Chapter Twenty-Seven
Arianna gasped with wonder seeing the luxurious resort which was a grand villa set on the luxurious Mediterranean gardens. Located on the Janiculum Hill between the Vatican and Trastevere, the five star hotel was close to the historical center of the city. Built on the banks of the River Tiber, the hotel had awesome views too.
"It's so grand, Laurence, " she squealed with delight.
"Isn't it? Only the best for you Aria, " he said warmly. She pecked his cheek excitedly as they approached the hotel.
"Thank you," she said warmly.
They were allocated a grand honeymoon suite having all the luxuries of the world and more. After a refreshing welcome drink, they showered and were ready to check out what Rome had to offer. They had a luxurious car with a chauffeur and a tour guide provided by the hotel to help them around.
They checked out the Palatine Hill, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and then stopped for lunch at an old heritage restaurant offering authentic and delicious local dishes.
"The pizza here is bursting with Mediterranean flavours, unlike what we eat back at home," said Arianna, relishing each bite with a moan.
"Can you not moan, please?" Groaned out Laurence and Arianna giggled.
Afterwards they visited the Vatican City and the Pantheon and returned back to the hotel. Showering and freshening up, they went for shopping and then for dinner. It was a very exhausting day and they soon fell asleep. Laurence woke her up early in the morning to watch the sunrise.
After freshening up, Laurence pulled her into his arms.
"Someone else has also risen up along with the sun, wouldn't you like to see it?" He whispered biting her earlobe.
"Oh who could it be?" Asked Arianna with a grin. He held her hand and placed it on his growing arousal. She pulled his sweatpants down and stroked his shaft. They made love till they were satiated. Laurence ordered breakfast and it was delivered to their room as both of them didn't wish to go out to eat. Later they went out, spending the whole day sightseeing amidst fun, laughter, photographs and lots of new experiences and new memories.
At night they left for Florence. The hotel at Florence was a historic masterpiece offering an expansive private garden, with its charming statues, fountains and even a small Ionic temple, which was planted in the 15th century and retained all of its ancient beauty. They went for a guided day trip to Pisa to see the Piazza dei Miracoli - The famous square in Pisa, the Duomo di Pisa - The famous Cathedral, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then they had lunch at a quaint restaurant nearby offering the most delicious Tuscan cuisine, Tuscan styled steak, classic Tuscan lasagna, Ribollita Soup with handmade Tuscan bread and chestnut cake.
Afterwards they checked out the Baptistery of St. John, the Chiesa di San Sisto - One of the oldest churches in Pisa and the Knights' Square - The political centre in the Middle Ages. They returned back to their hotel and spend some time strolling beneath the centuries-old trees in the garden. After showering and dressing up they climbed the hill for a romantic dinner with Duomo views.
"This is the most amazing holiday of my life," admitted Laurence as they ate a delicious meal under the starlit sky, with a romantic setup amidst nature. Beautiful tea lights and flowing tulle were tied to the pillars of the gazebo, with a table laden with food and drinks. It was perfect for a romantic meal with your loved one.
"Oh, but you've visited nearly every place in the world," she said with disbelief.
"Yes, but this time it's with you, it's special, " he said, holding her hand and kissing her knuckles.
"Oh Laurence, I don't want this holiday to ever end," she said with deep emotion.
"I know, neither do I," he acknowledged. Laurence was apprehensive to face his parents wrath after they returned home. He was a man of few words and he didn't like violence and melodrama. But he didn't wish to think about it and waste this special moment that he had. He wanted to spend time with his beautiful, young wife. They returned back to the hotel and made love. After that first time on the airplane when Laurence had forgotten about using protection, he had used protection everytime they made love. He didn't want his Aria to get pregnant so early. The first time, he was too excited and it had escaped his mind altogether but not anymore.
The next day they went on a sightseeing tour of Florence and later they went shopping. At night they flew to Venice. Their hotel was set in one of the city's eight, great monumental palazzos on the Grand Canal. After a day of checking out the Venetian wonders they returned bacj to their hotel. In the late afternoon, they headed down the Grand Canal to the west, taking the smaller canals out to the Giudecca and into the lagoon. There they watched the ethereal sunset over charming islands.
After dinner they flew to the Amalfi coast. It was the most picturesque area of the whole of Italy. Here, the mountains plunged into the sea in a nail-biting vertical scene of precipitous crags, cliff-clinging abodes and verdant woodland. The whole coast had a string of fabled towns namely Positano, Ravello, Sorrento which were the most popular ones.
"Oh, I could live here forever," she gasped watching the turquoise water of the ocean from their hotel suite.
"It's picture perfect," said Laurence joining her at the open balcony of their suite. Arianna clicked a selfie and made it her wallpaper.
The next two days they spent sightseeing and enjoying the last of their relaxed holiday. At night they would fly back to Las Vegas, reaching home the next day.
"Will we go straight to your home?" Asked Arianna over dinner.
"Yes, my parents have come to know of our wedding," informed Laurence with a grave face.
"How?" Asked a pale Arianna.
"Dad met Fr Bernard and he informed him. He and mom cornered Lisa. She was so scared that she couldn't lie," said Laurence. Lisa had texted him last night but Laurence hadn't informed Arianna since she would unnecessarily panic and their last day together would be ruined.
"I'm scared. Are they mad at me?" Asked a nervous Arianna.
"No they are mad at me," he informed her. They quietly finished their dinner. Arianna had already lost her appetite hearing the news. She knew that now the time had arrived to face the music. They packed their stuff and got ready to check out of the hotel.
Later they were driven to the airport. Their jet was waiting for them and they boarded it. It was a fifteen hour flight back home but Arianna was too panic stricken to enjoy the time that she had with Laurence. A sixth sense was warning her of the tornado ahead but she didn't know how to communicate it to Laurence. She lay down and feigned sleep the whole night, twisting and turning. The next morning they would reach after lunch, so she was in no hurry to get up early. She might have slept in the wee hours of the morning. Laurence knew her mental state and didn't wake her up. He let her sleep and gain some energy for what was in store for them.
He knew his parents, they were money minded and wouldn't take this easily. They had shifted to Vegas solely to trap Eric Parker and his billions. He sighed as he sipped his coffee thinking of a way to scale down the upcoming melodrama. He didn't fear for himself but for Arianna.
All the anger would fall upon her since she was so vulnerable. He would call Troy the moment he landed and ask him to look for an apartment for themselves. Arianna woke up at 9 o'clock feeling tired and sleep deprived. She had a little breakfast not having much of an appetite.
"Don't worry so much darling. I'm with you. If matters worsen, we shall move out," he said trying to comfort her.
Arianna nodded. She wanted to ask him why they couldn't start living separate after meeting his parents. When he knew they wouldn't accept their relationship, he shouldn't force her to live with them. Why wait for matters to worsen? However she didn't say a word and just waited for the flight to land.
They had a simple lunch and the flight landed after forty minutes. Tim was waiting for them with a grim expression on his face. It seemed that he too got a blasting of his life.
He loaded their luggage after the brief pleasantries and then drove them towards Laurence's home. There was silence in the car as Laurence quietly held her hand.
Tim drove straight into the underground parking area of Laurence's luxurious home. Arianna took a deep breath and alighted from the car. Tim unloaded their luggage and they headed for the elevators, ready to face the music.
