Free Falling for Italy by Melinda De Ross Page B

them during the meal with a trace of melancholic admiration, as conversation flowed smoothly around the table.

 
     
    Chapter Five
     
     
    “You know,” Sonia told Linda. “It’s funny how you and Giovanni are so different, yet so much alike. He does that all the time, crackling his fingers.” She pointed to the hands of the younger woman. Caught in the act, Linda laughed.
    “Oh, it’s a very bad habit. Mother always told us we’d get arthritis if we keep doing this, but we just can’t seem to help it. Right, fratelo mio ?” she said, winking at Giovanni, who smiled back.
    “We’re very different in looks, as you might see,” he told Sonia grinning. “Our father is fair-haired and blue-eyed, like the brat here,” he explained and dodged to avoid a French fry Linda threw at his head.
    “On the other hand,” Linda picked up, “Don Juan here takes after our mother. She is tall, dark-haired and has nearly black eyes. She’s gorgeous.”
    She cocked her head, looking at Sonia. “She looks a bit like you, now that I think about it. Doesn’t she, amore ?” she asked her fiancé, who nodded with his mouth full.
    He swallowed and said, “I’ve only met Giovanna—my future mother-in-law—once, but Linda’s right. You two have a slight resemblance. In fact, you and Giovanni look like you could be siblings,” he teased, smiling.
    “Thank God we’re not,” muttered Giovanni, taking another piece of chicken. “I may have many sins, but incest isn’t among them.”
    Sonia laughed, poking him in the ribs.
    As she took another sip of Cola, Linda asked, “Would you mind telling me about your job? I’m fascinated by this, by you . I mean, a woman handling guns on a daily basis isn’t somebody one has every day invited for dinner. I might just as well take advantage and pick your brain.”
    Smiling, Sonia told them briefly about her passion for guns and about the beginnings of her career.
    “I started practicing target shooting strictly as a sport, then I was offered a job as a trainer and discovered I liked it. More to the point, I was good at it. So here I am now,” she concluded.
    “Do you still participate in competitions?” Gerard asked her, popping his last fry in his mouth.
    “Yes, I do, but not so often. Only in big competitions like national championships, international ones… Next week, we—my junior teams and I—have the Juniors National Championship in Manchester. I’ll only go as their trainer.”
    “You have to go to Manchester?” Giovanni asked, seeming slightly displeased. “How long will you stay?”
    “A couple of days, maybe three,” she replied, smiling at him as he watched her with intent dark eyes. “It’s not that long.”
    They gazed at one another for a long moment, until she noticed from the corner of her eye Linda and Gerard were watching them amused, throwing glances full of meaning at each other.
    Pirata, who had been mysteriously absent from the room, appeared in the doorway. He walked lazily to the table, whiskers twitching. After a short inspection, he jumped onto Sonia’s lap, to her delight.
    “He likes you,” remarked Linda. “He’s usually wary of strangers, he’s never friendly with people he doesn’t know. Do you have pets?”
    “She’s got a plant,” Giovanni put in dryly, making Linda and Gerard burst out laughing. “She nearly killed it.”
    “Um, I plan to adopt a puppy one day,” Sonia said defensively, giving a drop-dead look to her lover. He placed a hand on her knee and squeezed.
    “ Cara , the poor animal has already my pity. If you treat him like you do that plant, he won’t live a week.”
    She bristled, scandalized.
    “Of course I will treat him well! What do you take me for? The thing with the plant is that I don’t quite know how to take care of it. It’s not a puppy, which needs food and water every day. I never know when it’s time to water it. But I’m great with animals, and they love me. See?” she continued smugly,