Stella tried to fan some fresh air in her face but the smell didn’t go away. It reeked of sewage. Even though the sun was slowly setting it was still very hot and the air stood still. From afar she could hear a gondoliere singing “‘O sole mio...”
“Signora, how come a beautiful woman like you is riding my gondola alone? Are you single?” the gondoliere asked. Stella instantly regretted the idea of taking that gondola ride alone. The gondoliere was friendly but he was also quite young and a bit too straightforward for her liking. He had looked her up and down when she booked the ride.
“He is at the hotel,” Stella lied. She didn’t owe him any explanation, she just wanted him to leave her alone.
While scrolling through her phone a photo of John popped up. He hadn’t replied yet since she told him about the raffle. Surely he was mad at her that she considered doing it. Quickly she took a selfie and sent it to him.
･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ.･