Page 3 of Her Italian Wedding (Sweet Treats 9)

It’s one of the things I love about our group. The club was created a long time ago to service the needs of long-haul truckers on a temporary basis. These men work sixteen hours days, and when they pull into a rest stop at night, they put in a call to the local Lodge. Then, a daughter is sent to greet him, and to act as a “hostess” for the evening, if you will. Of course, it’s all temporary. After a hot night together, the trucker drives off the next morning, and the girl returns to the Lodge with a happy smile and a used, sated body.

But despite the relationships’ transient nature, more than a few hook-ups have turned into something real. Natalie, Naomi, and Layla all met their long-term partners through Dads and Daughters. Plus, even June, our local rebel, met her three lovers, Finn, Fred, and Forest Connaught through the club. It’s worked out in so many ways, and I can’t wait for it to be my turn.

After all, that’s part of the reason why I’m going to Italy. I’ve been at this Lodge for almost a year now, and yet I haven’t met a man for a long-term relationship. There have been many hot, muscled truckers who gave me nights of bliss and days of pleasure. But long term? No, I haven’t found anyone yet. At least not here in our small town, which is why I want to discover Milan.

“Are you sure?” Alizeh asked me when I told her about my plan.

“Yeah, why not?” I asked. “I’ve been with this Lodge for a year now, and I want to spread my wings a little. I’ve never traveled internationally,” I say ruefully. “I’m one of those Americans who’s always stayed in the lower forty-eight.”

Alizeh laughs with me. She’s a petite blonde and probably only weighs about half of what I do. Yet, we’ve become close friends and I’m genuinely fond of her. She’s naturally shy, but she loosens up quite a bit once you get to know her.

“I’m not doing much better,” she says ruefully. “I’ve been to Hawaii, but otherwise I’ve never left the continental United States.”

“I know!” I say with an emphatic nod. “I haven’t even been to Canada because I’m so pathetic. So when they said they were looking for girls to help start up a new lodge in Milan, I thought why not me? I can do it. Plus, I hear Italian men are very handsome.”

Alizeh giggles with me.

“They’re more than just handsome,” she titters. “They’re called Italian Stallions for a reason, you know.”

“Oh really?” I ask archly. “And where’s your proof?” I joke.

Alizeh nods with a sly smile on her dainty lips.

“Well, I was with two truckers last week who are of Italian-American descent. So yes, they’re not Italian Italian like the men you’re going to meet overseas. But they were definitely huge down there, and it was amazing. I couldn’t even walk right the next day.”

I laugh even as my eyes go wide.

“Are you serious?”

Alizeh flushes a bit and nods.

“Yeah. I had to sit on an ice pack for a few hours the next morning because I was so sore down there. But now, I’m back in business,” she says cheerfully. “I’m all stretched out and ready to go.”

We both laugh because even though this job is illicit and taboo, it’s right for us. We discuss the trials and tribulations that come with this line of employment, but we love these so-called “problems” too. To be honest, I’d love to get stretched out like that one day. I’ve been with some enormous men, but somehow, my body is very flexible. I definitely feel like my sugar walls are challenged, but I’ve never been pushed to the edge the way Alizeh’s describing.

“So Milan,” she says again. “Oh wait. Aren’t you afraid of coronavirus? I heard that there’s been an outbreak in Italy.”

I nod somberly.

“I am a little afraid of that, but I’m hoping the Italian government gets it under control before I arrive. I don’t know. Why? Do you think I should back out?”

Alizeh looks thoughtful.

“I don’t know. I mean, coronavirus is really scary, but aren’t eighty percent of cases really mild? Most people recover from it with no problem, right?”

I nod somberly.

“Yes, but it’s the twenty percent who get severe pneumonia which makes it scary because it’s not the weak and the old who are necessarily in that twenty percent. It could be anyone. A Chinese doctor who called out the Chinese government on their deficient response to coronavirus was only thirty-four when he died. He didn’t have a compromised immune system, nor was he a smoker. That’s why this virus is so frightening. It could hit anyone really hard, and there’s no cure.”

My blonde friend nods and looks thoughtful.

“Well, the Italian government has definitely put a lot of safety measures into place. I heard that people can’t go out anymore. Italians stay at home 24/7 now, and serenade each other from their balconies because they’re so bored.”

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