Libby spent a sleepless night tossing and turning in her bed, tormented by thoughts of Luca. Everything had changed for her since that first kiss. By chance she had a day off the next day, and so did Luca. He texted her first thing asking her if she wanted to meet up. She was torn between playing safe with her emotions – protecting herself from potential upset, and living in the moment, following her instincts. Her heart wanted to run into Luca’s arms and see where the journey took her, but her head was urging her to proceed with caution. She leant out the window to get signal on her phone and called Jules. There was no way she was going to risk someone overhearing this conversation.
‘Jules? It’s me.’
‘Hi Libs. To what do I owe the pleasure of a phone call at this early hour of the morning?’
‘I need to talk.’
‘What’s going on?
‘It’s Luca.’
‘The hot barman?’
‘Yes… despite my determination not to, I have really started to like him—’
‘Ooh Libby, I knew it!’
‘He saw me flirting with this American guy called Bret, and yesterday I could tell he was in a mood with me.’
‘Right…’
‘I confronted him and forced him to tell me why he was acting so strangely.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He told me that he had feelings for me, that he’d seen me with Bret and had been really jealous, that he wanted me to give him a chance.’
‘Whaat? This is huge!’
‘I know!’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I don’t know. This is the guy who told me when I first met him that he doesn’t “do” monogamy. That he falls in love easily, but just as easily out of love…’
‘Well, he hadn’t fallen for you then, Libs. You might be the one to change everything!’
‘Unlikely. I always thought it sounded romantic being the woman to tame a serial ladies’ man, but now I’m not so sure. It just sounds like a recipe for heartbreak.’
‘Anything is possible Lib—’
‘And I’m also going to be leaving in a couple of months.’
‘So what? See how it goes… You can’t plan your whole life out. Just live each day as it comes.’
‘So you think I should go for it?’
‘Absolutely. What have you got to lose? Sure, it could all go wrong and you might end up with a broken heart, but at least you will have given it a shot. Hearts always mend…’
‘You’re right,’ Libby said thoughtfully. ‘Nothing lasts forever. Look at Mum…’
‘Exactly. She’ll never stop loving Ronald but time has definitely healed her. And that was losing the love of her life and her husband.’
‘Yes, that’s true… God, I’m suddenly terrified.’
‘Well I’m excited for you. What are you going to do? Run downstairs and jump over the bar?’
‘He wants to meet up. We both have a day off.’
‘Ah, perfect! But whatever you do, don’t jump straight into bed with him.’
‘Jules, I’m hardly going to shag him immediately.’
‘And to think I’ve only ever slept with Angus – it kills me!’
‘You’ve had way less drama that way, Jules. It’s better, trust me.’
‘Yeah, yeah. Now don’t be a slut.’
‘I won’t,’ Libby laughed.
‘And good luck. Text me later.’
‘OK.’
Libby hung up the phone. She felt a lot better having spoken to Jules. There was a reason why she had chosen to call Jules and not Angus; she knew exactly what he would say. He would be furious with her for pursuing yet another pointless romance that could lead nowhere. Anyway, Jules was right, you only lived once. What was the worst that could happen? She only had two months left – she might as well enjoy a summer of fun with Luca. It was unlikely that it would last much longer than that. Libby was not sold on the idea of a long-distance relationship, and she could hardly imagine either of them changing their plans and relocating for one another. No, it would probably just be a summer romance, that was all. If she ended up moving back home with a broken heart, then so be it. The old cliché ‘better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’ popped into her mind.
A shot of adrenaline rushed through her as she grabbed her phone and replied to Luca’s message. They agreed that he would pick her up and drive her to a small beach that he had told her about a while ago. Ten minutes later she was standing on the road with her small rucksack full of beach gear, her heart pounding nervously as Luca’s red Fiat pulled over. She jumped in.
‘Ciao bella,’ Luca bent over and kissed her on the cheek. Her heart flipped at the sight of him. He grinned at her with raised eyebrows and she laughed.
‘So?’ he asked.
‘So?’ she replied.
‘Do you accept my proposition?’
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, saying, ‘Why not?’ She laughed as Luca tooted the horn enthusiastically, startling a pair of old grannies crossing the road outside the butcher’s as he revved his engine.
‘Mi amore, that makes me so happy. I promise, no funny business. You have my heart’s complete devotion.’
‘Let’s just see how it goes, Luca.’ Libby wanted to keep him on his toes. ‘I’m only here for two more months anyway. So you might get your way… you’ll probably be sick of the sight of me by then.’
‘Don’t talk about leaving. I can’t bear it. I will be heartbroken.’
‘We’ll see!’
‘But until then, we are together?’
‘We can see how it goes,’ she repeated.
‘Bellissima, you have made me a very happy man.’ Luca sang cheerfully along to the radio as he drove, turning his head regularly to beam at Libby, his hand resting on her knee.
As they neared their destination, Luca took a hairpin turn to the right then manoeuvred the car into a tiny parking space between a three-wheeler and a small van. He opened the door for Libby, pulling her close to him and kissing her briefly on the lips. She couldn’t wait for him to kiss her properly, and tingled at the thought with nervous anticipation.
Luca led the way down a hidden set of steps to a deserted beach. The small wooden sign saying ‘spiaggia’ was hanging from one nail, so faded it was hard to read. ‘Only locals know about this beach,’ explained Luca. ‘We all try very hard to keep it a secret.’ He was carrying a freezer bag that he had packed with cool drinks and lunch, because there was no beach bar or restaurant down below.
‘Once you have climbed down all these steps, you certainly don’t want to have to come back up until it is time to leave,’ he said. Libby could see why. Steep stone steps had been carved into the cliff. There must have been close to fifty of them, zigzagging down a sheer drop to the sea. The sight of the beach below was an enormous incentive to make it down in one piece. The golden arc of sand was framed by a riot of greenery and brightly coloured bougainvillaea. Large boulders appeared to have been thrown at various intervals across the beach and into the sea. As always the water was so crystal clear it almost seemed to magnify the detail of the seabed below.
Soon they were setting up camp on the beach: towels side by side, umbrella firmly embedded into the sand between the two of them. The sun was beating down and they were both desperate to get in the water. Libby ripped off her dress and ran into the sea, with Luca chasing close behind. They fell into the cool water, laughing as they splashed each other and shrieking as their skin adjusted to the plunging temperature. They swam out into the deep water and dived under. They were the only ones there, apart from one other sun-seeker at the far end. It was amazing, like having their own private beach. They swam closer to the shore so that they could stand. Luca pulled Libby closer to him and kissed her, properly this time. She could smell his aftershave again and taste the salty water on his lips. She could feel him pressing against her hips and could tell how much he wanted her. It felt so good to kiss him, to finally allow herself to cave in to all the desire she had been suppressing. She could have kissed him forever. He was certainly an expert; all the practice had definitely paid off.
‘Wow!’ she said as he pulled away several minutes later. His brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight and beads of water glistened on his mahogany skin. He looked devastatingly handsome.
‘Yes, wow!’ laughed Luca. She dived under the water and swept the hair away from her face before swimming back to shore. They lay on their towels and chatted, Luca frequently interrupting their conversation with kisses. ‘I’ve been wanting to kiss you for so long,’ he said as he kissed the tip of her nose. ‘You are so beautiful.’
When she had dried off he rubbed sun cream on her then they dozed in the sun. She lay her head on his lap, resting against the damp fabric of his swimming trunks.
At lunchtime they tore into Luca’s picnic. He had brought cold prosecco, water, sandwiches, crisps and strawberries. After they had eaten they fell asleep, their stomachs full, feeling relaxed and rather light-headed from the prosecco they had shared. Later, as the sun began to drop lower in the sky and the temperature gradually fell, Luca retrieved a bat and ball from his bag and they played beach tennis. They cooled off in the sea before eventually calling it a day, packing up and heading back into Positano. Libby accompanied Luca to his flat, greeting Nicola with a kiss as she came through the door. She was busy preparing some delicious-looking lamb chops in a thick marinade.
‘Are you staying for dinner?’ she asked.
‘Yes please,’ replied Libby. ‘That looks incredible. What’s in the marinade?’ she asked, always keen to pick up cooking tips.
Nicola talked her through it. ‘Giovanna is coming around too, by the way,’ she added.
‘Ah, the sister I haven’t yet met,’ laughed Libby. ‘Great!’ She had met Antonia, the oldest sister, and her husband Matteo one evening in the bar. Giovanna, the youngest of Luca’s three sisters, had been away on business for the past month and had only recently arrived back in Positano. Luca drove Libby back to the hostel to run in and get a change of clothes.
‘Ciao Giulia,’ said Libby. Giulia was sitting behind the reception desk doodling on a pad.
‘Where are you off to in such a hurry?’ she asked as Libby rushed past her.
‘Luca’s waiting in the car. I’m just grabbing a change of clothes before dinner.’
‘Really?’ asked Giulia, one eyebrow arching towards her hairline and her mouth settling into a pout. Libby hoped Giulia wouldn’t disapprove of her now that she and Luca were seeing each other. As Luca had said, wasn’t it all water under the bridge between them? If she took against the idea, it could make for a rather frosty working environment. She wondered once again whether Giulia was jealous, or just trying to protect Libby from getting hurt.
Libby grabbed her coral dress, a fresh set of underwear and a pair of earrings, then turned and ran back downstairs. ‘See you later,’ she called, waving cheerily at Giulia.
Luca was waiting with the engine running, having turned the car back around. He drove her back to his apartment. She showered in his huge power shower, rinsed out her wet bikini and got dressed, hanging her bikini on Luca’s balcony to dry off. She had already decided that she would walk home later; it would be a while until she felt ready to spend the night with him and she knew sleeping in the same bed would prove too much temptation for her to resist. For now she just wanted to enjoy the early stages of a new romance.
Giovanna arrived half an hour later. She had a mass of bouncing curls that seemed desperate to break free from her hair tie. ‘Libby it’s lovely to meet you. My brother has mentioned you quite a few times,’ laughed Giovanna.
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you too. Now, apart from the parents, I’ve met the whole family.’
‘Oh you must meet our parents,’ said Nicola. ‘They would absolutely love you.’
‘And she will, soon,’ added Luca, kissing her on the cheek. Libby blushed as she noticed both Giovanna and Nicola exchange a grin at this display of affection from their brother.
They had a happy dinner, chatting and teasing Luca, as always, at any opportunity. Libby relaxed into their company, feeling part of the family. They were all so easy-going, such warm people. Luca was very tactile with her now, resting his hand on her knee or putting his arm around her shoulder, dropping kisses on her head when he walked past to get another bottle of wine. It was amazing how simply getting your feelings out in the open and being honest with one another changed the dynamic of a relationship so completely.
Later that night, Luca walked her home. She was grateful that he didn’t try to persuade her to stay, that he respected her and clearly wasn’t only interested in getting her into bed. As they stood outside the hostel she found it hard to tear herself away from his increasingly passionate kisses. Eventually she found the strength to turn and walk up the steps, letting herself in through the yellow door before turning to blow him a final kiss. Beaming from ear to ear, she came through into the reception.
‘Have fun?’ asked Giulia as Libby hastily wiped the grin from her face.
‘Lovely thanks,’ said Libby. ‘Giovanna and Nicola were there; they’re both so nice.’
‘Mmm,’ said Giulia. Again, she hardly seemed thrilled that Luca and Libby were growing so close.
Libby went up to her room and closed the door, allowing the smirk to come back on to her face. She really, really liked him! And he really seemed to like her. Despite their different nationalities and the complete implausibility that they would work out as a couple, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this could be the beginning of something amazing. She fell asleep with the shadow of a smile tracing her lips.
On her days off, now always coinciding, thanks to Floriana, Luca took her to incredible local restaurants, well off the tourist trail. They went out on the boat with Gian Matteo and they drove all over the Amalfi coast, finding hidden coves and hiking along hilltop paths. Libby felt heady with happiness; she felt herself falling hook, line and sinker for Luca. Likewise, Luca seemed absolutely smitten, utterly devoted to her, the perfect gentleman, constantly spoiling her. He introduced her with pride to his parents, choosing his father’s birthday as the perfect opportunity.
Things were going so well that during a phone call with her mother she decided to tell her about Luca.
‘So, Mum, I’ve actually been dating someone out here for the past few weeks,’ confessed Libby.
‘Really darling, how fabulous.’ Her mother sounded delighted. ‘Is he Italian?’
‘Yes, he is.’
‘How exciting! So… who is he? Tell me all about him.’ Libby proceeded to tell her mum all about Luca and his family; her mum seemed impressed that she had already met his parents. When Libby had finished answering all Miriam’s questions, they moved on to discussing Helen.
‘Have you heard from her recently?’
‘No, not for a couple of weeks. I’ve been meaning to call her,’ Libby said, guiltily. She’d been so occupied with Luca recently, all other thoughts seemed to have gone out of the window.
‘I’m going to send her an email this afternoon. I’ve taken to writing a weekly update of any news I can think of, though it has to be said it is quite boring – not much goes on in Kent these days. But I feel it’s important not to let her feel too cut off.’
‘I know. I don’t feel as though I’ve got a good enough idea of what her life out there is like yet.’
‘Well I’m glad it’s not just me,’ said Miriam.
‘No, it certainly isn’t anything personal. I hope she’s all right.’
‘Me too.’
‘I’ll call her at the weekend. I usually have a better chance of catching her when she isn’t at work.’
‘OK, well let me know if you manage to get through… And good for you, darling, getting back out there on the dating scene. I’m proud of you.’ It had been about six months since she had broken up with her last boyfriend, once again not feeling that he was quite right for her.
‘Thanks Mum!’ said Libby. ‘Speak soon.’
‘Love you.’
‘Love you too, bye!’
The next day Libby got a surprising phone call from her sister. Miriam had obviously mentioned the fact that Libby was dating someone in her email, which had clearly piqued Helen’s interest.
‘Mum tells me you’re seeing someone!’ said Helen. ‘An Italian stallion, I hear!’
‘Ah, Mum’s good old weekly update… yes, I thought she might mention it. I was going to call you this weekend actually, but you beat me to it!’
‘So… who is he? I’m intrigued.’
‘He’s actually a colleague of sorts. He runs the bar in the hostel here and he’s also a freelance graphic designer.’
‘What’s his name?’
‘Luca Morelli.’
‘Luca… and you’re quite keen on him?’
‘Yes I am actually. He is kind of amazing.’
‘How so?’
‘He just looks after me pretty well, treats me all the time – and we have fun.’
‘Lucky you!’ said Helen. ‘Though goodness knows how you find these eligible men – I’m clearly doing something wrong. It’s only six months since you ended things with Nick, isn’t it?’
‘Don’t worry, Hels, it will happen for you soon. I guess it’s mainly just chance…’
‘Mmm, I’m not so sure.’
‘And taking a risk on someone once in a while…’ Libby trailed off. She tried to think of something helpful to say.
‘Well, I try to be open to possibilities,’ said Helen. ‘There just don’t seem to be many decent men around.’
‘I know you do, and it will happen, I know it will. Just keep on getting out and about and – sooner or later – someone great will come along.’
‘We’ll see. It’s just quite tough trying to meet new people. Well, for me, anyway – you don’t seem to have had much of a problem in Positano.’
‘It just so happens that Luca worked in the same place as me, that’s all. Pure coincidence… You need someone who can act as your wingman,’ Libby told her sister.
‘I thought I had that. A German girl called Rosanna, but she’s seeing someone now so she isn’t really around much.’
‘Oh dear! That’s annoying. Is there anyone else you can go out with?’
‘I’m fine,’ her sister told her firmly, changing the subject. ‘Anyway, I’m busy with work, so that’s good.’
Relieved that Helen had moved off the subject of their respective love lives, Libby quizzed her sister about the school she was working in and listened to her describing her new job in more detail. By the time she ended the call she felt a little better about Helen’s mental state. She was still fragile, there was no doubt about that, but her job seemed to be going well and she seemed to have a nice group of colleagues. Libby phoned her mum to let her know Helen’s news. She was glad they had had a good catch-up at long last, though she did wish her sister would meet someone. She couldn’t help feeling that a new man was just what Helen needed.