Give Me the Moonlight

Apparently, we got the wrong end of the stick.

So Giovanni assured us when he refuted our accusations that he had taken advantage of a young girl who was about to walk down the aisle.

“I went out to have a smoke and one of the bridesmaids approached me and gave me to understand that she wanted a cigarette. I obliged and she muttered something I didn't understand but sounded like 'you are kind' and kissed me on the cheek. End of story. I don't know where the bride-to-be went.”

I knew that Gio was shy and reserved; he wouldn't say boo to a ghost and would even blush if a girl said hello to him. The thought that he would importune anyone was ludicrous.

Eva whispered to me that Bella was a starry-eyed romantic and had taken a shine to our friend. It was good that she had taken the first step to make a connection.

Alf took the initiative once again and asked the three girls if they cared to join us for a meal.

Cornelia seemed to reassure the other two of our good intentions and recommended a restaurant she knew.

It was a convivial and very enjoyable evening and when the meal was over we thought it was our duty to see the girls safely home.

As they all lived in different parts of the city we ordered three cabs.

It was obvious that Bella was angling for Giovanni to accompany her and Cornelia would go with Alf, which meant that I was to be Eva's escort. The arrangements seemed to suit everyone.

Before we left, Alf stipulated that once we dropped the girls home we meet in Rembrandt Square to go together to Prinsengracht  Station to collect our luggage and catch a train to our hotel in Utrecht.

###

Eva lived on the periphery of the city and the journey took a long time but it gave us the opportunity of getting to know each other.

She told me she worked at the Heineken brewery, and that she liked Italian pop songs.

She had recently heard the latest by Johnny Dorell, Lettera a Pinocchio, and wanted to buy the record.

Any thought that I may have entertained about a holiday romance went by the board when she casually mentioned that she was ln a serious relationship.

We finally arrived at her destination and she urged me to go back with the same taxi as I wouldn't find another one so late at night, but I was enjoying her company so much that I didn't heed her advice.

She lived on the third floor of a block of flats. A light could be seen in one of the windows.

“I would ask you to come in for a cup of coffee”, she said, “but I see that my mother is still up. We better say goodnight.”

I was expecting a peck on the cheek but she hugged me tightly and we kissed passionately.

What ensued under a moonlit sky will stay forever in my memory.

© Luigi Pagano 2023
Previous episodes:
https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/three-men-and-car
https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/mastplan
https://www.abctales.com/story/luigipagano/going-dutch-edited