Read You Had Me at Merlot: Part 2 for Free Online Page B

Laurie.
    ‘That’s the one.’
    ‘Maybe we should all start there, then I can keep an eye on you with my girl,’ George joked without joking.
    So off we trundled, all of us, until we reached the Piazza del Duomo, a wide and bustling space in which the cathedral stood
     prominently in the centre, towering above everything, its pale stone walls high and the vast, bright dome dominating.
    ‘Here we are,’ exclaimed Jamie. ‘You guys have an amazing day, okay? Get lots of stories to tell us all on the way home.’
    ‘Jamie, can we go in there?’ purred Annette.
    ‘Yes, go in, look around, go up the dome if you dare.’
    Jane stepped forward. ‘Is there a lift?’
    ‘There’s not going to be a bloody lift, you bloody idiot!’ shrieked Vicky.
    ‘
Shut your bloody face. Who bloody asked you?
’
    ‘Jane, shut up, have you seen that guy over there with the greasy hair? Urgh, he’s totally looking at your arse.’
    ‘Urgh, bloody pervert.’
    ‘Urgh, look at all them muscles.’
    ‘Urgh, shall I go and talk to him?’
    And with that the Bristolians left us. Jamie subtly placed a hand on my back and, on the pretext of showing me the carvings
     on the wall of the basilica, tried to lose us from the group.
    ‘Hello.’
    We turned around and Pierre was behind us. ‘
Ciao
Pierre, what can I do for you?’
    ‘I am wondering if going up the dome is suitable for a lady. I would like to take Laurie, but she is a delicate flower.’
    ‘No she’s not,’ I said. ‘She’ll be fine.’ Behind Pierre’s shoulder Laurie was being anything but a delicate flower, ordering
     a round of limoncello shots from a street-side café.
    ‘I think you should go for it, Pierre, just go in the front entrance and they’ll tell you all about it.’
    With a nod, Pierre strolled away, finally leaving Jamie and me alone. We circled the entire building as he told me little
     facts about Florence’s history, some of them blatantly made up.
    ‘I find it very hard to believe that Sofia Loren was born here in the Santa Maria del Fiore.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘Because about five minutes ago you said the same about Frank Sinatra.’
    ‘Ah, busted.’
    ‘There you are,’ said Annette, appearing in front of us, hands on hips, trying to give Jamie sexy-eyes but refusing to look
     at me. ‘I seem to be man-less right now; one of the other girls, whose name I can’t even recall, is all over mine.’ She threw
     me a deliberate glance and I ruffled my feathers on behalf of Laurie.
    ‘I guess some people just aren’t that interested in being around certain other people.’
    Annette rolled her eyes and put a hand on Jamie’s arm. ‘If you want to spend some time with me, I’m right here.’
    How dare she? He was my date, and even if she doesn’t realise that’s what this is, it’s pretty obvious we’re into each other.
     Yes, I was admitting it. Yes, I was having my first jealous patch in years, and it was kind of interesting.
    Jamie extracted himself and put his arm around me. ‘Thank you Annette. Although I think I saw Marco going into the Duomo alone
     just a few minutes ago.’
    ‘You did?’
    ‘
Sì
.’
    She cracked a coy smile as a goodbye, and raced off.
    ‘You did?’ I asked.
    ‘No. He’s over at that café with Laurie, Jon and Bridget.’
    I laughed. ‘Well, this is beautiful. Good first stop, even if the others have dragged themselves along too.’
    ‘Florence is small, but with all the little streets and secret walkways, I think we can lose them.’
    I liked the sound of that. We explored the cathedral inside and out, often veering off to one side, into an alcove or to carefully
     study a mural when another member of the group neared us. And besides, from the hand-holding and eye contact I saw going on,
     it definitely seemed this lot wouldn’t have welcomed us as chaperones.
    The next stop was the Ponte Vecchio, which looked rather a lot like the Pulteney Bridge in Bath, lined on both sides with
     boutiques that were