Granny here,
Chapter 10
As Daisy tried to drift off to sleep her head was spinning, she had so much on her mind. Would she find out more about the ring? Was the decision concerning Tory the right one? Would her parents retire to Italy? Would Leslie decide to stay? So many questions going around in her head, it would be a miracle if she slept at all.
daisy was so intrigued with the ring she had found that she decided o spend all day Saturday investigating it, her first stop would be the jewelry stores to have them take a look at the ring. Surely they would know something about its value.
The first place was so small they didn't have any knowledge at all about it; the second store passed it off as costume jewelry from the twenties. Daisy thought this guy is a joke; he doesn't have any idea what he is talking about. Daisy had heard of a jeweler who only dealt in antique jewelry so she decided to give him a try, it was quite a drive but she thought it would be worth it, so she got a cup of coffee and off she went to Reggio di Calabria.
Mr. Pizzario, the jeweler at Antiques Reggio, was a jovial man, short in stature and sharp in his knowledge of antique jewelry. In his Italian English he began his inquiry, "Where did you get this piece of jewelry young lady?" "I found it buried in the garden of the villa that I leased." Replied Daisy with an air of excitement. Mr. Pizzario put on his magnifying eye to have a closer look, "First, the mounting is platinum, that is obvious, the main stone is a diamond, but it will take further study to determine it clarity, style, age and the era that it comes from. Are you willing to leave it in my possession so that I may have more time to study it?" He asked as he placed the ring in a box that he retrieved from the drawer. "The ring will be insured by the company that will be doing the examination and you will receive a receipt and be kept up to date on the findings. Will this meet with your approval?" Daisy thought for a moment and decided if she was going to find out any information this was probably her best option. "I think I can do that, how long do you think the search will take?" "That, I have no idea, but I would say at least a month, maybe two, I will call you form time to time and keep you up to date." Daisy signed the permission form and took her receipt and left, wondering if she had done the right thing.
Daisy decided to give Leslie a call on her way back to town. "I' so glad you called Daisy, I was going to call you with the news." "What news, Leslie?" Came Daisy's inquisitive reply. "My job in America has come to an end, I have decided to stay in Calabria, and I received word last week of their decision." "Oh, Leslie, I'm so glad, not that you've lost your job but that you are staying in Calabria, can we get together for dinner tonight?" "I'd love that, let's meet at the Café Cuinsino at six, ok?" "Tell Tory, hi and I will call him later, bye." Daisy got home with plenty of time to relax before meeting Leslie that evening. She poured herself a glass of wine and made her way to the veranda, her favorite place , to chill out for a while. She had no idea how exhausted she really was and before she could drink her wine she fell asleep and of course what else would Daisy do, but dream.
It was almost five o' clock when Daisy woke up, she jumped up, seeing how late it was she would have to rush to make it in time to meet Leslie at the café. She freshened up and out the door she went. Leslie had just been seated when Daisy arrived, the two hugged a friendly hello and sat down. "Oh, Leslie, I am so glad you are staying in Italy, you are my best friend, I really did want you to stay." "You aren't any happier than I am, Daisy, my job was so boring. I had contemplated quitting before I heard that things had a chance of changing in the near future. My parents plan on retiring here in a few years so I will be glad that I stayed." The girls ordered their food and discussed their futures and life in general.
"Leslie, you remember that ring I found, I took it to an antique jewelry specialist and they are going to examine it, they said it could take a month or two. I wonder what they will find out. I've been to the library once but I'll go again when I get their report. I know there is a mystery about that ring and I won't rest until I find out what it is."Yes, Daisy, I do remember it, it sounded lovely when you described it to me, do you think it's real? It will be fun to learn the history behind it. It would be great if it had some mysterious story of love and intrigue to go with it, wouldn't it? What will you do with the ring Daisy?" "If the jeweler decides that it is real, I will have to have it insured and place it in a safe deposit box at the bank. He is experienced enough to know and with the research they are doing they should find out for sure if it's real. After I hear form the experts, all I can do is trust them and their opinion, I will then decide what to do with it, who knows maybe I will find the real owner or at least the family to which it belongs." "You are a dreamer Daisy, to think you will be able to find them after all these years, but maybe you can with enough research, we'll wait and see, it should be very interesting." Daisy and Leslie had a lovely time making plans, since they were going to have more time to spend together their conversation covered everything from A to Z. They spent the entire evening going over the day and what they planned to accomplish in the future. It was late when Daisy returned home, she didn't waste any time getting to bed because she had a busy day ahead of her.
So far Daisy's new life in Italy was becoming far more exciting than she had ever anticipated, she had made new friends, she had fallen in love, she was living in the home of her dreams and she had found a mysterious ring with this intriguing mystery surrounding it which she hoped to solve with a happy ending. Daisy thought moving to Italy was the right decision and she knew there was so much more awaiting her as she moved forward into her Italian future.
Daisy didn't have a clue what her life in Calabria was going to be like when she decided to go there all she knew was that she wanted to go more than anything she had ever wanted in her life and now she was here living her dream. She thought she had found the man of her dreams in Tory, she had made good friends and had an excellent job and lived in a dreamy villa with years of history and secrets to discover.
Her new life was taking shape and she felt that she had made the right decision in coming to Italy and now with the discovery of the ring she had new avenues to investigate and new territory to search.
The weeks were flying by and daisy had not heard from the jeweler, she was getting anxious about what the report would reveal. She gone to the library again and found a picture that looked similar and the story that was told about it revealed that it was said to have belonged to Countess Victoria Francesca Castalina, a countess that was rumored to have had an affair with an American soldier during the war in the eighteen hundreds. Of course this conduct was frowned upon by the royal family and so the story has always been told only as rumor and never believed to have been true.
The story goes that during the war, the countess was visiting Calabria and was given a American soldier escort during her visit. They became very close and eventually lovers, their affair lasted the entire month she was in Calabria. Although she tried to keep it a secret from her family they suspected that something was going on but chose to keep it quiet because it would bring shame upon the royal family.
Daisy began to remember the story her father and other members of the family would tell at family gatherings of one of the grandfathers bragging that in the eighteen hundreds he had an affair with a member of the royal family but no one ever believed him. She couldn't remember all the details or the names but surely there was no connection between the stories and the ring that would be too cool, she would have to call her dad, he should have more information.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Out of the Past Chapter 9
Granny here,
Chapter 9
Sunday morning found Daisy still in bed; she had slept in since getting home so late the night before. Her encounter with Tory had left her dazed and confused about their relationship, she had to decide, either she was going to purse it or bring it to an end altogether, she couldn't go on like this. She did care deeply for him but was she ready to settle down if that is what he wanted. She had not dated anyone else since coming to Calabria, could she be sure Tory was the one? How would she know? She didn't like the position that she had allowed herself to be in and no she was faced with decisions she didn't want to make at this time in her life.
Daisy reached for the telephone and dialed her mom, she would know what Daisy should do, and she could always count on her mother to give her the right advice. "Hello," Daisy breathed a sigh of relief, just the sound of her mother's voice brought peace to Daisy's troubled spirit. "Hi, mom, how are you?" Asked Daisy, trying to sound as normal as possible, but her mother was too smart for that old trick. "You sound troubled, Daisy, what's bothering you? Are you homesick?" "No, mother, it's Tory, I don't know what to do where he's concerned, I care for him very much but am afraid that it is getting too serious this early in our relationship. When I'm with him, he has such an affect on my emotions that I don't think straight and before I know what's happened I am in the grips of his charms and my emotions." "Sounds like the love bug has taken a big bite out of you girl, what do you want at this time in your life, Daisy? Is it just sexual attraction or are there deep rooted feelings there for him?" " That's the problem, mom, I have both, the attraction between us is so strong it's hard to keep my thoughts in order when I'm with him. His is strongly attracted to me and that is a volatile situation when we're together, help mom!" "Well, what I'm seeing here is, if you are not ready to give your all to Tory and settle down, I'd say you will have to bring it to and end at least for a period of time to sort out your feelings and find out where you really stand. It may take some time to sort this relationship out, but you also will be taking the chance that Tory will find someone else in the meantime." Daisy was silent for a moment, thinking over what her mom had said, "Thanks, mom, I will spend some time thinking this over, I know one thing, I can't go on like this, I've got to get on with my life one way or the other, thanks again, tell dad I love him, bye," and she hung up the phone, pulled the cover over her head and began to sob. Daisy cried until her eyes closed in much needed slumber with hopes that she would see things in a brighter light in the morning.
Daisy had cried so much the night before that she was almost sick when she finally talked herself into getting out of bed, it was ten a.m. She turned on the coffee pot and jumped in the shower, maybe that would make her feel better. She threw on her favorite robe, poured herself a hot cup of the fresh coffee and headed for the veranda; she looked out on the view that lay before her, thought going around in her head. Why had she allowed this to happen? Did Tory feel the same? Should she bring it to an end? Should she allow it to go on? One thing she new for sure, she had to confront Tory! She would call him and get this settled and then she could go on with her life, could it be that easy? She was about to find out as she dialed his number.
"Hello, this is Maria, hi Daisy, nice to hear from you. How are you this morning?" "I'm fine; may I speak to Tory, please?" "Sorry, Dais, Tory has gone to Cantanzaro for the weekend, he won't be back until later today, and shall I have him call you?" "I would appreciate that, if you don't mind giving him the message. Thanks, have a great day, bye," and Daisy hung up the phone pleased that she had made the call at least it was a beginning.
It was eight that evening when the phone rang, it was Tory, "heard you called, what's up?" "Tory, I need to talk to you; do you think you could come over for a while?" Asked Daisy feeling nervous about the evening but realizing that this discussion was needed and there was no easy way to get it over with but going into it head on. "Sure, I'll be over as soon as possible, maybe within the hour, will that be ok?" "That will be fine, thanks, I'll see you when you get here, bye."
Daisy paced the floor as she waited for Tory to arrive; going over in her head was thoughts of what she was going to say when he did get there. Would he agree? Would he be willing to work on the relationship over a long period of time? Was he ready to settle down? So may questions, did Tory have the answers?
Daisy heard the knock on the door, as she opened it Tory had her in his arms before she knew what happened. "Tory, stop that, that is exactly what I want to talk to you about. Come in and sit down we need to talk about this very thing, where are we going with this relationship?" "Daisy, I care a great deal for you, is this what you want?" Asked Tory still trying to embrace her. "One part of me does but the sensible part of me says wait and take it slow but you don't seem to want to slow down, how am I suppose to handle this?" Daisy was backing away to try and catch her breath, she made her way into the living room and sat down. Tory followed and tried to sit beside her but she wanted to face him as they talked so she moved across the room. "I'm not going to do anything, Daisy, that is unless you want me too, I've fell for you Daisy, and I've fell hard, don't make me go away, please, I'll play it your way, you can set the pace, how's that?" Pleaded Tory as he tried to make his way closer to her.
She stood up to face him and she felt as if her heart was going to burst, her palms were perspiring, and she felt faint. Tory took her hands in his , he raised them to his mouth and kissed them gently, "Daisy, you have stolen a part of me I didn't know I would give away, do you understand what that means?" Said Tory as he tried to convince Daisy of his feelings. He unfolded her hands and placed them around his neck bringing her face closer to his and when their eyes met Daisy lost all sense of rationality, she felt his lips touch hers in the tenderest kiss she had ever had, she melted into his caress and they found themselves crumbling to the floor swallowed up by a moment that was beyond anything they had felt before, going far enough so that they understood each other but not going too far. Daisy had made her commitment there on the floor of the villa that now was her home. Had she done the right thing? Only time would tell if Daisy had made her decision and it certainly looked as if she had.
The two of them lay on the floor wrapped in each others arms, feeling the beat of their hearts, as the clock ticked away the hours. When they awoke it was two a.m. Daisy was embarrassed that she had fallen asleep in Tory's arms, but loved every minute of it. "Tory, you have to leave, it's the wee hours of the morning what will people think?" Tory grabbed her and kissed her again as she was pushing him out the door, she laughed at him as she tried not to kiss him back but she failed miserably. "Good night and good riddance, you heart breaker," she said as she locked the door behind him. Daisy jumped into bed and pulled the cover up to her chin, she turned out the light and smiled to herself, I have given my heart away she thought, and she drifted off to sleep, committed but happy.
The next morning found Daisy still smiling to herself, I think I'm in love she thought, is this what love feels like? Does Tory consider himself in love too? What if it was just a fling to him? "Daisy, you worry too much, : she said to herself as she got dressed for work. It's a new week, a new life, a new love, what more could a girl ask for? Daisy was ready to meet the day, her hart singing, her life on the move and finally feeling that she had her life and her feelings were in order.
As Daisy sat at her dressing table doing her makeup, she caught a glimpse of the ring still wrapped in the tissue lying on the dresser. "I had forgotten about you," she said as she picked up the ring to take another look. I need to find out more about this ring and that means a trip to the library, she thought, I know it has a story and I'm going to find out what it is.
The ring looked to be white gold or maybe even platinum, it had a large center stone, and a cluster of smaller stones around it. It looked to be Daisy's size so she tried it on and to her surprise, it fit her perfectly.
Daisy left work excited about the idea of finding out more information about her mystery ring. She headed straight for the library which was just around the corner form work so she left her car in the parking lot and took the opportunity to walk and get some exercise too. She asked the librarian to direct her to books on old jewelry and there were plenty to choose from. Daisy chose a book on antique rings which was quite old, she searched page after page and there were some pictures that had a resemblance to the ring but nothing identical.
She had been looking for almost an hour and she was about to give up when she came across a picture of a ring that was identical to the one she had found,. She started to read about it and the more she read the more she wanted to read. The ring had belonged to royalty and had been either stolen or lost sometime during the war. The story was intriguing but it was getting late and the library as about to close so Daisy would have to put this off until another day, she had to get home; she had things to do, like call Tory.
By the time Daisy arrived home it was getting late, she quickly dialed Tory's number, she just had to hear his voice before she could call it a day. Their conversation lasted an hour and then she was ready to have a bite to eat and get ready for her day tomorrow, what would a new day hold in store for her? Something great and something unexpected just what she was looking for.
Chapter 9
Sunday morning found Daisy still in bed; she had slept in since getting home so late the night before. Her encounter with Tory had left her dazed and confused about their relationship, she had to decide, either she was going to purse it or bring it to an end altogether, she couldn't go on like this. She did care deeply for him but was she ready to settle down if that is what he wanted. She had not dated anyone else since coming to Calabria, could she be sure Tory was the one? How would she know? She didn't like the position that she had allowed herself to be in and no she was faced with decisions she didn't want to make at this time in her life.
Daisy reached for the telephone and dialed her mom, she would know what Daisy should do, and she could always count on her mother to give her the right advice. "Hello," Daisy breathed a sigh of relief, just the sound of her mother's voice brought peace to Daisy's troubled spirit. "Hi, mom, how are you?" Asked Daisy, trying to sound as normal as possible, but her mother was too smart for that old trick. "You sound troubled, Daisy, what's bothering you? Are you homesick?" "No, mother, it's Tory, I don't know what to do where he's concerned, I care for him very much but am afraid that it is getting too serious this early in our relationship. When I'm with him, he has such an affect on my emotions that I don't think straight and before I know what's happened I am in the grips of his charms and my emotions." "Sounds like the love bug has taken a big bite out of you girl, what do you want at this time in your life, Daisy? Is it just sexual attraction or are there deep rooted feelings there for him?" " That's the problem, mom, I have both, the attraction between us is so strong it's hard to keep my thoughts in order when I'm with him. His is strongly attracted to me and that is a volatile situation when we're together, help mom!" "Well, what I'm seeing here is, if you are not ready to give your all to Tory and settle down, I'd say you will have to bring it to and end at least for a period of time to sort out your feelings and find out where you really stand. It may take some time to sort this relationship out, but you also will be taking the chance that Tory will find someone else in the meantime." Daisy was silent for a moment, thinking over what her mom had said, "Thanks, mom, I will spend some time thinking this over, I know one thing, I can't go on like this, I've got to get on with my life one way or the other, thanks again, tell dad I love him, bye," and she hung up the phone, pulled the cover over her head and began to sob. Daisy cried until her eyes closed in much needed slumber with hopes that she would see things in a brighter light in the morning.
Daisy had cried so much the night before that she was almost sick when she finally talked herself into getting out of bed, it was ten a.m. She turned on the coffee pot and jumped in the shower, maybe that would make her feel better. She threw on her favorite robe, poured herself a hot cup of the fresh coffee and headed for the veranda; she looked out on the view that lay before her, thought going around in her head. Why had she allowed this to happen? Did Tory feel the same? Should she bring it to an end? Should she allow it to go on? One thing she new for sure, she had to confront Tory! She would call him and get this settled and then she could go on with her life, could it be that easy? She was about to find out as she dialed his number.
"Hello, this is Maria, hi Daisy, nice to hear from you. How are you this morning?" "I'm fine; may I speak to Tory, please?" "Sorry, Dais, Tory has gone to Cantanzaro for the weekend, he won't be back until later today, and shall I have him call you?" "I would appreciate that, if you don't mind giving him the message. Thanks, have a great day, bye," and Daisy hung up the phone pleased that she had made the call at least it was a beginning.
It was eight that evening when the phone rang, it was Tory, "heard you called, what's up?" "Tory, I need to talk to you; do you think you could come over for a while?" Asked Daisy feeling nervous about the evening but realizing that this discussion was needed and there was no easy way to get it over with but going into it head on. "Sure, I'll be over as soon as possible, maybe within the hour, will that be ok?" "That will be fine, thanks, I'll see you when you get here, bye."
Daisy paced the floor as she waited for Tory to arrive; going over in her head was thoughts of what she was going to say when he did get there. Would he agree? Would he be willing to work on the relationship over a long period of time? Was he ready to settle down? So may questions, did Tory have the answers?
Daisy heard the knock on the door, as she opened it Tory had her in his arms before she knew what happened. "Tory, stop that, that is exactly what I want to talk to you about. Come in and sit down we need to talk about this very thing, where are we going with this relationship?" "Daisy, I care a great deal for you, is this what you want?" Asked Tory still trying to embrace her. "One part of me does but the sensible part of me says wait and take it slow but you don't seem to want to slow down, how am I suppose to handle this?" Daisy was backing away to try and catch her breath, she made her way into the living room and sat down. Tory followed and tried to sit beside her but she wanted to face him as they talked so she moved across the room. "I'm not going to do anything, Daisy, that is unless you want me too, I've fell for you Daisy, and I've fell hard, don't make me go away, please, I'll play it your way, you can set the pace, how's that?" Pleaded Tory as he tried to make his way closer to her.
She stood up to face him and she felt as if her heart was going to burst, her palms were perspiring, and she felt faint. Tory took her hands in his , he raised them to his mouth and kissed them gently, "Daisy, you have stolen a part of me I didn't know I would give away, do you understand what that means?" Said Tory as he tried to convince Daisy of his feelings. He unfolded her hands and placed them around his neck bringing her face closer to his and when their eyes met Daisy lost all sense of rationality, she felt his lips touch hers in the tenderest kiss she had ever had, she melted into his caress and they found themselves crumbling to the floor swallowed up by a moment that was beyond anything they had felt before, going far enough so that they understood each other but not going too far. Daisy had made her commitment there on the floor of the villa that now was her home. Had she done the right thing? Only time would tell if Daisy had made her decision and it certainly looked as if she had.
The two of them lay on the floor wrapped in each others arms, feeling the beat of their hearts, as the clock ticked away the hours. When they awoke it was two a.m. Daisy was embarrassed that she had fallen asleep in Tory's arms, but loved every minute of it. "Tory, you have to leave, it's the wee hours of the morning what will people think?" Tory grabbed her and kissed her again as she was pushing him out the door, she laughed at him as she tried not to kiss him back but she failed miserably. "Good night and good riddance, you heart breaker," she said as she locked the door behind him. Daisy jumped into bed and pulled the cover up to her chin, she turned out the light and smiled to herself, I have given my heart away she thought, and she drifted off to sleep, committed but happy.
The next morning found Daisy still smiling to herself, I think I'm in love she thought, is this what love feels like? Does Tory consider himself in love too? What if it was just a fling to him? "Daisy, you worry too much, : she said to herself as she got dressed for work. It's a new week, a new life, a new love, what more could a girl ask for? Daisy was ready to meet the day, her hart singing, her life on the move and finally feeling that she had her life and her feelings were in order.
As Daisy sat at her dressing table doing her makeup, she caught a glimpse of the ring still wrapped in the tissue lying on the dresser. "I had forgotten about you," she said as she picked up the ring to take another look. I need to find out more about this ring and that means a trip to the library, she thought, I know it has a story and I'm going to find out what it is.
The ring looked to be white gold or maybe even platinum, it had a large center stone, and a cluster of smaller stones around it. It looked to be Daisy's size so she tried it on and to her surprise, it fit her perfectly.
Daisy left work excited about the idea of finding out more information about her mystery ring. She headed straight for the library which was just around the corner form work so she left her car in the parking lot and took the opportunity to walk and get some exercise too. She asked the librarian to direct her to books on old jewelry and there were plenty to choose from. Daisy chose a book on antique rings which was quite old, she searched page after page and there were some pictures that had a resemblance to the ring but nothing identical.
She had been looking for almost an hour and she was about to give up when she came across a picture of a ring that was identical to the one she had found,. She started to read about it and the more she read the more she wanted to read. The ring had belonged to royalty and had been either stolen or lost sometime during the war. The story was intriguing but it was getting late and the library as about to close so Daisy would have to put this off until another day, she had to get home; she had things to do, like call Tory.
By the time Daisy arrived home it was getting late, she quickly dialed Tory's number, she just had to hear his voice before she could call it a day. Their conversation lasted an hour and then she was ready to have a bite to eat and get ready for her day tomorrow, what would a new day hold in store for her? Something great and something unexpected just what she was looking for.
Happy and Thankful
Granny here,
Happy and thankful are two words that just seem to go hand in hand, their like twins, one adds to the other. They may not be identical but they bring out the best in each other and I can say that because of Jesus Christ I am able to have both.
I'm happy for numerous reasons, salvation, health, family, financial needs, life in general, oh, I could go on and on. But because of my thankfulness I am also happy. It's not the euphoric kind of happiness but the genuine kind that is always there although others may not be able to see it. That kind of happiness is only for the moment, you're happy because you just got a new car, you're happy because you're kids just moved into their new apartment or happy because you just got a raise. But genuine happiness is the kind that comes from knowing that Jesus is always with you, knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Being happy doesn't mean that you won't have those life moments when you feel that the floor has dropped from under you but this kind of happy knows that knows it will be built again. Thankfulness brings happiness into it's perspective, thankfulness puts happiness in its place.
When I think of the blessings that God has brought into my life over the years I am overwhelmed at His goodness. I'm not rich but I get by, I'm not beautiful but I can look in the mirror, I don't own a lot of I'm thankful and that makes me happy.
I'm thankful each time I walk into my warm home in the winter, my cool home in the summer, when I turn on the lights and they bring me out of the darkness, when I sit at my table and eat whatever I want, when I go into the grocery story and God says here it is for the taking just pay for it on your way out. Folks, that happiness, that's thankfulness. When my family gathers around my Thanksgiving table, when they gather on Christmas Eve I'm thankful. It's a job, it takes time, it may not go smoothly but my heart is still overflowing with joy that we are still sharing these moments together.
Yes, I'm happy that I'm thankful and I'm thankful that I can be happy. Life is filled with all kinds of moments, it's like a crazy quilt, it's made up of all kinds of scraps but the final product can be beautiful because it's put together with love. That doesn't mean that it will never rain on your parade but it does mean you can put up your umbrella and when life tries to steal you happiness and your thankfulness just clench them tighter and hold them closer.
Life has many lessons and some of them aren't easy to learn but through thankfulness and happiness we can come through life a little wiser.
Granny here, just saying!
Happy and thankful are two words that just seem to go hand in hand, their like twins, one adds to the other. They may not be identical but they bring out the best in each other and I can say that because of Jesus Christ I am able to have both.
I'm happy for numerous reasons, salvation, health, family, financial needs, life in general, oh, I could go on and on. But because of my thankfulness I am also happy. It's not the euphoric kind of happiness but the genuine kind that is always there although others may not be able to see it. That kind of happiness is only for the moment, you're happy because you just got a new car, you're happy because you're kids just moved into their new apartment or happy because you just got a raise. But genuine happiness is the kind that comes from knowing that Jesus is always with you, knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Being happy doesn't mean that you won't have those life moments when you feel that the floor has dropped from under you but this kind of happy knows that knows it will be built again. Thankfulness brings happiness into it's perspective, thankfulness puts happiness in its place.
When I think of the blessings that God has brought into my life over the years I am overwhelmed at His goodness. I'm not rich but I get by, I'm not beautiful but I can look in the mirror, I don't own a lot of I'm thankful and that makes me happy.
I'm thankful each time I walk into my warm home in the winter, my cool home in the summer, when I turn on the lights and they bring me out of the darkness, when I sit at my table and eat whatever I want, when I go into the grocery story and God says here it is for the taking just pay for it on your way out. Folks, that happiness, that's thankfulness. When my family gathers around my Thanksgiving table, when they gather on Christmas Eve I'm thankful. It's a job, it takes time, it may not go smoothly but my heart is still overflowing with joy that we are still sharing these moments together.
Yes, I'm happy that I'm thankful and I'm thankful that I can be happy. Life is filled with all kinds of moments, it's like a crazy quilt, it's made up of all kinds of scraps but the final product can be beautiful because it's put together with love. That doesn't mean that it will never rain on your parade but it does mean you can put up your umbrella and when life tries to steal you happiness and your thankfulness just clench them tighter and hold them closer.
Life has many lessons and some of them aren't easy to learn but through thankfulness and happiness we can come through life a little wiser.
Granny here, just saying!
Friday, January 9, 2015
Out of the Past Chpt. 8
Granny here,
Chapter 8
The day was beautiful and Daisy was thinking of going sightseeing and thought Leslie might like to go along, she would give her a call after she had a cup of coffee. The aroma of the black liquid permeated the villa as Daisy strolled from room to room thinking how lucky she was to live there. She went into the kitchen and retrieved her favorite cup from the cabinet, she poured it full and added cream and sugar and went for a walk in the lovely garden along the side of the villa. It was a small garden but had an air of mystery about it, there were stones of all sizes scattered throughout and the fence that surrounded the garden was also made of stone. As she strolled through what appeared to be ruins form a time gone by, she couldn't help but think of all the events that could have happened in this garden. She was sure that some lovers met here, that children played here; maybe someone had even been murdered here. Her imagination was running away with her. Whatever had taken place here would be interesting in any case, but she would have no way of finding out any of the stories or would she?
In the middle of the garden was a huge stone, it made a great place to sit and day dream and Daisy was good at that so she decided to have a seat and finish her coffee. This is such a beautiful place, I wonder how many people have lived here and sat on this very rock, what stories could this garden tell if it could talk, what could the walls of the villa reveal if given the chance she thought as she sat enjoying the morning. There was a wide variety of flowers growing in the garden, pink, white, lilac, blue, they were all gorgeous, so Daisy decided to pick herself a bouquet for her kitchen table, she had picked several colors and was just pulling a beautiful lilac one from the ground when she noticed the sun reflecting off an object that evidently had come up with the flower. As she investigated it further, to her surprise it was a beautiful stone encrusted ring, it looked as if it could be something of value if cleaned up. daisy thought I'll clean it up and maybe I can tell more about it, surely it's not real, why would it be left here? Daisy had a thousand questions going over in her head. How did the ring get her? Who had lost the ring? Were the stones real? Was it valuable? What story could the ring tell? Had it been buried intentionally or had it been lost? How long had it been there? Could the owners still be looking for it? Daisy's spirit of intrigue kicked into high gear, she would have to dig into this further, maybe she could bring the ring and its owner back together, was it possible?
The ring was so dirty from being in the earth that Daisy could hardly tell what it looked like but she thought that maybe it could be real. Daisy took her treasure and ran into the house to call Leslie, the day was getting away from her and if she was going to see any sights today, she needed to get going. She wrapped the ring in a tissue and laid in on her dresser, she would deal with it later; right now she had things to do and places to see. It probably wasn't real anyway so why worry about it, she would have plenty of time to play Sherlock Holmes but right now she had to get dressed and pick up Leslie for a great day in Calabria. She had totally forgotten the old family tale she had heard many times from her grandparents, could the ring possibly be a link? Only time would tell.
Leslie was glad that Daisy had invited her out for the day, her aunt and uncle had gone to visit family and Leslie was alone with nothing really to do. Daisy made haste to get herself dressed in denim shorts, a red tank top that enhanced her breast to the max, she put on her escadrille sandals , put her hair in a pony tail, grabbed her ball cap, camera, cell phone and out the door she went.
Daisy picked up Leslie and they were off for a day of exciting adventure. Leslie was quite the fashion statement in an adorable pale blue sundress with spaghetti straps, white T-strap sandals and a large brimmed straw hat. "Where are we headed? Asked Leslie as she jumped in the front seat, to the mountains I hope." "That's a great idea, Leslie, hold on, here we go," shouted Daisy as she put the car in gear and stepped on the gas.
"Mountains, here we come," said Daisy. The snow capped mountains were so picturesque as they drove along the curvaceous highway. Along the backdrop were rustic villas and impressive Greek ruins, an ideal spot for a lesson on Greek history. "There is a great deal of Greek heritage in and around Calabria, said Leslie; we should have brought Tory along to give us his tour speech. What is the situation between you two, anyway?" "We're taking it sow and easy, just friends for now, maybe someday our relationship will blossom into more," answered Daisy as they were coming into one of the small villages at the foot of the mountains. "Let's stop for a while, looks as if this is a great arts and crafts region, lots of street vendors, markets and places to eat. My kind of place," laughed Leslie as she caught her straw hat as it started to blow off her head.
Daisy parked, the two of them grabbed their totes and set out on foot to discover all the interesting history that may be hidden. Daisy was swallowed up by the charm of the village; she loved all the quaint buildings, craft stands, and cafes. She tried on straw hats, hand made sandals, shawls; she was like a kid in a candy shop. Leslie had seen it all before so she was not quite as overtaken as Daisy, but she was still having fun just watching Daisy. She was going from vendor to vendor asking question, looking at things, trying on everything she could, she loved the hand made jewelry and bought several pieces as gifts for her family.
"Let's get something to eat, what do you say, are you hungry, Daisy? I'm starved as usual," and she sat down at a table at one of the sidewalk cafes.
Daisy quickly agreed and before she could sit down the waiter was at their side, "What can I get for you lovely ladies?" He asked in broken English with an Italian accent on the side as he poured them a glass of complimentary wine. "I'll have the Greek salad, please," said Daisy. "I'll have the same," said Leslie as she winked at the waiter who was good looking. He smiled as he walked away and looked back to repay Leslie with a wink of his own. The girls enjoyed the ambiance of the area as they finished their lunch and continued sightseeing for the rest of the afternoon. The day was quickly coming to an end and it was time to head home.
Daisy pulled into the driveway at Maria and Joe's to drop Leslie off when she caught a glimpse of Tory standing on the veranda, as she parked the car Tory made his way to open the door for Daisy although she had not intended to get out for that reason, she didn't want to face him tonight, she was just too tired to fight her own emotions. Leslie was out of the car before Daisy had time to plead for her assistance by remaining close by. Daisy knew herself and if she were left alone with Tory the evening could have consequences she didn't want. Tory opened the door and reached for Daisy's hand, as she brushed his face, the scent of his cologne made her head start spinning, I just can't take this she thought, I must get away, but it was too late, Tory had fixed his eyes on hers and was holding her prisoner with the desire that had taken hold of her. His lips were coming down on hers, there was nothing she could do, she couldn't get away. Tory had her in his grip, she didn't want to make a scene, so she surrendered to him trying to convince herself that she had no other choice, but knowing in her heart she wanted it too.
The kiss brought emotions Daisy didn't know she had and she certainly didn't want to deal with them here and now. She had no other choice, Tory was too close for comfort and she was losing the battle with her emotions. Before she knew what was happening he was kissing her again, she had no time to get lose from his clutches not that she wanted to, who did she think she was fooling?
Leslie had gone in the house so there was no one around but the two of them and that was proving to be a strike against her. Before she knew it she was returning his kisses with the same passion he was giving them, how could she gracefully get out of this situation, did he have this much control over her? She had to bring this to an end and as soon as possible, this was not the time or the place for this although her heart was telling her something entirely different.
Daisy finally got the opportunity to ease herself out of the car; at least she could make her way to the veranda or better yet into the house where there would be others present. This would break the spell that Tory seemed to have over her when she was with him and bring them back to reality, thus giving her a chance to make a decent exit. It worked; Daisy found Aunt Maria and started a conversation to get her mind off the scene she had just taken part in. Tory was glad that Daisy had taken the initiative to do what she did; he knew it was the right thing to do for the both of them. Dais vowed she would not let this happen again although it was as much her doing as Tory's, she couldn't blame him totally and didn't intend too.
Daisy would have loved to have spent the evening with Tory, but thought it best that they weren't together after the encounter they had just had, it would be too much temptation for the both of them and there was no need asking for trouble. They had plenty of time to work on their relationship and they weren't ready to get serious just yet. Daisy had a lot going on in her head; she was taken off guard by Tory's actions although she can't deny that she enjoyed the little fiasco. She knew herself too well and knew that she did have strong feelings for him but she also knew it was too early in the relationship and didn't want to commit herself to anything right now. It was just too early to get serious no matter how much she like him.
Chapter 8
The day was beautiful and Daisy was thinking of going sightseeing and thought Leslie might like to go along, she would give her a call after she had a cup of coffee. The aroma of the black liquid permeated the villa as Daisy strolled from room to room thinking how lucky she was to live there. She went into the kitchen and retrieved her favorite cup from the cabinet, she poured it full and added cream and sugar and went for a walk in the lovely garden along the side of the villa. It was a small garden but had an air of mystery about it, there were stones of all sizes scattered throughout and the fence that surrounded the garden was also made of stone. As she strolled through what appeared to be ruins form a time gone by, she couldn't help but think of all the events that could have happened in this garden. She was sure that some lovers met here, that children played here; maybe someone had even been murdered here. Her imagination was running away with her. Whatever had taken place here would be interesting in any case, but she would have no way of finding out any of the stories or would she?
In the middle of the garden was a huge stone, it made a great place to sit and day dream and Daisy was good at that so she decided to have a seat and finish her coffee. This is such a beautiful place, I wonder how many people have lived here and sat on this very rock, what stories could this garden tell if it could talk, what could the walls of the villa reveal if given the chance she thought as she sat enjoying the morning. There was a wide variety of flowers growing in the garden, pink, white, lilac, blue, they were all gorgeous, so Daisy decided to pick herself a bouquet for her kitchen table, she had picked several colors and was just pulling a beautiful lilac one from the ground when she noticed the sun reflecting off an object that evidently had come up with the flower. As she investigated it further, to her surprise it was a beautiful stone encrusted ring, it looked as if it could be something of value if cleaned up. daisy thought I'll clean it up and maybe I can tell more about it, surely it's not real, why would it be left here? Daisy had a thousand questions going over in her head. How did the ring get her? Who had lost the ring? Were the stones real? Was it valuable? What story could the ring tell? Had it been buried intentionally or had it been lost? How long had it been there? Could the owners still be looking for it? Daisy's spirit of intrigue kicked into high gear, she would have to dig into this further, maybe she could bring the ring and its owner back together, was it possible?
The ring was so dirty from being in the earth that Daisy could hardly tell what it looked like but she thought that maybe it could be real. Daisy took her treasure and ran into the house to call Leslie, the day was getting away from her and if she was going to see any sights today, she needed to get going. She wrapped the ring in a tissue and laid in on her dresser, she would deal with it later; right now she had things to do and places to see. It probably wasn't real anyway so why worry about it, she would have plenty of time to play Sherlock Holmes but right now she had to get dressed and pick up Leslie for a great day in Calabria. She had totally forgotten the old family tale she had heard many times from her grandparents, could the ring possibly be a link? Only time would tell.
Leslie was glad that Daisy had invited her out for the day, her aunt and uncle had gone to visit family and Leslie was alone with nothing really to do. Daisy made haste to get herself dressed in denim shorts, a red tank top that enhanced her breast to the max, she put on her escadrille sandals , put her hair in a pony tail, grabbed her ball cap, camera, cell phone and out the door she went.
Daisy picked up Leslie and they were off for a day of exciting adventure. Leslie was quite the fashion statement in an adorable pale blue sundress with spaghetti straps, white T-strap sandals and a large brimmed straw hat. "Where are we headed? Asked Leslie as she jumped in the front seat, to the mountains I hope." "That's a great idea, Leslie, hold on, here we go," shouted Daisy as she put the car in gear and stepped on the gas.
"Mountains, here we come," said Daisy. The snow capped mountains were so picturesque as they drove along the curvaceous highway. Along the backdrop were rustic villas and impressive Greek ruins, an ideal spot for a lesson on Greek history. "There is a great deal of Greek heritage in and around Calabria, said Leslie; we should have brought Tory along to give us his tour speech. What is the situation between you two, anyway?" "We're taking it sow and easy, just friends for now, maybe someday our relationship will blossom into more," answered Daisy as they were coming into one of the small villages at the foot of the mountains. "Let's stop for a while, looks as if this is a great arts and crafts region, lots of street vendors, markets and places to eat. My kind of place," laughed Leslie as she caught her straw hat as it started to blow off her head.
Daisy parked, the two of them grabbed their totes and set out on foot to discover all the interesting history that may be hidden. Daisy was swallowed up by the charm of the village; she loved all the quaint buildings, craft stands, and cafes. She tried on straw hats, hand made sandals, shawls; she was like a kid in a candy shop. Leslie had seen it all before so she was not quite as overtaken as Daisy, but she was still having fun just watching Daisy. She was going from vendor to vendor asking question, looking at things, trying on everything she could, she loved the hand made jewelry and bought several pieces as gifts for her family.
"Let's get something to eat, what do you say, are you hungry, Daisy? I'm starved as usual," and she sat down at a table at one of the sidewalk cafes.
Daisy quickly agreed and before she could sit down the waiter was at their side, "What can I get for you lovely ladies?" He asked in broken English with an Italian accent on the side as he poured them a glass of complimentary wine. "I'll have the Greek salad, please," said Daisy. "I'll have the same," said Leslie as she winked at the waiter who was good looking. He smiled as he walked away and looked back to repay Leslie with a wink of his own. The girls enjoyed the ambiance of the area as they finished their lunch and continued sightseeing for the rest of the afternoon. The day was quickly coming to an end and it was time to head home.
Daisy pulled into the driveway at Maria and Joe's to drop Leslie off when she caught a glimpse of Tory standing on the veranda, as she parked the car Tory made his way to open the door for Daisy although she had not intended to get out for that reason, she didn't want to face him tonight, she was just too tired to fight her own emotions. Leslie was out of the car before Daisy had time to plead for her assistance by remaining close by. Daisy knew herself and if she were left alone with Tory the evening could have consequences she didn't want. Tory opened the door and reached for Daisy's hand, as she brushed his face, the scent of his cologne made her head start spinning, I just can't take this she thought, I must get away, but it was too late, Tory had fixed his eyes on hers and was holding her prisoner with the desire that had taken hold of her. His lips were coming down on hers, there was nothing she could do, she couldn't get away. Tory had her in his grip, she didn't want to make a scene, so she surrendered to him trying to convince herself that she had no other choice, but knowing in her heart she wanted it too.
The kiss brought emotions Daisy didn't know she had and she certainly didn't want to deal with them here and now. She had no other choice, Tory was too close for comfort and she was losing the battle with her emotions. Before she knew what was happening he was kissing her again, she had no time to get lose from his clutches not that she wanted to, who did she think she was fooling?
Leslie had gone in the house so there was no one around but the two of them and that was proving to be a strike against her. Before she knew it she was returning his kisses with the same passion he was giving them, how could she gracefully get out of this situation, did he have this much control over her? She had to bring this to an end and as soon as possible, this was not the time or the place for this although her heart was telling her something entirely different.
Daisy finally got the opportunity to ease herself out of the car; at least she could make her way to the veranda or better yet into the house where there would be others present. This would break the spell that Tory seemed to have over her when she was with him and bring them back to reality, thus giving her a chance to make a decent exit. It worked; Daisy found Aunt Maria and started a conversation to get her mind off the scene she had just taken part in. Tory was glad that Daisy had taken the initiative to do what she did; he knew it was the right thing to do for the both of them. Dais vowed she would not let this happen again although it was as much her doing as Tory's, she couldn't blame him totally and didn't intend too.
Daisy would have loved to have spent the evening with Tory, but thought it best that they weren't together after the encounter they had just had, it would be too much temptation for the both of them and there was no need asking for trouble. They had plenty of time to work on their relationship and they weren't ready to get serious just yet. Daisy had a lot going on in her head; she was taken off guard by Tory's actions although she can't deny that she enjoyed the little fiasco. She knew herself too well and knew that she did have strong feelings for him but she also knew it was too early in the relationship and didn't want to commit herself to anything right now. It was just too early to get serious no matter how much she like him.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Education?
Granny here,
Just came home from running some errands and I am just mystified by the lack of mathmatical knowledge in the cashiers here in Cleveland. This is not the first time I have been asked by the cashier how to figure the price of an item. Today I was buying some items that were 90% off but they weren't marked on the ticket so the cashier either had to ask me or use her little friend calculator so I just automatically told her the price of the first item and so when she began to ring up the second one she says can you tell me the price of this one just as fast, I said yes and told her what it would be.
One day in Zaxby's a cashier was asking a young man what 200 minus a certain number was and I said the answer to her quickly and she says, boy you're good. I said yes they taught math when I went to school (by the way was 60 years ago.
What is going on in our schools today or should I be asking what is not going on evidently not math.
How do young people get jobs when they can't do math it seems without the aid of some device, what happen to their brain is it just programmed to push buttons. It seems that they are excellent in that field but when they are called upon to do something with only their brain as a helper they seem to be deficient. I know they can sit down at a computer and put me to shame but when the world can't function without the aid of mechanics we are in trouble folks.
What do you think would happen if terrorist hit the electrical grids of this country, nothing would work, would society have to fall back on the senior citizens of this country to get things done.
I've even noticed that when I go into a restaurant and order something in different words than what the waiter has been programmed to hear they become confused and get this blank look on their face. If I ask for a chicken roll up and it says chicken wrap on the menu it's still the same thing, don't they get it? I think now, any change that you make in the menu throws the waiter or waitress into a tizzy.
It's because they have become so accustomed to being programmed like a machine that they can do no independent thinking on their own, they are always depending on those crutches that they have been given in that "education" they've received.
I can't believe that we live in a world where there are more cell phones going to school than books. How in the world does the educators of this country expect children to learn when they are so busy texting, instagraming, twittering etc. that they probably don't hear one third of the lesson. I can see from my own experience with the younger generations that we are in big trouble when it comes to education not because the teachers are inferior but the methods are.
Granny here, just saying!
Just came home from running some errands and I am just mystified by the lack of mathmatical knowledge in the cashiers here in Cleveland. This is not the first time I have been asked by the cashier how to figure the price of an item. Today I was buying some items that were 90% off but they weren't marked on the ticket so the cashier either had to ask me or use her little friend calculator so I just automatically told her the price of the first item and so when she began to ring up the second one she says can you tell me the price of this one just as fast, I said yes and told her what it would be.
One day in Zaxby's a cashier was asking a young man what 200 minus a certain number was and I said the answer to her quickly and she says, boy you're good. I said yes they taught math when I went to school (by the way was 60 years ago.
What is going on in our schools today or should I be asking what is not going on evidently not math.
How do young people get jobs when they can't do math it seems without the aid of some device, what happen to their brain is it just programmed to push buttons. It seems that they are excellent in that field but when they are called upon to do something with only their brain as a helper they seem to be deficient. I know they can sit down at a computer and put me to shame but when the world can't function without the aid of mechanics we are in trouble folks.
What do you think would happen if terrorist hit the electrical grids of this country, nothing would work, would society have to fall back on the senior citizens of this country to get things done.
I've even noticed that when I go into a restaurant and order something in different words than what the waiter has been programmed to hear they become confused and get this blank look on their face. If I ask for a chicken roll up and it says chicken wrap on the menu it's still the same thing, don't they get it? I think now, any change that you make in the menu throws the waiter or waitress into a tizzy.
It's because they have become so accustomed to being programmed like a machine that they can do no independent thinking on their own, they are always depending on those crutches that they have been given in that "education" they've received.
I can't believe that we live in a world where there are more cell phones going to school than books. How in the world does the educators of this country expect children to learn when they are so busy texting, instagraming, twittering etc. that they probably don't hear one third of the lesson. I can see from my own experience with the younger generations that we are in big trouble when it comes to education not because the teachers are inferior but the methods are.
Granny here, just saying!
Out of the Past Chpt 7
Granny here,
Chapter 7
Daisy gave Tory a call to ask if he would be available in between tours to help her find a a car, she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was more than glad to hear from her and would make room in his schedule to spend with no matter the reason. His response was more than favorable and he went as far as to offer her dinner that evening. He would pick her up at one that afternoon since his afternoon tour had been cancelled, they would shop for a car; have dinner later and what more could a girl ask for? Tory took pride in his knowledge of cars and Daisy thought he would be te perfect guide to buying one. Calabria had few super highways, most of the roads were narrow and winding so she thought a smaller vehicle would be the best for her. She wanted an American make; since she was familiar with them and didn't have a family so something small would be perfect. After two hours of test driving cars Daisy chose a cute bright yellow, convertible Chevy Malibu. She felt a little closer to home in it and it would be a connection to her mother country.
The car was not brand new although it was in excellent condition but needed to be inspected, washed and cleaned up a little, Daisy would be able to pick it up the following day. having all the important things finally out of the way Daisy could look forward to the dinner that Tory had promised her. He had chosen a small bistro off the beaten path just for the two of them; he whispered something to the waiter who then seated them at a table near the window that had a view to die for. "This is lovely, Tory, the view is breathtaking." Commented Daisy, as Tory helped her with her chair. He seated himself across the table and took her by the hand, looking into her deep blue eyes he didn't say a word, but she could feel what he wasn't saying.
The moments seemed like hours before Tory broke the silence as he whispered, "My world came to a screeching halt when you came into it, Daisy. I haven't been able to think much of anything else but you since the day you walked into my life." "I know Tory, it's been the same for me but we must use our heads and not our hearts, at least for a while. We have our whole lives ahead of us, let's take it slow, we have a lot to do before settling down, don't you think?" "I agree Daisy, but I want to be with you so badly, you will continue to see me, won't you?" "Sure, there is no one else, so we will have each other but let's not make any plans for now. Now, order me some food, I'm starving." Tory kissed Daisy on the hand and motioned for the waiter.
The conversation on the way back to the dealership was just conversation in general, nothing that referred to their earlier talk. Tory didn't want to push his luck and tried to keep it on the friendship level as much as he could and that wasn't easy because his feelings for Daisy were much more than platonic.
Daisy's new car was ready and waiting for her to pick it up, she loved it and it seemed to suit her to a tee. Tory waved good by as Daisy drove away with him in close pursuit; he would follow her just as a precaution since she didn't know the area that well. He wanted to follow her all the way home but he would go along with her wishes at least for now and not do so.
Daisy felt so satisfied when she awoke the first morning in her new home, it was such a relief to be out of the hotel although it was very luxurious. She hopped out of bed and made her way to the veranda, one of her favorite things about the house. She had bought some lovely outdoor furniture which included a large chaise lounge which was going to get a lot of use especially by her. She went back inside to put on a pot of coffee, what good was a veranda without a good cup of hot coffee. Daisy had just a few days to enjoy the view before starting her new job. She brought her coffee and the telephone outside to try out her new chaise lounge, as she lay there thinking how lucky she was, thoughts of the villa came rushing back to her, she now remembered she had heard stories circulate through the family as a young girl of her dad's great-great grandfather who had lived in such a villa years ago while stationed in Italy during the war. The story went that he had had an affair with a countess and she would meet him there whenever she could get away, it did fit the description as far as she could remember but she was sure there was no connection, which would be too weird.
She called Leslie to invite her and her family over Saturday night for a small house warming party. Leslie answered the phone with her delightful hello as she usually did, she was such a bubbly personality and Daisy loved that about her. "Leslie, it's Daisy, I'm calling to see if you and your family would like to come over for a small get together Saturday night to celebrate my new home, around six, would that be fine?" "We'd love to help you celebrate, Daisy, but are you sure you're ready for that?" "O, yes, I can hardly wait; don't forget to tell Tory, we'll see you then, bye."
Daisy had done all her shopping, she was having steaks on the grill where she would let Tory display his grilling skills, baked potatoes, spinach salad and banana pudding for dessert, it had always been her favorite and she could make it just like her mom, she never thought of herself as a cook but she could made pudding. She would pick up some wine at the local winery just a few miles from the villa, a red and a white. Just thinking of entertaining in her own home gave Daisy great satisfaction, how I wish mom and dad, Aunt Sophie and Uncle Max were her they would love it and I would love having them she thought as she dreamed of Saturday night.
Saturday was spent freshening up the house and getting everything prepared. Daisy had the pudding in the fridge, read to go, all the veggies for the salad were ready, and she would maker her famous bacon, walnut vinaigrette dressing later that afternoon. She still had to shower, do her hair, nails and makeup, a girl has to look her best, especially with Tory as a guest. Although she had not made any commitment to him, she still wanted to keep his desire inflamed if she could. She did feel a strong attraction to him but didn't want to get deeply involved this soon, there was so much in life she wanted to do, and after all she was just twenty-one.
The evening was a hit, everyone enjoyed themselves, the food was outstanding and the wine brought a smoothness that satisfied everyone's palate. Relaxing on the veranda until the sunset almost had them mesmerized but the evening had to end and the guest began to leave. Aunt Maria and Uncle Joe were the first to leave, Leslie had brought an old beau, Mario Capriano, with her and they were lingering, still sipping on their glass of wine while Tory and daisy were in the kitchen doing the last minute clean up.
As Daisy was putting the leftover salad in the fridge she could feel Tory's eyes moving up and down her figure as she bent over, she did fit into her white jeans very nicely which made her very appealing. She was about to turn around when she felt his breath on her neck, he was to close for comfort, but she like it, was she going to go along with his advances if he made any or was she going to play hard to get? Tory didn't give her the chance to decide for herself, he lifted her up and before she had time to refuse, his lips were upon hers, the heat from the embrace made Daisy's head feel light and her stomach queasy, her body responded without asking her, she fell into the kiss with such passion that even Tory was surprised. The two of them were locked in passion longer than intended and were brought back to reality by the soft laughter of Leslie and Mario. "We'll leave you two alone, enjoy the rest of the evening and I'll see you at home, Tory." "Thanks so much for coming, Leslie, it was nice meeting you Mario, I'll call you tomorrow Leslie, ok?"
Left alone, Daisy and Tory had a decision to make, would they go farther than they had intended led by uncontrollable passion, or would they follow their adult instincts and enjoy the moment but with limitations? Daisy made the first move by going outside to the veranda that she felt would be more appropriate if she was to have control of her emotions, Tory followed with the same thought in mind and the evening became what it was meant to be, friends enjoying the company of one another. They were able to bring their emotions under control and had a nice time getting to know each other a little better.
After everyone had gone, Daisy gave herself a good talking to realizing that she had to make some firm decisions concerning Tory, although she cared for him very much she had to get control of emotions and do the right thing for him and herself. What that was , she wasn't sure, but she had to find out before it was too late. She knew that the attraction between them was mutual but getting serious this early was not wise and it was going to be hard for the both of them to make the right decisions.
Daisy had dated several young men since her parents gave her the ok to date, but none of them affected her the way Tory had. She was confused as to why he had such an affect on her since they had just met a short time ago. Could it be love at first sight? Was it possible that she had already given her heart to Tory, emotionally, even though she had not committed herself verbally? This was so out of character for Daisy, she was very confused; she needed to talk this over with her mother for sure.
Daisy knew getting involved with Tory, or any other guy right now would not be good for her career, and would deter her from her plans for the future, if she didn't make the right decisions, she could find herself tied down with a family far sooner than she planned. She needed to take precautions and tread lightly with her love life to insure that she didn't do something she would be sorry for later. She had been very selective thus far and had made it to an age where a lot of her friends were already married. She hoped that she could keep these thoughts fresh in her mind when she faced Tory again.
Monday morning found Daisy fighting early morning traffic trying to be on time for her first day on the new job. It was maddening and she was a nervous wreck by the time she reached the department's parking lot. Her nerves were already on edge since it was her first day on her new job; she knew no one and had only worked for her dad at his law firm and as a lifeguard at the local pool, so this would all be new to her. She had dressed very modestly this morning wanting to investigate the dress code before she let herself go to far, she needed to see how the other girls in the office were dressing.
Her first day proved to be successful, she thought, her co-workers seemed friendly enough and there certainly was enough variation in nationalities. There was Rosalina Cappo, who was a local, born here in Calabria, Hun Ling who was from China; there was an Australian, Angie Brown, and Mau Pim from Korea, the supervisor was a good looking Italian gentleman, whose name was Antonio Spinoza, he had been with the department for five years, working his way up from documents and filing. Daisy hoped she would fit in and was going to do her part to make it happen. She would be working as the personal secretary to Mr. Spinoza.
Daisy's feet were talking back to her by the time she arrived home at six that evening. The drive home had been almost as big a challenge as her first day at work. The bathtub could not fill fast enough; she could almost feel the bubbles consuming her tired, aching body, surely she would get use to the office routine by the end of the week. If it took longer than that she would be sorely disappointed but she was young and up to the challenge. Maybe she was just a bit spoiled, could that be possible?
As Daisy stepped out of the tub, wet hair, water dripping down her back, she heard the phone ringing off the hook, but she couldn't make it in time. She finished drying and put on her favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas, she looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Leslie who had called; I will call her after I dry my hair she thought as she reached for the hair dryer. Twenty minutes later Daisy dialed Leslie's number, the voice on the other end was Aunt Maria, "May I speak to Leslie, please?" Asked Daisy, "Just one moment, Daisy replied Maria, she's with her Uncle Joe in the study." A moment went by and Leslie was on the phone, "What's up friend? How did work go today?" "I think I'm going to like it. Leslie, the office staff seemed very nice, it will take time but I think it will work out. What did you do today? How much time do you have left before you go back to America?"
"I have two more weeks left of vacation if I decide to go back, my job is not too promising and the situation there hasn't been good for quite some time. Aunt Maria and Uncle Joe have offered me a place to live if I decide to stay here, what's your opinion?" "I'm not sure I'm the one you should ask, Leslie, I would love for you to stay, you are my best friend here and I have fallen in love with your family." "You didn't mention Tory, how does he fit into your plans? How do you feel about him?" "He has definitely found a place in my life and I care very much for him, we are good friends right now and I don't know where life will lead us." Leslie thought for a moment about what Daisy had just said but didn't comment one way or the other. "I have a lot to think about Daisy, I need to call my parents and discuss this if I am considering such a move. My dad has only a few years until retirement and they are planning to spend a lot of their free time here with Aunt Maria and Uncle Joe, so living here would be ideal for that reason alone. I'll keep in touch; have a nice evening, bye." Daisy hung up the phone with high hopes that Leslie would move permanently to Italy since they had become so close since meeting and it would add so much to her life there in Calabria. The week had gone by so fast; Daisy couldn't believe it was the weekend so soon. She awoke with thoughts of home and her parents, it was getting easier without them but she still missed them a great deal. Shad hopes that maybe they would follow her someday when her dad retired and come to Calabria to live. It was a beautiful city and she thought her parents would love it there.
Chapter 7
Daisy gave Tory a call to ask if he would be available in between tours to help her find a a car, she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was more than glad to hear from her and would make room in his schedule to spend with no matter the reason. His response was more than favorable and he went as far as to offer her dinner that evening. He would pick her up at one that afternoon since his afternoon tour had been cancelled, they would shop for a car; have dinner later and what more could a girl ask for? Tory took pride in his knowledge of cars and Daisy thought he would be te perfect guide to buying one. Calabria had few super highways, most of the roads were narrow and winding so she thought a smaller vehicle would be the best for her. She wanted an American make; since she was familiar with them and didn't have a family so something small would be perfect. After two hours of test driving cars Daisy chose a cute bright yellow, convertible Chevy Malibu. She felt a little closer to home in it and it would be a connection to her mother country.
The car was not brand new although it was in excellent condition but needed to be inspected, washed and cleaned up a little, Daisy would be able to pick it up the following day. having all the important things finally out of the way Daisy could look forward to the dinner that Tory had promised her. He had chosen a small bistro off the beaten path just for the two of them; he whispered something to the waiter who then seated them at a table near the window that had a view to die for. "This is lovely, Tory, the view is breathtaking." Commented Daisy, as Tory helped her with her chair. He seated himself across the table and took her by the hand, looking into her deep blue eyes he didn't say a word, but she could feel what he wasn't saying.
The moments seemed like hours before Tory broke the silence as he whispered, "My world came to a screeching halt when you came into it, Daisy. I haven't been able to think much of anything else but you since the day you walked into my life." "I know Tory, it's been the same for me but we must use our heads and not our hearts, at least for a while. We have our whole lives ahead of us, let's take it slow, we have a lot to do before settling down, don't you think?" "I agree Daisy, but I want to be with you so badly, you will continue to see me, won't you?" "Sure, there is no one else, so we will have each other but let's not make any plans for now. Now, order me some food, I'm starving." Tory kissed Daisy on the hand and motioned for the waiter.
The conversation on the way back to the dealership was just conversation in general, nothing that referred to their earlier talk. Tory didn't want to push his luck and tried to keep it on the friendship level as much as he could and that wasn't easy because his feelings for Daisy were much more than platonic.
Daisy's new car was ready and waiting for her to pick it up, she loved it and it seemed to suit her to a tee. Tory waved good by as Daisy drove away with him in close pursuit; he would follow her just as a precaution since she didn't know the area that well. He wanted to follow her all the way home but he would go along with her wishes at least for now and not do so.
Daisy felt so satisfied when she awoke the first morning in her new home, it was such a relief to be out of the hotel although it was very luxurious. She hopped out of bed and made her way to the veranda, one of her favorite things about the house. She had bought some lovely outdoor furniture which included a large chaise lounge which was going to get a lot of use especially by her. She went back inside to put on a pot of coffee, what good was a veranda without a good cup of hot coffee. Daisy had just a few days to enjoy the view before starting her new job. She brought her coffee and the telephone outside to try out her new chaise lounge, as she lay there thinking how lucky she was, thoughts of the villa came rushing back to her, she now remembered she had heard stories circulate through the family as a young girl of her dad's great-great grandfather who had lived in such a villa years ago while stationed in Italy during the war. The story went that he had had an affair with a countess and she would meet him there whenever she could get away, it did fit the description as far as she could remember but she was sure there was no connection, which would be too weird.
She called Leslie to invite her and her family over Saturday night for a small house warming party. Leslie answered the phone with her delightful hello as she usually did, she was such a bubbly personality and Daisy loved that about her. "Leslie, it's Daisy, I'm calling to see if you and your family would like to come over for a small get together Saturday night to celebrate my new home, around six, would that be fine?" "We'd love to help you celebrate, Daisy, but are you sure you're ready for that?" "O, yes, I can hardly wait; don't forget to tell Tory, we'll see you then, bye."
Daisy had done all her shopping, she was having steaks on the grill where she would let Tory display his grilling skills, baked potatoes, spinach salad and banana pudding for dessert, it had always been her favorite and she could make it just like her mom, she never thought of herself as a cook but she could made pudding. She would pick up some wine at the local winery just a few miles from the villa, a red and a white. Just thinking of entertaining in her own home gave Daisy great satisfaction, how I wish mom and dad, Aunt Sophie and Uncle Max were her they would love it and I would love having them she thought as she dreamed of Saturday night.
Saturday was spent freshening up the house and getting everything prepared. Daisy had the pudding in the fridge, read to go, all the veggies for the salad were ready, and she would maker her famous bacon, walnut vinaigrette dressing later that afternoon. She still had to shower, do her hair, nails and makeup, a girl has to look her best, especially with Tory as a guest. Although she had not made any commitment to him, she still wanted to keep his desire inflamed if she could. She did feel a strong attraction to him but didn't want to get deeply involved this soon, there was so much in life she wanted to do, and after all she was just twenty-one.
The evening was a hit, everyone enjoyed themselves, the food was outstanding and the wine brought a smoothness that satisfied everyone's palate. Relaxing on the veranda until the sunset almost had them mesmerized but the evening had to end and the guest began to leave. Aunt Maria and Uncle Joe were the first to leave, Leslie had brought an old beau, Mario Capriano, with her and they were lingering, still sipping on their glass of wine while Tory and daisy were in the kitchen doing the last minute clean up.
As Daisy was putting the leftover salad in the fridge she could feel Tory's eyes moving up and down her figure as she bent over, she did fit into her white jeans very nicely which made her very appealing. She was about to turn around when she felt his breath on her neck, he was to close for comfort, but she like it, was she going to go along with his advances if he made any or was she going to play hard to get? Tory didn't give her the chance to decide for herself, he lifted her up and before she had time to refuse, his lips were upon hers, the heat from the embrace made Daisy's head feel light and her stomach queasy, her body responded without asking her, she fell into the kiss with such passion that even Tory was surprised. The two of them were locked in passion longer than intended and were brought back to reality by the soft laughter of Leslie and Mario. "We'll leave you two alone, enjoy the rest of the evening and I'll see you at home, Tory." "Thanks so much for coming, Leslie, it was nice meeting you Mario, I'll call you tomorrow Leslie, ok?"
Left alone, Daisy and Tory had a decision to make, would they go farther than they had intended led by uncontrollable passion, or would they follow their adult instincts and enjoy the moment but with limitations? Daisy made the first move by going outside to the veranda that she felt would be more appropriate if she was to have control of her emotions, Tory followed with the same thought in mind and the evening became what it was meant to be, friends enjoying the company of one another. They were able to bring their emotions under control and had a nice time getting to know each other a little better.
After everyone had gone, Daisy gave herself a good talking to realizing that she had to make some firm decisions concerning Tory, although she cared for him very much she had to get control of emotions and do the right thing for him and herself. What that was , she wasn't sure, but she had to find out before it was too late. She knew that the attraction between them was mutual but getting serious this early was not wise and it was going to be hard for the both of them to make the right decisions.
Daisy had dated several young men since her parents gave her the ok to date, but none of them affected her the way Tory had. She was confused as to why he had such an affect on her since they had just met a short time ago. Could it be love at first sight? Was it possible that she had already given her heart to Tory, emotionally, even though she had not committed herself verbally? This was so out of character for Daisy, she was very confused; she needed to talk this over with her mother for sure.
Daisy knew getting involved with Tory, or any other guy right now would not be good for her career, and would deter her from her plans for the future, if she didn't make the right decisions, she could find herself tied down with a family far sooner than she planned. She needed to take precautions and tread lightly with her love life to insure that she didn't do something she would be sorry for later. She had been very selective thus far and had made it to an age where a lot of her friends were already married. She hoped that she could keep these thoughts fresh in her mind when she faced Tory again.
Monday morning found Daisy fighting early morning traffic trying to be on time for her first day on the new job. It was maddening and she was a nervous wreck by the time she reached the department's parking lot. Her nerves were already on edge since it was her first day on her new job; she knew no one and had only worked for her dad at his law firm and as a lifeguard at the local pool, so this would all be new to her. She had dressed very modestly this morning wanting to investigate the dress code before she let herself go to far, she needed to see how the other girls in the office were dressing.
Her first day proved to be successful, she thought, her co-workers seemed friendly enough and there certainly was enough variation in nationalities. There was Rosalina Cappo, who was a local, born here in Calabria, Hun Ling who was from China; there was an Australian, Angie Brown, and Mau Pim from Korea, the supervisor was a good looking Italian gentleman, whose name was Antonio Spinoza, he had been with the department for five years, working his way up from documents and filing. Daisy hoped she would fit in and was going to do her part to make it happen. She would be working as the personal secretary to Mr. Spinoza.
Daisy's feet were talking back to her by the time she arrived home at six that evening. The drive home had been almost as big a challenge as her first day at work. The bathtub could not fill fast enough; she could almost feel the bubbles consuming her tired, aching body, surely she would get use to the office routine by the end of the week. If it took longer than that she would be sorely disappointed but she was young and up to the challenge. Maybe she was just a bit spoiled, could that be possible?
As Daisy stepped out of the tub, wet hair, water dripping down her back, she heard the phone ringing off the hook, but she couldn't make it in time. She finished drying and put on her favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas, she looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Leslie who had called; I will call her after I dry my hair she thought as she reached for the hair dryer. Twenty minutes later Daisy dialed Leslie's number, the voice on the other end was Aunt Maria, "May I speak to Leslie, please?" Asked Daisy, "Just one moment, Daisy replied Maria, she's with her Uncle Joe in the study." A moment went by and Leslie was on the phone, "What's up friend? How did work go today?" "I think I'm going to like it. Leslie, the office staff seemed very nice, it will take time but I think it will work out. What did you do today? How much time do you have left before you go back to America?"
"I have two more weeks left of vacation if I decide to go back, my job is not too promising and the situation there hasn't been good for quite some time. Aunt Maria and Uncle Joe have offered me a place to live if I decide to stay here, what's your opinion?" "I'm not sure I'm the one you should ask, Leslie, I would love for you to stay, you are my best friend here and I have fallen in love with your family." "You didn't mention Tory, how does he fit into your plans? How do you feel about him?" "He has definitely found a place in my life and I care very much for him, we are good friends right now and I don't know where life will lead us." Leslie thought for a moment about what Daisy had just said but didn't comment one way or the other. "I have a lot to think about Daisy, I need to call my parents and discuss this if I am considering such a move. My dad has only a few years until retirement and they are planning to spend a lot of their free time here with Aunt Maria and Uncle Joe, so living here would be ideal for that reason alone. I'll keep in touch; have a nice evening, bye." Daisy hung up the phone with high hopes that Leslie would move permanently to Italy since they had become so close since meeting and it would add so much to her life there in Calabria. The week had gone by so fast; Daisy couldn't believe it was the weekend so soon. She awoke with thoughts of home and her parents, it was getting easier without them but she still missed them a great deal. Shad hopes that maybe they would follow her someday when her dad retired and come to Calabria to live. It was a beautiful city and she thought her parents would love it there.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Out of the Past Chpt 6
Granny here,
Chapter 6
Daisy would be starting her new job in about a week so she still had plenty of time to get the house set up and organized. She needed to find some means of transportation otherwise she would have to depend on the local transit to get back and fort to work, which would be very expensive and which didn't appeal to Daisy at all. She was sure Tory would be more than glad to assist her in finding something, he knew several car dealers in the city which were reputable that she could trust to sell her a good dependable car. It wouldn't hurt to ask him and it would give her an excuse to see him again.
Daisy called Tory and made arrangements to go car shopping sometime after she got moved in, she also took the opportunity to ask his help with the move. She was going to use every excuse she could to be with him but not let her motives be fully known. She wanted to be close to him but not to close, at least not yet, but she had her strategy in place and wanted to take it slow and easy. Tory had already shown a romantic interest in her but she didn't want to appear too easy to get and planned to make him work a little harder to develop a real relationship with her if her emotions didn't get in the way.
The big day finally arrived, since the furniture was being delivered by the furniture store all Daisy had to do was arrange everything and that's where Tory came into the picture, she would need some muscle to get that accomplished and he certainly had that.
Tory picked Daisy up at the hotel early the morning of the move and they had breakfast on the way to the villa at a small café along the shore. As she sat across the table sipping her morning coffee she thought, I could look into those big brown eyes the rest of my life, he is so gorgeous. "What's going on in that head of yours?" Ask Tory which brought Daisy back to the moment, "Just daydreaming I guess, I'm so sorry, that was rude of me. Said Daisy as she took another sip of coffee, I hope you didn't mind me asking you to help me today, Tory, I know you had other things to do." "I don't mind at all, Daisy, there's no one I would rather spend the day with arranging furniture than you." He laughed as he reached over and took her by the hand.
They arrived at the villa with a few minutes to spare before the furniture was scheduled to be delivered. Daisy opened the door to the clean smell that had been left by all the cleaning she and Leslie had done days before. She walked from room to room with Tory in close pursuit, making mental notes as to where she would place each piece of furniture. she could feel Tory behind her and the fragrance of his cologne made her senses heighten to a level she was not prepared to handle at this moment. This was not going to be easy, she thought, having him with her all day, alone, she had to keep her priorities straight if she could, she had already found out that she could become very weak where Tory was concerned, if the opportunity presented itself.
She wondered out to the veranda which was an emotional mistake, the ambiance out there would only add to the stress she already felt by being with Tory, and having to refrain from becoming physically involved with him. He had such an affect on her that when she was in his presence she wanted to take him in her arms and make passionate love to him but knew that was not permitted outside of marriage on her standard chart. She had her values and she intended on keeping them, this was a promise to herself.
Tory made his way out to join her and he had his own thoughts about this moment but planned to make the most of the time he had with Daisy. As he approached her, she could feel her temperature rise, which was not a good sign, he came closer and closer until he was within an inch of touching her face and she was beginning to feel her anxiety level reach a point where she would have to made a decision. Before she could back away Tory had took her by the arm and pulled her into himself and was kissing her, it was almost impossible for Daisy to pull away, how could she when this was what she wanted, although she wouldn't admit it to herself.
The kiss was long and lasting, the fire within them was on the rise and Daisy knew that she would have to put an end to this or the day would have an ending she had not planned for nor wanted. tory looked into her eyes and she melted, she had no power where he was concerned but just in time she was recused from her own emotions by a knock on the door, it was the delivery. She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled from Tory's arms, they both laughed as thy let go of each other knowing that they were better off because of the interruption. Tory, thinking there will be time later and Daisy just glad that she had been rescued from her own emotions.
The furniture was just as beautiful as Daisy remembered and fit into the house as if it had been custom made. "Daisy, we're going to have lots of good times here, said Tory as he tried out the new sofa, you will invite me over sometime, won't you?" What could she say to a comment like that, "Of course I will, Tory, you and Leslie are the only friends I have right now so you know I will be depending on you guys to fill up a lot of my time. " I hope you don't feel that you have to invite both of us at the same time, I hope there will be time when you will want to be with me, just the two of us." Daisy was beginning to feel this conversation was heading into serious territory and she really didn't want to go there right now so she took the opportunity to change the conversation, "I'm starving Tory, aren't you getting hungry?" "Yes, now that you mentioned it I could use a bite. There's a café just a few miles from here, let's go there and get something."
All the work had been done and the villa actually looked as if someone lived there, all she had to do now was to move in her clothing and personal belongings and she would be home. She planned on having all her new friends which consisted of Leslie, Tory and their family over one day before she went to work, which was only a few days away so she still had plenty to do. The planning of the house warming party, grocery shopping and although she was looking forward to it right now she was starving again and food was on her mind.
She locked the door behind her as Tory unlocked the car, she slid in beside him, he reached over and took her by the hand, which took her by surprise, and then he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead as if to say I'm glad you're here and I hope this becomes permanent.
Tory found a quaint little café where they could relax and wind down, the food was delicious, they had fish fresh from the sea, a salad and a glass of wine. Daisy tried to keep the conversation centered on the surroundings and sights of interest of which Tory knew quite a bit since he was in the touring business. She tried to steer clear of anything personal because this relationship was developing far too fast and she knew it should although her heart wasn't helping her any, it wanted to get involved and deeply.
Daisy was finally out of the hotel and completely moved in lock, stock and barrel into her new home. All her electronics had been installed, she was truly connected, she had the internet which had a bad reputation because of the mountains, but it would do and at least she now had the house phone service, giving her cell phone a rest. She really felt like she was now home but there was one thing missing, now that she had slowed down, she really missed her parents. She missed them terribly but knew she had to learn to live her life without seeing them everyday as she had in the past. She gave her mother a quick call to fill her in on all the latest happenings since their last conversation. Her parents missed her just as much if not more than she missed them, their conversation lasted longer than usual since Daisy had lots to tell her mother, and it had been a few days since they had talked to each other and it takes a while for girls to catch up on the news.
Daisy had a few days before starting her new job, but she still needed to find that car, and stock up on food so she would have to impose on her friends at least one more time. She gave Leslie a call to ask if she could possibly take her to the market, Calabria had some of the loveliest markets and fish caught fresh daily from the surrounding waters, fresh fruits, vegetables, all grown by local farmers in the region, fresher food couldn't be found.
Calabria is located in the tip of the Italian peninsula, its population of just over two million is considered small and the economy is weak but growing. The region is mountainous and somewhat hard to navigate, systems for travel have been hard to establish. It is one of the oldest regions of Italy, it has a troubled history and didn't become a part of the larger region until eighteen sixty. It has a beautiful coastline and although once very polluted has now become one of the most pristine on the peninsula. It contains five provinces, Catazaro, the capital, Reggio di Calabria, Crotone, Consenza and Vibo Valentia. The region is filled with Mediterranean influenced rustic villas, snow tipped mountains, forest, white sandy beaches and of course the surrounding seas. Anyone interested in Greek history will love visiting this area of Italy. Many ruins of damaged ships can be found under the shoreline waters; therefore the region is popular with hobbyist who love to dive.
Calabria has several seaside and mountaintop resorts, the region is filled with artisans that sell their wares in the street markets throughout the region. The food is influenced by the Mediterranean palate with pasta, sausages, and peppers and sometimes can be spicy. Seafood is popular along with dishes made with pork, the area is filled with festivals at any given time of the year and there is something that will appeal to everyone who either visits or lives there.
Chapter 6
Daisy would be starting her new job in about a week so she still had plenty of time to get the house set up and organized. She needed to find some means of transportation otherwise she would have to depend on the local transit to get back and fort to work, which would be very expensive and which didn't appeal to Daisy at all. She was sure Tory would be more than glad to assist her in finding something, he knew several car dealers in the city which were reputable that she could trust to sell her a good dependable car. It wouldn't hurt to ask him and it would give her an excuse to see him again.
Daisy called Tory and made arrangements to go car shopping sometime after she got moved in, she also took the opportunity to ask his help with the move. She was going to use every excuse she could to be with him but not let her motives be fully known. She wanted to be close to him but not to close, at least not yet, but she had her strategy in place and wanted to take it slow and easy. Tory had already shown a romantic interest in her but she didn't want to appear too easy to get and planned to make him work a little harder to develop a real relationship with her if her emotions didn't get in the way.
The big day finally arrived, since the furniture was being delivered by the furniture store all Daisy had to do was arrange everything and that's where Tory came into the picture, she would need some muscle to get that accomplished and he certainly had that.
Tory picked Daisy up at the hotel early the morning of the move and they had breakfast on the way to the villa at a small café along the shore. As she sat across the table sipping her morning coffee she thought, I could look into those big brown eyes the rest of my life, he is so gorgeous. "What's going on in that head of yours?" Ask Tory which brought Daisy back to the moment, "Just daydreaming I guess, I'm so sorry, that was rude of me. Said Daisy as she took another sip of coffee, I hope you didn't mind me asking you to help me today, Tory, I know you had other things to do." "I don't mind at all, Daisy, there's no one I would rather spend the day with arranging furniture than you." He laughed as he reached over and took her by the hand.
They arrived at the villa with a few minutes to spare before the furniture was scheduled to be delivered. Daisy opened the door to the clean smell that had been left by all the cleaning she and Leslie had done days before. She walked from room to room with Tory in close pursuit, making mental notes as to where she would place each piece of furniture. she could feel Tory behind her and the fragrance of his cologne made her senses heighten to a level she was not prepared to handle at this moment. This was not going to be easy, she thought, having him with her all day, alone, she had to keep her priorities straight if she could, she had already found out that she could become very weak where Tory was concerned, if the opportunity presented itself.
She wondered out to the veranda which was an emotional mistake, the ambiance out there would only add to the stress she already felt by being with Tory, and having to refrain from becoming physically involved with him. He had such an affect on her that when she was in his presence she wanted to take him in her arms and make passionate love to him but knew that was not permitted outside of marriage on her standard chart. She had her values and she intended on keeping them, this was a promise to herself.
Tory made his way out to join her and he had his own thoughts about this moment but planned to make the most of the time he had with Daisy. As he approached her, she could feel her temperature rise, which was not a good sign, he came closer and closer until he was within an inch of touching her face and she was beginning to feel her anxiety level reach a point where she would have to made a decision. Before she could back away Tory had took her by the arm and pulled her into himself and was kissing her, it was almost impossible for Daisy to pull away, how could she when this was what she wanted, although she wouldn't admit it to herself.
The kiss was long and lasting, the fire within them was on the rise and Daisy knew that she would have to put an end to this or the day would have an ending she had not planned for nor wanted. tory looked into her eyes and she melted, she had no power where he was concerned but just in time she was recused from her own emotions by a knock on the door, it was the delivery. She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled from Tory's arms, they both laughed as thy let go of each other knowing that they were better off because of the interruption. Tory, thinking there will be time later and Daisy just glad that she had been rescued from her own emotions.
The furniture was just as beautiful as Daisy remembered and fit into the house as if it had been custom made. "Daisy, we're going to have lots of good times here, said Tory as he tried out the new sofa, you will invite me over sometime, won't you?" What could she say to a comment like that, "Of course I will, Tory, you and Leslie are the only friends I have right now so you know I will be depending on you guys to fill up a lot of my time. " I hope you don't feel that you have to invite both of us at the same time, I hope there will be time when you will want to be with me, just the two of us." Daisy was beginning to feel this conversation was heading into serious territory and she really didn't want to go there right now so she took the opportunity to change the conversation, "I'm starving Tory, aren't you getting hungry?" "Yes, now that you mentioned it I could use a bite. There's a café just a few miles from here, let's go there and get something."
All the work had been done and the villa actually looked as if someone lived there, all she had to do now was to move in her clothing and personal belongings and she would be home. She planned on having all her new friends which consisted of Leslie, Tory and their family over one day before she went to work, which was only a few days away so she still had plenty to do. The planning of the house warming party, grocery shopping and although she was looking forward to it right now she was starving again and food was on her mind.
She locked the door behind her as Tory unlocked the car, she slid in beside him, he reached over and took her by the hand, which took her by surprise, and then he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead as if to say I'm glad you're here and I hope this becomes permanent.
Tory found a quaint little café where they could relax and wind down, the food was delicious, they had fish fresh from the sea, a salad and a glass of wine. Daisy tried to keep the conversation centered on the surroundings and sights of interest of which Tory knew quite a bit since he was in the touring business. She tried to steer clear of anything personal because this relationship was developing far too fast and she knew it should although her heart wasn't helping her any, it wanted to get involved and deeply.
Daisy was finally out of the hotel and completely moved in lock, stock and barrel into her new home. All her electronics had been installed, she was truly connected, she had the internet which had a bad reputation because of the mountains, but it would do and at least she now had the house phone service, giving her cell phone a rest. She really felt like she was now home but there was one thing missing, now that she had slowed down, she really missed her parents. She missed them terribly but knew she had to learn to live her life without seeing them everyday as she had in the past. She gave her mother a quick call to fill her in on all the latest happenings since their last conversation. Her parents missed her just as much if not more than she missed them, their conversation lasted longer than usual since Daisy had lots to tell her mother, and it had been a few days since they had talked to each other and it takes a while for girls to catch up on the news.
Daisy had a few days before starting her new job, but she still needed to find that car, and stock up on food so she would have to impose on her friends at least one more time. She gave Leslie a call to ask if she could possibly take her to the market, Calabria had some of the loveliest markets and fish caught fresh daily from the surrounding waters, fresh fruits, vegetables, all grown by local farmers in the region, fresher food couldn't be found.
Calabria is located in the tip of the Italian peninsula, its population of just over two million is considered small and the economy is weak but growing. The region is mountainous and somewhat hard to navigate, systems for travel have been hard to establish. It is one of the oldest regions of Italy, it has a troubled history and didn't become a part of the larger region until eighteen sixty. It has a beautiful coastline and although once very polluted has now become one of the most pristine on the peninsula. It contains five provinces, Catazaro, the capital, Reggio di Calabria, Crotone, Consenza and Vibo Valentia. The region is filled with Mediterranean influenced rustic villas, snow tipped mountains, forest, white sandy beaches and of course the surrounding seas. Anyone interested in Greek history will love visiting this area of Italy. Many ruins of damaged ships can be found under the shoreline waters; therefore the region is popular with hobbyist who love to dive.
Calabria has several seaside and mountaintop resorts, the region is filled with artisans that sell their wares in the street markets throughout the region. The food is influenced by the Mediterranean palate with pasta, sausages, and peppers and sometimes can be spicy. Seafood is popular along with dishes made with pork, the area is filled with festivals at any given time of the year and there is something that will appeal to everyone who either visits or lives there.
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