Sicilian Dreams (11 page)

‘What about dessert’ said Liz? ‘We have to try something. I saw something that looked like a tiramisu going to that table over there’ she indicated with her hand.

‘Espresso for me’ said Cassie ‘but why don’t we ask for three spoons and share yours.’

‘I’ll have an espresso too’ said Kat.

The tiramisu was soft and creamy, the delicate coffee and chocolate flavors bringing forth lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘ah’s’ from the girls.

‘Okay, we are going to have to dance this off,’ said Kat. ‘I picked up a flyer for a new club in the old part of town. What do you say we finish up here and wander down and take a look?’ She saw the looks on the others faces and said ‘Oh come on, we don’t have stay long, it’ll be fun, where’s your sense of adventure?’

‘Kat, your ‘adventures’ have a habit of back firing. Remember the bar you dragged me into after Liz’s wedding? It was a biker bar and we got hit on by about twenty ancient Hell’s Angels and had to make a run for it.’

Liz laughed and said, ‘That’s nothing. Once in London we ended up at a Transvestites nightclub in Tottenham at 3am in the morning. One of the ‘ladies’ borrowed my heels and that was the last I saw of them. We were delivered home in the back of an old van at 5am.’

‘Well at least we got a ride home,’ said Kat. ‘They were perfect gentlemen. Well lady gentlemen.’ They were all hooting with laughter as the waiter came back over carrying a bottle of limoncello and three tiny glasses.

‘On the house signorine’ he said, carefully pouring a measure into each glass and then leaving the bottle on the table.

‘Dare we?’ said Kat, looking at Cassie as their waiter departed. ‘This is really hair of the dog. Oh, what the heck, we are on holiday and we can sleep it off tomorrow morning.’

‘Cin cin’ said Cassie and they raised their glasses, Liz sipping very slowly.

‘I have to drive and this stuff is pretty strong. Tasty though’ she said, smacking her lips with satisfaction.

Kat and Cassie ended up having a couple of glasses.

‘We are going to do lengths in the pool tomorrow’ announced Cassie ‘and maybe a walk first thing.’

‘Speak for yourself’ said Kat, ‘the only exercise I’m going to be doing is horizontal. Sleeping or sunbathing.’

‘Me too’ said Liz. ‘I need to work on my tan.’

They paid the bill and gave the waiter a generous tip for his service and left with and ‘Buona seras’ and ‘grazie’ ringing in their ears. Following Kat, they made their way back into the narrow alleys of the old town, past the main piazza, which was still half filled with diners and families, eating gelato and chatting animatedly to each other.

‘Up this way’ said Kat, peering at the advertising flyer in the gloom. Five doors up the narrow alley they saw a light above an open door and a simple sign, which read ‘The Cavern’.

‘This looks like a Kat special’ said Cassie.

‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ whispered Kat, as they followed her giggling through the door and down some steep, stone steps which dipped in the middle, suggesting their vintage was at least several hundred years old. They reached the bottom of the steps and saw an arrow on the plaster wall indicating the way ahead.

‘This is spooky,’ said Liz. ‘Those wall sconces make it look like a dungeon.’

‘I think that is the idea’ said Kat ‘anyway, it is atmospheric.’

‘If a dungeon can be called atmospheric,’ quipped Cassie. There was light coming from the end of the short tunnel, and as they passed through the arched doorway they entered a larger space with higher ceilings. The decor was minimalist with a long bar that had lighting underneath the marble top which glowed blue in the dim light and a near dark dance floor, two shallow steps down from the main bar and seating area. The music playing seemed to be a blend of modern jazz, loud, but not over bearing.

Apart from several couples lounging on the low slung chairs and couches, which resembled giant beanbags, the place was quiet and no one was dancing.

‘It’s only 11:30pm, early yet’ said Kat. ‘We’ll wait another hour and then things will heat up.’

The barman seemed delighted to see them and offered them a cocktail on the house.

‘Sounds good’ said Kat, ‘what are we drinking?’

‘I have just made an Island Voodoo cocktail said the barman in heavily accented English.
‘Come, try it, you will like it I promise.’ He poured the contents of the cocktail shaker into tall, thin glasses, popped a curl of candied orange rind into each one and pushed the drinks towards them with a smile.

‘Grazie’ said the girls, each taking a tentative sip.

‘Well, I can taste Limoncello I think,’ said Kat.

‘Si, in this drink there are three ingredients. Rye whiskey, Av
erna and Limoncello. It is good, no?’

‘Si, I mean yes,’ said Cassie. ‘It doesn’t taste too strong, does it?’ she enquired of Liz and Kat.

‘No, it’s very smooth,’ said Liz, ‘but I bet it’s got a kick like a mule.’

They took their drinks over to an empty, long, low slung couch placed against a wall that had large rolled pillows to relax back onto instead of a seat back.

‘It’d be jolly hard to get out of these things after a couple of drinks’ said Kat, her long legs splayed out in front of her.

‘Yes, I’m glad I wore a long dress,’ said Liz reclining gracefully back into the cushions.

‘Lucky for you’ said Cassie, attempting to sit down gracefully, but falling rather than sitting at the last moment. She pulled down at the hem of her dress, which had ridden up revealingly. ‘Oops.’ she said, laughing, ‘good thing I wore panties, even if it is just a thong.’

‘Good place to check out the talent from’ added Kat, nodding towards the doorway to their left.

‘What about Mr Berkley, the love of your life?’ said Liz.

‘You can be on a diet but still look at the menu’ said Kat. ‘Relax, I’m not intending to do anything.’ she added. ‘Anyway, like they say, what goes on tour stays on tour.’

The club started to fill up and by midnight it was full. The music had changed to electronic dance music and people were crowded on to the dance floor. Kat went to the bar and ordered and another round of drinks and Liz and Cassie could see her chatting to a couple of guys who looked local. Both dark haired, muscular and of medium height, they looked to be in their mid twenties, and they followed Kat back over to the couch and asked if the girls wanted to dance.

‘I am Luigi and this is Roberto,’ said Luigi. He had a nice smile. ‘We are brothers. You are triplets, no?’ he said.

‘Yes, identical triplets’ said Kat. ‘Meet my sisters, Liz and Cassie.’

‘Piacere’ said Luigi and Roberto. ‘Shall we dance?’

They danced in a group so no one was partnered up with anyone else and this made them all relax. The music was pulsating and strobe lights flashed across the dance floor. Cassie liked to dance. She had natural rhythm and she moved sensuously to the music, letting it take over her body. Suddenly she was jerked backwards by an arm to the edge of the dance floor and she turned and came up short against a hard body. The hard body of Marco, she thought with a flutter of excitement, looking up into his eyes, now dark and brooding, not green and lively. He looked amazing in a pair of fitted black jeans and an open necked white shirt. He glared down at her.

‘Having fun are we Cassandra?’ he growled.

‘Marco’ she exclaimed, ‘what are doing here? Let me go, you’re hurting my arm.’

He dropped her arm immediately and put his hands on her shoulders instead. ‘I arrived 5 minutes ago and have been watching you on the dance floor.

‘More to the point, what are you doing here?’ he asked icily.

‘Excuse me buddy,’ said Cassie, getting annoyed, ‘since when have you been my keeper? I’m here on holiday, remember? This is what people do on holiday. They go out, they have fun, they might even dance with strangers,’ she said sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips.

‘You have had too much to drink Cassandra. You don’t know what can happen at these sorts of places later on. Guys that will prey on foreign girls, especially ones that stand out like you,’ he said darkly.

‘Oh please,’ said Cassie, ‘what are you, my father? This is ridiculous Marco, I’m perfectly happy here dancing with my friends.’

‘Kat and Liz are dancing with those guys now; you could be the spare wheel. I think you should come with me now,’ he said, moving to take her hand. She shook him off and glared up at him.

‘Marco, don’t you get it? I don’t need you to chaperone me, I’m perfectly all right here and I like dancing. So what, what’s wrong with that?’

‘I watched you dancing. You dance like you make love, with your heart and soul. It occurred to me that I don’t want to see you dancing with other men. Come with me now Cassandra, you can do a private dance for me back at home,’ he whispered this last part in her ear and Cassie felt her stomach flip. Why does this guy have the ability to throw me every time she thought?

‘Are you jealous? That is so ridiculous. You make it sound that I dance like a whore,’ she said angrily, stamping her high-heeled foot, tempted to stomp on his foot at the same time.

‘Not like a whore Cassandra, but very close. I like it by the way’ he grinned wickedly. ‘I want a private dance. Wait here like a good girl while I go and let Liz and Kat know we are leaving.’ He strode into the throng of dancers and Cassie could see him with Kat and Liz; their heads bent close together, laughing and chatting as she stood and fumed on the side of the dance floor. Good girl my ass, she thought, although she now had butterflies in her stomach and made no move to go back onto the dance floor. He came over and took her once more and led her towards the big archway and the exit.

‘Marco, you are leaving so soon, amore,’ said a seductive voice behind them and Cassie turned to see the most beautiful woman she had ever clapped eyes on. Tall, with long black hair, almond eyes honey colored skin, a straight nose and full, red lips, she looked exactly like the type of supermodel that Cassie had thought Marco would have stashed away somewhere. The red bandage dress she was wearing left nothing to the imagination and barely skimmed her bottom, which only made her perfect legs look longer. She completely ignored Cassie moving in to embrace Marco with a passionate kiss on both cheeks. She pouted, her face close to his. ‘Marco, you said we would spend time together this evening, remember.’ She flashed a smile at him, and her long, red painted nails stroked his shoulders and the back of his neck. Cassie felt like a giant worm was writhing away inside her stomach and she had a sudden desire to yank hold of the sirens long hair and give it a good pull. The fact that Marco seemed delighted to see her made Cassie even angrier.

‘Ciao bella Francesca’ said Marco, holding her lightly by the shoulders. ‘Carissima, I am sorry tonight I have to take one of the guests back to the estate. She is not feeling well,’ he added. Francesca gave Cassie a hard look, assessing her from head to toe.

‘Yes, she does look washed out, I agree. But you promised amore.’ she whined.

‘I’m feeling perfectly well Marco and you know it’ interjected Cassie. She was still trailing behind him and had let go of his hand.

‘I think she has had too much to drink,’ hissed Marco to Francesca and turning to firmly grasp Cassie’s hand again. ‘We have to go, ciao bellissima, I’ll call you soon.’ He pulled Cassie with him and hurriedly pushed her through the doorway ahead of him.

‘Why are you rushing me’ snarled Cassie, ‘and what was all that about being drunk? I’m not drunk and you are behaving like an asshole.'

‘I didn’t say ‘drunk’’ said Marco, ‘I said ‘too much too drink’ and don’t call me an asshole.' He hustled her up and the stairs and they were back in the dark, narrow alley and the air felt blessedly cool. Cassie looked up at the star filled sky and took a deep breath.

‘Marco, why were you in such a hurry to get away from Francesca?’ she asked. ‘Is she your girlfriend?’ She suddenly had a lump in her throat and had gone from being angry to feeling bereft within seconds. Marco had not let go of her hand and now he pulled her to him.

‘Now who is jealous?’ he said playfully, lightly kissing the top of her nose. ‘Francesca is not my girlfriend. Our families are friends and we have known each other since we were children and she is more like a sister to me.’

‘She didn’t seem to be acting very sisterly to me’ sniffed Cassie, feeling marginally better.

‘That is just her way. Francesca is used to getting all the attention all the time from men and she doesn’t like to share.’ He hugged Cassie tighter. She felt much better.

‘Come, let’s go, my car is parked around the corner.’ They walked back down the alley and into the slightly wider main street. Tucked up tight against the wall of the alley, Cassie could just make out a low-slung convertible.

‘Cool car’ she said, ‘what is it and how come you were able to park it here? I thought this part of the old town was car free.’

‘Ah, but when you are a local it’s different’ said Marco, ‘it’s a 1990 Alpha Romeo Spider roadster, a classic,’ he added.

Cassie thought about vaulting into the passenger seat like she had done earlier, but she was tottering a bit on her heels on the cobblestones. Maybe she had drunk too much. In any case, Marco himself had to leap into the drivers seat because his side was hard up against the wall, but he chivalrously opened her door before doing so.