Fire and blood (Book2 of Wolves of Milano)

6. A bike ride as a date?

Grazia drove her father’s pride possession to her dinner date with Alessio. If nothing else works, she will get him with a bike. And what a bike it is! It’s a joy to drive it and to show it off. Her vintage Gilera Saturno 500. The bike will be a magnet for just anyone that knows anything about motorcycles. 

“Oh my god, girl!” Alessio exclaims. “Is that vintage or a replica?”

“Vintage. Wanna go for a ride later?” She asks him.

“Yes, please.” His eyes glisten in the afternoon sun. “We have a reservation and I promised you dinner.”

They sit by the window to look out at the bikes and keep watch over them. His Harley looks bulky next to her sleek Gilera, but she can appreciate a good bike when she sees it. A constant smile is on her face, she’s having fun with him. And he can talk when he wants to. Surprisingly articulate, too. 

“Why am I the only one talking?” He says suddenly. “Tell me more about your bikes.” 

“Well. The Hayabusa is mine. It was a present from my father for my twentieth birthday. It’s my baby and my favourite bike.” Grazia tells him and puts her fork down. The risotto was great, as ever.

“What about that Gilera?” Alessio inquires and glances out the window.

“That one was my father’s favourite. I inherited his collection. It was time to take one out again. I hated to look at them, it only made me miss my father.” She sniffs and the tears stay away. Maybe she needs to talk about him more.

“It’s OK. Take your time.” Alessio consoles her.

“Thank you. It helps to talk.” She nods. “I’ll show you the other bikes. They need the attention.”

“I would be honoured.” He smiles his trademark smile at her and her lips form a smile on their own. “Are there any newer bikes in your collection?”

“Yeah. Dad actually bought a Harley that is pretty similar to yours. That one is the newest, it’s only ten years old.” Grazia smiles and plans to take the Harley for a ride.

“And the oldest?” He wants to know.

“That would be the Gilera 125 from 1949. It still runs and it’s all original. But that one will not leave the garage, ever.” She answers.

“I get it. A collectors bike.” Alessio nods.

The dinner is over and they keep talking about bikes, so she wonders about the route for their ride. There is one particular road that she likes very much, but maybe he doesn’t? Better to ask and not worry about such things.

“Where do you ride just for fun? Not around the city, I hope?” Grazia asks.

“Nah. The traffic is terrible. I usually take the road up to Varese. Lugano is a great destination, but I don't know what you think about crossing the border.” Alessio smiles at her.

“I haven't been to Lugano in years. I would want a more comfortable bike for that, but Varese sounds good.” She tells him. “Let’s go. And I will even switch bikes with you halfway.”

“You’ll let me ride your bike?” He sounds surprised and she nods at him. 

“I trust you not to run away with it. I’ll have your Harley and I think you’ll want it back.” Grazia laughs and winks at him.

Getting out of the city on bikes is a matter of minutes and avoiding traffic jams on side streets is fun. The ride to Varese is fun on the winding mountain road and they switch bikes on a nice resting place, overlooking the valley below. Getting the feel for his Harley, she revs the throttle a bit and rides off. The bike is comfortable to ride and she has no trouble on it, even though it’s set for Alessio and he is a few centimeters taller than her.

Stopping at a bar in Varese, they order a cold alcohol free beer. She is surprised at his choice, so she asks him about it.

“I never drink when I’m out with my bike. I saw too many accidents in the line of work. I used to ride the first response bike for a few years, but it got too much for me.” Alessio tells her.

“What do you do now? I never researched Firefighters.” Grazia asks.

“Oh. Well, I’m on the water hose, most of the time. When there’s a fire. We get called out to accidents, too.” Alessio tells her. “Do you know what ‘yaws of life’ is? That’s what I do.”

“That’s the tool to cut cars apart, right?” Grazia looks at him sideways. The name brought up memories she didn’t want. If only the first responders to her parent’s accident had that tool, maybe they would still be alive.

“Is something wrong?” He asks her and his hand envelops hers.

“It brought up some memories, that’s all.” She nods. “Can we talk about something else, please?”

“Sure. What’s your favourite movie?” Alessio smiles at her.

“Ghost rider.” Grazia laughs. “Nice one!”

“Thanks. I like to see you smile. It makes you younger.” He smiles and winks at her. “Let's go back home. I need my beauty sleep.”

“Charmer. You always look great.” She laughs but gets up and pulls her jacket back on.

“Well, you look great in that kevlar jacket, too. You have to explain that one to me one day.” Alessio winks again. Is he flirting with her? God, she hopes so.

They drive off, back to Milano, back to everyday problems and worries, but she is happy they shared the few hours on the road. The switch of bikes happens at the same rest stop and she smiles when she sees that Alessio has a hard time parting with her Gilera. it is a special bike, she has to admit that.

“Can I get a picture with this bike? Please!” He begs her.

“Of course you can. Give me your phone.” Grazia nods and sets the Harley on the stands. She clicks a few pics from different angles to catch the bike and Alessio in a good light. “You’ll have to photoshop these a bit. Your eyes came out weird and the flash on your phone is not really strong enough for late evening photos.”

“Let me see! But the bike is the important feature, not my eyes.” Alessio grabs his phone and swipes through the pics. “I see the problem. The yellow is easy to correct, it’s the same feature that corrects the red dots on the eyes.”

“It's just the angle of the light. You’re a great model, though.” She smiles at him.

“Thank you.” Alessio smiles brightly. “I guess I have to return the bike now?” 

“Please. The Harley is fun to drive, so I guess I’ll have to dust off my fathers and take it for a ride one of these days.” Grazia nods and throws her leg over her own bike.

“Do I get to see it?” He inquires and does the same with his bike.

“Sure. I’ll invite you over when the renovations are done at my house. I finally let go of my mother’s furniture.” She nods.

“Great. I can’t say I know how you feel, because I don’t, but I think it’s great that you let go of her stuff and think about what you want.” He tells her.

“Thank you. Honesty is much more important to me than fake sympathy.” She smiles and he laughs at her.

“Good to know! I’d say race you back to the city, but I don’t really stand a chance against you.” He continues to laugh and the sound makes her skin crawl in a good way. It washes over her like a caress. “So, drive safe and see you tomorrow.”

“You too. Night!” She shouts over the roar of both bikes and they drive off. She lets him in front to observe him some more. The silhouette he makes on the bike is alluring and she wouldn't mind him in her bed at all.

Driving home to her empty house is not something she relishes, but she has no choice. He’s not the only one who needs sleep. She has a busy schedule tomorrow and she needs to look her best for the meetings she has in the morning. The fashion industry never rests and neither does she. A few hours of sleep and a large cup of coffee to wake her up in the morning and off she goes. She only hopes she will have some energy left in the afternoon for the shooting with the Firemen. That is the thing she is looking forward to the most. Ogling great looking men. With Alessio on the set again. She can’t get enough of that man. Maybe she could do a poster of him, if he turns her down? Just to have something to look at? Guilty pleasures and such.

She parks the bike in the garage and walks over the lawn to the back entrance. The smell of fresh paint greets her and she decides to see what Alphonso was up to. Turning on the lights, she is pleasantly surprised to see the living room empty of all furniture, the marble floor gleaming in the light and the back wall adorned with an ombre paint going from white to gold. It looks like a sunset colored the wall and she wonders what kind of furniture Alphonso will set in this room. Whatever he chooses, it will be better, because he got her with the paint. 

Grazia walks into the kitchen and sees that he was very active there, too. The cupboards are painted over with a glossy white and there is a note on the black marble counter. She is curious to see what he has installed for her and she picks it up.

“Grazia, darling! I hope you like it. The furniture will be brought in on Tuesday. I didn’t change much in the kitchen, because it’s perfect. Just the weird brown had to go. The upstairs will be done in the next few days as well. And I’m negotiating for new art pieces. Love, Alphonso!”

She loves it! She takes a walk over the rest of the downstairs rooms and she finds new paint in the office that goes surprisingly well with the antiques her father set in there and the parlor is empty of all the clutter. The small guest bathroom was overhauled as well. Still in black and white, but the new golden accents with the fixtures and lights make it seem like a completely different room. And the mirror is new! That monstrosity her mother selected is finally gone. She got scared of the mirror every time she stepped into this bathroom. Maybe it was just her mothers attempt to get the guests to leave early? Who knows, but she is glad that the gargoyle adorned mirror is gone.

Oh, yeah. This is much more her style, she thinks and walks up the stairs to her room. Maybe he will do the master in a way she will like more than her old childhood room. If she’s changing everything in her life, then she might as well give up on her old furniture and grow up. Her room looks like a teenager's dream and she is a serious business woman. At 27 years old, she  thinks it’s finally time to give up her room in favour of a master suite. 

Thinking of all the changes while she takes a shower, she manages to push Alessio out of her thoughts for one evening. Getting busy is the trick she needs. Thinking about all the things that were done and still will be done to the house. She smiles and feels like her life is getting back on track. Maybe she can trick her mind into dreaming about a bike ride? After her evening yoga routine to relax, she climbs into her bed and gets a nice night of sleep for once.