Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere. Who: Gwyneth Hathaway and Alessandro De Luca When: FLASHBACK! to 2002 Where: A gallery opening in Venice, Italy What: First meeting of epic proportions!
Some people might have dreaded the thought of spending the evening schmoozing with people, but Alessandro honestly didn't mind. He could have spent the night at home with his children, but he knew himself, he'd be bored after an hour and Lorenzo and Giada were getting to the age where it wasn't "cool" to be seen hanging around with Dad anymore. So, his children were at home with a babysitter, and Alessandro was doing what he did best, mingling.
He paused in front of one painting, looking it over as if he was giving it the critical eye, but in reality, he couldn't say much about it. It was almost like someone had given a small child a handful of Sharpies and told them to go wild. It could work for someone's tastes, he was sure, just not his own. Alessandro simply gave a small shrug and sipped at his wine. At the very least, the food was good, the company was better, and the wine wasn't too bad either. For a gallery opening, this was a pretty decent one. His mother didn't fail when it came to her social obligations, that was for damn sure.
Alessandro turned away from the painting to flag down a waiter and get a refill of his drink. There were a few new faces here, people he hadn't met before, and he was curious. Alessandro almost always was.
Gwyneth was always invited to this sort of thing. She either knew the artist or the gallery owner, was known to buy quite a bit of original art both for herself and as gifts, and had been depicted herself in more than one piece over the years. This particular show was less to her taste and she hadn't been directly involved in it before the opening itself, but she was there nonetheless, if only to drink and talk about art and spend the evening with friends.
She wore bright, lively colors that made her stand out from the more serious and artsy types, never one to let herself blend in. Her jewelry was all Murano glass - she could watch glass be melted and twisted and turned into delicate pieces for hours on end, and had more than once. Her bracelet slid down her arm as she lifted it to place her empty glass on the nearest waiter's tray and take a full flute of champagne in its place. The waiter moved away almost immediately and Gwyneth's gaze followed him until her eyes met Alessandro's. She didn't know him, but that didn't stop her from smiling and lifting her glass slightly in a silent toast.
It was hard not to notice the woman in blue, and not just because of her jewelry, or the color of her dress. (Both of which Alessandro found to be very pretty, of course, he wouldn't lie about that.) Meeting her eyes, he took a new glass of wine for himself and toasted her back, returning that smile. She was not someone Alessandro knew from the various social circles he frequented, and that would just have to change.
He made his way over to her, that smile still on his face. "Art aficionado, or just enjoying the company?" he asked, in English instead of Italian, taking a guess and figuring she wasn't a native. And even if she was, most people he knew spoke both.
Gwyneth was surprised when he started in English, but pleasantly so, as that would save her having to ask. She could speak some Italian, and understood more than that, but she was far more comfortable in English, or even French. Though she had to admit a love for talking late into the night in half a dozen languages with a group of friends from all over Europe, first impressions were often best made in a single language.
"Both," she answered, accent American though not harshly so. The occasional syllable had a tinge to it that most people couldn't recognize - Welsh - due to her father, but not enough to mistake her for anything but American herself, at least not while speaking English. "Though tonight it's mostly the latter," Gwyneth added, eyes darting to the nearest painting. She knew he wasn't the artist or the gallery owner, so she didn't feel the need to hide that it wasn't entirely to her taste.
In truth, Alessandro was only slightly more comfortable speaking Italian, having known English for so long that it was a bit like second nature to him. Certainly helped when it came to business matters, anyway. He did also know a bit of French, thanks to his mother, though he couldn't write it to save his life, and there were still phrases that slipped from Francesca every once in a while that he didn't have a prayer of understanding.
Catching the American accent, and greeting it with a smile, Alessandro followed her eyes to the painting near them. "Tonight, I'm inclined to agree with you," he said, giving the painting a shrug. "Nothing against the artist, of course, I think it'll look great on someone else's wall." Alessandro knew the gallery owner, and he wasn't anywhere in sight. Which proved to be a good thing for all parties, it seemed. "I've always been more - what is the word? Classic, in my tastes." Cristina once joked that he'd have decorated the house in Renaissance pieces if he could have gotten away with it.
That made Gwyneth smile over the rim of her glass as she took a sip. "It seems we have that in common, then. I did art history at university, so I can be picky about my art." Between his smile and his taste in art, her opinion of him was already going up. While she certainly wasn't averse to more contemporary art, meaning wasn't everything; a piece had to be beautiful, too, for her to really appreciate it enough to take it home.
Transferring her glass to her left hand, she extended her right. "Gwyneth Hathaway. I'm glad I don't have to scare you off with my somewhat embarrassing Italian." It wasn't anywhere near embarrassing, at least partly because Gwyneth was charming and self-assured enough to not be troubled by the occasional mistake and could laugh about it, but the sentiment was still true.
"History minor, myself," though university was a good number of years back for him, not that he'd admit that in the moment. "I've studied but a little of it myself, but I know what I like. I can only imagine what pieces you do own, what they say about your tastes." Alessandro couldn't help it, he was curious. And since she had such a pretty smile, he was determined to do what he could to keep it on her face.
Alessandro's hand slipped into hers, with the confidence of someone who did this a lot, even if he did let his fingers linger a second longer than necessary. "Alessandro De Luca," he said, "and I'm glad you can understand my accented English." That earned a chuckle out of him; he wasn't ashamed of it, not in the slightest. "Here on holiday, or have you decided to make our lovely country your new home?" He asked because he was curious, and Alessandro was always the talkative type. If there was something to say, he'd be the one to fill up the silence.
"Not as many pieces as I'd like," Gwyneth admitted, if only because she didn't truly have the space to do them justice. She did have a fair number of things that her ex-husband had painted, though none on display; they felt a bit too personal, at least for now.
"I don't mind accents," she reassured him, not minding the lingering contact, either. "If only in the hopes that no one will mind mine." To be honest, she found his voice rather compelling. "I'm well-used to them, though. I went to the American University of Paris and lived in Paris until I moved here. Where I hope to stay for some time," she continued, answering his question. "I like to travel quite a bit, but for now Italy is my home." France had been home for some years, only rarely going home to visit her family, and not at all from the time she'd married Bastien until she'd moved to Italy. She was too busy making a fresh start of things to take a trip to Michigan.
"You've nothing to worry about here, I think it's lovely." And he wasn't exaggerating, either, as it was a refreshing change of pace, as was the knowledge that she wasn't some wide-eyed tourist here to take in the history of the place, or to trace her roots or something. At the mention of Paris, Alessandro smiled a bit more, "Lovely city, Paris. I've family in France, so I've spent a great deal of time there over the years. Traveling has always been a great love of mine." Thank god for his flexible job and his willingness to take care of certain business affairs in person. Alessandro loved Italy to be sure, but he was still young enough to want to see what the rest of the world had to offer, too. "I do hope we're making a good impression on you so far, Miss Hathaway."
"Thank you." She was used to getting compliments but she was pleased all the same, cheeks pinking slightly over her wide smile. It was a relief, not being condescended towards because she was young and American. Not that it ever proved an obstacle for long, but it was nice to not have to try so hard to win someone over and have them look past those things to get to know her.
"I loved Paris, but it was time to move on." A diplomatic statement if ever she'd said one, but it would be crass to gush about one's divorce to a man one just met. "I honestly don't know how my parents settled down, and in the place they did. It has nothing on Italy, I promise you. Good food, great wine, wonderful people... What's not to love here?"
"But of course." It was worth it to see that smile of hers, the way her cheeks flushed along with it. Alessandro was happy to know that he'd been the one to get that reaction from her. So what if he was flirting, just a little? It wasn't like the art around them did much to take his attention away from her. He nodded at her statement about Paris, understanding the sentiment completely. "Where are your parents? I'm assuming somewhere in the States, but I could be wrong about that. I've only ever been to New York, and it was nice. Crowded, but nice." He smiled, "I totally agree with you. I do a lot of traveling but at the end of the day, this is my home, I always find my way back here." He'd settled in Venice because of Cristina, and his children were happy here, otherwise Alessandro would have been more than glad to return to Rome, where he'd been born and raised.
"They are. They're in Michigan - one of the Midwestern states." She'd learned a long time ago that expecting anyone to know the geography of the United States was more than little egotistical. "It's definitely nothing like New York," Gwyneth said with a small laugh. Scarlet Oak had never been cultured enough for her; it was too small and lacked the history that was inescapable in Europe. Her own country was just too young for her.
"I moved to Europe as soon as I graduated high school and haven't regretted it for an instant. I don't know what it is, exactly, but I feel at home here." Being surrounded by water certainly didn't hurt, and there was something that felt infinitely right about traveling by water rather than by car.
Alessandro nodded, taking another sip of his wine. While he wasn't the best at American geography, he did know where Michigan was, near the Great Lakes somewhere. "Much smaller than the city, I take it?" he asked, guessing from the fact that she'd wanted to escape so soon after school. Growing up in one of the most beautiful cities in the world himself, Alessandro had never felt that same need to fly away. It was different, his need to explore, he'd always come back here when it was all said and done.
"I'm glad we seem to have impressed you so," and he was, because otherwise his path might have never crossed hers, and Alessandro liked what he saw so far. It would be a shame to find out she was here for only the week and gone back to the States just as quickly. "Have you travelled throughout Italy yet, just Venice? There is so much to see, much more than they tell you in all the little tourist guides and things."
Gwyneth laughed softly, nodding. "Much smaller. Close to a few cities, but not any particularly nice ones." She practically wrinkled her nose every time someone mentioned Detroit, and eighteen years of Ann Arbor had been more than enough for her. "Even the nice ones feel so young." It often gave cities like New York and Chicago a feeling that she enjoyed when visiting, but could never imagine living in. She far preferred to be able to feel the connection to history when she walked down the street.
Then she shook her head gently. "Mostly just Venice and the frazione like Murano. Which has been wonderful, and there's still so much to see, but the rest of the country is starting to call to me. Though I am beginning to think it could easily take the rest of my life just to see it all." Every time she tried to decide where she wanted to visit, her list spanned pages. "Of course deciding where to start is the hardest part. I may just resort to closing my eyes and pointing to the map to determine my fate," she added, only half-joking.
He nodded; Alessandro had always been a city boy himself, and though he'd spent some time in the countryside, he couldn't say he cared for it much. "Every place has its less unsavory parts," he said. "I can understand that feeling, somewhat. New York, when I visit it, just seems so..." He let his voice trail off as he searched for the words. "Crowded, but not necessarily lived in. All stainless steel and bright lights, not as much of a soul."
Ah, so she hadn't seen everything yet. Ever the opportunist, Alessandro was smiling behind his wine glass, almost empty now. "I've always called Italy home and I still think I could find something new to see," he said, chuckling. "Should you ever desire to visit Rome - and I do think that you should, at some point - I can tell you all the best places to go, things to see. The sights that aren't on the map are even better."
"That's exactly how I feel about it," Gwyneth replied, feeling the warmth both from the wine she'd been drinking all evening and the connection they'd made. She was a true ex-patriate, following the tradition of more than one creative type and lush. Her glass empty, she was so engrossed in their conversation that she barely noticed when a waiter approached and silently relieved her of it.
"Are you from Rome, then?" She'd had vague plans to go eventually, of course, but now it had moved to the top of her list. "Because I'd love that. Tourist favorites are favorites for a reason, but I never want to be just a tourist. It always feels like some kind of accomplishment to figure out a city's secrets." Gwyneth loved the hidden treasures - out of the way cafes, charming parks that only locals knew about.
Alessandro's drink was getting low too, and when the waiter came by to take Gwyneth's glass from her, he added his own to the tray and plucked two new glasses for them, passing one to her. "Perhaps your country will evolve much in the same way ours has, who knows how it will look a few hundred years from now." They wouldn't be around to see it, of course, but the thought was still an interesting one to have.
He nodded, "I am, born and raised. Every time I think I've explored every last part of the city, I still find something that surprises me, even now." Alessandro didn't want to date himself quite yet, not knowing how old Gwyneth was, only that she was younger than him. "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent in this museum or that museum, or going out to look at all of the architecture on my way to a favorite cafe. It's just - a richness in cultural history you can't find anywhere else." He gave her a smile, "And trust me, I have looked."
Gwyneth took the glass with a quiet thank you before taking a sip. "I'll have to make a point to live forever, then, just to see how it turns out," she said, teasing just slightly. It said a great deal about a country if it survived - thrived, even - after its fall from power. Numerous other places and cultures had, but the States were still too young to have gone through that process. She was a little disappointed that she'd never get to see it, now that she thought about it.
"It's nice to meet someone who takes such obvious joy in their city," Gwyneth admitted sincerely. "It feels like so many people are complacent about everything around them and take that richness for granted. Except, of course, when it comes to cheering their team in the World Cup." Not that she had anything against football; it was probably one of the few sports she had ever taken any notice of. "I'd love to be able to see Rome how you see it."
"You and I both." This was said with a chuckle, knowing it wasn't possible, but still, a neat idea anyway. Alessandro had always found himself fascinated by history, studying it, living among it, and it never ceased to capture his interest. Perhaps his children's children would get to experience something like that, he didn't know. At the moment, it wasn't something he was going to give much thought.
Alessandro had the good grace to smile, not quite shyly, but definitely not the expression most people saw when they looked at him. Antonio had been the opposite of him, bored of Rome so quickly, but Alessandro never was. "Thank you," he said, with a tilt of his head. "And of course, who else would I cheer for?" Football was serious business, after all, and he'd taken Lorenzo to a few games over the years. "I would not mind showing you sometime, were you so inclined to join me."
Gwyneth clinked her glass gently against his. "To living forever, then," she toasted, smile bright as she followed it with a drink. "I'll have good company, at least." There was something compelling about the idea of being able to watch history as it unfolded, both a part of it and not, and even more so with the thought of someone to share it with.
"I promise to cheer for Italia this year, when the games start," she assured him almost solemnly, though there was a laughing glint in her eye. Even if she didn't know much about football, the Italian team was always rather attractive, so it wouldn't exactly be a hardship. Then her expression turned to one of genuine pleasure at his offer. "I'd be completely indebted to you if you let me join you. There's no replacement for a local guide." Especially handsome, charming ones.
"To living forever." A good a toast as any, if Alessandro had ever heard one, and he watched Gwyneth as he took his sip. "The best company, should you end up joining me." This entire conversation was so much better than looking at the unappealing art around them. Granted, Alessandro was known for being something of a chatterbox, but there was more to it than that. He couldn't quite put his finger on what, aside from the fact that he enjoyed it.
He laughed, "And in doing so I hope you bring us good luck." There was a World Cup to be played this year, after all, and Lorenzo would want to go if he could. Giada would accompany them if pressed hard enough, but he didn't think it was quite her thing. Alessandro could never say no to traveling, whether simply a few towns away, or all the way across the globe. He could see it in her eyes, how happy his offer made her, and he was all but beaming back at her. "I'd be honored. It's not often I get to see Rome through the eyes of one who's never been there before. I suppose now it would be a matter of seeing when you'd like to go."
"As long as you don't blame me if they do poorly!" Gwyneth objected, laughing easily. "I don't think I could bear having the disappointments of an entire country riding on how enthusiastically I support them." She was glad she'd accepted her friends' invitation to come to the gallery, even if she'd paid little to no attention to the work on display. A single evening of good conversation would have been worth it, but now it seemed like she'd gotten herself a personal guide to Rome in the bargain.
"I don't have a very demanding schedule," she admitted, all but announcing that she was one of the lucky rich that didn't have to work to support her lifestyle. "Other than a few dinners in the next couple of weeks, I don't have any concrete plans." She hadn't been planning for it, of course, but it was a lot easier to go to Rome with men you'd just met when you kept your schedule free.
"That depends, of course, you know how superstitious people can be when it comes to their sports teams." He managed to say this with a straight face, knowing he wasn't that person. He'd only bet money on a game once, it was in college and it was against Antonio, and therefore it didn't really count. (Alessandro had won the bet, though. It was Antonio's reaction that determined they'd never do it again.) Already this gallery opening was a good idea in his head, how else would he have met her?
His PDA was in his pocket, and he could look at it for a more detailed version of his schedule, but he knew the basics offhand. "I'll be doing some traveling this week, for business, but I should be back by Thursday night. So, perhaps next weekend? If you do not have a dinner to attend to, that is." It wasn't often Alessandro found himself jetting off to Tokyo, and this trip had been in the works for two months now. Perhaps his offer was a bit sudden, yes, but who could blame him? A beautiful woman who enjoyed his company, and he hers, there was nothing wrong with wanting to see her again.
"Next weekend would be perfect." It was soon, of course, and she'd always have friends who thought her a bit crazy for picking up at a moment's notice and going off to some other city, or country, alone or with people she'd just met. But she always had more fun than they did, so crazy or not, that was exactly what she was going to do. "As long as you won't be too tired from your trip. I wouldn't want to be dragging you around at all hours if you're suffering from jet lag." Even habitual travelers couldn't completely escape jet lag if the destination was far enough away. There was a slightly wicked hint to her concern, but if you couldn't flirt with the man you were essentially going on holiday with, who could you?
"Just let me know if you need me to do anything in preparation." Otherwise she'd occupy most of her time until then with shopping and gossiping and attending her dinners as usual. And quite possibly brushing up on her knowledge of the Italian football team.
Perhaps Alessandro should have been concerned about picking up a woman he'd just met at a gallery opening and more or less offering to go on holiday with her. But when she looked at him like that, he couldn't regret that. It had been a while since someone sparked that instant connection with him, the way it had felt when he'd been around Cristina, and he'd do anything to keep that feeling going within him. At her questioning how tired he'd be, Alessandro shrugged it off. "I do this a fair bit, I'll consider the lack of sleep to be well worth it." Spending a few days in his hometown with a lovely woman? There was a bit of a teasing tone to his own voice as well, not really hiding the fact that he was flirting.
He shook his head, "Nothing in particular. But, to be safe," he reached into his pocket for his wallet, and pulled out his business card. It had all of his important information on it, and after a moment, he wrote down his personal cell number on it as well. "You can reach me here. I'll have my phone on me all the time, regardless of the hour." And he did hope Gwyneth would call as opposed to one of the babysitters. Honestly, the news of that broken vase could wait until he got home, couldn't it? His children could call him all they wanted, of course, but he knew Lorenzo and Giada, they might not.
Gwyneth let her fingers brush against his as she took the card, smiling as she tucked it carefully away in her purse where she could find it easily later. "I'll be sure to call, then," she promised, and she would. Listening to his voice on the other end of the line certainly wouldn't be a hardship. "At the very least I'll have to make sure you got back from your trip safe and sound on Thursday night." And then she could get details of the arrangements for their trip, which she was already greatly anticipating. It would make a fun guessing game over the coming week to try to predict the things he'd show her in Rome. Though she could already tell that he was fully capable of keeping a few surprises up his sleeve.
Alessandro didn't miss that brush of her fingers, and it only had him smiling more. "I'll be looking forward to it," and he was, wondering if she'd call while he was away. He loved traveling, and the only moments he disliked were sitting in his hotel room alone at the end of the night. "I could give you a call when I arrived back in Italy, if you wanted." It was a roundabout way of asking for her number, but Alessandro wasn't shy about that, not at this point in the evening. Already his mind was thinking about all the places he knew and things to show her, coming up with ideas and tossing some of them out just as quickly. He had just shy of a week to decide, and he just wanted Gwyneth to have a good time.
She pulled an expensive pen and a small piece of paper from her purse and wrote her name and both her home and cell phone numbers on it in neat if not quite even script. The pen went right back in her purse before she handed the paper to Alessandro, and if that meant touching him again, then, well, she wouldn't mind. "Please do." And if she got bored and the friends that she usually had long, meandering phone conversations with were busy, now she knew who to call. Of course she might call anyway, even without the excuse.
Then she heard her name from somewhere in another part of the room and turned her head to see one of her friends trying to get her attention. "I should go," she said, a hint of disappointment creeping into her voice. "It was wonderful to meet you, though, and I'll talk to you soon, si?"
Taking the piece of paper she'd passed to him, Alessandro knew he'd have her numbers saved in his phone before even leaving the party. That way, he'd know if it was her calling before he answered the phone, and hopefully it would be the first of many conversations. Smiling, he held onto her hand for a second, thumb brushing over the back of her back of her hand before letting it go. "I'll most certainly do that," he said, and with more than a little mischievious glint in his eye.
He glanced up at the sound of her name, giving her one last smile. "But of course, I won't keep you from your friends." He leaned in to give her the most chaste kiss on the cheek, "And lovely to meet you as well, Miss Hathaway - Gwyneth. You can count on it."
Watching her leave, there was a smile on Alessandro's face as he let his eyes linger for a moment. This had certainly been the best gallery opening he'd been to in a while. And while he didn't know how their meet up in Rome might go, he had a good feeling about it.