30-03-2019, 07:02 PM
The old woman kissed Troy on the cheek, indicating that he'd said his goodbyes. He picked up their bag and waved goodbye to her as he walked over to join Julie and Helen; sitting between the two women and pretending to be oblivious to their efforts to incinerate each other with their heat vision.
"Hi, ladies, what'd I miss? Are we having a Scanners duel? Please don't have a Scanners duel; I care about both of your heads too much."
Helen laughed and put her hand on Troy's knee just for a moment, making certain Julie noticed the contact. "Why, no, dear; I was just about to invite the two of you to the ball I'm having three nights from now."
Julie was taken aback and tried to recover quickly. Troy seemed surprised as well. Julie was the first to speak.
"I don't think we packed anything appropriate for that."
"Well, you're in luck," said Helen, putting out her cigarette. "There's an Armani store in the marketplace, just around the corner. Mention my name and they'll take care of you." Maria pulled up in the Ferrari and Helen stood up and grabbed her bags.
"There's an Armani store in San Finzione," Troy asked.
Helen nodded. "Ever since Giorgio came to one of my parties," she said with a wink as she carried the bags to the car. As the passenger door opened, before Helen got in, she stopped and turned around. "I'll send a car for you on the night; probably not this one."
* * *
They waved as she drove away. Julie exhaled. "At least she didn't say 'ciao, sweetie darlings.'"
Troy stood up and offered her his hand. Julie didn't need any help, but took it anyway.
"We denied her the flashiness," he said as he picked up the shopping bag. "So she's bringing us to it."
"Well, we could just not show up," Julie said with a smile that denoted only half-joking.
They arrived at the cross walk and Troy pressed the button for the signal. "Yes, let's snub the woman whose name is on every building in this sovereign state and also owns the security officer. Let's piss off a woman capable of calling up her own private national guard."
"Ok, ok. It's her party and we'll cry if she wants to. So how do we play it?"
The light changed. Troy reflexively held out his hand and Julie instinctively took it as they crossed.
"The same way we've always handled everything, Mrs. Equals."
"You're not about to repeat that, are you? Like 'the same way we handle everything, Mrs. Equals. The same way we handle everything.'"
"No, but you have to admit, that would have been a perfect moment for it."
* * *
"Go around the block," Helena told Maria. "I want to have a word with that old woman."
"Oh, Contessa! You don't mean..."
"Not like that. It won't be necessary. Troy's Propappou was important to all of us; he has a deep respect for the elderly. He wouldn't do what we do to her."
When they came back to the café, Troy and Julie were gone. Helena got out of the car and sat with the old woman. Her wine bottle was now empty.
"Hello, Grandmother," Helena said to the yia-yia. She wasn't a real relative; however, it was a custom of respect to address the old woman as Grandmother. "May I drink with you?" The old woman nodded and Helena turned to a waiter and raised her voice. "Another bottle of the same and a second glass!"
The waiter turned to see who'd been so rude as to shout from outside, then turned back again when he saw who it was and ran to the wine cellar. A few seconds later, another bottle, a second glass, and a stream of apologies from the waiter for taking so long arrived at the table. Helena filled the old woman's glass before filling her own. The old woman nodded and clinked glasses with her.
"I am curious, Grandmother," Helena said, taking a drink. "Those American tourists you were just speaking with, what were you talking about?"
The yia-yia spent several minutes as they talked and drank, telling La Contessa (And probably not caring or registering whom she was speaking to.) that the couple had just gotten married and wanted to know about the people she saw from her spot every day. What the people who lived and worked around her were like, what she thought of them, who was together, who wanted to be together, and who she thought should be together. It all seemed very sweet, and she was glad that a young couple as in love as they were had taken the time to stop and talk and really listen to her.
"Hi, ladies, what'd I miss? Are we having a Scanners duel? Please don't have a Scanners duel; I care about both of your heads too much."
Helen laughed and put her hand on Troy's knee just for a moment, making certain Julie noticed the contact. "Why, no, dear; I was just about to invite the two of you to the ball I'm having three nights from now."
Julie was taken aback and tried to recover quickly. Troy seemed surprised as well. Julie was the first to speak.
"I don't think we packed anything appropriate for that."
"Well, you're in luck," said Helen, putting out her cigarette. "There's an Armani store in the marketplace, just around the corner. Mention my name and they'll take care of you." Maria pulled up in the Ferrari and Helen stood up and grabbed her bags.
"There's an Armani store in San Finzione," Troy asked.
Helen nodded. "Ever since Giorgio came to one of my parties," she said with a wink as she carried the bags to the car. As the passenger door opened, before Helen got in, she stopped and turned around. "I'll send a car for you on the night; probably not this one."
* * *
They waved as she drove away. Julie exhaled. "At least she didn't say 'ciao, sweetie darlings.'"
Troy stood up and offered her his hand. Julie didn't need any help, but took it anyway.
"We denied her the flashiness," he said as he picked up the shopping bag. "So she's bringing us to it."
"Well, we could just not show up," Julie said with a smile that denoted only half-joking.
They arrived at the cross walk and Troy pressed the button for the signal. "Yes, let's snub the woman whose name is on every building in this sovereign state and also owns the security officer. Let's piss off a woman capable of calling up her own private national guard."
"Ok, ok. It's her party and we'll cry if she wants to. So how do we play it?"
The light changed. Troy reflexively held out his hand and Julie instinctively took it as they crossed.
"The same way we've always handled everything, Mrs. Equals."
"You're not about to repeat that, are you? Like 'the same way we handle everything, Mrs. Equals. The same way we handle everything.'"
"No, but you have to admit, that would have been a perfect moment for it."
* * *
"Go around the block," Helena told Maria. "I want to have a word with that old woman."
"Oh, Contessa! You don't mean..."
"Not like that. It won't be necessary. Troy's Propappou was important to all of us; he has a deep respect for the elderly. He wouldn't do what we do to her."
When they came back to the café, Troy and Julie were gone. Helena got out of the car and sat with the old woman. Her wine bottle was now empty.
"Hello, Grandmother," Helena said to the yia-yia. She wasn't a real relative; however, it was a custom of respect to address the old woman as Grandmother. "May I drink with you?" The old woman nodded and Helena turned to a waiter and raised her voice. "Another bottle of the same and a second glass!"
The waiter turned to see who'd been so rude as to shout from outside, then turned back again when he saw who it was and ran to the wine cellar. A few seconds later, another bottle, a second glass, and a stream of apologies from the waiter for taking so long arrived at the table. Helena filled the old woman's glass before filling her own. The old woman nodded and clinked glasses with her.
"I am curious, Grandmother," Helena said, taking a drink. "Those American tourists you were just speaking with, what were you talking about?"
The yia-yia spent several minutes as they talked and drank, telling La Contessa (And probably not caring or registering whom she was speaking to.) that the couple had just gotten married and wanted to know about the people she saw from her spot every day. What the people who lived and worked around her were like, what she thought of them, who was together, who wanted to be together, and who she thought should be together. It all seemed very sweet, and she was glad that a young couple as in love as they were had taken the time to stop and talk and really listen to her.
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