A Siren's Choice (Book One in A Siren's Series)

Chapter Five: Trip of a Lifetime

Nathaniel
The night before

"Grazie tante", I say in Italian to the small restaurant owner as I pay for the delicious dinner I just ate.

"Prego", he replies with a kind smile.

With one last wave I walk out of the restaurant and into the narrow cement street that is currently illuminated by old fashion lamp posts. As I walk back to my hotel, Al Poggio Antico, I look down at my watch and see that it is 8:49pm, which means it's only 2:49pm in Brooklyn, my home. The perfect time to call my mother. Before leaving New York, I had promised I would keep in contact with her while I am travelling around Italy.

If I don't call her every few days she'll go insane with worry and blow my phone up with calls or text messages, and once I do answer I'd get the lecture of a lifetime. I did that once, and I'm not doing it again, so it's best that I call her.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and press my mother's name, it rings twice before she picks up. "Nathaniel, my boy! How are you? Are you having fun? Where are you now? Everyone's being nice to you?"

"Hey mum, I'm great. How are you and dad? Yes I am having fun. Right now I'm at the Amalfi Coast, I got here about two days ago. And yes mum, everyone is being nice to me". With a small smile on my face, I answer all of my mother's usual questions that she asks every time I call her.

"That's great Nathaniel! Oh your father and I are just fine, keeping busy with work and all. The Amalfi Coast... I have never heard of it. What is it like there? And that's good sweetie", my mother speaks very quickly like she's afraid that at any moment the phone will cut out.

"That's good mum, don't work too hard. The Amalfi Coast is this small town that is built up a side of a mountain, it has small beaches and an amazing view. It's absolutely beautiful here", I finish saying as I continue to make my way back to my hotel, walking pass many different type of shops, restaurants and hotels.

"Oh don't worry about me sweetie. And that sounds amazing, I can't wait to see pictures once you come back home", she squeals with excitement. "When will you be returning home? I miss my little boy", she asks probably secretly hoping that I say tomorrow, but I'm not finished travelling around Italy quite yet.

"Don't worry you'll see plenty of pictures. I won't be home for another few weeks, I still have a few more places I want to see. And mum I am twenty-three years old you know that right, I'm not a little boy anymore", I say with a hint of annoyance in my voice at repeatedly being call a little boy by my mother.

"Don't take that tone with me Nathaniel Aarons Harper, I know you don't like it but you will always be my little boy, even when you hit your forties you will still be my baby boy". She successfully scolds me from another country.

"I know mum, I'm sorry", I apologise as I start walking up the concrete stairs that will take me to my hotel apartment.

"That's okay my boy. What are you going to do tomorrow?" Never one to hold a grudge, she changes the subject.

"Tomorrow I'm going to be going on a small boat cruise around some of the islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, before finally arriving at Capri and doing a day excursion there. Then I'll come back here for a day before travelling down to Sicily" I explain my plans as I continue to walk up the many steps, my legs already sore after climbing numerous flights of stairs all day long.

"Sounds great sweetie, can't wait to hear all about it. I should probably let you go now. Love you my boy, be careful".

"Okay mum, I love you too and I will. Also just so you know, I probably won't get any service while I'm on the boat and I won't be able to call you for the next few days, but I promise I'll call you as soon as I get back to Amalfi".