get pneumonia."
Carlina followed her cousin with a grin. "I wonder what it takes to make you feel romantic."
"Easy." Annalisa looked like a smug cat. "A bottle of golden champagne, a brand-new pair of flaming diamond earrings, and a whirlpool with rose leaves."
"A whirlpool with rose leaves would get clogged up immediately."
Annalisa gave her sharp glance. "Now who's unromantic? Really, Carlina, I wonder about you. You start to rhapsodize over an old bridge that's falling apart and give me a cleaning woman's remark when it comes to whirlpools." Her high heels clattered over the uneven stone slabs. "Besides, they don't. I tested it."
Carlina stopped dead. "You tested it? Who has a whirlpool? And who was stupid enough to throw rose leaves into it? Don't tell me Tonio treated you to a day in the spa. It's not his style at all."
Annalisa lifted her chin. "Tonio is history. Has been for ages."
Carlina blinked. "You mean five days."
"How do you know?"
"Six days ago, he had dinner at our house, and it didn't look then as if he was history."
"Oh, well." Annalisa conveyed Tonio to the past with a careless shrug. "I fell in love. It's different this time." She turned away and crossed the street to reach the restaurant.
I've heard this before. Carlina followed her without a word.
"You don't need to be so disapproving," Annalisa gave her cousin a defensive glance. "He's older . . . and . . . and different. He's not a boy."
"Hmm." Carlina held open the door to Gino's restaurant. "Come on in. You can tell me all about it while we're having dinner."
Twenty minutes later, Carlina inhaled the aroma of the rabbit ragout with gnocchi in front of her. "Just the right dish for a cold winter night." She savored the first bite in silence and smiled. "The first bite is always the best, don't you think?” Her cousin didn't reply, but Carlina didn't notice, filled with happiness. “I guess it's because your taste buds are not yet used to the treat they get."
Annalisa sighed and continued to nibble on her lettuce leaf. "Don't tempt me."
"Why didn't you take the ragout as well?" Carlina frowned. "You're not too fat."
Her cousin clenched her teeth. "It has to stay that way. I have to be perfect."
Oh, oh. Carlina blew onto her ragout to cool it and slanted an inquiring glance at her cousin. "The new lover is very demanding?"
"He isn't." Annalisa speared a piece of lettuce with her fork. "But I have a plan. A big plan. That's why I won't take any risks." She took a deep breath. "I want him to marry me."
Carlina dropped her fork. "What?"
Annalisa finished her confession in a rush. "He's rich, and handsome, and . . ." she gave a wistful sigh, " . . . so experienced. After him, I can't ever go back to those young guys." Her face twisted. "Besides, he needs to settle down."
Her cousin swallowed. "Does he know that?"
"Not yet." Annalisa's face clouded. "I tried to give him a little hint, and he reacted a bit . . . strangely." She shook herself. "However, there are ways to overcome that. I don't believe him at all when he says it'll be over after the holidays. After all, he's never met a girl like me before." She pushed back a strand of her red hair.
Something sharp pierced Carlina. A man rich and handsome, here for the Christmas vacation, her beautiful cousin with red hair . . . She gasped and sat up straight. "Don't tell me your lover's name is Trevor?"
Annalisa's mouth opened. "How do you know?"
"Madonna." Carlina blinked. "Drop him, Annalisa. Right now."
"Are you crazy?"
"You won't reform him, I promise." Carlina's voice rose. "He'll leave you heartbroken."
"No, he won't." Annalisa crossed her arms in front of her magnificent chest and gave Carlina a fiery stare. "I can do it. I know I can."
"Not a chance in . . . " Carlina broke off. It wouldn't help to get Annalisa's back up. The more she protested now, the less Annalisa would come to her when she needed help.
"How do you know so much about him anyway?" Annalisa
Carlina followed her cousin with a grin. "I wonder what it takes to make you feel romantic."
"Easy." Annalisa looked like a smug cat. "A bottle of golden champagne, a brand-new pair of flaming diamond earrings, and a whirlpool with rose leaves."
"A whirlpool with rose leaves would get clogged up immediately."
Annalisa gave her sharp glance. "Now who's unromantic? Really, Carlina, I wonder about you. You start to rhapsodize over an old bridge that's falling apart and give me a cleaning woman's remark when it comes to whirlpools." Her high heels clattered over the uneven stone slabs. "Besides, they don't. I tested it."
Carlina stopped dead. "You tested it? Who has a whirlpool? And who was stupid enough to throw rose leaves into it? Don't tell me Tonio treated you to a day in the spa. It's not his style at all."
Annalisa lifted her chin. "Tonio is history. Has been for ages."
Carlina blinked. "You mean five days."
"How do you know?"
"Six days ago, he had dinner at our house, and it didn't look then as if he was history."
"Oh, well." Annalisa conveyed Tonio to the past with a careless shrug. "I fell in love. It's different this time." She turned away and crossed the street to reach the restaurant.
I've heard this before. Carlina followed her without a word.
"You don't need to be so disapproving," Annalisa gave her cousin a defensive glance. "He's older . . . and . . . and different. He's not a boy."
"Hmm." Carlina held open the door to Gino's restaurant. "Come on in. You can tell me all about it while we're having dinner."
Twenty minutes later, Carlina inhaled the aroma of the rabbit ragout with gnocchi in front of her. "Just the right dish for a cold winter night." She savored the first bite in silence and smiled. "The first bite is always the best, don't you think?” Her cousin didn't reply, but Carlina didn't notice, filled with happiness. “I guess it's because your taste buds are not yet used to the treat they get."
Annalisa sighed and continued to nibble on her lettuce leaf. "Don't tempt me."
"Why didn't you take the ragout as well?" Carlina frowned. "You're not too fat."
Her cousin clenched her teeth. "It has to stay that way. I have to be perfect."
Oh, oh. Carlina blew onto her ragout to cool it and slanted an inquiring glance at her cousin. "The new lover is very demanding?"
"He isn't." Annalisa speared a piece of lettuce with her fork. "But I have a plan. A big plan. That's why I won't take any risks." She took a deep breath. "I want him to marry me."
Carlina dropped her fork. "What?"
Annalisa finished her confession in a rush. "He's rich, and handsome, and . . ." she gave a wistful sigh, " . . . so experienced. After him, I can't ever go back to those young guys." Her face twisted. "Besides, he needs to settle down."
Her cousin swallowed. "Does he know that?"
"Not yet." Annalisa's face clouded. "I tried to give him a little hint, and he reacted a bit . . . strangely." She shook herself. "However, there are ways to overcome that. I don't believe him at all when he says it'll be over after the holidays. After all, he's never met a girl like me before." She pushed back a strand of her red hair.
Something sharp pierced Carlina. A man rich and handsome, here for the Christmas vacation, her beautiful cousin with red hair . . . She gasped and sat up straight. "Don't tell me your lover's name is Trevor?"
Annalisa's mouth opened. "How do you know?"
"Madonna." Carlina blinked. "Drop him, Annalisa. Right now."
"Are you crazy?"
"You won't reform him, I promise." Carlina's voice rose. "He'll leave you heartbroken."
"No, he won't." Annalisa crossed her arms in front of her magnificent chest and gave Carlina a fiery stare. "I can do it. I know I can."
"Not a chance in . . . " Carlina broke off. It wouldn't help to get Annalisa's back up. The more she protested now, the less Annalisa would come to her when she needed help.
"How do you know so much about him anyway?" Annalisa
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