"We are not held back by the love we didn't receive in the past, but by the love we're not extending in the present." Marianne Williamson
“Ciao Bella, it’s been a long time,” said the handsome, oddly familiar stranger from across the room.
I looked around, bewildered, believing he must be talking to one of the other women near me. I mean, he was familiar, but I just couldn’t figure out who he was in that moment. It just seemed so out of context, whoever he was, surely, he was intending to chat one of the other girls up.
Zoned out, I turned around and stood there, waiting for my cappuccino with two sugars and a drizzle of caramel, silently running through the database in my mind. I’ve worked with many men in my career, and have also had my share of tall, dark and enjoyably sexy men with some kind of accent to complete the package, but who called me “Bella”?
“Hmmm, that narrows it down a bit, as there were only three men who had called me that,” I thought, “but two from different parts of the world, yet their accents and voices were very similar.”
“No, it couldn’t be… could it?” I wondered, just as he approached and lightly tapped me on the shoulder. Startled, I turned around and with a more familiar smile, and said “Luca!” He leaned in to kiss me on each cheek and I gave him a hug. “So nice to see you after all this time. How long has it been now?” I asked.
“Well it must have been after I started my clothing line, and that was about 13 years ago, so it’s been awhile,” he said, “how are things with you?”
The Barista calls from behind the counter, “Cappuccino for Eliza.” As I turn in that direction, he said, “Allow me, why don’t you get comfortable, and I’ll get it for you.”
I take a seat and the idyllic bubble clouds over my head with thoughts about our time together so long ago, then it hits me, he was kind of a stalker as I remember. “Great, I’m thinking, now what? Play it cool, that’s what,” I tell myself, as he walks back toward me.
I’m settled in a comfortable chair by the window, in the far corner of my favorite coffee shop. He looks really good. My mind wanders as I see him coming towards me, confident and looking at me with the kind of smile that says “Oh yes, I’m going to see you naked again.” He gently placed my coffee on the table in front of me, sits down with his tea and settles in.
“What have you been up to all these years?” I asked. He smiles, reaches for my hand and says, “Thinking about you of course. No I’m just teasing!” He said, sitting back in his chair, “My clothing line has done very well, especially since my sister has taken over the business while I went to medical school, I became a naturopath.”
“Wow, pretty impressive! I thought you moved away a long time ago, what brings you back?” I asked.
“Well, actually my family is all here, old friends, and you of course. Though I did a fair share of traveling while getting the business going and studying in Italy for a year. They are really taking it to a new level,” he said.
”That is very fascinating, I honestly don’t remember you being into medicine at all before, you know, years ago,” I said.
”Actually, you inspired me with your stories about how healing it was for you and then I kept meeting people with similar experiences. So I reviewed the different programs, and the one that really got my attention was the one with the program in Italy. It ended up not far from where my cousins live, so it was a great opportunity to reconnect with family over there while in the program,” he said.
I lean in and said, “That sounds amazing, do you have any pictures? I’d love to see some of the highlights.”
He reached into his satchel, pulled out his tablet and started thumbing through pictures. He glanced up to see me studying him, and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve matured a bit since the last time I saw you.”
I smile at him and said, “You must have sensed my nervousness, I hope there’s no bad feelings.”
”Would we be sitting here talking like this right now if there were any bad feelings? He asked. He continues sharing pictures, scooting his chair closer to mine, showing me his slice of life and the Italian countryside where he studied.
With every photo came a story, and time had become irrelevant at this point. “So is your practice here in the area, or are you just visiting family now?” I asked.
“It’s here,” he said, “I found a few others who also practice alternative medicine and were doing really well with our clinic.”
Nodding and smiling, I said, “That all sounds so wonderful, I’m really happy for you.” Turning to look at the clock, I think that maybe he has grown up a bit, and quite nicely at that.
He puts his tablet away and reaches for my hand again, softly, looking into my eyes and said, “Now tell me, what have you been up to?”
I begin telling him about my life for the last 13 years and continue to discover more about him, appreciating all of his charm. Soon, two hours had passed, and I had to meet with a client. As I stand and reach for my coat and scarf, he takes my coat and helped me. Smooth as always, he softly takes my scarf, wrapping it around my neck and pulls me in for a kiss, a very nice kiss.
”What was that?” I asked.
He said, “I don’t think there were any mixed signals here, you’re single, I’m single, and there still seems to be some chemistry. What’s the problem?”
”I really have to go, my client will be upset that I’m late,” I said.
“Let me see you again tonight,” he says, “I promise not to bite, unless you want me to. As I remember, you did like that sometimes.” Laughing, he pushes in his chair and it makes a loud screeching sound, enough to break the tension.
“Funny man, but I’ve really got to get going,” I said.
”Alright, fine,” he said, “but I really do want to see you again, so here’s my card, I’ll be waiting for your call.” And then he kissed me on the cheek.
I walked away flustered, yet in a bit of a dreamy state and I really needed to get my head together before I saw my client. So, when I got to my car, I got in and pulled out a small vial of oil from my purse that I got at my favorite little shop. They sell oils tinctures, flower essences, and this one was perfect for the occasion, labeled “Bad habit breaker!” It has a strong earthy blend to get my head out of the clouds, and exactly what I needed. Meditate on this, I will.
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