Carpe Diem

"No, it's not all you need. It feels like we now have a lesbian relationship."

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed, giving his chest a slap.

"Well, we do. I miss it, too. I miss seeing that look in your eyes, and that little gasp you make, when I enter you. I miss hitting that spot just the way you like. I miss the sound of our slapping flesh. I miss the way you'd beg me to fuck you harder and harder. I miss that feeling of filling you, and staying inside you until I slip out. And then collapsing in exhaustion after a good, hard, fuck. I miss it all."

"You'll get it back. Just give it time. The more you stress over it, the longer the problem will last. Doctor Travis said it's more of a mental issue at this point. It isn't permanent."

"It feels permanent. I'm tired of feeling like less than myself. Like less of a man."

"I can relate," she reminded him. "For years, I felt like less of a woman because I couldn't give you any children. Remember?"

"I know. And I remember telling you how silly that was, and how it didn't matter because we would always have each other."

"Then heed your own advice. Your value as a man - and as a husband and lover - has nothing to do with your penis. I didn't fall in love with you and agree to spend the rest of my life with you because of your penis. I hate to break it to you. I know how proud you guys are of your dicks."

He chuckled softly. "I know. I just hate that I've denied you what I know you need."

"I don't need anything. As long as I have you, that's all I need."

***

Alex and Geddy awoke early the following day, as they had scheduled a cooking class. Cooking had been Alex's passion for years, and the opportunity to learn how to cook authentic Italian food in the heart of Italy was simply too tempting to deny. They met a small group of people at the posted meeting place and enjoyed a short stroll to a marketplace, where they purchased the ingredients with which they would be cooking.

The marketplace itself was a fascinating side venture. They sampled various types of olive oils and vinegars, watched as the butcher prepared their beef and lamb, and toured the sprawling floor of the marketplace as their chef described each stop along the way.

From there, they traveled by foot to the site of the kitchen. They began by preparing the vegetables for a Bolognese sauce. Alex took a turn with the chef's knife and impressed the other tourists by expertly dicing an onion in mere seconds. They watched as the chef mixed all of their ingredients into a large pot and let it simmer while they whisked eggs for their tiramisu dessert.

Wine was poured and passed around as they were shown how to make pasta from scratch. In addition to tagliatelle pasta, they were shown how to make a simple ricotta ravioli as well. By the time they were done, they were all famished. The ravioli, drizzled with butter and virgin olive oil, and sprinkled with fresh herbs, served as their appetizer, while the pasta with bolognaise sauce was their main course.

Later that evening, over dinner with Neil, Geddy gushed, "It was the best meal I've had in Italy, I swear it! And I'm not just saying that because we made it!"

The three friends dined on famous Florentine steak that evening. Each cut of beef was larger than their plates, and several inches thick. Paired with the house's red wine, it made for an exquisite meal.

"Between all of this amazing food and our daily dose of gelato, I just may gain back all the weight I lost," Alex joked.

An elderly man suddenly entered the restaurant, with an accordion strapped to his chest. He began playing the instrument while singing an old Italian love song. Alex rose from the table immediately and held out his hand for his wife. She smiled and joined him. Together, they happily danced alongside their table to the delight of the old man.

As the song continued, Alex parted from his wife and signaled for Neil to take his place. Neil waved him off, but Alex insisted. Neil rose from the table with an awkward grin and held Geddy's hand as they swayed to the music. He said something to her and she giggled and blushed. When the song ended, Neil dipped her with a dramatic flourish, and they bowed together to the polite applause of their fellow diners.

They returned to the table, and to their glasses of wine. Alex fished a few euros from his pocket and handed them to the old man.

"So, tell me," Neil said, "how was your tour of the Accademia? I plan to visit tomorrow."

"It was very interesting," Geddy said. "It was a treat to see so many unfinished works by Michelangelo. We plan to see the Uffizi tomorrow. I've heard it is arguably the greatest museum in the world."

"Better than the Louvre?" Alex asked.

She thought about it for a moment before responding. "We've been to the Louvre. It would be difficult to match."

"I've always wanted to go there," Neil said. "Did you see the Mona Lisa?"

Geddy was the middle of sipping her wine and nearly choked. "Don't get her started," Alex warned.

"Most overrated work of art in history," she said. "Really, it's an ordinary portrait of a rather ordinary-looking woman. The most interesting part about it is the landscape in the background, where Da Vinci used colors to add to the perspective."

"Do you know why it's famous?" Neil asked.

"I'm guessing it's famous because Da Vinci painted it," Alex responded.

"He painted countless other works of art," Neil said, "and many of them could be considered his masterpiece. I'm not sure that painting was even his greatest skill. He was also an inventor, an architect, a scientist, a mathematician, a sculptor, a writer..."

"Okay, so why is the Mona Lisa famous?" Geddy asked.

"It was once stolen from the Louvre," Neil said. "It wasn't found until two years later, when it surfaced right here in Florence. It made all the headlines, and made the Mona Lisa famous throughout the world. People came from all over to see the stolen painting."

"Hmm," Alex said. "I never knew that. See, I knew I would get a real education from you two!"

"What really irritates me about the Mona Lisa—" Geddy began.

"See?" Alex laughed. "I told you."

"—is that there is always a crowd of people standing in front of it, taking photos with their cellphones. There had to be at least sixty people there when we went, all elbowing each other to jockey for the best position. Meanwhile, do you know what the Mona Lisa has been staring at for years, on the wall directly opposite her?"

Neil shrugged. "I have no idea."

"It's a brilliant mural by Paolo Veronese called, 'The Wedding at Cana.' It is an absolute masterpiece. And yet no one seems to care about it!"

"Speaking of masterpieces," Neil said, "what was it like to see the actual statue of David up-close and personal?"

"She cried," Alex interjected.

"I did not!" Geddy objected.

"There was a tear," he teased her. "Okay, maybe she just got a little misty-eyed. But still, I have to say it was impressive. To think that it began as a block of marble. It's amazing how someone can take something so ordinary and chisel away at it until it becomes so beautiful."

"'I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free'," Geddy said. "That was his quote, allegedly."

***

"Hi, Pumpkin," Neil said into his cellphone. He stared into the blackness outside his window and sipped from a bottle of water. "Everything okay there? I miss you...You're being good to your sister, right?...That's what I like to hear...No, I'm flying home on Thursday. I'll see you this weekend, okay?...Can you put your sister on the phone? Oh, she's at Becky's house? Okay, not...no, honey, don't give the phone to your mother. No, I don't..."

He grimaced and shook his head. "Hi, Nancy."

He nearly choked on his next sip of the water and held the phone to his ear, wearing a pained expression.

"I told you, I don't want to talk to you unless it's about the girls...No, Nancy, we've been through this. I don't...Nancy, just stop. Okay? Just stop...It's not gonna happen...It's over. Just let it go."

He listened a bit longer before peeling the phone away from his ear and forcefully pressing the end call button. He took another sip from the bottle and shook his head. What on earth made that woman believe he would ever take her back? Her brief reconnection with her old boyfriend evidently didn't play out the way she had hoped. Once the initial infatuation wore off, and their illicit affair lost its element of danger, they apparently discovered their relationship wasn't as exciting as it had seemed.

By the time this realization damned on her, however, he had moved on. He had finally reached a point where he no longer hated her. Although he didn't hate her, he didn't love her, either. Whatever affection he had ever felt for her had disappeared forever. He could never love a woman he didn't trust. It seemed that trustworthy, loyal, women were in short supply.

His thoughts turned to Geddy. He could tell right away that she was a good woman, deeply in love with her husband. No one could question her loyalty, given all that she had endured while caring for him. Not only that, but she was easy on the eyes.

He cupped the cellphone in his palm and tapped on his dating app. He tapped his messages folder and found that it remained empty. The last message from Janice was delivered weeks before he left for Italy. She had been the one who encouraged him to take the trip in the first place. He very nearly invited her to come with him. Imagine that; sharing a hotel room for ten days with a complete stranger. How desperate had he become for female companionship?

He tapped on her username, "Yuelao31891," and scrolled over to her profile photo once more. There she stood, posing for the camera in that red dress, looking incredibly sexy. Her face was partially-obscured by her long blonde hair, but he could tell she was pretty. She had refused to share a photo of her face, claiming she wanted to remain mysterious until they got to know each other better. He thought they had established a good rapport, and yet she seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. It seemed that maintaining any relationship, even online, had become elusive.

***

Alex and Geddy toured the Uffizi Gallery the following morning, and decided to simply relax the rest of the afternoon. They enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a small café near the Piazza del Vecchio, people-watched from a bench near the carousel at the Piazza della Repubblica, and lingered over a glass of wine.

They were on the way back to their room to get some rest when Alex spotted a sign in the window of one of the small shops that read, "Same-day Tailoring." He insisted they enter the store. By the time they left, he had been fitted for a new suit.

"I've always wanted a custom-made Italian business suit," he said.

Geddy looked at him strangely and shook her head. It was pointless trying to argue with him once an idea came into his head. They dined alone later that evening and awoke early the next morning to find Neil waiting for them in the hotel lobby. They shared a cab back to the train station to embark on the 90-minute journey to Rome.

Along the way, Alex was mesmerized by the views outside his window. Each passing frame resembled a work of art, with lush, green, Tuscan fields, olive groves, vineyards, and old townhouses. He fought the urge to pull the cable next to him, hop off when the train came to a stop, and escape into the scenery forever.

Geddy fished through her purse and produced a handful of colorful magnets. "What do you have there?" Neil asked. She showed off her prized collection.

"I've been collecting these everywhere we go," she said. "Just a little token from each place to fill our refrigerator and jog some happy memories."

They reached their final destination, navigated through Rome's metro system and exited from the stop labeled "Colosseum." As soon as they emerged from the darkened metro station and into the bright sunlight, they stood face-to-face with the famous arena itself, towering above them in all its astonishing glory.

"Wow," was all Alex could manage to say.

"Flavian's Amphitheater," Neil said. "Built during the height of the Roman Empire. Imagine the sound of 50,000 Romans packed into that arena, roaring and cheering as they watched a gladiator battle or a naval reenactment."

"Naval reenactment?" Alex asked.

"Sure," Neil said. "They would flood the floor of the amphitheater and bring in mini replicas of battleships to recreate famous naval battles."

"Crazy," Alex said, shaking his head.

They took their time walking the short distance to their hotel and checked in. As they rode the elevator, Alex asked Neil about his plans for the day.

"I think I'm just gonna walk around," he said, "and get the lay of the land."

"We were thinking of touring the Forum," Alex said. "It would be great if you could join us. We could use a tour guide."

Neil agreed, and met with them for lunch before the three ventured off to the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum. As they casually strolled beneath the Arch of Titus and marched down the cobblestone roadway, Neil regaled them with tales of ancient Rome. He pointed out the grooves in the road created by chariots, described the purposes of the crumbled ruins surrounding them, and pointed out the place where Julius Caesar's body was displayed to the public following his famous execution.

After a late afternoon tour of the interior of the Colosseum, the three travelers dined together at a small, family-owned, restaurant located within a few blocks of their hotel. They shared their dishes family-style, and gorged themselves on ravioli stuffed with braised beef, fettuccini with sausage and pumpkin, and a pork sausage drizzled with a delicious tangy liqueur. They finished it all off with a coffee hazelnut cream dessert.

"I may never be hungry again after this," Neil said, patting his bloated belly.

"That was the best meal we've had so far," Alex noted.

"I still think the one we made in Florence tops the list," Geddy argued.

"So, any plans for tomorrow?" Neil asked.

Geddy and Alex responded simultaneously. "The Vatican," she blurted. "The Pantheon," Alex said. He chuckled and shrugged. "I guess we're seeing the Vatican."

"Would you mind if I tagged along?" Neil asked. "I'd love to hear Geddy's thoughts on the Sistine Chapel."

"Absolutely," Alex said. "It's the least we could do after the tour you provided us today."

They casually relaxed, enjoying the last of their bottle of wine. Surrounding them, diners loudly chattered in Italian. A large family of eight sat at a table in the corner. Several children carried on an animated conversation while the adults laughed and emptied their plates and glasses.

"I want to thank you both," Neil said. "I don't think I would have enjoyed this trip nearly as much without you."

"Aww, thanks," Geddy said with a bright smile. "Same here."

"I wasn't sure I made the right decision to come here," Neil continued. "I've been in a dark place since the divorce. I was very bitter and angry for a long time."

"That's understandable," Alex said.

Neil swirled the wine in his glass and admired the crimson glow. "I didn't think I'd ever smile again. Or laugh. But being around the two of you, it's hard not to. You've given me hope that all women aren't monsters, and all marriages aren't doomed to fail. There are good people in the world after all."

"I'll toast to that," Alex said, raising his glass.

***

Geddy, Alex, and Neil stood in the center of the chapel with their heads cocked back, staring directly overhead.

"It's incredible," Neil whispered. "I've seen it in photos countless times, but seeing the real deal is..."

"Awe-inspiring," Alex added.

Geddy pointed to the far end of the ceiling. "Michelangelo began at that end. See how the figures in that panel are all somewhat small and hard to see? Then, progressively, the figures grow larger as you move from one panel to the next. He realized that the details were difficult to see from the floor of the chapel, but only after he had begun to paint."

They followed the painting with their eyes from one end of the ceiling to the other. The chapel was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with gawking tourists. Once in a while, they were jolted by a Swiss Guard shouting his not-so-subtle reminder: "No fotos, no videos!"

Geddy directed the men's attention to the wall behind the altar, which displayed an enormous fresco. "The Last Judgment," Geddy noted. "By the time Michelangelo finished this fresco, he was an old man in his mid-60's - over twenty years after he had completed work on the ceiling. The ceiling was about how it all began: the Book of Genesis. This fresco is about how it ends. It's a much darker period in his life, and you can see it in his work."

"It was a dark period for all of Italy," Neil noted. "There was fighting and rebellions throughout Europe. The church had been split into two by Martin Luther. The Sack of Rome took place not long before the work on this fresco began. The Swiss Guards were slaughtered on the steps of this church, not far from where we stand. Pope Clement barely escaped through a hidden passage to Castel Sant'Angelo. It was pretty much the end of the Roman contribution to the Renaissance."

On the left side of the fresco, human souls saved by redemption ascended into Heaven, while on the right, the sinners were pulled into Hell. In the center sat Jesus Christ, with Mary at his side, surrounded by the most prominent saints.

"Rumor has it that Michelangelo painted himself among the Heaven-dwellers," Geddy said. "He also added the faces of some of his enemies to the bodies being dragged into Hell."

They lingered a while longer to soak it all in before reluctantly exiting to give other tourists their opportunity to gawk at one of the world's greatest works of art. They casually strode through the cavernous nave of St. Peter's Cathedral and paused to appreciate another one of Michelangelo's masterpieces: La Pieta.

Geddy turned to her husband and noted his sullen expression. "You okay?" she asked.

"This was my mother's favorite work of art," he said. He didn't talk about his mother often. She had died before she met him, another victim of cancer. "When I was a kid, we would make her write a list of what she wanted for Christmas. At the bottom of the list, she always wrote, 'La Pieta.' We had no idea what it meant until she explained it.

"Then, one year, my dad somehow found a mini replica. It was really expensive - at least, we thought so at the time - but there was no price tag that would have been too high for him. He gave it to me and my brother to give to her. I'll never forget the look on her face when she opened that gift."

Geddy embraced him and held him for a moment before he suggested they head back to the hotel. Eight days of walking had clearly taken its toll on Alex, and he fell asleep quickly once they returned to their room. It was dark outside by the time he awoke.

That night, she tried once more to arouse him with her mouth, to no avail. There was one point, however, where she swore his cock expanded a bit, although that moment quickly passed. It was progress, she felt. She reassured him once more that his sexual function would return with patience and time.

They chose to sleep in the following morning, and spent the entirety of the day relaxing. The following day would be another exhausting day of travel, and Alex needed to recharge his batteries as much as possible. They found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with outdoor tables and a fantastic view of the Colosseum, not far from their hotel. Geddy and Alex arrived early and shared a Caprese salad while they waited for Neil to join them. By the time he appeared, the soft yellow lights within the Colosseum made the entire structure glow with a warm orange hue. He greeted Alex with a handshake, and Geddy with a warm hug, before ordering a glass of wine.