“Will you tell me what’s going on now?” Mandi asked. Her curiosity was getting the best of her and she couldn’t imagine who could possibly need so many toys. There was enough there to cover three Christmas seasons for a large sized family.
Twenty minutes later they pulled up to a stately looking building that reminded Mandi of an ivy league college, or something like that. “We’re here,” Sergio announced.
Mandi looked over and saw a sign. It read Giovani Cuori Casa. “What does that say, Sergio?” Mandi knew casa was home, but didn’t know the other two words.
“Young Hearts Home,” Sergio replied. “This is an orphanage that my family has long supported. My great great grandfather had lived here as a young boy.”
Mandi’s heart swelled up, realizing what Sergio had purchased the toys for. She couldn’t believe how kind and generous he was.
“That’s amazing. You’re amazing,” Mandi said, leaning over to kiss Sergio’s cheek.
“I do it because I like to. I don’t expect anything in return,” Sergio commented.
“I don’t doubt that one bit, Sergio.”
Twenty minutes later, Mandi and Sergio were sitting in a big common room of the orphanage and smiling lovely faces were all looking at Sergio with curious delight. This was going to be one memorable day for them and even more so for Mandi. It was incredible, truly incredible.
After all the toys were handed out one sweet little girl walked up to Sergio. She was too shy to talk, but she handed him her dolly. “Rotto,” she said. Her voice was so soft and quiet.
Mandi knew that rotto meant broke. Sergio looked down at her and smiled, taking the doll from the little girl. It was clearly an old doll that was marked up from being dropped, drawn on, and probably squeezed by many a little girl. The part of the doll that was broke was its arm. It kept falling off. Sergio looked at the arm, trying to see what he could do to fix it for the little girl. Mandi could see a gentle determination in his eyes and there was no way he was going to disappoint the angelic face that was watching him so closely.
A bit of the plastic that keeps the arm in the socket was worn down from years of play and Sergio held his finger up to his chin, looking like he was a toy doctor evaluating the problem. He suddenly said, “I have just the perfect idea,” and got up and went over to the desk in the corner where the worker was sitting.
Mandi and the little girl both watched him and were both obviously curious as to what he was up to. He came back with a small paper clip and tightened it around the plastic piece that was worn down. Then he carefully put the arm back in the socket and wiggled it around a bit until he was sure the paper clip was securing the arm so it wouldn’t fall off again.
The little girl’s eyes were so wide as she watched his every move. He leaned in to the doll like it was talking to him and nodded his head, mumbling, “Yes, I see.”
“Fisso?” the little girl asked.
“Fisso,” Sergio confirmed. He handed the doll to the little girl and told her something in Italian that Mandi didn’t understand.
She nodded her head, smiling brightly and lunged toward Sergio to give him a big hug.
Mandi’s heart just melted and she wondered how he could not just take every one of these kids home with him. It would be so hard to not want to do that.
Another hour had passed and Sergio and Mandi finally left the orphanage, being bid farewell by happy and lovely children. Sergio had made their day and he’d made Mandi’s too.
Sergio had some business to attend to that afternoon and Mandi was very quiet, thinking about what had transpired that morning. It had really touched a part of her in a way that was most unexpected. It was such an intimate scene and one that came from such a genuine place within Sergio. It was so appealing to her and she could just see him doing so many amazing little things just for the joy of it, not for any recognition. It was the sign that he was a good man too, not just a rich man.
That night, Sergio and Mandi sat out on the veranda and enjoyed the unusually warm breeze that was coming off the ocean. They didn’t say much, but they just held hands, casually caressing each other’s palms with their fingers.
Something inside of Mandi was changing and she didn’t know how to describe it. She didn’t know if it was love, but it was certainly an emotion that went beyond the parameters of the arrangement.
When Sergio and Mandi finally crawled into bed they started to kiss each other slowly and deliberately. Nothing was rushed and every action, every second seemed to be an expression of a deep emotion and hidden desire.
Mandi and Sergio’s lips did not leave each other’s the entire time they joined their bodies together that night. It was as if their touch was the lifeline that kept them going strongly and showed just what the other was feeling without words. Their silence was welcomed and it seemed like no words would be adequate to describe the moment. It was a moment of pure unbridled desire to experience everything another person had to offer and take of the gifts of their heart.
As Mandi rested her head on Sergio’s chest she could feel the soft pounding of his heart. She could smell the scent of his cologne and sense the depth of his passion for life. Sergio gently caressed Mandi’s back with his one hand, leaving a trail of his touch behind her that was accented by the breeze that was still blowing in from the ocean that night.
Eventually, they both fell asleep and Mandi drifted off to thoughts of how completely happy she was and dared to dream about the possibilities of more.
Chapter 16
Mandi had three days left with Sergio in Rome before she had to get back to life at the gallery. She missed her home and New York City somewhat, but she absolutely loved what was going on between her and Sergio across the ocean. Every moment seemed magical and their passion didn’t seem to waiver every time they’d approach each other in a sexual manner. Their appetites were insatiable.
Thoughts of the scene at the orphanage and the tender passion of their love making that night never were far from Mandi’s thoughts. It had just been such a moving experience and one that exposed the most desirable side of Sergio that there was. Looking at him in a physical sense was obviously desirable, but getting that glimpse into his heart surpassed it by all measures.
Sergio had even stopped doing as much business, only pausing or removing himself on occasion to take a call.
Of course, for Sergio on occasion meant maybe once an hour, but Mandi didn’t mind. This was a busy man with a great many expectations on him. He wasn’t a slacker and he wasn’t a quitter. He followed through with everything he set out to do in his life. Mandi admired that about him and it was the one thing that they were most similar in. Mandi didn’t quit either and she had a great sense of priority ingrained in her. That’s why she tried so hard with the gallery despite it not being her true passion. It had to be done and if she didn’t do her best it wouldn’t be acceptable.