A Year at 32 September Way Read Online Free Page A

words reverberated in his ears after he’d given his parents less than twenty-four hours’ notice that he was leaving.
    “You can’t be serious, my boy!” the elder Winsdorth had retorted. “Compromising your position at the bank for a whim? Why, I cannot believe it! You must call them now, Charles. Call them and tell them you’ve made a grave mistake. Well, don’t just stand there like a spineless jellyfish…call the bank’s emergency number and get in contact with the president straight away.”
    Charles had actually held the phone for a few seconds before walking over and replacing it on its cradle. “I’m leaving tomorrow morning,” he’d responded quietly as he bent down to kiss his mother’s cheek. “I’ll ring when I’m settled.” As he walked out the door of his parents’ house, his father had remained frozen, speechless and completely flabbergasted.
    Thank goodness for Sofia’s phone call that evening to wish him a safe trip, or he might have never gotten on the plane. She had been tremendously helpful to Charles in finalizing all the details for his sabbatical. She’d even helped him find a quaint little apartment in the center of Verona, not far from where she loved to hang out. “That way, at least once a month you’ll have a familiar face not far away,” she’d said with a lighthearted laugh.
    Even as the airplane descended toward Verona, Charles nervously wondered if his father hadn’t been right. Maybe he was a spineless jellyfish after all. Maybe the best thing he could have done was to remain at the bank and continue working his 14-hour days until he retired. But something inside told him there was more to life than just that, and there was a chance he might find it in Verona. “Why not?” Charles asked himself, wiping his palms again. “Whatever it is I need, I already know it isn’t in London.”
    ***
    Eva stood on the platform at the Dusseldorf train station waiting for the high-speed train to Munich. She would have an hour or two to kill there while waiting to continue the journey that would take her over the Alps to Verona. Marcello had insisted on arranging it all for her. “The scenery is too beautiful to miss, and you can’t enjoy or appreciate it from an airplane. You must see it…I want you to see it!” he’d responded emphatically when she asked if it wouldn’t be better to fly. After all, they could be together in a matter of hours if she arrived by plane. But he was insistent that she take the scenic route so, here she was, still slightly bleary-eyed and waiting for the train at 6 o’clock in the morning.
    She settled into her seat by the window and sipped the coffee she’d purchased in the café car. With her long legs, long blond hair and high cheekbones, Eva drew the attention of men and women wherever she went. The women were generally unfriendly, cold and unwelcoming; they couldn’t bear having to share their perceived territory with another woman and let Eva know it by ignoring her or looking at her as if she were nothing. Thankfully, she had noticed that the women in Italy were not the same way. They seemed more friendly, open and unconcerned about the possibility of having to share space and attention with another woman. It was a welcome difference, and Eva hoped to make a few women friends while living in Verona.
    Most of the time, the men around her were overtly charming or polite in the hopes of becoming the object of her attention and affection. But Eva was no longer interested in the men in her country, or any other country for that matter. She’d met her true love in Italy and was going to spend time with him every day once she moved to Italy. Sometimes, as she lay awake at night thinking of Marcello and their nights together, Eva had envisioned a summer wedding next year amongst the vineyards or along Lake Garda. She was sure that Marcello would propose after they’d been together for a while. He was such a romantic, and why would he want