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I offer Fortune of Rome? as a companion piece to Fortune of Paris.
Fortune of Rome
The moment Jacob starts on about the statue and its history while I focus on the birds crapping on said statue and the clouds that will soon be crapping on us, so to speak, I lose it. At least I do in my head.
This is our freaking honeymoon, but instead it has become “Jacob plays tour guide because Jacob knows freaking everything,” although I’m positive he’s made up a lot.
For three years I was certain Jacob was The One. For three years we saw each other once or twice a week while we studied for our PhDs. Now I’ve been with him for a week and I’m about to lose my mind. He never stops talking. How can I live with him forever?
I sit on the side of the fountain and lower my face to my palms.
“Scusi, Signorina?”
I look up into startling blue eyes.
“You’re American?” the man asks with a Scandinavian accent.
“How?”
“Your necklace.”
I touch the charm, a map of Virginia, smile and again ask: “How?”
He grins. “I attended the University of Virginia.”
“Me, too.”
Several feet away Jacob gesticulates, his words a pleasure to his ears.
end 5/13/2017
Sascha Darlington
Brilliant! Loved it -the last line was the icing 😀
Thank you, Dahlia! 🙂
First story of the morning and you’ve set the bar scarily high. I felt like you pulled me in straightaway and had to keep reading to see what the future held for this clearly ill-matched pair. I wonder how many of her (and probably his) friends and creatives will be thinking “I knew it wouldn’t work”? Great story-telling.
Thank you. I appreciate your comment. I think they probably devoted more time to their studies than getting to know each other. 🙂
Sascha, this is undoubtedly a brilliant piece of story writing. And yes, the last line was the icing on the cake.
Thank you very much, Neel! 🙂
I feel a bit sorry for Jacob! The history of Rome is fascinating… On the other hand, it is their honeymoon 🙂 Great story.
Yes. I think she imagined a different kind of honeymoon. And he was probably looking forward to Rome…
She seems a trifle flighty to me, I have to say!
Could be. I suspect she wanted someone to talk *to* her rather than *at* her. 🙂 Thank you for reading!
Well that marriage ended quickly.
Or maybe Jacob will turn around and…
Oh no, that’s practically the definition of “bad sign” on your own honeymoon! Seems like she would have noticed how much he talks before this point. Maybe he just travels badly and he’ll be perfectly fine once they’re home again. Some spouses are like that. 😉
It would be intriguing to continue and see what happens. Thanks for reading! 🙂
UVA Wahoo!
Are you UVA?
Great start Sascha. I love that last line. It made me laugh. “His words a pleasure to his ears” lol. I think they should have spent more time together at first.
Thanks! Yes, definitely not enough time for them. 🙂
Ha, ha. Jacob needs to wake up and as the old saying goes, “smell the coffee”. Either that or she could take notes and write a book. 🙂 — Suzanne
Yes! 🙂 Thank you, Suzanne.