Page 52 of A Wedding in Tuscany

We continue for three more poses, each time, Giulia teaching us a new technique. By the time she says, ‘Grazie, Piero. Puoi andare,’ and he slips his robe back on, I’m so absorbed in my drawing, I forget to get a final glimpse of that Roman God bum of his.

‘Bye, Piero,’ Cat calls out.

‘Thank you. Grazie,’ I say, shaking off my artistic stupor. The others say goodbye and thank you and, at the door, he turns with a wave and flashes us a broad smile that reveals perfect white teeth behind those full red lips. Crikey!

Giulia instructs us through the business of packing up and, before I know it, we are outside squinting at the midday sun. ‘Well, that was, uh …’ begins Mum. She shakes her head and giggles. Our mum?giggling!

The rest of us join in. ‘Did you plan that?’ asks Cat.

‘You mean Piero?’ I ask.

‘Yes.’ She leans in and lowers her voice. ‘Was he supposed to be in lieu of a stripper?’

‘No!’

‘Honestly, Cat, we had no idea. We just booked a life drawing class,’ says Jaelee.

‘Well, if it wasn’t you …’ She turns her eyes skyward. ‘Then thank you, fates.’

‘Yes,’ says Mum looking up, ‘thank you very much for the eye candy.’ Then she purrs?purrs!?then dissolves into more giggles.

‘Mum!’ I mock chastise.

‘Oh, get over it, Sarah. I’m sixty-four, not dead.’ Well, I guess I’ve been told!