now, as I was on vacation, I was spending much of my time on the phone or online, answering questions, planning, and pulling off last-minute details that few people remembered until it was too late. I was supposed to be on vacation, but I enjoyed my career too much to take more than a day off at a time.

Yes, I guess you could say that I’m a workaholic.

But, after spending the last two weeks of my life traveling all over Italy, I was ready to return home. This morning I found myself in Lomazz, the capital of beautiful San Peluzzi. This beachside city overlooked the Mediterranean Sea, and every time I feasted my eyes on the water I couldn’t help but sigh at the beauty of it all. I told myself should someone ever catch my eye and convince me to marry them, I wouldn’t mind coming back here to have my wedding.

I sipped the rich Italian coffee as I walked through the streets. There were signs for the tourists everywhere, as well as many local advertisements that sent shivers of excitement down my spine. Sure, I was going to be in the airport by that evening and getting ready to catch a flight back to the States, but there was a part of me that enjoyed imagining what it would be like to live here—to be able to experience such things every night.

I smiled at the locals as I passed them along the street, sometimes offering a greeting, but more often just giving a light nod of my head and moving on. It was approaching noon, and the market was alive with people grabbing soups and sandwiches and all kinds of other tasty treats. I had grown quite fond of Italian cuisine myself, and knew nothing was going to compare to it once I got back to the States.

Wanting to enjoy my day but not wanting to waste it, I decided to head out to the beach and take a walk, reflecting on what I had experienced over the past couple weeks.

I set foot on the beach and decided to kick off my shoes. I was proud of my designer pumps, and the last thing I wanted to do was get them ruined in the wet sand. I didn’t care if it was rich, Italian sand—ruined was ruined and though I did make decent money with my career, I didn’t have the kind of money to go throwing around on a new pair of designer heels on a whim.

I held onto the straps of my pumps in one hand and my coffee in the other as I walked along the cool beach, feeling the soft massage of the sand on my toes with each step I took and letting the wind whip through my hair. It was a magical feeling and I thought I could get lost in it forever. A sudden light gust of wind from the side, however, caused me to drop one of my pumps in the wet sand.

The water was rushing up on the shore, lapping over my feet before retreating into the depths of the ocean, so I cried out in dismay as I dropped my shoe. In a moment of panic, I could envision the water carrying away my beloved pump into the depths of the sea.

Whirling around, I expected to see my shoe filling with the sludge and being engulfed into the beach. Nothing could have prepared me for what I did see.

The most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on was standing directly behind me. He must have caught up with me without me hearing him, and I was thankful he had—he was pulling my soaking wet pump out of the water. He smiled a flashy set of perfect teeth that made my heart melt, and I felt my knees go weak.

“Oh! Thank you so much, I was afraid I was going to lose that!” I said as I eagerly held out my hand to take my shoe.

He gave a light chuckle as he extended it to me, and I felt my cheeks slightly flush as I took it. For the first time in my life, I was lost for words.

I nervously ran my hand through my hair and smiled, trying to think of something to say. My voice had all but gotten stuck in my throat, and I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

What was wrong with me?