But I just squeezed my thighs together and pretended I wasn't thinking about Stefan licking other parts of my body like that.
Anyway—
After we finished our sweet breakfast, we wandered around some more.There were so many different things to see.Everything from pottery, to flowers—to books.
We stopped at a large booth.It was a lot bigger than the others.Stefan started talking with a man behind the table.I wasn't sure what they were saying, obviously.But they seemed to be in a deep discussion about something.
I continued browsing down the long tables.There were so many pretty things.
A woman came over to me and spoke Italian.I shook my head.“I only speak English, sorry.”
She smiled.“Ah, that is fine.Is there anything I can help you with?”
I shrugged and looked back at the table.“I'm not sure yet,” I said, my eyes scanning everything in front of me.The woman made small talk with me while I browsed.I looked up a few times and saw Stefan still speaking with the man.I wondered if he knew him.
I was almost finished looking at everything when something caught my eye.
“Oh, that's interesting.”I pointed to a ring.It was so distinctly male.
So distinctly—Stefan.
“Ah, this baroque style?”The woman picked it up and handed it to me.It was a black ring with thin strips of decorative gold filligree around the edges.And in the middle, there was a gorgeous gold Baroque design all around it.
It was perfect for him.
“You like this.Yes?”
I bit my lip and nodded.It looked like real gold, though.And I was pretty sure I didn't have enough money.“How much is it?”I asked, scared to hear her answer.
She grinned at me and nodded her head to where Stefan was standing.“Are you here with him?”
Stefan and the man were still talking.“Yes, he's my husband.”It felt—odd—using that word.
But it also felt—right.
“Husband?”Her eyebrows shot up, and her jaw dropped open.
“Um, yep,” I said cautiously.She seemed more than a little surprised at what I'd said.
“Congratulazioni,” she said, and then closed my hand over the ring, like she wanted me to hide it or something.Then she turned and yelled something in Italian to the man talking to Stefan.
The man looked just as surprised as the woman.He congratulated me, too.And then Stefan.
Stefan gave me a smile and went back to talking with the man.
“Why don't we say,” she narrowed her gaze at me, “fifty euros.”Her eyes darted to my basket of eggs.“And your eggs.Are they fresh?”
I laughed softly.“You can't get any fresher.”I gratefully handed over the basket.
“The girl who comes with her eggs didn't show up today.This is good timing for me.”
I pulled out my wallet and gave her one of the several fifty-euro bills in there.Stefan had really gone overboard.“Why do I feel like it's worth a lot more than that?”I asked skeptically.This was not the way to bargain with someone, but it still felt wrong to me.
The woman laughed loudly.“Value is all perception.No?Besides, I am the owner.I make the prices,sì?”
I could ask Stefan what to do.But I kind of wanted to surprise him with the ring.He'd done so much for me.There was no way in the world I could ever repay him.
Besides, maybe I was wrong, and the ring was only worth two euros—and it would end up turning his finger green or something.
